Beagle Dog Breed: Health & Diseases

When is a vet visit necessary?

Anyone who observes their dog will notice small irregularities that could already be a sign of illness.

A visit to the vet is certainly not always necessary, but if you are unsure, it is better to visit the vet once too often than once too little.

Do I need to take my Beagle to the vet?

The special abnormalities that could indicate a disease include, for example:

• exhaustion
• increased desire to drink
• loss of appetite
• vomit
• diarrhea
• Increased urination possibly also with blood
• nasal discharge or watery eyes
• frequent ear scratching, head shaking, head tilt, and/or ear discharge
• change in fur
• skin swelling or itching of the skin
• pain sensitivity
• blunt injuries as well as open wounds
• lameness

Keeping the Beagle healthy

The Beagle needs a lot of exercise and exercise. Because they tend to overeat, exercise keeps the beagle from becoming overweight, which often leads to illness like humans.

A healthy diet is also of great importance in the Beagle. Sufficient vitamins and nutrients are already contained in most ready-made feeds.

Special diet foods help with certain diseases, food intolerances, and obesity.

Routine vet check-ups are necessary to maintain health. This includes vaccinations. Vaccination against distemper, hepatitis, rabies, leptospirosis, and parvovirus.

Every vet will tell you the exact vaccination dates for the first and repeat vaccinations.

A check-up can be carried out directly with the vaccinations. In this way, some diseases can be recognized and treated at an early stage.

Causes and treatment options diarrhea

Diarrhea is often only a mild illness that can manifest itself relatively quickly in the beagle through a change in feed or improper diet.

Only in a few cases is a serious illness to be expected in the Beagle. The expert already speaks of diarrhea when the feces shows a mushy soft to a liquid consistency.

Uncontrolled bowel movements also occur. Bacterial infections caused by parasites or viruses can also provoke diarrhea. In this case, there are usually accompanying symptoms such as lethargy, a dull coat, and weight loss.
Inherited bowel disorders do not usually affect the Beagle, but mental disorders can also cause the Beagle to defecate poorly.
In the case of diarrhea caused by poisoning, blood can often be seen in the stool.

Treat diarrhea

Treatment depends primarily on the severity and cause of diarrhea. In the case of mild diarrhea with no dangerous cause, it is usually sufficient to put the beagle on a diet for 2 days.

This means giving foods that are easy to digest, such as cooked and boneless poultry and rice. Plenty of water should be given to the dog due to water loss due to diarrhea.

Herbal medicines for diarrhea can be administered as directed. If diarrhea has not improved significantly after two days, the doctor should be consulted to ensure that the condition is not serious.

If the beagle has particularly severe diarrhea with clear other symptoms of the disease, the veterinarian should be consulted immediately, but no later than after 24 hours.

Suggest vomiting due to possible causes

Beagles vomit more often due to their greed for food. These are usually only one-time actions after the hasty eating of beagles. If the beagle still vomits at regular intervals, the veterinarian should be consulted in order to rule out an illness or to detect it at an early stage.

If a serious illness is present, in most cases further symptoms are already recognizable before vomiting. Fatigue, tiredness, sensitivity to pain in the upper abdomen, and loss of appetite can be the first signs.
Swallowing things also causes vomiting. Raking, coughing, and choking are typical symptoms.

If you vomit with foamy secretion in the vomit and foaming of the saliva, poisoning could be present. In this case, the nearest veterinarian should be contacted immediately (!).

If vomiting is caused by parasites or viruses, this will manifest itself as continuity and will not improve. The vomit will develop to an almost clear and watery consistency.
Inflammation of the stomach and intestines, injuries to the stomach, stomach diseases such as ulcers or cancer, or a twisted stomach (absolute emergency!) are more common in Beagles. A worsening of the general condition will accompany the vomiting. The veterinarian should therefore be consulted as soon as possible. Other causes of beagle vomiting could include:

• liver disease
• diabetes mellitus
• inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis)
• hepatitis
• food intolerance
• psychological reasons

Treat vomiting in the dog or visit the vet?

If the beagle only vomits and there are no other symptoms such as fever, foam secretion, or diarrhea, the beagle should not be fed for 24 hours. Although water can encourage nausea, it is important to ensure that you drink enough water.
If the dog is still vomiting after 24 hours, or if a more and more clear and watery discharge is being vomited, the vet should be consulted.

Under no circumstances should medicines from human medicine be used. They can be life-threatening for dogs. Medicines from veterinary medicine with active ingredients such as chlorpromazine, droperidol, Dramamine, or metoclopramide should be available in every dog medicine cabinet.
If there are side effects such as blood or foaming of the saliva, continuous gagging, and possible scratching of the neck, the veterinarian should be consulted immediately.

Ear infections – typical for the Beagle

The ear infection is one of the typical diseases of the beagle. This is due to the beagle’s floppy ears. Secretions can collect here and lead to inflammation.

The penetration of foreign bodies can also cause an ear infection. The penetration of blades of grass and long hair in the ear is often the cause of ear infections.
Food or drug intolerance as well as a wide variety of allergies can make themselves felt in the Beagle as an ear infection.

Also because of the floppy ears, parasites in the auditory canal also feel comfortable in the Beagle. Mites, for example, are only too happy to nest there. The symptoms are usually only associated with constant scratching.

However, scratching can further inflame the pinna or even cause bloody wounds. Swollen auricles and extreme redness through allergic skin changes are signs of a mite infestation.

Treatment of ear infections

The veterinarian should be consulted at the first sign of an ear infection. He can determine the cause and suggest the most effective treatment. Rinsing with an antiseptic solution usually has to be done, as well as removing secretions and lard.

Anti-inflammatory agents, antibiotics, or ointments with active ingredients against parasites, so-called insecticides, are injected into the ear canal depending on the cause and severity of the ear infection.
In the early stages of an ear infection, it can be treated quickly and easily. If the ear infection is already more advanced, sometimes only surgical cleaning and treatment of the affected ear helps. Due to the high pain factor, the sick dog can hardly be helped in any other way.
The follow-up treatment can usually be carried out independently at home according to the instructions of the veterinarian.

Typical hereditary diseases of Beagles

Important NOTE:

Even if we are talking about typical hereditary diseases, you must not assume that your beagle will automatically get these diseases. Most responsibly bred Beagles will live healthy and happy lives.

The Beagle may exhibit what is known as a reverse sneeze behavior. Air is drawn in through the mouth and nose, which makes the dog appear to be choking and therefore gasping for air. A reason for this is not known. Nor a treatment. Since the cause is not known, it cannot be said with certainty that this is a typical hereditary disease of the Beagle.

Beagles are prone to Hound Ataxia. Hound ataxia is a neurological condition that affects the spinal cord. It manifests itself in movement disorders, spastic paralysis, and restricted skin and surface reflexes, which, however, do not have a painful effect on the dog. If the beagle falls ill, medication prescribed by the veterinarian should always be on hand in case of an emergency.

The beagle also shows more changes in the intervertebral discs. Beagles seem to have a disposition for a herniated disc.

Disc diseases can cause great pain and sometimes even lead to paralysis. Green-lipped mussel extract can be used as a feed additive to support weakened cartilage tissue. This extract can also be used wonderfully preventively.

It is important to avoid heavy loads. Likewise, the Beagle should have an athletic figure and not put on any extra padding. If your Beagle is already overweight, this should be reduced for the sake of health.

Beagles can be prone to hypothyroidism, which constitutes an underactive thyroid.

Signs of hypothyroidism:

• Increased appetite
• Increased drinking
• Coat and/or skin problems (hair loss, dry skin, infections)
• Wound healing is disturbed
• Alternating diarrhea and constipation
• Sensitivity to cold

In addition, the dog is easily excitable and very prone to stress. There may be concentration problems or the four-legged friend is not responsive. Some dogs appear sluggish and exhausted or are not as productive as they used to be.

Behavioral changes in dogs can be related to thyroid problems and should therefore be clarified by a veterinarian with a blood test. Tablets can be used for therapy and often show results quickly.

Likewise, the Beagle appears to be occasionally prone to eye conditions such as glaucoma, corneal dystrophy, or retinal atrophy.

Functional disorders of the lacrimal-nasal duct cause Beagles to have dry or watery eyes.

Glaucoma, also known as glaucoma, causes an increase in intraocular pressure. This occurs when the circulation of the aqueous humor is disturbed. It is a very serious eye condition and extremely painful.

Signs are:

• Teary eyes
• Blink/squint
• Red eyes
• Cornea becomes milky-cloudy
• Rubbing the eye on the ground or with the paw

Since the Beagle can lose its vision and it is also very painful, glaucoma should always be treated very promptly. The intraocular pressure is lowered with medication. Painkillers and anti-inflammatories are also used. Sometimes an operation is necessary.

Corneal dystrophy is the result of a metabolic disorder that leads to deposits or cloudiness in the eye. This can lead to mild to severe visual impairment. Usually, the hereditary disease does not need to be treated. Pain or inflammation is very rare with this clinical picture.

In hip dysplasia, the hip socket or femoral neck deform. Hip dysplasia is a hereditary malformation of the hip joint. Physical overstrain and the wrong food can promote the development or progression of this disease!

Lafora disease in Beagles

Lafora is an inherited genetic defect responsible for progressive epilepsy. This means that the condition becomes more obvious as one age. The epileptic seizures also become stronger and occur more frequently. A mutation in the NHLRC1 gene (also called EPM2B) is responsible for neurotoxic inclusions (so-called Lafora bodies) that are stored in the brain and nervous system. However, these inclusions are also found in other organs.

Symptoms of Lafora:

• Blindness / poor vision
• Convulsions
• Muscle tremors
• Twitching (especially head area)
• Aggressive behavior/susceptibility to stress
• Incontinence (as the course progresses)
• Frequent blinking
• Dementia
• Falling over / lying down
• Coordination disorders

External visual or auditory stimuli (flashing light, fast movement, loud noise, etc.) can trigger a seizure. The beagle remains fully conscious.

In addition to the symptoms listed, which speak for Lafora disease, a genetic test can reliably substantiate the diagnosis. For this purpose, an EDTA blood sample is examined. In addition to the Beagle, Dachshunds and Basset Hounds are also affected by Lafora disease. However, the disease is often more serious in the beagle.

The disease often does not appear until the age of 6 or 7 and can shorten life expectancy. Unfortunately, Lafora cannot be cured. Dogs’ quality of life sometimes deteriorates rapidly after the first symptoms appear. Only dogs that have received the mutated gene from both parents become ill. A dog with only one mutated gene remains symptom-free but can pass on the disease.

Poisoning – An absolute emergency

Poisoning can develop very gradually. For example, by ingesting dangerous substances over a longer period of time. This can also be unsuitable food (see beagle nutrition).

While some toxins have an immediate effect, others have a delayed onset of symptoms. This is the case, for example, with rat poison, which unfortunately is also often used with the dreaded poison baits. Symptoms of poisoning can even appear days after ingestion.

The following symptoms can, but do not necessarily have to indicate poisoning. Other diseases are also possible with these signs. However, since every second counts when your Beagle has eaten something dangerous, you should always consult a veterinarian immediately if you suspect something. Incidentally, many symptoms occur in combination.

Signs of poisoning:

• blood in the feces
• diarrhea
• vomit
• strong salivation
• blood or foam in the vomit
• blood in the urine
• tremble
• under temperature
• cramps
• “cat hump”
• narrowed or greatly dilated pupils
• unconsciousness
• circulatory problems (white gums/oral mucosa!)
• paralysis
• strong restlessness
• very weak condition
• apathy
• breathing problems
• very irregular heartbeat

But not only do poisonous baits pose a danger for the dog. There are many substances in the household that could be dangerous for the beagle. These include, for example, cleaning agents, fertilizers, medicines, cigarettes, alcohol, unsuitable food, and much more.

What to do in case of poisoning

• Keep calm and don’t panic.
• Take the dog immediately (!) to an animal hospital or to the veterinarian.
• Don’t induce vomiting.
• Do not put a muzzle loop on your beagle.
• If possible, scoop up some of the substance that was ingested/eaten (wear gloves or scoop up like stool!)
• Collected feces, urine, or vomit can also provide information about the poison in the veterinary laboratory.
• If possible, wrap the beagle in a blanket and keep him warm in transit.
• If the poison was absorbed by the dog via the gastrointestinal tract, charcoal tablets can be administered as a first-aid measure (ask the veterinarian about the dosage well before an emergency occurs).

The medicine chest for the dog

The medicine cabinet for the dog is just as important to own as it is for humans. While people know that medical care in emergencies is secured around the clock by hospitals and emergency doctors, veterinarians are not necessarily available outside of practice opening hours. That’s why it’s good if there’s a 24-hour veterinary clinic nearby. Or find out which veterinarian is otherwise on emergency duty.

Therefore, a medicine chest is an important factor in being able to provide first aid quickly in an emergency. Or does the dog suddenly get diarrhea, show abdominal pain, or vomit?

A well-stocked medicine chest helps here for the first treatment, takes the pain away from the dog, and makes it feel better. In every dog medicine cabinet, various things should definitely be available.

These include:

• flashlight
• warm blanket
• clinical thermometer
• vaseline to grease the clinical thermometer
• wound dressings, sterile gauze pads, cotton wool, gauze bandages, and self-adhesive, elastic
• bandages and adhesive tape
• tweezers, bandage scissors
• sterile packaged plastic syringes for drug dosing or suction
• disposable gloves

As a medical supply for emergencies, we recommend an assortment of:

• disinfecting wound ointment
• Iodine tincture for disinfecting
• eye rinsing solution and an eye ointment
• hemostatic powder for small wounds
• antiseptic soap
• cortisone medication for allergic dogs as directed by the veterinarian
• diazepam suppositories for epileptic dogs as directed by the veterinarian
• herbal medicines for diarrhea
• anti-vomiting medication prescribed by the veterinarian