A vital part of good prevention is to know the common types of illnesses and disorders associated with particular dog breeds. For dogs, the parts of their body that are most frequently affected by congenital problems are the central nervous system, the eyes, the muscles, and the bones. For instance, the Beagle, Collie, miniature Poodle, German Shepherd, and Keeshond are more likely to inherit epilepsy.

Different types of nervous system disorders are often passed on within certain breeds. Examples are paralysis of the front and back legs, which is common in the Irish Setter, a failure of muscle coordination common in Fox Terrier, and abnormal swelling of the brain is common in the Chihuahua, English Bulldog, and Cocker Spaniel.

A great number of common breeds suffer from congenital eye abnormalities including glaucoma, cataracts, and blindness.

Breeds such as Basenji, Basset Hound, Pekingese, Lhasa Apso, and Cairn Terrier have a high risk for inguinal hernias (gut protrudes into the groin). Umbilical hernias (gut protrudes through the navel) are inherited defects in breeds like Bull Terrier, Cocker Spaniel, Pekingese, Basenji, Collie, Weimaraner, Airedale Terrier, and Pointer.

Regular worming is essential to protect your dog against internal parasites. This involves giving it preparations in liquid or tablet form. Adult dogs should be wormed at least once a year, and at least once every six months if in contact with children. Dogs showing any signs of infection should be wormed immediately and all breeding bitches should be wormed prior to mating.

Roundworms.
Several of these parasites affect dogs but the most important are the ones that belong to the Ascarid family, and live in the small intestine. Other roundworms infest the large intestine, blood vessels and respiratory tract. Ascarids feed on digesting food in the dog’s gut, and are particularly harmful to puppies. They penetrate a puppies gut wall and pass via the blood to the liver and then to the lungs. From there they crawl up the trachea to be coughed up and swallowed, again ending up in the gut. Infected puppies may develop :-

Hepatitis, pneumonia, fits, and obstruction to the gut, so regular treatment is vital.

As the puppy gets older most of the worms travel to the muscles, where they form cysts. These lie dormant until the puppy bitch becomes pregnant. They then migrate to the puppies lungs, and this is why virtually every puppy is born with roundworm, and must be wormed regularly.

Small dogs often suffer from episodic bouts of colitis that is actually inflammation of the colon of the large intestine. It is, however, imperative to keep a watch and report to a specialist if:

* There are frequent recurrences.
* The symptoms are deteriorating.
* The dog shows signs of a general illness.

Monitoring is of prime importance because the symptoms of colitis are almost similar to the symptoms of colon cancer in dogs . Colitis may be acute, episodic or chronic and the signs often last for two to three weeks. The type of predominant cells present in the inflamed colon is used to describe the specific disorders.

* Bacteria, fungus, viruses or parasites.
* Intolerance to diet.(allergies)
* Inappropriate diet.
* Cancer.
* Internal or external injury.

Acute conditions normally do not present any signs of systemic illness but in chronic cases the dog may experience a significant weight loss. General symptoms of colon cancer that are similar to those of colitis include:

* A combination of bright red colored blood in stool
* Mucus in stool
* Defecation with extra effort
* Increased frequency of defecation, sometimes many time in a day
* Occasional vomiting even in healthy dogs.

Out of the numerous intestinal parasites, roundworms and tapeworms are the most common feline parasites that infest cats. The connection between these two intestinal parasites ends here. Roundworms are round and slimy creatures whereas tapeworms are flat and segmented.

Both the worms shed eggs that are passed out in the feces of the cat. But roundworms and tapeworms look different. Roundworm eggs excreted in feces are microscopic, whereas tapeworm eggs are released as packets from the end segments that detach from the worm. These segments can be seen in the cat’s feces or clinging to the hair near the anus of the cat.

Roundworms

The two common species of roundworms found in cats are:

* Toxocara cati
* Toxascaris leonina

Eggs from both the species are generally eaten by a cat when they are still in their non-infectious stage. They may also be ingested by an intermediate host, say, a mouse or a rat.

Toxocara cati differs from the other roundworm in one feature. It has the capacity to remain dormant in female cats. A queen may harbor larvae from previous infections that remain encysted in various tissues in the body. At the time of pregnancy these larvae migrate to the mammary glands. Larvae transmit through milk too. That the litter of an infected mother will be infected as well is a foregone conclusion.

Being the largest and the most exposed organ of the body, pet skin is likely to be affected with mild to severe conditions. One of the major dog skin problems arise from allergies. Allergies can cause canine or feline acne. Allergies may arise from contact with an allergen or from food that does not suit your pet.

Before starting treatment for any type of allergy it is of paramount importance that you establish the cause of allergy. It is erroneous to assume that only new foods cause allergies and consequent itching. The truth is that any food can cause an allergic reaction in dogs – new or old. The commonly known skin condition of ‘hot spots’ can develop if your dog becomes allergic to his routine diet that he is no longer able to digest.

Food allergy often forms a typical distribution pattern and your veterinarian is the best guide in this matter. You can suspect food allergy in your dog in conditions where:

* there has been poor response to treatment for mange
* there is little or no improvement on administration of steroidal treatment
* the dog has not previously experienced any seasonal allergies

Of all the body organs, the skin is not only the biggest but also the most problematic organ of the cat’s body. Most medical conditions demonstrate symptoms that relate to skin and coat. In addition external factors like physical trauma and parasites can also affect the skin in a significant manner.
Like dog skin problems, cats can also suffer from skin disorders that are self limiting and chronic conditions that require treatment over a protracted period of time.

Pruritus: The Itchy Cat

Itching brings forth almost an amazing array of changes in a cat’s skin. Constant itching can make it impossible for the veterinarian to ascertain whether the skin condition has caused the itching or whether the excessive itching has caused the skin lesions. Besides itching, pruritus causes symptoms like symmetrical feline hair loss, damage to skin due to intense scratching and Miliary dermatitis. Miliary dermatitis relates to appearance of multiple crusty lesions that are greasy and filled with cat dandruff. It can also lead to Eosinophilic granuloma complex, a condition where linear inflamed crusts are accompanied by oozing red areas near the chin and the trunk.

How do ferrets respond to their environment? This is a typical question ferret owners are frequently confronted with especially when they are getting used to caring for their furry friend. There is no easy answer as to how ferrets respond to their environment, but there are several familiar scenarios that can help you get an idea of what you can expect from their furry mammals.

New Surroundings
Ferrets love new surroundings. If there is anything you can provide them with that will really make them happy and do their classic war dance of excitement, it would have to be new playgrounds for them to conquer. Since ferrets are quite adventurous, the only danger would be the fact that they may get too adventurous and get lost in the new surroundings.

So if you are taking your dear furry pal to the park or someplace that is new and exciting for them, make sure that you keep your eyes open to where they might be crawling next. Ferrets are quite fast creatures so you might even use this as an opportunity to jog with your pet.

There are responsibilities involved in taking care of an animal, as there are diseases that can affect animals and horses. There are many causes like food habits or parasites, and the main thing is quick and timely treatment for its recovery.

Colic is a condition that cannot be ignored. Horses are known to die of this if left untreated. The symptoms can easily be noticed and horse owners should be aware of the signs to look out for.

Symptoms Of Colic In Horses

The horse may feel jumpy and act in a crazy manner – you will need to remain with the animal for a while to make sure that it is suffering.

There are other horses that may stand up or lie flat on the ground and kick its stomach. This is the same reaction that humans adopt when confronted with pain. It would be wise to remove the horse to another area so that it does not do damage to itself or the stable.

The horse usually sleeps lying flat on the ground, so since this is normal, it may not mean anything, but if there is a change since last seen, there could be a reason and should be looked into.

Ear trouble is common among dogs, particularly dogs with floppy ears, like hounds, or heavy hair growth within the ear canals, like Poodles. (The reason, obviously, lack of ventilation.) As a matter of fact, where the little Poodles are concerned, it is highly doubtful that any of them can survive all their days without some discomfort.

But all dogs, short ears or long, are susceptible to ear trouble.

How can you tell when Bowser is suffering about the ears? Easy. He’ll scratch! Sometimes he’ll scratch until he draws blood or causes a hematoma (more on that below). He may hold his head at a cockeyed angle. He may also shake his head, continuously.

You might see your dog paw at his head like a fighter in the ring. He will certainly scratch. If you look closer you may find pus in the ear, a lot of wax, or a deposit of what looks like dried blood. There may be swelling. The ear may be read with inflammation. There may be a strong, sour smell.

What To Do?

A better question is what NOT to do?

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.

The dog tapeworm, Dipylidium caninum, is the second most common tapeworm after the Taenia species in cats. Its typical lifestyle comprises of the following stages: