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Dogs + Diagnosis

  • Coagulation refers to a series of events that result in the formation of a blood clot. Clotting occurs after any injury involving blood vessels or tissues in order to stop blood loss.

  • Non-cancerous bone tumours are rare and mainly due to abnormal development. They include bone cysts and single or multiple lumps of bone in abnormal places (exostoses).

  • Most of the red and white blood cells are formed in the bone marrow. If a recent blood test indicates a problem with any of the blood cells, a bone marrow sample sent to the laboratory, may indicate the reason.

  • Lameness indicates a deviation from normal gait. The commonest cause is pain in the limb.

  • Mammary neoplasia (breast cancer) is very common in the bitch. Its frequency is only second to skin cancer. Both benign and malignant forms occur but sixty percent of mammary lumps in the bitch are benign.

  • Calcium is a mineral that is found in small quantities throughout the body. It plays an important role in many physical functions such as muscle contraction, transmission of nerve impulses, blood clotting and bone growth.

  • Calcium deposits in the skin have a variety of causes, usually of minor significance in the young but indicating serious disease in some older animals.

  • Campylobacter jejuni is a major cause of human bacterial enteritis. Poultry and meat products are the main sources of human infection which is acquired by eating under cooked chicken or other food contaminated during preparation.

  • Because cancers of different cell origin respond differently to treatment, and because valuable information on the probable outcome can be gained by microscopic examination of the cancer cells and tissue, a specialized diagnosis by a veterinary pathologist is advised.

  • Back problems in dogs are not uncommon and can be due to a variety of causes ranging from intervertebral disc problems such as occur with us (slipped disc), trauma due to a fall or road accident, or infection involving the spinal discs, the bone of the spine or sometimes the nerve tissue itself.