[Dailydrool] Tonsillitis

[Sandi Wittenberg]

Tonsillitis in a basset is ugly.  Not only does the poor baby feel terrible,
since it affects their eating and appetite, it also affects their growth.  I
have had two dogs that had bad tonsils.  The first dog we treated with
antibiotics but the tonsillitis returned repeatedly, ending with a
tonsillectomy.  The second dog we had the tonsils removed after the first
bout with tonsillitis.  

It is really easy to tell if a dog's tonsils are infected.  Unlike people,
dog tonsils are normally completely "hidden" in crypts in the sides of the
throat.  You may be able to see small slits in the back of the throat (one
on each side) - these are the crypts.  If the tonsils are infected, they
push out of the crypts and encroach on the inside of the throat.  They can
become so inflamed and enlarged that they can actually close the throat.  

I would feed soft food or even liquefied food until the tonsils are down.
Dry food will hurt.  Frosty Paws are good, as are popsicles and yoghurt.
My advice is to have the tonsils removed as soon as the infection is under
control.  It is a relatively minor surgery and in the best interest of the
dog.

 

Sandi Wittenberg - Red Bay Bassets

sandi at redbaybassets.com

 

 

 

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.dailydrool.org/pipermail/dailydrool-dailydrool.org/attachments/20081007/6932b566/attachment.htm>