posted by Tess on May 31
Cats can have latent problems that are not always apparent if you are not a trained person. It is a good policy to keep yourself informed and educated about your pet and the problems that they may face. Information and knowledge can help in dealing with issues when and if they do occur.
Before you bring a cat home the first thing that you should do is to get the animal checked by a veterinarian. Many cats can have cat skin problems. Some infections like parasite infestations are contagious and can be passed on to other cats in your home. Some infections can even pass on to humans.
One of the common skin conditions in cats is feline acne. It usually appears like ringworm but is actually a skin and hair problem in cats. The symptoms of feline acne can mimic those of ringworm and therefore a trained hand is required to assess the exact condition that exists. Feline acne is commonly called chin acne as it almost always occurs on the chin and lips.
Read the rest of this post here (482 words, estimated 1:56 mins reading time)
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
posted by Tess on May 30
There are two ways in which cancer treatment in pets can be approached. The first is the conventional treatment, which is often tantamount to maltreatment. This is so because conventional treatment is insensitive and causes a great amount of suffering to the animal. Cancer treatment is toxic and options like chemotherapy, radiation and surgery are beset with side effects. These side effects can be more dangerous than the disease itself.
The other approach is the holistic approach, which targets the underlying cause of the disease and attempts to cure it. A holistic approach helps in uprooting the disease from its roots. It also strengthens the overall body organs.
The basic principle behind a holistic approach is that no disease occurs without a cause. A holistic approach Treats symptoms as reflections of the body’s effort to heal itself or as the results of the causes behind the disease.
Read the rest of this post here (412 words, estimated 1:39 mins reading time)
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
posted by Tess on May 29
We tend to take our bodies for granted until the time they start to trouble us. The same is the case with the health of our dogs, at times. But any issue with health leaves us a bit unnerved since we have practically no clue about structure, pathology and treatments.
When one sees some fluid running down the ear of your beloved dog, it is likely to create a bit of a panic. But you need to understand the causes behind the problem and the treatments that you can opt for.
Your dog’s ears comprises of three segments.
* Pinna is the externally visible cartilaginous structure of the external ear. This ends at the ear drum.
* The middle ear constitutes of a small bone and an air filled chamber lined with a mucus membrane.
* The inner ear is responsible for receiving sound and is situated near the cerebrum and the cerebellum in the brain.
Read the rest of this post here (550 words, estimated 2:12 mins reading time)
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
posted by Tess on May 28
The most common among the worms that infest dogs are:
* Hookworms
* Tapeworms
* Whipworms
* Roundworms
* Heartworms
The simplest manner in which you can confirm the presence of worms in dogs is by observing the animal’s feces. Roundworms are the easiest to spot as most of the times whole worms can be seen in the feces. The structure of dog tapeworms comprises of segments and small segments that detach form the main body can be seen sticking to the dog’s anus or the tail. Hookworms and whipworms are very small and therefore cannot be spotted in the dog’s excreta with the naked eye. Heartworm is not an intestinal parasite and is not passed out with the waste that comes out of the intestines.
Sometimes worms do not get excreted in the stool. And therefore it is imperative that pet owners know the types of worms that can infest pets and the symptoms of worms in dogs and cats. This can allow them to identify certain symptoms of worms irrespective of whether they appear in the stools or not.
Read the rest of this post here (486 words, estimated 1:57 mins reading time)
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
posted by Tess on May 26
Shih-Tzu is a rare breed of dogs that has a coat that resembles human hair. In fact it is the hair that gives the breed its beauty and unique appearance. Although somewhat similar to a Pekinese, Shih-Tzu is a class apart in the “toy” group of dog breeds.
Like all other dogs a Shih-Tzu also demands great attention. The “living toy” is prone to infections, and diseases like the ones caused by dog ear mites. A cat may become immune to cat ear mites with age but a Shih-Tzu will need proper treatment before the condition can be treated.
Ears can be a primary source of infections and other diseases in dogs. Given the long hair that the breed has, it requires regular and more frequent cleaning and grooming. The need for regular grooming is actually a boon for people who own a Shih-Tzu because regular inspection during cleaning and grooming helps in identifying the early signs of a disease.
Read the rest of this post here (512 words, estimated 2:03 mins reading time)
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
posted by Tess on May 25
Feline cancer is one of the serious conditions that cat owners have to be cautious about. This is a condition that spreads across the body and can be fatal in most cases. Rapid spread of the disease leaves little scope for the treatment to be effective and therefore chances of recovery are low. This process of spreading, called metastasis is one of the primary reasons behind early death from cancer.
Skin is the biggest organ in the body. It is also the most common organ that can develop carcinoma. The name skin cancer is a general classification of different types of tumors that include any uncontrolled growth of cells in:
* The skin.
* Skin glands
* Hair follicles
* Supportive fat and connective tissues
Metastasis that occurs in the skin as a result of cancer in other parts of the body is not termed as skin cancer because it originates elsewhere. Skin cancer in dogs is less likely to be malignant than in cats. Even in cats skin cancer is mostly likely to be seen in older cats between 6 to 14 years of age.
Read the rest of this post here (461 words, estimated 1:51 mins reading time)
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
posted by Tess on May 23
The non prescription drug industry is a booming industry today. And this is as true for veterinarian drugs as for human ones. Manufacturers are trying to attract the attention of pet owners by making tall claims about age-old tested ingredients that their remedies contain. The potential of the market has attracted many fly-by-night operators. This has affected the reputation of some genuine marketers also.
The only way a pet can express his discomfort is through his behavior. The pet owner then has to get involved in the possible reasons for odd behavior.
The problem of ear mites and ear infections is an external one. But even though it affects the external ear, it still goes undetected for a long time. This happens mainly due to the inherent negligence on the part of the pet owner. This negligence can cause a lot of harm since a dog who has ear mites is more likely to get other major infections. Cats ear mites cause lesser problems since adult cats somehow seem to adapt to the condition.
Read the rest of this post here (457 words, estimated 1:50 mins reading time)
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
posted by Tess on May 22
Roundworms have evolved in a manner that they can thrive in almost any environment. They can be found in freshwater, sea water and even in terrestrial environs. There are nearly 20,000 species of roundworms out which 15,000 are parasitic. They are also the most prevalent of the worms as compared to all other types of worms in dogs.
Many dogs are born with roundworms. These are generally passed to them by their mothers through the uterus or through the mammary glands. A mother can transmit larvae that are lying dormant in her tissues or organs to the fetus of her puppy. She can also transmit the larvae while nursing since the larvae can enter the mammary glands and pass on to the young one.
There are, however, other ways in which roundworms can enter the body of a dog. The most common among them is by ingestion. Dogs can consume roundworm egg or larvae infected feces since many dogs do have a tendency towards coprophagy (eating feces). They can also ingest larvae by eating other infected animals like rodents.
Read the rest of this post here (532 words, estimated 2:08 mins reading time)
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
posted by Tess on May 21
NEW YORK (Reuters) — Children exposed to higher levels of cat allergen in their First 2 years of life may be at greater risk of becoming allergic to the animals, a new study from Germany shows. However, the risk of sensitization at 6 years old seems to disappear.
The findings show that avoiding exposure to cats at home might not be enough to protect some children from becoming allergic, Dr. Joachim Heinrich of the GSF-National Research Center for Environment and Health in Nuremberg, Germany, and colleagues conclude.
Some studies have shown that having pet cats in early life increases the risk of developing a cat allergy, while others have found owning cats actually protects against cat allergy, the researchers note.
Because most studies have looked at only one point in time, Heinrich and his team followed a group of 2,166 children from birth to age 6. When the children were 3 months old, the researchers collected samples of dust from their homes. At 2 and 6 years of age, children had blood tests and house dust was sampled again.
Read the rest of this post here (429 words, estimated 1:43 mins reading time)
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
posted by Tess on May 17
Cats are loners by nature and do not prefer to mingle with any one else, be it one of their own kind. If you are planning to have another cat at home, make sure that you do it slowly and carefully. It would be helpful to keep these points in mind if you are are bringing a new companion in your home for your current cat so that their relationship becomes a pleasant one for both the cats and you.
Cats take a lot of time to accept other cats in the same house.
The older cat may not be able to share their things with someone who is new.
The older cat may also act aggressively in front of the new cat, alternately they may start shirking everybody and become a loner, though that should only last for a few days.
They may over-eat or under-eat as they suddenly realize there is someone else with whom they will have to share their food, and as a result become insecure about their food.
Read the rest of this post here (829 words, estimated 3:19 mins reading time)
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
