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Client Education Center

 

Common Clinical Disorders in dogs & cats

Some important lifestyle diseases of pets:

Arthritis:

Arthritis is an inflammation of any joint in the body. The inflammation can have many causes. The most common type of arthritis is osteoarthritis which can be due to wear and tear on joints from over use, aging, injury, or from an unstable joint. Other causes of the inflammation can be infectious. Septic arthritis is caused by a bacterial or fungal infection. Lyme disease or Ehrlichia infection can also cause arthritis. Auto-immune diseases or what is now called immune- mediated diseases, such as Lupus can cause swollen, painful, inflamed joints. More rarely, tumors can cause arthritis.

Treatment for arthritis should be directed to the inciting cause if possible With proper medication most of the pets recover and if not surgery may be required to stabilize a joint.

Obesity:

Excess weight is a serious health problem for dogs and cats and is common in many countries. The two main causes of obesity are too much food and too little exercise. Other contributing factors can be due to hormonal influences, certain genetic factors, and other disease processes.

If you pet is carrying extra weight, it can: Increase the risk of heart disease by forcing the heart to work harder, Increase the risk of arthritis as extra weight can stress the joints, cause joint pain, and make it harder for your pet to move around comfortably. Obesity can cause breathing problems, skin and hair coat problems. Especially in cats, obesity frequently leads to diabetes.

All of these problems can make your pet uncomfortable and limit the way they interact with you and other family members. Treatment is to rule out and treat any medical causes, such as hypothyroidism. Reducing caloric intake and increasing exercise can help your pet successfully lose weight. Lifestyle changes and a weight loss program are essential. Your veterinarian can help determine if your pet is too heavy and provide guidelines for achieving their ideal weight.

Some of the important Parasitic disease of your pet :
Ecto Parasites

Ector parasites strive outside the body of your pets like the ticks and mites.

Ticks are common parasites that can be found anywhere, from the deep woods to urban parks. And each year, thousands of dogs become infected with serious diseases transmitted by a number of different ticks. Diseases like ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, anaplasmosis and others.

Generally known as vector-borne disease, the risks they pose to your dog can be minimized with preventive measures (topical medications, tick collars, etc.) and annual checkups include vector-borne disease screening. This is especially important, as symptoms of vector-borne disease are often vague and difficult to recognize. Because of this, many pet owners don’t know their dog is suffering from a debilitating tick disease until it’s too late.

You should brush the coat of your pet regularly and give medicated bath to the pets.
Mites:

There are many types of mites that infect dogs, cats, and other animals. Mites are microscopic arthropod parasites that, for the most part, infect the skin or mucous membranes. Mites can even be present on birds and reptiles. The most common mites that infect dogs and cats are ear mites, Demodex, scabies, and Cheyletiella. Ear mites are very common on cats and are occasionally seen on dogs. They live primarily in the ear canals and can cause severe irritation. They are easily transmitted between pets, so if they are found in one pet, all pets in contact should be treated

Demodex is a mite that all dogs are exposed to, but only a small percentage of dogs develop skin problems,though more commonly seen under indian conditions.In young puppies, it usually causes small areas of hair loss especially on the head and front legs. Adult dogs tend to show more generalized symptoms, and usually have more red, itchy skin lesions.
Scabies is a skin disease in dogs or people caused by the mite Sarcoptes. Most dogs with this disease are intensely itchy. Scabies is highly contagious, but not all dogs in contact are as itchy. People also have their own species of Sarcoptes; most of their cases are due to the human scabies mite, but it is possible for people to develop lesions from the dog scabies mite.

Take care of your pets with regular brushing and timely bathing with medicated shampoos

Endo-Parasites

There are many types of parasites that are found in the GI tract of cats and dogs. Worms such as roundworms, whipworms, and hookworms are very common in almost all parts of the world. These parasites shed their infective eggs in the pet’s stool and contaminate the environment; some eggs can live on yards or fields for years. The eggs are ingested by the pet and the life cycle is completed when the worm grow into an adult in the intestine of a new host.

The only parasites that can be seen in the stool with the naked eye are roundworms and tapeworms. Roundworms are ivory colored, round (not flat) in shape, and about 4 to 6 inches long. Tapeworms are ivory colored and flat in shape. The adult tapeworm is several feet long, but usually you see only tapeworm segments that look like either sesame seeds or rice. Your pet could have either of these worms without the adult parasites ever being shed into the stool. If your pet’s stool looks normal, don’t think your pet can’t be infected. There is no one drug that can kill all types of intestinal parasites that exist. Your veterinarian needs to know what kind of parasite(s) infection is involved, so a correct drug can be prescribed. Also, some of the monthly heartworm preventatives will also treat roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms.

If you suspect that your pet may be affected, don’t hesitate to contact your veterinarian today for direction on what to do! Your veterinarian will also be able to answer all your questions and help you prevent your pets from getting parasites in the first place.