The Eight Most Common Ailments in Cats

Cats have common afflictions which affect their health adversely. Most do not cause death but some do. The good news is that most of the illnesses are curable through preventive medicine. This is why it is imperative to have that annual physical and to visit your veterinarian whenever you cats behavior changes suddenly or drastically.



The top eight afflictions are:



1. Hairballs



Cause: Dirt and hair gather on the cat's tongue and gets swallowed. The hair and dirt stay stuck in the cat's digestive tract building into a ball of mucus.



Treatment: Usually a cat can cough up a hairball but at times a hairball can travel to the intestines where it causes serious even life threatening problem. Keeping your cat groomed, serving hairball formula cat food and treats, and regular visits to your vet are the best prevention.



2. Urinary Tract Infections (UTI)



Cause: Infections and substandard food.



Treatment: Medicine given by your veterinarian and cat food designed to prevent UTI from starting in the first place.



Symptoms: Watch for fowl smelling litter boxes or urinating outside the litter box and infrequent urinating. Male cats that have not been neutered get UTI more often than female cats do.



3. Feline Leukemia Virus (FLV).



Cause: Virus



Treatment: A vaccine given before the cat is exposed to the disease. Cats that are exposed are highly infectious and have only a short time to live.



4. Feline Immune Deficiency Virus (FIV).



Cause: Feline HIV (AIDS) Virus



Treatment: Unknown cure but no cat has died yet. Feline Immune Deficiency Virus can not be caught by humans.



5. Feline Infectious Peritonitis.



Cause: Virus in the family of the Corona Virus



Treatment: No known Cure. This disease is highly dangerous but is not spread as easily as other illnesses are. There is a test for FIP but the test results are not trustworthy. Even though there is a vaccination for this virus a number of veterinarians and scientists believe the final conclusions to be uncertain.



6. Common Cat Worms. The most common types of worms are: roundworms, tapeworms, and hookworms. Heartworms are not usually found in cats but can be a source of problems.



Cause: Environment and fleas.



Treatment: Medicine provided by your veterinarian that is relatively inexpensive. If left untreated worms can kill.



Symptoms or Signs: Tiny white specks similar to rice will appear in the stool of your cat. An infestation of fleas may precede worms, weight loss or being unable to gain weight can also indicate the presence of worms.



7. Fleas and ticks.



Cause: Exposure to untreated areas outdoors.



Treatment: Flea dips and baths, and medication given by your vet. Ticks should be removed by a veterinarian and the cat should be treated with medication to treat Lyme disease.



Symptoms of Lyme disease: slowed movements, inactivity, behaving as though they are hurting all the time.



8. Feline Obesity.



Cause: Too much food and too little exercise.



Treatment: Cats need to be under the care of a veterinarian when starting a diet. Their liver can be damaged if not supervised. Obesity is serious and leads to diabetes which affects the organs of the cat's body and can be fatal. Prevention, a healthy diet and exercise are the best treatments. Cats do live with diabetes but many require insulin and dietary supplements for the rest of their lives.



The best way to keep your cat healthy and happy is to practice good preventative careand make sure you visit your veterinarian at least one time a year.

Common Dog Ailments

If your dog is a loved companion, you know when something isn't right. Constant scratching, whining, shaking and loss of appetite are just some of the signs that you may notice when your dog is not feeling well. When you know what to look for, you can then take the proper steps to provide treatment for the dog, whether that means a trip to the Veterinary Clinic or some other form of treatment at home.



Below is a list of common dog ailments that can cause your dog to become quite ill.



Ear Infection



Often times dogs will get an ear infection and the owner will not see many symptoms. Look for a brown discharge coming from the dogs ear. This can be a sign that an ear infection might be present. If you rub the area around the dogs ear, if you notice that your dog seems irritated by the action, this can also be a sign that an ear infection may be a problem.



Heartworm



Spread by mosquitoes, heartworm can be a devastating and fatal disease for a dog. Once a dog has heartworm, a trip to the Vet is necessary and strong medications are needed to return the dog to health. Symptoms that your dog may already have heartworm include: Coughing, breathing problems and general fatigue. Unfortunately these symptoms can take years to develop and can easily go unnoticed. Using heartworm tablets on a fairly regular basis can help to prevent this deadly ailment.



Distemper



A common ailment in dogs, distemper is a virus spread in the air, saliva and feces of dogs. It usually infects puppies that have weak immune systems. Symptoms that your dog as this possible deadly ailment include: diarrhea, coughing, sneezing, loss of appetite and runny nose.



Diabetes



Just like in humans, diabetes is on the rise among dogs. Most often it is detected in obese dogs, it can be hard to determine if your dog has diabetes. Most often occurring in older dogs, some of the signs to look for include: excessive drinking, weight loss and excessive urination. If treated by a Veterinarian, it can easily be managed by changes in diet and providing some form of regular exercise.



While it may be tempting to save on the Veterinary bill and try to diagnose these ailments at home, it's always best to take the dog to the Vet and have it checked out. Better to spend a few dollars and ensure that your dog is getting the car that it needs. Often a quick trip to the Vet followed by a medication can cure your dog.