While dogs are the perfect companions who you can unconditionally rely on, some dogs do serious work that saves lives. These dogs take their jobs seriously. Working dogs can be hunting dogs, service dogs, therapy dogs, police dogs, military working dogs, detection dogs, and search and rescue dogs. Although these dogs were born with special talents and are intelligent, they are also more significantly prone to injuries than household dogs are. Unfortunately, working dogs are 60% more likely to suffer a cruciate injury.
Common conditions found in working and hunting dogs are non-specific gastrointestinal diseases, unspecific lameness, cruciate injuries, skin infections, cardiac diseases, ear infections, and several more. First responder dogs are there to help you in the case of an emergency, but who is there to help them? Working dogs experience the same perils as human first-responders, except they can’t communicate their ailments.
Unspecific Lameness
Working and hunting dogs are prone to osteoarthritis, a painful condition that could be affecting your dog’s joints. Perhaps you’ve noticed that your dog is no longer as eager to run around the job and climb up difficult trails as they once were. Maybe your dog is limping, is more sluggish on the job, and they don’t have the same energy levels they once did when they were a puppy. Pain breakdowns are usually located in the legs, hips, elbows, spine, and toes. Worst of all, this condition can’t be cured. As a dog parent, you can help your dog by keeping them at their best weight and not overfeeding them, as well as trimming their toenails routinely. Trimming your dog’s claws is essential so that they don’t struggle to walk. It’s best to not let your dog’s nails grow out too long, or else they will strain their muscles and joints and develop a wobbly walk.
Skin Infections
Dogs are uniquely predisposed to bacterial skin conditions. Dogs lack a follicular lipid plug and they have a fragile skin barrier, making them more susceptible to skin infections. Most commonly, work dogs and hunting dogs can experience pyoderma, which is a bacterial skin infection. The two types of pyoderma are surface pyodermas and superficial pyodermas. These bacteria produce toxins, which result in inflammation. The best you can do for your dog at this point is to use topical therapy and systemic antibiotics. Pyoderma management is an on-going challenge in the veterinary field.
Ear Infections
Among the most common injuries your dog can experience are ear infections. If your dog is constantly whining, scratching, and shaking their head, chances are they have an ear infection. Working dogs are more prone to ear infections because these dogs are doing physically taxing work outdoors. Moisture creates a prime growing environment for bacteria and yeast. Since working dogs are more susceptible to physical injuries, ear injuries will be common, which can lead to infection. It’s possible that your dog might have allergies and you might not even know it. In the case of an ear infection, you’ll have to take your dog to a veterinarian because professionals have the proper tools needed to conduct ear examinations, and they can prescribe your dog some antibiotics.
There’s only so much that you can do on your own for your hard-working dog when they’re in pain. The best course of action to take if your dog falls ill is to take them to a veterinarian. However, there are some practices you can learn to help ease your dog’s pain while you get ahold of professional care, such as giving them CPR when needed or any other first aid that you’d give a human. Although none of this should replace the professional care, you can be your dog’s first line of response in the event that they urgently need help. To learn more about how you can help save lives, contact the Idaho Medical Academy today to enroll in our medical courses.
