Tooth fractures are relatively common in dogs and are usually caused by playing with stones or sticks, biting, or accidents. This can result in small, sharp chips in the enamel or larger defects that expose the pulp (nerve and blood vessels). If the pulp cavity is exposed, the tooth should be treated as soon as possible to reduce the risk of infection and preserve the tooth. The incisors, canines, and fangs are primarily affected. Young dogs are particularly at risk because their teeth are still developing and are therefore much more unstable than those of adult dogs.
To understand what happens when a tooth fractures, it is necessary to briefly explain the general structure of the tooth. Similar to human teeth, dog teeth are composed of three substances: cementum, dentin, and enamel. Cementum is a bone-like substance that lines the tooth socket in the jawbone and surrounds the tooth root. It is part of the tooth's supporting structure and is responsible for anchoring the tooth in the tooth socket.
The visible part of the tooth above the gums consists of the inner, pain-sensitive dentin and the outer, pain-insensitive enamel. Enamel is the hardest substance in the body, but cannot be regenerated by the body if damaged. Inside the tooth is the pulp, a network of nerves and blood vessels that is supplied via the root canal. The cells of the pulp produce new dentin throughout life.
In the case of minor chipping with no exposed pulp cavity, dogs usually show no symptoms at all. The broken tooth is often only discovered by chance or during a routine examination by a veterinarian. If the pulp cavity has been exposed by a fracture, symptoms of varying severity may occur. The more nonspecific symptoms include increased tongue movement, drooling, loss of appetite, chewing on one side, aggression, and reduced playfulness. In severe cases, however, heavy bleeding, swelling, and significant pain reactions in the area of the affected tooth and jaw may also occur.
An injured tooth with an open pulp cavity is considered a dental emergency that should be examined and treated by a veterinary dental specialist as soon as possible to prevent infection and ultimately tooth loss. Older fractures are no longer an acute emergency, but must still be treated by a professional. If these fractures remain undetected for a long time, as the dog appears to get used to the pain, only minimal discoloration is visible on the tooth itself. However, germs can enter the interior of the tooth through the open pulp cavity and cause pulpitis (inflammation of the pulp). This can progress to pulp necrosis (death of the nerve), which can spread to the surrounding soft tissue and bone. If the germs enter the bloodstream, they can spread throughout the body and damage other organs.
Depending on the location and extent of the fracture, the veterinarian may be able to diagnose it during the clinical examination in conjunction with a detailed preliminary report. However, further X-ray examination is always recommended in order to identify fractures that lie below the gum line in the area of the tooth root and to determine the extent and any damage to the jawbone.
If the pulp cavity is not open and only a small part of the tooth is chipped, there is no risk of infection and treatment is limited to grinding and polishing the injured tooth. In the case of fresh fractures with an open root canal, the veterinarian can keep the tooth alive with the help of a filling. Under anesthesia, the upper part of the pulp is removed and the tooth is sealed with a filling to prevent infection. This treatment stimulates the dentin-forming cells to produce new dentin, which provides additional protection for the sensitive pulp and stabilizes the tooth. However, this treatment is only possible up to a maximum of 72 hours after the injury and only if the pulp is not infected. The age of the dog also plays a decisive role, as dentine only grows in thickness in dogs up to two years of age, making this treatment possible in the first place.
If the fractures are older and the pulp is already infected or dead, a complete root canal treatment can be performed to preserve the tooth. This treatment must also be performed under anesthesia. The entire pulp content is removed, the pulp cavity is cleaned and completely filled.
If the X-ray shows that the jawbone is already damaged, the injury to the tooth is probably quite old. Root canal treatment is no longer possible at this stage and the tooth must be extracted.
The chances of recovery depend on when the fracture is diagnosed and treated. With early intervention, the tooth and its full functionality can be preserved. The later treatment begins, the higher the risk of infection and bone damage, which can significantly worsen the prognosis.
Leukosis is a tumorous disease of the hematopoietic system and, unlike in dogs or cattle, is relatively rare in horses. Lymphatic leukosis is the most common form in horses and develops as a result of the degeneration of cells in the immune system.
Tumors of the urinary bladder or urethra are relatively rare in dogs, but are often malignant. In most cases, they are transitional cell carcinomas. Older female dogs are primarily affected. A higher incidence has been observed in Scottish Terriers, Airedale Terriers, West Highland White Terriers, and Beagles.
This tumor, which originates in the spleen, is one of the most malignant cancers in dogs. The spleen tumor grows very quickly and spreads metastases to all other organs, often before the actual primary tumor is discovered. Older dogs between the ages of eight and ten are most commonly affected.
It is something very special to buy a horse when it is still young or even a foal. Untrained and completely inexperienced, young horses need a lot of attention and knowledge, but ultimately it makes us riders very proud to work together with our beloved animals to become a great rider-horse team. However, any horse owner who plans to break in the horse themselves should first ask themselves critically whether they have the necessary riding skills and whether they have the time available. In any case, you should work hand in hand with a trainer to find solutions to even minor problems together. After all, it's about laying the foundation, which is essential for the horse's further training. Another option is to give the unbroken horse to a professional who has the necessary routine and experience in breaking in young horses. Often, just a few months are enough, and you can then bring the horse back and continue training it together with a trainer.
Kidney disease is relatively rare in horses, but its symptoms are often nonspecific and therefore not always immediately recognized, meaning that treatment is often delayed. In many cases, kidney disease is a concomitant or secondary condition of other diseases.
This disease, often mistakenly referred to as feline leukemia, is caused by the feline leukemia virus. However, since the virus causes many other serious symptoms in addition to malignant tumors of the lymphatic tissue, the name is somewhat misleading
Lens dislocation, medically known as luxatio lentis, is an eye condition in which the lens becomes detached and displaced from its natural position. By obstructing the flow of aqueous humor, this condition can quickly lead to a dangerous increase in intraocular pressure. If not treated in time, it can result in blindness.
The weather is beautiful this weekend and you are going for a long ride on your horse. But right at the start of the first gallop, the horse suddenly becomes very stiff and starts sweating unusually heavily. It hardly wants to move and is pressing its back down. However, these signs seem too severe for simple muscle soreness, especially since you haven't done anything with the horse in the last few days. Avoid any further movement of the horse and always contact a veterinarian immediately in such cases, as the symptoms described above are very painful and may be the first signs of a cross-ties. As this muscle disease occurs frequently after horses have not been worked for one or more days with the same feed ration, it is also known as "holiday sickness" or "Monday morning disease." However, horses that are worked regularly can also fall ill. Young horses of heavy breeds are particularly at risk. This disease was greatly feared in the days when carriage and work horses were heavily used. Today, it only occurs sporadically, mostly in easy-to-feed horses with good nutritional status.
This condition, which has been known since the Middle Ages, is a movement disorder that exclusively affects the hind legs of horses. When the horse is being presented, one or both hind legs are bent excessively and jerkily so that the fetlock almost touches the belly and is then brought down again just as abruptly. The staccato gait is reminiscent of a rooster strutting, which is where the name comes from.
Anthrax is an acute, often fatal infectious disease that mainly affects cattle and sheep, but horses are also highly susceptible. The disease gets its name from the "burnt" appearance of the spleen in infected animals. Anthrax is found worldwide and is considered a zoonosis, as it is also dangerous to humans. It is a notifiable animal disease, but is now rarely observed in Germany. The anthrax bacterium is considered one of the most dangerous pathogens and could also be used by terrorists as a biological weapon.
A must-have in every horse stable: a box containing the most important items for providing first aid or minor treatment to your horse yourself.
Lush green meadows, a small herd of horses galloping towards someone calling from afar, the sun shining from a cloudless sky... how beautiful are the images of summer! And what a time for our horses, when they can live as close to their natural state as possible. Nevertheless, grazing time also requires appropriate management, regardless of whether the horses are only out to pasture for a few hours or live on permanent pasture for months at a time.
