posted by Tess on Oct 30
Otitis externa or inflammation of the external ear (including auricle and ear canal) is more common in dogs than cats. The Persian cat breed and kittens however, are more prone to ear infections than other cats breeds or older cats.
The main symptoms of feline ear infections include:
* Shaking head from side to side as the tries to push out the debris or fluids that accumulate in the ears.
* Excessive scratching of ears.
* Red and inflamed ears with an offensive odor.
* A black or yellowish discharge.
Ear mites are the most common cause of infection in a cat’s ears and lead to symptoms similar to ear infections. The average lifecycle of cat ear mites, from egg to adult, is roughly three weeks. In severe infestations, mites create an environment within the ear canal that results in secondary infection. Most of the times the mites have gone by the time you decide to consult a veterinarian but a significant amount of infection remains. A healthy cat is very resistant to ear mites but kittens are more prone to get infected. Dog ear mites, on the other hand can be a little bit more problematic.
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posted by Tess on Oct 29
Pet ears infections pose a perennial problem, equally for owners and the specialists who are called upon to Treat them. The fact that your pets have been domesticated and made to change their natural habitat is one of the major causes behind their vulnerability to attacks from infectious bacteria and parasites like ear mites.
The limitations of conventional medications, including side effects that lead to more problems than they are supposed to cure, has been instrumental in giving a boost to alternative therapies. These holistic therapies take a holistic view of disease. The relatively less popularity of alternative therapies like Homeopathy stems from the fact that they are slow in treating an ailment. At the same time, the established fact that Homeopathy attempts to remove the root cause of a disease and not just the symptoms, is not properly advertised.
Homeopathy is a treatment that Treats the disease on the basis of how a disease manifests itself in an individual. It Treats symptoms as the body’s own attempt to cure. Rather than trying to provide a temporary relief, it focuses on the condition causing an ailment. Having proved its mettle in treating human conditions, it is now being extensively used for Treat pet ailments also.
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posted by Tess on Oct 27
Pet owners are often confronted with pet ear problems. Even though there reasons other than ear mites are the most common cause of ear infections in pets. Some major causes of infections in dog ears are:
* Wet ears that do not dry on their own
* Dog ear mites
* Skin diseases
* Allergic reactions
* Injury to the ear canal
* Insect bites
The structure of a dog’s ear is such that water gets entrapped easily in the ear canal. A dog’s ears naturally produce some amount of wax. This wax should be cleaned regularly as part of normal grooming. Severe instances of infection normally leads to excessive wax production that refuses to go away despite regular cleaning.
Moist wax is an invitation for yeast infection. If your dog scratches or rubs his ears excessively or shakes his head without any reason, it is prudent to inspect the ears for any signs of yeast infection. A particularly foul odor, redness, swelling of the external ear and an oily discharge are sure indications of a yeast infection.
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posted by Tess on Oct 26
After having given you a lifetime of love, loyalty and companionship, a senior dog needs a reason to live in its older days. Even though it remains debatable whether dogs experience emotions like humans or not, they definitely deserve the same compassion as any other senior member of your family.
With advanced age, senior dogs become more vulnerable to the same dog skin problems that they had to face while young. The skin is the first line of defense against the attacks of external pathogens. And senior dogs are prone to have a dry skin and loose some of the shine of their coats as oil secreting glands slow down. Graying hair and a dry skin are the key indicators of advancing age.
An itchy skin is common in all dogs but it occurs more frequently in senior dogs. As senior dogs are more vulnerable to environmental irritants and external parasites, fleas and ticks, an itchy skin in seniors require immediate attention lest they cause secondary infections.
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posted by Tess on Oct 25
Cats are excellent at self-grooming. Besides other reasons, they groom to heal wounds and minor abrasions with the ‘antiseptic saliva’. However, the cat tongue is rough and during the process quite a few loose or dead hair tend to stick to it, which are then swallowed. Hair tissue is not easily digestible and accumulates in the cat’s stomach or intestinal tract, forming what we know as a ‘hair ball’. A cat retches out the hair ball when it irritates the stomach. If the hair balls do not pass out with stools, they can block the intestinal tract leading to loss of appetite, Constipation and weight loss.
Formation of hairballs is natural in cats. Unlike medical and physical conditions like feline hair loss, cat dandruff and feline acne, it does not require any complicated process for prevention. If you pay good attention to hair growth and hair shedding in your cat, you will be able to limit the accumulation of hairballs in the cat’s body.
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posted by Tess on Oct 24
Dogs have a keen auditory faculty. To help retain this extraordinary attribute, a dog’s ear canal is L-shaped to protect the tympanic membrane (ear drum) from any kind of injury. The typical structure of a dog’s ear means that a foreign substance that enters the ear or wax or debris that accumulates due to infections, has to work its way upwards rather than straight out, as is the case in the human ear. This makes it difficult for any thing going in to come out easily.
Common ear infections like dog ear mites and yeast infection lead to an increased production of wax, which has to be removed manually. Breeding of dogs has added to the problem in as far as drooping eared breeds are concerned. The drooping ears do not let the ears dry easily. Moist ears are a sure invitation for infections to establish roots.
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posted by Tess on Oct 23
Cheyletiella dermatitis is commonly known as cat dandruff. Even though the itch caused by cheyletiella dermatitis is mild in nature, it compels the cat to scratch, which can lead to substantial feline hair loss.
Out of the three common species of cheyletiella mites, Cheyletiella blakei affects cats the most. This external mite lives on the outer layers of the cat’s skin and can be observed as white specks moving around scales. This gives the disease, cheyletiella dermatitis, its name ‘walking dandruff’. The back of the cat is most affected but the cheyletiella dermatitis may also appear around the head and neck.
Signs of cheyletiella dermatitis include formation of scales (dandruff), large number of mites moving on the skin, mild irritation, crusts and small papules. A good combing using a flea comb will help in detecting the infestation. In some cases a sample of skin scrapings may be needed for confirmation through microscopic examination. During self grooming cats may ingest mites. As mites are passed on undigested through stool they can sometimes be seen in the feces also.
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posted by Tess on Oct 22
Even though we do not spontaneously associate a particular body function with skin, it plays a significant role in the various functions of a mammalian body. Skin, the largest organ of the body safeguards the internal organs and muscles and protects your cat’s body against external pathogens. The hair coat is a part of the skin, which is composed of layers of epithelial tissue, blood vessels, hair follicles and sebaceous glands. It is also one of the most vulnerable of all organs.
A cat’s skin can be damaged in a number of ways.
* Injury, especially during fighting with other cats.
* Erosion of skin due to friction and rubbing against a rough surface.
* Infections.
* Allergies.
* Secondary infection in response to injury.
* Immune mediated diseases.
Cats are very efficient in taking care of their skin. They use the antiseptic properties of saliva to cast off dead skin and debris and remove parasites that lay on the surface of the coat on their own. Cats also rub their skin against various objects to massage and activate oil-producing sebaceous glands to keep the skin moist.
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posted by Tess on Oct 19
Nature has provided man and animal alike with an immune system that can fight back diseases in many cases. But there are many ailments that the domesticated dog faces today due to the fact that it has been kept in an unnatural environment and bred for years. The breeding has given rise to changes that are not very conducive to dog’s health. One example is development of breeds with dropping ears.
The L-shapes ear canal protects the ear drum from foreign substances reaching the sensitive organ. However, this also means that whatever goes in the ear cannot come out on its own. Long droopy ears restrict easy flow of air. Large amount of hair that grows in the ear canal of Terriers, Poodles and some other breeds also inhibits air circulation. Water that enters the inner ear takes a long time to dry on its own.
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posted by Tess on Oct 18
An expert can ascertain the general health of a pet simply by keenly observing the skin and coat. Dry skin tends to spoil the glossy coat and often leads to excessive itching and scratching in pets.
Before you do anything about it, it is advisable that you ensure that the dry skin and the resultant itching is not a result of parasitic infection, immune mediated diseases, allergy or bacterial and fungal infection. Such disorders require immediate attention of a veterinarian and are better treated systematically.
Conditions like dog or cat dandruff, flaking dry skin and canine or feline acne can be addressed with diet supplements, healthy nutritional diet and medication.
Winter dries human skin, especially hands and feet and we need to keep the skin moist by applying different sorts of crèmes and lotions. Just like humans, dogs too face skin problems during winters. To ensure that your dog’s coat and skin remains in good condition you need to remember certain basic aspects of dog skin and coat care.
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