The aim of this study was to find possible relations between behaviour and physiology for Puppies during different parts of a puppy test. This work deals mainly with the physiological part of the study. Thirtysix Puppies, från five litters, were tested in a behaviour test where heart rate was measured and saliva samples were collected before and after each part in the test. Saliva and urine samples were analyzed for corisol concentration as an indicatior of stress. The tests were performed during two consecutive days in the breeders' home when the Puppies were seven weeks old. In addition, heart rate and cortisol levels were also measured in the bitch since we were interested in finding out if there were any relations between physiological levels in bitches and Puppies.

There are many theories why animals play but none have jet been proven. During observation on Canids, play seems to be important when they learn to control the intensity of the bite and to facilitate the social structure within a group. When dogs play they perform behaviours that otherwise are used during hunting, reproduction and aggression that in another context would be for example hostile. The dog is one of the species that we humans have domesticated and they have been exposed to an intense and concentrated breeding so they can function in different areas, for example herding and hunting. This breeding has resulted in that the pure bred dogs can be very different between the breeds.

Nursing and care for the pregnant bitch and her neonatal Puppies is an important part of the animal nursing profession either if it concerns normal reproductionphysiology, pregnancies, diseases or complications at home of the animalowner. This piece of work gives a guidance of what a Veterinary nurse at a clinic should have in mind while given treatments, complications and normal physiology with the bitch and her neonatal Puppies in order to be able to perform a professional cooperation with the veterinary surgeon at emergency teatmentcases and to make the animal owners satisfied with enough knowledge to answer their questions about the subject..

The dog is unique in the way that the adult weight can vary 100 folds between the different breeds. Despite this, most of the breeds reach adult size before two years of age. For the large-breed dogs this means a very rapid growth when some of them can have a weight gain of up to 150 times their birth weight. The most rapid growth occurs when the Puppies are between three to six months old and that kind of rapid growth during such a short period of time makes these large-breed Puppies very sensitive to deficits and excesses of energy, nutrients and minerals. Some examples can be excess of energy, excess or deficit of minerals such as calcium and phosphorus or deficits of protein. The rapid growth can also make the large-breed Puppies predisposed to some diseases affecting the skeletal and joints.

Dystocia, or difficult birth, is a commonly seen complication to natural birth in veterinary hospitals. Although other methods of resolving dystocia exist, 60 % of dystocias will need to undergo caesarean section. To perform a caesarean section, the bitch will have to undergo anesthesia. The purpose of this literary study was to provide a deeper understanding regarding how the physiologic changes that occur during pregnancy influence anesthetic management in the bitch and Puppies. Which anesthetic drugs and drug combinations indicated was also investigated as well as how a veterinary nurse can optimize care of the mother throughout the procedure and how resuscitation of the Puppies should be carried out for best possible outcome.

The first two weeks in a pup's life is called the neonatal period. This period is dominated by growth and development of organs and senses. The puppy is born blind and deaf and the physiological disability makes it unable to move properly. The neonatal period is characterized by a lot of sleeping. The pup receives the important milk and warmth from the bitch.

The flagellate Giardia intestinalis has been known to cause diarrhea in both man and dog. Results from epidemiological studies have indicated that transmission of the parasite from dog to man is plausible even though that route of infection has yet to be shown. Several international studies have shown that the parasite frequently occurs in asymptomatic dogs. In Sweden the prevalence of Giardia in healthy dogs is not known though. In this study, faecal samples were collected at two separate occasions from 21 litters and 21 bitches showing no symptoms from the gastrointestinal tract. The samples from each litter were pooled but the samples from the bitches were analyzed individually.

Pyometra is a common and life threatening disease of intact bitches. The disease is caused by a hormonal influence on the uterus in combination with a bacterial infection. The most common treatment is ovariohysterectomy, but several medical options are available to maintain fertility or avoid surgery and anaesthesia. Drugs that can be used for medical treatment are for example progesterone-receptor antagonists, prostaglandins and dopamine agonist. The present study focused on treatment with the progesterone-receptor antagonistaglepristone in combination with antimicrobial therapy.

Canine parvovirus is associated with two disorders: enteritis, which is common, and myocarditis, which is rare. Prominent clinical signs of parvovirus enteritis are vomiting, diarrhea and rapid dehydration. Canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2) is very contagious. When CPV-2 first emerged it had high rates of mortality, but later studies have shown that most infections are self-limiting and do not require veterinary care. Mortality rates vary greatly, and therefore it is important to determine risk factors for developing severe canine parvovirus enteritis.

Canine herpesvirus-1 (CHV-1) är det herpesvirus som är specifikt för hunddjur. I likhet med andra alfaherpesvirus ger det oftast upphov till en ofarlig infektion hos vuxna individer och en dödlig, systemisk infektion hos nyfödda. När den akuta infektionen är över går viruset in i en latent fas. I den latenta fasen finner man vilande virus främst i de lumbosakrala ganglierna, tonsillerna, öronspottkörtlarna och levern. Stress kan få infektionen att reaktiveras. Uppsatsens syfte är att undersöka hur viruset påverkar individer i olika åldrar, sjukdomens effekter på hundaveln och lämpliga åtgärder för att undvika sjukdom. Hos den vuxna individen ses oftast bara lättare luftvägsinfektion, ögoninflammation eller genitala förändringar.

Working as a veterinary nurse includes advising animal owners, helping them to make discisions through well-based facts and experience. Preemptive spaying of the healthy bitch brings many advantages and disadvantages. It leads to cessation of gonadal hormone production, and how the exact extent the surgery affects the dog is not yet fully understood. The sex hormones mainly control the reproductive system, but receptors of these hormones are found in many tissues of the body, and have complex relationships with other hormone systems. Spaying decreases the metabolism although the bitch gets an increased appetite, which enhance the risk of obesity, unless the owner restricts food intake.

Dystoki drabbar omkring 16 % av alla dräktiga tikar i Sverige. Drygt hälften av dessa kejsarsnittas. Kejsarsnitt är ett kirurgiskt ingrepp som av djurvälfärdsskäl med fördel kan behandlas med smärtstillande läkemedel. I Sverige finns i dagsläget inget registrerat läkemedel för hund inom grupperna icke-steroida antitinflammatoriska läkemedel (NSAID) och opioider, som inte är kontraindicerat att använda vid dräktighet och digivning. Ändå är nämnda läkemedelsgrupper de som används i störst utsträckning för smärtlindring på hund.