Animal health

We don't like to think of our dogs becoming stressed. They are often the ones who relieve our own anxiety and can be incredible pillars of support. Although they may not face the same existential questions as their caregivers, dogs can be seriously affected by stress. In chronic cases, it can be just as detrimental...

Vomiting is a clinical symptom of various pathologies. Although vomiting is most commonly associated with gastrointestinal disorders, many problems which originate from other bodily systems occur. Whether gastrointestinal in origin, these range from mild to severe. Some of illnesses with throwing up as a symptom...

Epazote (Dysphania ambrosioides), also known as Jesuit's tea or Mexican-tea, is an aromatic herb widely used in South and Central America. Its usage dates back to the Pre-Hispanic era and its name derives from the Aztec language “epaztl”, which translates as “skunk”. In addition to being used in many Mexican...

Panacur is an antiparasitic drug with the active ingredient fenbendazole. It is a broad spectrum anthelmintic that has an effect against nematodes (both gastrointestinal and pulmonary) and cestodes. In addition, it is a drug that is used as a treatment against giardiasis, an infection caused by the protozoa...

Panniculitis is an inflammatory process that affects adipose tissue, the tissue we associate with body fat. It has multiple causes, both infectious and non-infectious. There are also many cases of idiopathic panniculitis in dogs where the etiology is unknown. The main clinical sign associated with panniculitis...

Urinary tract infections, also known as UTIs, are fairly common in dogs. A UTI commonly occurs when bacteria travel up the urethra and into the bladder. If not treated promptly, UTIs can cause a lot of discomfort and pain in your dog. In time, they can develop into a serious health issue, like cancer...

Hookworms, similar to tapeworms and roundworms, are a group of blood-sucking parasites that can live in your cat's digestive system. They belong to the genus Ancylostoma. These parasites affect a wide variety of mammals, not only cats. They are known as ‘hook worms’ because of the hook-like mouth with which...

Petting and brushing our cat helps to condition their coat, strengthen our bond and provide all-important affection. It also provides the opportunity to check their skin for any abnormalities. Sometimes inflammation and lumps can be seen when we look at the cat, others are only detectable when we feel them. As...

Laryngeal paralysis is a condition that affects the upper respiratory tract in dogs. When it occurs, the laryngeal cartilages do not open (abduct) correctly during inspiration. It can be due to either congenital or acquired causes, as well as unilateral or bilateral. Some dogs may have the problem, but remain...

As with all companion animals, rats need a certain level of care to maintain optimal health. Providing a balanced diet, suitable accommodation and taking them to the veterinarian for regular checkups help provide their basic care needs. However, even with careful consideration of these needs, a rat can...

Ear problems are relatively common in cats. Felines may experience itching, pain or discomfort to various degrees. As they are very hygienic animals, we should not confuse regular cleaning of their ears for scratching. When a cat has a serious problem with their ears, they will keep scratching at them,...

Calamine is a commonly used medication to treat mild itchiness on the skin produced by sunburn, insect bites, poison ivy, poison oak, allergies, among others. It can also be prescribed to dry out skin irritation. It has proven to be very effective on humans. In fact, its use dates back as far as 1500 BC....

Dexketoprofen belongs to the NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) group of drugs. It is generally used to treat mild to moderate pain because of its analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effects. It can be administrated orally or intravenously through an injection and it can be found in...

Dogs are known for their voracious appetites, but not all dogs have the same metabolism. Whether a dog loses or gains weight easily will depend on many factors, genetic inheritance due to breed being only one of them. However, when a dog loses or gains a significant amount of weight, it is always something...

Cats are specialists when it comes to hiding what is happening to them. This is why it usually takes us so long to figure out that something is wrong with our feline. One problem you might have noticed is that your cat is dragging their butt on the carpet or other surfaces. For some, this seems quite...

Mirtazapine is a drug that is used in cats as an appetite stimulant. It is used when the cat has appetite loss, usually as a symptom of an underlying disease (anorexia). It is also used as the symptomatic treatment of nausea and vomiting. It is commonly used in chronic diseases that affect the digestive system,...

Syncope in dogs is the scientific term for fainting. When a dog faints they momentarily lose consciousness and their physical faculties, specifically their muscle movement. Although they only happen for a short time, they can be very worrying, especially if the dog keeps fainting over a long period of time. To...

It can be difficult to tell when a dog has a swollen throat. A dog's morphology means they have a horizontal body position with their neck and spine in alignment. They need to have strong neck muscles to support their head and to protect their throat. For this reason, when we see swelling in the throat...

The diaphragm in cats functions in the same way as the human diaphragm. It is a layer of abdominal muscle which contracts to cause the lungs to expand. Doing so helps with respiration as the lungs inhale and exhale air. A cat diaphragm is susceptible to the same pathologies and trauma, although a diaphragmatic...

Ichthyosis is a skin disease that is known for its hardening of the skin. This seborrheic condition causes grey scales to appear, but it can result in secondary infections, blisters, onychogryphosis and hyperkeratosis. It is a fortunately rare disease, but it does affect puppies more than adult dogs....

Cats are certainly curious, but when they see potential prey, they are not as scared as they sometimes should be. A small arachnid like a scorpion might seem no match for a looming feline, but the sting in their tail is a significant danger. Not only might a cat stalk and try to kill a scorpion, they will...

Our cats are very hygienic animals which dedicate large portions of their day to grooming. Most generally try to avoid water and will be very wary of any odorous objects or areas in the home. For this reason, when a cat smells bad, it can lead their guardians to worry something is wrong. Since a foul...

Hernias can affect various parts of a cat's body, with location determining certain symptoms and behavior. Some hernias may not show any evident signs, at least at first. This is the case with umbilical hernias in cats. The growth caused by the hernia will vary in size, depending on its severity. In some...

Healthy urination is a sign of a healthy rabbit. When they have trouble urinating, it implies their health is at risk. If a rabbit stops peeing altogether, it means you need to take them to a veterinarian immediately. The reasons for a lack of urination in rabbits are varied, but they can be perenal (the...

If you are in the room with a cat reverse sneezing, it is very hard not to notice. Not only are the sneezes quite loud and repetitive, but they make a unique facial expression which can be worrying if you haven't seen the phenomenon before. The paroxysms of sneezes are different from regular sneezing due...

Part of the reasons why a puppy is so adorable is their vulnerability. An instinct in us makes us want to take care of them and for good reason. When dogs are young, they are still developing. This doesn't simply mean they are getting bigger, but important aspects of their physiology, such as their immune...

Diarrhea in guinea pigs is a relatively frequent disorder and does not usually result from serious harm to the animal. However, if the diarrhea is prolonged, chronic or particularly intense, it can threaten the animal's well-being. A veterinary emergency will occur of the guinea pig is severely dehydrated. In...

If a female dog has not been spayed, they will enter their estrus cycle. This is also known as going into heat. Various physical and behavioral changes occur during this process. It is necessary for cats to mate and have kittens, but it is something which can be very disruptive in domestic cats. One of...

A dog's tongue is a muscle which performs various functions. As with any muscle, it works thanks to exercise. However, some of us may think our dog is exercising their tongue too much. Dogs stick their tongue out for various reasons and it is rarely arbitrary. Much of the time this is normal, especially...

During the heat period or postpartum period after labor, it is common for a female dog to have certain amounts of discharge. Outside of these periods, discharge from the dog's privates usually means there is a health problem. The color and consistency of this discharge will help to determine its cause,...

Different pathologies can affect dogs throughout their lives. Many different factors will determine which diseases can affect a dog and there are issues female dogs can face which male dogs will not. Many of these are related to their reproductive system. For this reason, we need to be observant for any...

We need to be careful when taking care of a pregnant dog. There are some hidden considerations we need to make in terms of how we treat them. For example, even if they have been prescribed them before, there are certain medications they shouldn't take due to the potential effects on their pregnancy. Even...

Our cats are very hygienic animals which make great effort to ensure their grooming needs are met. While it is difficult to teach them tricks, it is relatively easy to train them to use a litter tray. This is because they want to ensure their waste does not cause their environment to be unhygienic, just...

Our dog's vocalizations reveal a lot about their well-being, but they are not always easy to interpret. For example, a loud bark can be an expression of joy as much as it can be an expression of fear. Changes in vocalizations don't always signify an emotional response. When we hear our dog coughing, we should...

When we see blood coming from our dog's mouth, it is understandable we fear for their well-being. Blood around a dog's mouth may be due to oral health problems, but we also need to consider the fact the mouth is the beginning of the digestive tract. It is possible blood is emanating from the gastrointestinal...

Although they present as similar symptoms, coughing and gagging in cats are not the same. Coughing is a sharp sudden expulsion of air form the lungs, whereas gagging is more of a choking sound. However, when the two present at the same time, it can help us to better determine the underlying cause. Some...

Neutering both male and female cats provides many benefits for the animal. Such benefits safeguard their physical and mental well-being. Neutering cats can also improve a feline's life expectancy. Spaying is the most common form of neutering for female cats. The heat period in cats can be a difficult and frustrating...

Cats will try to catch anything that stimulates their curiosity. Even trying to catch the smallest of creatures can take up the best part of an afternoon. In most cases, a cat won't take on a prey they can't handle. If they have any sense of danger, they are more likely to run away and only attack if...

Cats have an innate hunting instinct which makes them seek out almost anything that moves. When they have access to the outside, their potential prey becomes even more varied. One potential prey for cats is the rat. Depending on their size, some rats can seem more like predator than prey. This can cause...

Many breeds now popular as companion animals first began as working dogs. Although developed from the earlier hunting dog known as the King Charles Spaniel, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was created by breeders for their looks and companionship. In fact, they were created to resemble the dogs in...

When we combine a cat's natural curiosity with an innate hunting instinct, they can get themselves into trouble. With the limited fauna of our homes and gardens, even the smallest insect can be a cat's white whale. Bees and wasps are large prey when compared with other insect species we might find near...

Gagging and retching are movements which a cat makes when it seems like they will vomit, but they don't. Although similar, it is not the same as coughing since the movement is coming from their digestive tract and not their respiratory system. It is possible for a cat to have problems with both these...

Breed standards are created to provide descriptions of an ideal example of a given dog breed. These break down the dog's physical characteristics into various criteria, including their ear size and shape. For the Chihuahua, the generally accepted breed standard (there are some variations) states the ears...

There are various internal diseases of dogs which can affect organs and tissues of their body. Some of these are medullary, meaning they affect the internal regions of these internal organs and tissues. Bone marrow aplasia is one such disease, affecting the marrow within their bones. The problem is related...

Some of us don't think it is possible for our dog to be sad. While they may get tired sometimes, their enthusiasm and gifts of affection seem endless. This means when they do seem to be down, it can be worrying. Not only can a dog be sad due to emotional stress, physical problems can also lead to a dog...

Cats like to press their head against their guardians as a sign of affection. Often when this happens, we might notice they leave a little trail of wetness behind where there nose had been. Many cat caregivers see this as a sign of good health, but it is important to know this is not always the case. The...

A hernia is when an organ or other tissue exist the anatomical structure it should be held within. Although not very common in cats, there are various types of hernias which can affect felines. In most cases, the treatment of the hernia will require surgery, but this will require diagnostic testing by...

Rabbits are active animals which can move like a shot in the right circumstances. As sensitive creatures which crave security, any threat can make them move like lightning. Even with the best of intentions, guardians can even give their animal a fright which makes them run from us. All this means that...

There is a misconception that it is OK for a dog to smell bad. Of course, their lifestyle means they will exude certain scents and there is a natural odor to a healthy dog which can be a little musky. However, the worse a dog smells, the worse their health is likely to be. The reason for a dog smelling...

It is all too easy to ascribe human traits and characteristics to our dogs. Not only do they become a member of the family, but the love they reciprocate is real and evidenced in their behaviors. We can see a similar love when a mother dog gives birth to her puppies. She will care for them and ensure...