Pet Health Guide

[A-B0T]

A good pet owner always has a sharp eye for symptoms of sickness, disease, and wounds in their pets. In this thread we'll keep a list of helpful sites and tips for common pet symptoms that can be treated at home and keep the vet bill away.

 

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LINKS

Pet MD

Natural Pet Health

 

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COLDS

Dogs
Vitamins A, C an E can be beneficial when your dog is sick. Placing your dog in a steam filled bathroom or in a room with a cool mist vaporizer will help to keep their nasal passages moist and their cough more productive. Make sure that your dog has plenty of water. If your dog is not drinking enough water try adding a little broth to their water. Do not allow your dog to stay outside during cold weather for long periods.

Cats
Before you treat your cat for a cold make sure it's not something worse. A sign that it's not an upper respiratory infection is the nasal discharge. If it's clear like water it's a cold. But if it's thick and mucky take your cat to the vet and make sure you keep your cat away from other cats as it's contagious.
Once you're sure it's a simple cold you can offer her wet food to encourage her to eat. Use a humidifier in the room with your pet. Wipe any discharge from your cat's eyes with warm water and a clean, soft cloth or cotton balls to prevent it from developing a crust around the eye and nose area.

 

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PARASITES

Roundworms [Ascarids]
All 3 species are in most areas of U.S. Zoonotic [can be spread to humans]
Symptoms
Abdominal cramping and distension, cough, nasal discharge, increased respiration, pot belly, diarrhea and vomiting [may contain immature worms], dull hair coat, emaciation, restlessness
Treatments
Fenbendazole [Panacur]
Febantel [Drontal Plus]
Pyrantel Pamoate [Strongid-T]

Hookworms
Zoonotic- Humans can contract them by walking in contaminated soil. If pregnant mother has hookworms, you can assume her puppies do and need to be treated at 2, 4, 6, & 8 wks of age.
Symptoms
Adults generally are immune.
Puppy pneumonia, enteritis, bloody diarrhea, anemia
May be mistaken for Parvo. To find out check the gums. Hooks will make the gums white but parvo can still have pink gums.
Treatments
Strongid-T
Drontal Plus
Panacur
Ivermectin
Heartguard Plus

Tapeworms
Can be spread to humans but this is usually only when infected meat is not fully cooked. Especially pork.
Symptoms
May cause abdominal discomfort, scooting a**s on the floor, chronic enteritis, tiny white eggs can be seen in the feces or stuck to the pets fur
Note: In most cases pets get tapeworms from swallowing fleas carrying the eggs. The best way to prevent this is to continuously treat them against fleas. Look for signs of fleas by checking the coat for dry blood at the base of the tail.
Treatments
Panacur

Heartworms
Spread by mosquitos
Symptoms
Excercise intolerance, coughing, lethargy, abdominal enlargement [in sever cases]
The only way to test for heartworms is to have you dog's blood tested at a vet clinic.
Treatment for heartworms is expensive and painful. No dog should have to be subject to the harsh symptoms and treatment. There is no legal requirement to prevent them, but I wish there was. It's relatively inexpensive to use a preventative. They can come in 6-12 month packs that you give one every month. They taste like treats and are easy to give. I highly recommend this to all dog owners.

 

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SHEDDING REPTILES
Though reptiles come in several different varieties I'm hoping this can help. As most of us know keeping your reptile's environment moist is key while shedding. For some it's easier than others. For tropical lizards they can shed their skin easily as their cages are often misted and provided with lots of water. But desert reptile owners can struggle with this. A common example would be the leopard gecko. Several owners struggle with getting the remaining skin off the toes and facial areas. Some say to put your lizard in a shallow dish of water, other say to rub it off with a wet Q-tip and pull the skin off. But this is controversial. In my personal experience I've noticed a hydration chamber provides enough moisture for my gecko to remove all her shed by herself. The chamber consists of a container she can freely enter and exit filled with coconut fiber that's hydrated daily. I cover the top with a cloth to provide her with shade and privacy. And I would suggest you try this for your desert reptile.

 

[A-B0T]

DEWCLAWS

It's important to keep your dog's dewclaws in mind. If left unchecked they may grow 360 degrees and penetrate their pads. This is very uncomfortable and can be easily prevented by trimming their claws every month. Don't learn this the hard way like I did.

 

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[Testicular Diabeetus]

Good idea A.bot.
^_^

 

[A-B0T]

Thanks. Right now I'm looking for common pet illnesses and ways to treat them so I can post them.

 

[Onigetoe]

In older animals Rhinitis, and Sinusitis (both treated with anti biotics and often heeds saline drops in the nose to keep it from coming back) are common and often reoccuring. Allregies to dust and other house hold items like perfume, even laundry soap. Food allergies, like milk, My little Rosee (said Rosie 15 years old) can't have wheat in her food.


That is all I can think of right now.  

[A-B0T]

I plan to cover allergies soon.

 

[PSM Guild Mule]

Still going to cover allergies? It's been awhile and now that you have your ACO training you should have a lot more knowledge on animal sicknesses.
Why don't you cover malnutrition/starvation for those who take in strays or parasites so that people will know what to do when their dog slides his butt on the floor.  

[A-B0T]

I'll do parasites.

 

[pompoennetje]

I have a blog about cats. Informative and such. So if you need help. Just nudge me.