Health Problems In Cats

Health Problems In Cats

It may come as a surprise, if you’re a new cat owner, that many health problems may befall your feline friend. Some problems are easily
preventable, while others are hereditary.

Hairballs

Hairballs are among the most common of cat health problems. Cats groom themselves almost constantly, and swallow the loose hair that comes off their tongues. Occasionally, the hair gathers into a ball and lodges in the cat’s digestive tract instead of passing on through the body. If your cat starts coughing and hacking, he probably has a hairball. While the end product is unpleasant for the owner, most cats don’t have a problem dislodging hairballs.

However, hairballs can occasionally pass into a cat’s intestines and cause a blockage. This can be a life-threatening problem. There are a few signs to look for to see if your cat’s hairball is dangerous. If your cat is constipated, off his feed, or is lethargic with a dull coat, then he could have a serious blockage. A vet exam is definitely in order.

To prevent hairballs, groom your cat frequently to remove loose hair. In addition, feed your cat food that helps control hairballs.

Worms

For many cats, worms are a recurring problem. Roundworms, tapeworms, and hookworms most commonly infect cats. Cats can occasionally develop heartworms, as well. If your cat seems unable to gain weight, is infested with fleas, or has white specks that look like grains of rice in his stools, take him to the veterinarian for worm testing.

Worms are easily cured with a few doses of medication, but if left untreated, they can be fatal.

Urinary Tract Infections

Urinary tract infections are another common health problem in cats. This infection is particularly common in unneutered male cats, although female cats can also develop this problem. If your cat suddenly stops using the litter box, a urinary tract infection is suspect. If your cat’s urine smells strong, again a urinary tract infection may be the cause. These infections need to be treated by a veterinarian. Ask about cat foods that reduce the likelihood of another infection.

Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP)

FIP is caused by a mutation of the corona virus. According to some experts, cats living in multi-cat environments tend to test positive for enteric corona virus. Cats can live with that virus remaining quietly in the intestines with no sign of disease for their entire lifetime. In other cases, probably a genetic pre-disposition, the virus mutates into FIP.

Once a cat has contracted FIP, it will display symptoms of a mild upper respiratory infection: sneezing, watery eyes, and nasal discharge. It may also have diarrhea, weight loss and lethargy. Most cats fully recover from this primary infection, although some may become virus carriers. A small percentage of exposed cats develop lethal FIP weeks or even years after the primary infection.

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus

FIV, or cat AIDS, is not always fatal. FIV decreases the ability of the cat’s immune system to fight infections. Cats with FIV may remain free of symptoms for years. It is when the cat contracts other illnesses in the chronic stage of FIV infection that FIV is first suspected. This long list of illnesses includes oral-cavity infections, upper-respiratory infections, weight loss, ear infections, kidney disease, and many others. Although there is, as yet, no vaccine, all cats should be tested for the virus. The virus is transmitted through saliva, usually when a cat is bitten in a cat fight.

Feline Leukemia Virus

FLV was, until recently, the most common fatal disease of cats. But with a vaccine now available, the number of cases is dwindling. Although the name leukemia means cancer of the white blood cells, this is only 1 of the many diseases associated with this virus, such as other types of cancer, anemia, arthritis and respiratory infections. FLV is preventable if the cat is immunized before being exposed to the virus. Although the disease is not always immediately fatal, cats with FLV rarely have a long life expectancy. NEVER bring other cats into your household when you have a cat with FLV.

Lyme Disease

If your cat spends time outdoors, you should check him regularly for ticks. If you find a tick on your cat’s body and he has been lethargic and acts as if he is in pain, ask your vet to test for Lyme Disease. This disease is transmitted to people and animals by deer ticks.

Some cats may show subtle symptoms while others may show none — symptoms are hard to recognize and often may be confused with other illnesses or old age. Be observant of your pet’s behavior. It is the only way to know if your pet has contracted Lyme disease if no tick was found. Some symptoms of Feline Lyme Disease include:

(a) lethargy,
(b) reluctance to jump or climb stairs,
(c) limping, or reluctance to put weight on a paw,
(d) loss of appetite.

The key to dealing with Feline Lyme Disease is prevention and early diagnosis and treatment. You should reduce the tick population around your home with simple landscape changes and spraying.

Good Health Care

Taking your cat for a regular check-up with the vet, and keeping all vaccinations on schedule will help assure your cat a long and healthy life. Prevention is the first line of defense for most feline illnesses.

Many owners keep their cats indoors to protect them from cars, from cat fights which may expose them to deadly viruses, from ticks, and other hazards.

Outdoor cats will enjoy greater freedom, but require a watchful eye, loving attention to their health status, and regular visits to the veterinarian.

If you have any problems related to Cats please contact us for any suggestions.

courtesy:

Visit New Cat to learn more. Copyright 2005 Ron King. Ron King is a full-time researcher, writer, and web developer. This article may be reprinted if the resource box is left intact.

How to care for your pets this winter...

Please read the following tips for keeping your pets out of danger during the holiday season this year.

Firstly, please make sure your pet AVOIDs the following holiday food items:

Alcoholic beverages Chocolate (baker's (dark), semi-sweet, milk chocolate) Coffee (grounds, beans, chocolate covered espresso beans) Moldy or spoiled foods Onions, onion powder Fatty foods Salt Yeast dough

Ingestion of any food that your pet is not used to can cause intestinal inflammation (vomiting and diarrhea), but those mentioned above are specific toxins that may cause more life threatening conditions in your pet.

Holiday season plants to avoid:

Lilies found in holiday flower arrangements can be deadly to your cat. Many types of lily, such as Tiger, Asian, Japanese Show, Easter, Stargazer, and the Casa Blanca, cause acute kidney failure in cats.

Poinsettias generally have low toxicity. If ingested, poinsettias irritate the mouth and stomach, causing mild vomiting or nausea.

Mistletoe can have a cardiovascular (heart and blood vessels) toxic effect. More commonly, however, mistletoe ingestion usually causes gastrointestinal upset.

Holly ingestion can cause vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, and lethargy.

Please call your veterinarian for advice in all cases to ensure that your pet doesnt need emergency veterinary care.

Hazards around the christmas tree:

Christmas tree water often contains fertilizers, that, if ingested, cause stomach upsets. Stagnant tree water can have extremely high bacterial content, which can cause vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea, if ingested.

Electric cords should be hidden or covered safely. If they were chewed, they could electrocute your pet.

Ribbons or tinsel can get stuck in the intestines and cause intestinal obstruction if ingested.

Batteries contain corrosives. If ingested they can cause serious ulceration to the mouth, tongue and intestines.

Glass ornaments can cut the tissues of the gastrointestinal tract if ingested.

Your medications:

Please keep all your prescriptions and medicines away from prying pets. Pain killers, cold medicines, anti-cancer drugs, antidepressants, vitamins, and diet pills can be lethal to your pet in very small dosages. For example, one 200mg ibuprofen tablet can cause serious stomach ulcers in a 10lb dog. Less than one acetaminophen tablet (325mg) can be extremely dangerous to a 7lb cat.

More winter hazards:

Antifreeze has a pleasant sweet taste but even in small amounts can be lethal. As little as one teaspoon of antifreeze can be deadly to a cat or dog. Please be very careful when changing your cars coolant and always thoroughly clean up any spills. Store your antifreeze in a tightly closed container well away from your pet. Low Tox™ brand antifreeze contains propylene glycol and is recommended to use in pet households as this is less toxic. If you think your pet has ingested anti-freeze of any type please call your emergency veterinarian immediately.

Ice melting products can be irritating to the skin and mouth. Signs of ingestion can include excessive drooling, depression and vomiting.

Rat and mouse killers are used a lot during the holiday season. These can be lethal to your pet. Please be careful.

Your animal may become poisoned with little warning. You should keep telephone numbers for your veterinarian and a local emergency veterinary service in a convenient location. If you suspect that your pet has ingested something poisonous, seek medical attention immediately.

copyright 2007 Televets

All About Pet Rabbit Reproduction

It isn't always easy for us humans to sex young rabbits. Rabbits know immediately when they
meet! Behavior doesn’t always help in identifying the sex of a rabbit. Mounting is dominance behavior and both sexes will do this, often the females more than the males. Both males and females will dig and act aggressive as they enter puberty. Males will take 6 weeks after neutering to be completely without testosterone in their system. If you have an unspayed female, please be sure to separate. Females have an 85% of having uterine cancer by age 5 years of age if they are not spayed. For the sake of the health of your female rabbit, please have them spayed and give them 10 days or two weeks to recover before putting them back in the same cage with another rabbit. (You can house them next to another rabbit (put a few inches between the cages).

GETTING A FIRM GRIP ON THE RABBIT

Turn your rabbit over on it’s back. (This is way easier said than done!) Hold the rabbit with its head lower than its hind legs. Within a few seconds, the rabbit should start to relax. Separate his hind legs with one hand while firmly holding him with the other. If you aren’t experienced in putting a bunny into a trance on their back, then get someone to help you and hold the bunny on his back on a flat surface. Be very gentle. Work fast. This position is uncomfortable for a rabbit. Speak softly to your rabbit and be careful! The rabbit is scared of being in such a vulnerable position. If you don't think you can do this, there are alternatives. But if you can, here's how to tell if you have a boy or girl rabbit.

SEXING YOUNG RABBITS

If you put some slight pressure above the sexual organs you will see either a circle or slit. In an adult rabbit, it will be clear to tell what sex rabbit you have by the presence of testicles in males. In young rabbits however, these are not yet apparent so you have to go by the appearance of the genital opening. The male has a circle shape, whereas the female has a vertical slit. Be sure to look at the right hole - the anus is on top and the genitalia below!

Pet Vet and Pet Health Specialists

We Help to Get You Best Advice on Your Pet Health Queries.

A pet, undeniably, can offer excellent companionship to any human being, provided the pet is in good health. And to keep your little friends healthy you will need to take good care of them. Notwithstanding the efforts you may take towards good diet and timely vaccination, your pet might still contact a fatal health problem. Well that’s not all; most pets develop behavioral problems as well. And when such problems crop up you need the help of a vet or a pet health specialist.

Although you love taking care of your pet and at times even try treating their health problems on your own, still its advisable that this task be left in the hands of a pet health specialist or a vet, for the plain and simple reason that they have more knowledge and that they are professionally trained to deal with the intricacies and severities of pet health.

So the next time you pet needs health or behavior related assistance, do consider that taking your pet over to a local vet is not just time consuming and inconvenient at times, but is rather costly when you compare it with online pet health care advisory services. Televets.com has come up as one such trustworthy and time efficient service, where you can get expert advice, round the clock, and that too at just a fraction of the amount, you would normally spend at a conventional vet clinic. You can put in your queries to the team of pet vets and pet health specialists and you will be offered a solution within a few hours. And the story doesn’t end there, in case your pet has some behavioral problem, at televets you can get expert advice from animal behaviorists and pet trainers too.

At Televets you can also find an extensive collection of frequently asked questions about pet health problems with detailed answers by pet health specialists on the panel of this website. In case the pet problem you are facing has already been addressed on the website, you can get to read the solution to the problem for as low an amount as one dollar.

So the next time you have any pet peeves, do think of this wonderful alternative of getting specialist pet care advise, anytime, anywhere and still saving a good deal of cash.

Reference:
Televts.com is place to get answers to your pet care and pet health problems. Safe, natural and effective veterinary solutions for your dog health, dog care, cat health and cat care problems. You can treat your pet at home for free using our online pet vet guidance.
Posted at www.televets.com/articles

Directory of Pets Blogs

Pet health, Cure and Care

Pet health, Cure and Care.

Owing or adopting a pet certainly sounds and feels good, but surely there is much more to it than what meets the eye. Because when you want to have a pet at home and wish to keep him happy and healthy, there is a lot of effort needed on your part to take special care of your pet. One key elements that goes into pet health care is the precautions you must observe to ensure that your pet does not contact infections and fall sick and even more prominently being able to recognize the initial symptoms that vanguard some of the major pet health problems. Unless you are able to timely identify an emanating serious health problem, it will be too late to have the problem cured, as most of these pet health problems can turn fatal if left ignored.

The primary thing to combat most of the pet health concerns is to ensure a well planned diet, which is rich in all the essential nutrients required for proper growth and development of the pets, and to build immunity in them to fight minor diseases. Most pet owners have the erroneous notion that pet care simply involves timely feeding, periodical grooming and conforming to the vaccination schedule, which indeed is a deficient interpretation of pet health care program.

Hence, the next thing that you must include in your pet care program is ample time to spend with your pet for grooming, exercise and to build a rapport with your pet, as most of the behavioral problems of pets transpire owing to lack of attention and affection. Additionally, grooming your pet daily will ensure early detection of coat and skin problems, thus facilitating complete and timely cure.

We also have here a few symptoms that you need to watch out for, to identify a pet health problem before it causes serious damage to your pet’s health and makes it impossible to be cured. Any abnormal discharge from nose, eyes or mouth, or detecting any lump, boils, sores or hairless patches, should ring the bell. Additionally sudden behavioral changes, loss of appetite, scratching, lethargy and uncontrolled or abnormal waste elimination should be seen as alarming symptoms.

These are some of the basic things we have talked about which go into proper pet health care program, but you must learn in detail about the health problems generally associated with your specific pet specie.

Reference:
Televts.com is place to get answers to your pet care and pet health problems. Safe, natural and effective veterinary solutions for your dog health, dog care, cat health and cat care problems. You can treat your pet at home for free using our online pet vet guidance.
Posted at www.televets.com

Understanding Dog Abilities - www.Televets.com

Do We Expect Too Much of Dogs?

I cannot tell you how many times people have said to me that their dog thinks it is human and I always give the same answer "No it doesn't it probably thinks you're a dog". Though not strictly true, it serves to emphasise that dogs are not little human beings in fur coats.

If we could teach a dog to draw and give the concept of a "God" it would draw "God" as a dog. Many so called dog trainers and countless owners have a mistaken perception of what really constitutes a dog, and often have expectations far above the animals actual ability.

Some people imagine that their dogs are able to understand complex thought patterns and comprehend our moral and ethical codes; They assume a dog's level of understanding is on a par with our own.

Animals work on drive levels and instinct. It is vital to keep in mind that they do not have the capacity to comprehend the complex thought processes that bring us to understand human emotions, language, and behaviour.

There is a scientific name for this "Anthropomorphism": The textbook definition of anthropomorphism is "to assign emotions or thought patterns to animals or objects, which are incapable of achieving such dimensions". This is like explaining that a vine climbs up the tree to get a better view of the garden. Just think how often you blamed your computer for being bloody minded or awkward? Logical? I think not.

I believe that anthropomorphism is one of the main reasons we find immense difficulty in communicating successfully with our pets. So why do we do it? Humans always find it easier to relate to something when they see their own emotions and thought patterns into the actions of their animals. Using the vine illustration, this is an example of projection. Projection is a psychological phenomenon in which one projects their feelings upon others, including animals, and inanimate objects. This is useful in everyday life as it takes the guesswork out of reality. Instead of constantly contemplating why something is like it is, you simply put it into context with how you think and view your everyday life.

Dogs are capable of linking ideas together, but are totally incapable of linking actions that are separated by time. If for example a dog makes a mess on the floor during your absence, there is no point in telling the dog off or rubbing its nose in it, which to my mind is barbaric, you wouldn't rub a child's nose in a soiled nappy would you? Even if you did, what learning process would the child get?

The dog's brain cannot link the action with any passage of time. It is believed this passage of time level is 3.5 seconds So many people say to me, "he knows he has done wrong" or " look at him you can see he is guilty". NO HE DOESN'T, he actually looks submissive which to our anthropomorphic minds unfortunately appears like guilt. The reason he is submissive is he can read every nuance and movement in your body language and is aware you are annoyed, but not sure why. This is because their brains are not formulated to feel guilt as we perceive it.

A dog's brain is much smaller than a humans, especially in the upper part of the brain called the cerebrum - the portion of the brain associated with intellectual functions such as speech, memory, consciousness, and logical and emotional thought. They cannot understand human language. It is far more important to use sound patterns, intonation, facial and body language as a form of communication.

A dog wants to please and all learning should be based on positive reinforcement. We should be aware that a large part of a dog's brain is occupied with sensory activity, particularly the interpretation of scent.

Instinct?

Dogs natural instinct plays a vital role, it is often difficult to understand why so few dog owners cannot differentiate between instinct and intelligence. Instinct is an urge from within. Instinct makes a dog act in a certain way and has no connection with intelligence.

Dogs first instinct is to survive, when a pup is born he squirms about until he finds a teat and then sucks it. This does not require intelligence or a learning process it is purely instinctual. The maternal instinct tells the female to clean up the foetal membrane, and in the first 3 or 4 weeks to stimulate the pups to defecate and urinate as they are incapable of doing them themselves, this is nature's clever way of allowing the female to control the pups fecal outpouring. She then eats the pup's faeces and urine so as to keep the nest clean and dry and to stop predators locating the den by smell and killing the pups. Aren't you glad you're not a dog?

Of course we know that no predators are going to attack the litter, but try explaining that to the mother? She is not taught these actions, she has not seen another female do it, except when she was so young and therefore unable to assimilate these actions. It is therefore clearly instinct.

Most instincts provide pleasure to the dog, and because it associates the action with pleasure, the instinct grows stronger with usage. This is the basis of all training, to harness your pet's instincts and shape their behaviour patterns,so that it is acceptable to what we perceive as how a dog should behave.

Can We Remove an Instinct?

Instinct can be strengthened, weakened or even diverted however, if an instinct is not present in the first place it cannot be added, and it cannot be taken away. It may lie dormant, but once developed it can never be weakened only controlled. A dog with an obsession for chasing cyclists can be controlled by shaping its behaviour, obedience training and by providing alternative outlets for it's energy. The same if a dog is corrected the first time he chases another dog or a jogger it may give up the idea, but if it is allowed to chase joggers or dogs then this instinct becomes much stronger and can then become a problem behaviour that is difficult and in some cases impossible to cure.

Basic Training

To start to teach your dog your language, you need to combine the words with an action that shows the dog what you want, and some reinforcement - either positive or negative. Say your dog's name. Does the dog respond (look at you, wag his tail, move toward you)? Your dog should ALWAYS have a pleasant experience when he hears his name - NEVER unpleasant. Some people create a new "Bad Dog" name to use for those bad dog times. To teach the dog his name, position your dog close enough to touch, preferably on a leash so he doesn't move away. Say the dogs name cheerfully and give his ear or leash a tug toward you, or move his muzzle in your direction. When the dog looks in your direction, immediately use your "Good Dog" voice and praise and stroke your dog on the head or chest and start by giving your dog a treat, practice this until looking at you happens without the tug or treat, continue to practice for the dog's entire life! It reinforces the communication link between the owner and pet.

Teach other words the same way. Simple one word commands work best. Say the dog's name (to get his attention - remember that communication link!), follow with a command, and then SHOW him what you want. PRAISE IMMEDIATELY when the action is completed - even if you MADE him do it! Eventually you dog will learn to respond to the command without needing to be shown - but you should never forget to praise

Getting your point across

Sometimes words are not enough when communicating with a dog. Since dogs must learn what each word means, all the other "extra" words are just a bunch of "Blah, Blah" to them! Remember the Gary Larson cartoon that shows an owner scolding his dog, Ginger, then shows what the dog hears "Ginger, blah, blah, blah, Ginger, blah............"

The word NO is used far too often and actually means very little to a dog, it is better to use specific words. Keep them short, don't use words like "sit down", it can confuse use either "sit" or "down" depending on what you wish to convey.

The last thing to remember is to love your dog. He knows if you love him and will reward you ten fold.

This article was written by Stan Rawlinson, a full time Dog Behaviourist and Obedience Trainer.
You can visit his website at www.doglistener.co.uk for more articles and training information.

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