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Healing & Alternative Health
Dr. Carson's Holistic Animal Care:
SIGNS OF AGING IN THE DOG AND CAT, PART XXVI:
Organs of the Abdomen: The Prostrate
by Kathleen M. Carson, D.V.M
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Continuing on with my series of health problems in aging dogs and cats, I’m writing this month the first of a series of articles on the reproductive system.
Prostatic disease is almost exclusively a disease of older male dogs. It is pretty rare for cats to have prostatic disease.
What is the prostate? It is a small, doughnut-shaped organ that completely surrounds the urethra, which is the tube leading from the bladder to the outside through the penis. The prostrate encircles the urethra where the latter leaves the bladder.
The prostate acts as a holding place for the sperm which are formed in the testes; it also adds fluid to the sperm. The sperm exit the testes, where they are formed, through the ducts called the epididymis, then continue out through larger ducts called the vas deferens. As the sperm travel through the duct system, they combine with fluids from the seminal vesicles, the prostate gland, and the urethra to form semen.
Prostatic fluid makes up the major portion of seminal fluid (90 - 95%). The fluid made by the prostate gland is alkaline. Sperm don’t do well in an acid environment, such as is found in the male urethra and in the vagina, so the alkalinity of the prostatic secretions protect the sperm in such environments. Also, sperm are capable of the greatest mobility when in a slightly alkaline medium. Lastly, the alkaline fluid is bactericidal, helping to prevent ascending urinary tract infections.
(In dogs - male and female - as well as in male humans, the reproductive and urinary systems are joined before they exit the body. Human females, in contrast, have separate exits for the urinary and reproductive systems. Thus, in male humans and dogs, both urine and sperm are carried out through the penis; in female dogs, the urethra ends on the floor of the vagina a short distance from the vaginal opening.)
The prostate gland is majorly influenced by the testicular hormone, testosterone. Without testosterone this gland would shrink greatly in size and would not produce its fluid. In non-castrated (intact) males, the presence of testosterone and the passage of time brings about a stimulation of benign growth in the prostate called hypertrophy. By the age of 5 years, most male dogs have some prostatic hypertrophy. This hypertrophy becomes more pronounced the older they get. In 60% of dogs over 5, the hypertrophy develops to the point where it is called benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). By the time they are 10-12 years, nearly 100% of all intact male dogs have BPH.
As the hypertrophy continues to progress, the position of the prostate in the body also changes. It starts out within the pelvic area. As it enlarges, some of it pushes forward into the abdominal area. By 8-12 years, the large, hypertrophied prostate has fallen forward completely into the abdominal cavity.
Two other pathological conditions can affect the prostate: one is infection, and the other is cancer. An infected prostate is usually seen only in the older, intact male dog. Prostatic cancer, however, occurs in young and old dogs, and it can occur even in dogs castrated early in life.
What signs would you see if your older, intact male dog has prostatic disease? You would see some or all of the following: hematuria (blood in the urine), urinary incontinence, anuria (no urination), pain, constipation, and/or locomotor disfunction (stiffness, trouble getting up and down, a hunched stance, lameness and/or weakness and/or swelling in the hind legs). As the diseased prostate gets larger and larger, especially if it is inflamed, infected, or cancerous, it doesn’t leave much room for urine and/or feces to pass by it and leave the body. It also causes pain and dysfunction in the pelvic area, lower spine, and hind legs.
You may also see fever, pain, prostration, anorexia (loss of appetite), and emesis (vomiting), again, usually with prostatic inflammation/infection or cancer. In some cases, the latter generalized signs may be all you see if you dog has prostatic disease.
Next month I’ll write about the diagnosis and treatment of prostatic disease.
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Dr. Kathleen Carson, DVM
Veterinarian & Author
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Dr. Carson received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of California at Davis in 1968. She's been a small animal practitioner (dogs and cats ) for all the years since, except for a short stint at the San Diego Zoo when she first graduated.
She belongs to the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association.
Since 1974 she's lived and practiced in the South Bay Area near Los Angeles. She started the area's first house call practice in 1976 and the first pet crisis/loss group in 1989. The human-animal bond is of special interest to her.
She started exploring complementary veterinary medicine in 1987. Her practice became 100% holistic in 1996. She utilizes acupuncture, herbs, supplements, Bach Flower Remedies, homeopathic remedies, nutrition and medications for her patients in her practice.
She's currently taking a leave of absence from her house call practice due to health reasons but continues to do phone consultations and to write.
E-mail:
Critterhlr@aol.com
website:
http://www.holistic
vetconsult.com
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