Cancer
Red flags: Pain, dysfunction of a vital organ, swollen lymph nodes, weight loss or lumps on or under the skin.
What's wrong?: Damage to the genetic code (DNA) causes cancerous cells to multiply at an accelerated pace at the expense of normal cells.
Treatment: A new therapeutic diet for dogs undergoing chemotherapy has adjusted levels of protein, fats, carbohydrates and omega-3 fatty acids to try to starve the tumor while providing optimal nutrition to the patient. In some cases of bone cancer, bone replacement surgery is an alternative to limb amputation.
Cognitive Dysfunction
Red flags: Disorientation, marked by wandering aimlessly or getting lost in home or yard. Housetraining accidents. Decreased affection or playfulness.
What's wrong?: Age-related changes within the brain that affect memory, learning, perception and behavior.
Treatment: Last year the Food and Drug Administration approved L-deprenyl, first used to treat Parkinson's. Given daily, L-deprenyl may reverse abnormal behaviors.
Deafness
Red flags: Slow or inconsistent in obeying commands and oblivious to noises. A dog that goes suddenly deaf may bark frantically.
What's wrong?: Long-standing ear infections decrease transmission of sound waves through ear structures. In dogs without a history of ear infections, age-related dysfunction of the nerve messages from ear to brain can cause deafness.
Treatment: For some cases of infection-related deafness, surgically removing abnormal ear cartilage and infected ear tissue may improve hearing.
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