posted by Tess on Aug 30
If the reason behind cancer was known then it would have helped a great deal in finding a definite cure for the deadly disease. But apart from the fact that there are certain carcinogens that cause cancer, very little is known about what causes cancer. In the recent years there has been a significant increase in the incidence of cancer in dogs and feline cancer causing lot of concern to pet owners.
It has been proven that there is a high probability of some cancer cells present in a body. A perfectly conditioned and healthy body does not let cancer take roots. It is the immune system of the body that inhibits these cancer causing cells from multiplying.
When the body is unhealthy, the immune system triggers off certain changes in the body to fight back. When cancer takes root, the immune system causes certain symptoms to appear in the body. These symptoms are basically the body’s mechanism to fight back in order to self-heal.
Read the rest of this post here (523 words, estimated 2:06 mins reading time)
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
posted by Tess on Aug 29
Environment in kennels is far removed from what a pet dog experiences at home. Some aspects like absence of the dog owner, different feeding and exercise timings are totally new for the dog. Add to this the unfamiliar noises and smells, temperature difference, change in Diet and lack of exercise and what results is a dog who is vulnerable to Stress, abnormal behavior and anxiety.
If you have to kennel your dog for some reason, make sure that you plan in advance. Take time off to check up some essentials before deciding on the kennel where you are going to leave your dog. This will go a long way in relieving Stress in pets during their stay in the kennel.
Read the rest of this post here (481 words, estimated 1:55 mins reading time)
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
posted by Tess on Aug 28
Dog is man’s best friend. We have heard this proverb numerous times and it is almost universally agreed that it is true. There are innumerable stories that support this truth. But it is also true that dogs must be trained for house life. There are many aspects of house training that you need to go through before you can rest assured that your dog is fully trained.
Dogs need to be house trained. They need to understand what behavior is desirable and what is not. Pet owners also need to ensure that their dogs do not suffer. For example, separation Anxiety in dogs can lead to a situation where all that has been learnt can be forgotten.
Normally dogs are fast learners and can be trained at home if you know the basics. But for some specific situations you may need to take professional help. Anxiety is one of the conditions that can only be handled with specific techniques to be used. Such techniques can help in relieving stress in pets.
Read the rest of this post here (465 words, estimated 1:52 mins reading time)
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
posted by Tess on Aug 27
Prednisone is a synthetic corticosteroid used by many veterinarians to treat a wide variety of conditions in dogs including:
* Disorders of the central nervous system.
* Endocrinal disorders like Cushings disease and Addisons disease.
* Neoplastic conditions that is growth of tumors.
* Immune mediated diseases.
* Emergency situations like spinal chord trauma.
* Inflammation related respiratory and bowel disorders.
Side effects of prednisone depend directly on the quantum and duration of the drug administered. Short term use of prednisone is less likely to cause any damaging side effects. It is only when the dose reaches an immunosuppressive level when the side effects start causing concern.
Overdose of prednisone can cause suppression of normal adrenal functions, Cushing’s disease in dogs and destabilization of metabolism if withdrawn abruptly. Short term use can cause excessive urination abnormal hunger and an increase in the appetite for dogs. Prolonged use, even in recommended dosages may cause:
* Diarrhea.
* Gastrointestinal ulcers.
* Inflammation in the pancreas.
* Muscle degeneration.
* Vomiting.
* Weight gain.
* Diabetes.
* Behavioral changes.
* Skin and hair coat problems.
Read the rest of this post here (587 words, estimated 2:21 mins reading time)
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
posted by Tess on Aug 24
There were times when it was believed that the only way worms in dogs passed on to puppies, was through the mother’s system while they were still in the uterus. Whereas this contention still holds good for some types of worms, it has now been established that worms can infest puppies through other means also.
Worms like dog tapeworm, and dog Roundworms and even some feline parasites have a typical lifecycle and can enter a pet’s body through various means.
Worms are intestinal parasites that reside mostly in the small intestines. Worms like tapeworms and Roundworms are extremely migratory within a dog’s body and they are expelled and ingested during different stages of their lifecycle. Infestation can be through ingestion of larvae or eggs of worms or through ingestion of infected intermediate hosts like rodents and mice. Worms are passed through feces and puppies ingest worms directly from the environment as well. Sometimes the infection can be passed on by contact with the coat of the infected mother.
Read the rest of this post here (476 words, estimated 1:54 mins reading time)
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
posted by Tess on Aug 23
Tapeworms are intestinal parasites that can infect cats and dogs alike. However the kind of tapeworms that cats are most susceptible to are different from those that infect dogs in most cases. Cats are most likely to be infected by three groups of tapeworm species.
* Dipylidium caninum
* Taenia
* Echinococcus
In most cases the manner in which each of these groups infects the cat is different. The Taenia species infects a cat when it eats a prey that is already infected. Dipylidium caninum infects cats when they eat lice or fleas that carry larvae of tapeworms. Echinococcus infection is through eating raw meat or carrion of an infected host.
Tapeworms comprise of segments. The segments towards the extreme that carry eggs are shed off and these reach the environment when the host excretes. Tapeworms require a minimum of two hosts to survive. The intermediary carries the larvae that live in the tissues of the host. The larvae develop into adults when the secondary host is eaten by a primary host like a cat or dog.
Read the rest of this post here (543 words, estimated 2:10 mins reading time)
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
posted by Tess on Aug 21
Out of the two common species of dog tapeworms (Dipylidium caninum, the flea tapeworm and Echinococcus granulosus, the hydatid tapeworm), the flea tapeworm is the most common type of canine and feline parasites that reside in a pet’s intestines.
Like all parasitic worms, dog tapeworm too requires an intermediate host. In the case of flea tapeworm, fleas act as the intermediate host. Fleas ingest tapeworm eggs from the feces of the infected dogs and transform them into cysts. When the dog ingests an infected flea by mistake while licking his coat, the cysts hatch into tapeworms and mature inside the body of the dog.
Once ingested, the eggs develop into adult tapeworms. An adult tapeworm is made up of grain-sized segments. These segments are attached together and a grown tapeworm can measure up to 28 inches in length. The head segment clings to the intestinal wall and the remaining segments hangs in the inner enclosed area of the gut.
In most tapeworms, the rear segments of a tapeworm break away from the others intermittently. These pass into the environment through stools.
Read the rest of this post here (445 words, estimated 1:47 mins reading time)
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
posted by Tess on Aug 20
Just like the human body, your pet’s body too is a complex system of processes that are interdependent upon each other. These processes are controlled by organ systems that control almost each and every function in the body. The endocrine system, for example, is a system of glands that produce endocrine secretions that control the metabolic rate of the body.
Pituitary gland, located at the base of the brain, is the master gland of the endocrine system. Pituitary adenomas, a glandular tumor, is one of the less common types of cancer in dogs. Although most of the pituitary tumors are benign, these tumors can increase in size and compress brain tissue. This happens primarily because the space in the skull is limited. As the pituitary tumor increases in size the neurological disturbances affect a dog’s health in many ways. But unless benign tumors reach a particular size they are not treated as dangerous.
Read the rest of this post here (472 words, estimated 1:53 mins reading time)
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
posted by Tess on Aug 14
The simplest and best way in which you can determine if your pet is healthy or not, is to examine the skin. Feline acne and cat dandruff are common occurrences in cats that have underlying medical causes that can be potentially harmful. They can even cause other symptoms like feline hair loss. Most of the cat and dog skin problems arise from simple contact allergies. But some can occur due to immune mediated disorders. Irrespective of the actual cause of the skin or coat problem symptoms like itching and aberrations are common in almost all skin diseases.
Itching diseases in dogs can be classified under some general categories.
Bacterial skin infections
Staphylococci are the most common bacteria that cause bacterial infections in dogs. Although not infectious, the condition causes excessive Itching. This infection can occur anywhere on the dog’s body but occurs mostly on the trunk. The infection results in initial pustules that appear on the skin as small yellow spots. Later these redden and ulcerate and cause discomfort and damage. At an even later stage these ulcers develop into dry crusts and result in excessive loss of hair around the lesions.
Read the rest of this post here (571 words, estimated 2:17 mins reading time)
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
posted by Tess on Aug 12
The pituitary gland located at the base of the brain releases ACTH (hormones that stimulate the adrenal cortex) into the blood stream. Another part of the brain, hypothalamus, is responsible for directing the pituitary gland to do this. Once released into the blood stream, ACTH stimulates the two adrenal glands situated near the kidney of the dog to secrete glucocorticoid (cortisone-like or cortisol) into the blood stream.
A dog’s body automatically increases production of cortisol in conditions of stress, infection, pain, surgery or trauma. This is the natural and automatic response of the body to sustain life and maintain important body functions.
The body system of a healthy dog is agile and can maintain metabolic equilibrium. It can actively maintain several complex biological mechanisms that operate via the autonomic nervous system to offset disrupting changes. This complex system of reciprocal responses can be disturbed due to adrenal or pituitary tumors or due to veterinary interference. Administering an excess of cortisol indirectly means ‘poisoning’ the dog’s body that can ultimately result in Cushing’s disease or hyperadrenocorticism in a dog. Cushing’s disease in dogs may occur due to issues in the adrenal gland or the pituitary gland.
Read the rest of this post here (495 words, estimated 1:59 mins reading time)
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
