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Dermis
The dermal layer of the skin that contains blood vessels, hair follicles, sebaceous glands, erector pili muscles, and apocrine sweat glands.
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Dextrose
A commonly used name for glucose (sugar) solutions given intravenously to treat fluid or nutrient loss.
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Diabetes
A metabolic disease caused by failure of the pancreas to produce insulin, a hormone that allows blood sugar (glucose) to be taken up by cells that require it for function.
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Diagnostic Tests
Procedures run to find the cause of disease or discomfort; tests used to make a diagnosis.
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Dialysis
A process which involves removing waste products from the body.
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Diarrhea
A condition in which the movement of food through the digestive system is faster than normal; often results in the frequent passing of abnormally loose or watery stool.
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Dietary Indiscretion
Eating what one should not. Dogs with dietary indiscretion eat garbage, dead fish on shore, etc.
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Digestibility
Expressed as a percent, is a measure of the content of food that is retained in the body after food is eaten. The difference between the weight of food eaten and the weight of stool produced, divided by the weight of the food.
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Digestive System
An organ system that absorbs and digests food. The digestive system includes the esophagus, stomach, intestine, liver and pancreas.
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Dilated Cardiomyopathy
A heart condition in which the heart enlarges but the heart muscle becomes thinner.
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Disinfectant
A germicidal chemical that destroys microorganisms and the potential infectivity of a material.
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Disinfection
The act of using chemicals or heat to kill germs.
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Distal
On the limbs away from the body
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Distemper
Canine distemper is a viral disease that causes a severe and often fatal systemic illness in dogs and their close relatives. Distemper is also fatal in animals such as raccoons, and mustelids including skunks, mink, and ferrets.
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Diuresis
Increase in urine production.
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Diuretic
Agent which increases the secretion of urine, ridding the body of excess fluid.
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DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid, the chemical compound that occurs in cells and is the basic structure for genes.
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Domestic Animal
An animal that has been housed and fed by man for generations and has little fear of man as a result. Some domestic animals learn to depend on human provision so completely that they have little ability to survive if returned to a natural habitat.
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Dominant
Only one copy of a gene is necessary for a trait to be exhibited. At least one of the parents would also exhibit this same trait.
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Dorsal
On the body toward the back
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