posted by Tess on Oct 20
Cushing’s disease is a dreadful disorder but it is often confused with the natural aging process of dogs. Excessive hair loss and a thin brittle skin accompanied by a distended abdomen tend to change the appearance of your dog.
Cushing’s disease is actually a common name given to hyperadrenocorticism, a glandular disorder caused by excessive cortisol, a hormone produced by the adrenal cortex on stimulation by a pituitary hormone. Although the adrenal cortex may itself be causing excessive hormones, Cushing’s disease is specifically associated with an increase in cortisol due to the development of a pituitary tumor.
A vast majority of cases of high levels of cortisol turn out to be conditions related to a pituitary problem and it is only in rare cases that the condition is treatable by surgery. Conventional treatment of this endocrine dysfunction usually involves administration of oral drugs. Mitotane is commonly used in the treatment of pituitary-dependent Cushing’s syndrome in dogs. As the disease can also be caused due to a problem with the adrenal glands, the prefix pituitary-dependent is added to differentiate Cushing’s disease from Cushing’s syndrome.
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posted by Tess on Oct 17
Generally a cold is an inflammation of the nose and throat characterized by increased production of mucus. While human colds are associated with a change in season, cat colds are independent of seasonality and are usually caused by a virus. The most important thing to note is that a virus must live its course and cannot be killed by drugs. Treating viral infections, especially in the feline respiratory tract is futile.
That said, cat owners should remember that although the symptoms of cat colds are similar to those experienced by humans, there is a vast difference in how feline colds should be managed. One of the common viruses that cause cold-like symptoms in cats is feline calicivirus, which belongs to a family of viruses that continually change their compositions. Moreover, feline upper respiratory infection tends to progress due to a vulnerability to secondary infections.
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posted by Tess on Oct 15
We all know that cancer is a fatal disease and a permanent cure is not possible especially in the case of cancer that metastasizes or spreads to other parts of the body. In that event cancer becomes a multiple problem - that of the primary organ where it had originated as well as those it has affected after metastasis.
Most of the cancers that metastasize ultimately lead to secondary liver cancer in dogs. Liver being all-important for metabolism and filtering wastes from the body is one of those organs whose proper functioning is essential for life.
Benign tumors do not technically fall under the category of cancer and are easily removable unless they lead to post-surgery complications. For example, some benign tumors can compress neighboring organs or lead to excessive bleeding as in the case of spleen cancer in dogs.
There is an obvious change of opinion among veterinarians with regards to cancer treatments and many of them are recommending holistic treatment for managing cancer in pets. The three most important aspects of a holistic approach are nutritional and supplemental support, herbal medicine and elimination of potential causes of dog cancer.
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posted by Tess on Oct 14
Canine hyperadrenocorticism or hypercortisolism, commonly known as Cushing’s syndrome in dogs, produces symptoms like excessive thirst and urination along with abnormal hair loss and a potbellied appearance. Besides the physiological symptoms the dog may also show behavioral changes like lethargy, panting and indifference to towards the owner.
Cushing’s syndrome is an endocrine disease caused by elevated levels of cortisol in the blood due to a variety of causes. The pituitary gland is the controlling organ that stimulates the adrenal glands to produce and release cortisol in the blood. Hyperadrenocorticism can be caused due to tumors in the pituitary or adrenal glands. Pituitary dependent hyperadrenocorticism is known as Cushing’s disease. Overuse of prednisone, a dehydrogenated analogue of cortisol used as an immunosuppressant may also lead to abnormally high level of cortisol in the body.
Left untreated, Cushing’s increases the risk of infections and can lead to serious diseases like diabetes, liver failure and heart problems. Conventional treatments are known for causing more problems than they resolve. Iatrogenic hyperadrenocorticism is a glaring example of side effects caused by overuse of pharmaceutical drugs.
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posted by Tess on Oct 8
Cat flu is a general name given to any feline respiratory disease that is contagious by nature. Cats that have not been vaccinated, old cats and kittens are at a higher risk of developing cat flu.
While there are numerous organisms that can cause cat flu, a huge majority of reported cases seem to be due to the feline herpes virus or feline calicivirus. Diagnosis of cat flu is usually presumptive and based on empirical observation of symptoms like sneezing, coughing, ocular and nasal discharge and fever and history of recent exposure.
Severity of symptoms also indicates the virus that has most likely caused the infection. The herpes virus tends to produce severer symptoms than the calicivirus. Laboratory diagnosis is usually complicated and usually does not give definite results, especially in mixed infections. Moreover the calicivirus normally does not leave traces and may not be seen in cultures of nasal or oropharyngeal swabs.
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posted by Tess on Oct 6
Addisons disease in dogs is an endocrinal disease that is caused by a reduction of the steroid hormones. It is also referred as hypoadrenocorticism, a term that implies adrenal insufficiency. It is entirely the opposite of Cushings syndrome in dogs, which is caused by hyper-function of the adrenal glands or an increase in the production of hormones.
The adrenal glands are triangle shaped glands that sit on top of the kidneys. The glands are made up of two layers - the outer layer is the cortex and the inner layer is the medulla. The cortex secretes corticosteroid hormones. The medulla is part of the sympathetic nervous system and secretes epinephrine in response to stress. The medulla is not affected in the case of Addison’s disease. The adrenal glands produce steroid hormones, glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids. These hormones affect the functioning of gonads, have an anti-inflammatory function and influence the metabolism of sodium and potassium.
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posted by Tess on Oct 2
The symptoms of Cushings disease in dogs can be extremely debilitating for the dog. It also presents a lot of difficulties for dog owners. Many times lab reports portray an entirely different picture from the physically observed symptoms. The condition is quite difficult to diagnose and requires a number of tests that can be heavy on the pocket.
The fact of the matter is that symptoms of Cushings in dogs are vague and tend to mimic other ailments. The most recognizable symptom is abnormally high hair loss, which is also the primary reason why dog owners generally seek evaluation form a veterinarian. Abnormal increase in water consumption and urination, vomiting and diarrhea are some of the other common symptoms of dogs with Cushing’s.
Diarrhea as a symptom of Cushings is not itself indicative of the disease. Cushing’s disease is caused by elevated levels of cortisol, a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal cortex. Diarrhea, on the other hand, is associated with low level of cortisol. Diarrhea thus may appear as a result of excessive medication for Cushing’s disease.
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posted by Tess on Oct 1
You want to get your child a pet, or bring a pet into the home with a child, but is a ferret the right pet to get if you have children? Are the children safe with a ferret in the house? The bigger question you should ask is if the ferret is safe in the house with a child!
Children have gentle souls – but they are not gentle creatures. Ferrets may have strong jaws, but the rest of them can be damaged by small hands or feet. So, should you avoid getting a ferret if you have a child? Not necessarily.
It is recommended that you not get a ferret if you have a child under the age of seven in the house. Some experts recommend not having one if the child is under the age of ten, however in the end, how responsible the child is really determines whether or not a ferret will be safe with them.
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