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Tag: cat health

Tick Diseases In Your Pet – How To Spot Them

With the first day of summer just over a month away, in some parts of the country tick season is well underway. Spring is an especially vulnerable time for pets as pet owners who let flea and tick prevention lapse over the winter may fail to pick it back up again in time to prevent those first few tick bites of the season. Aside from being an irritant to you and your pet, ticks carry all sorts of deadly diseases that are easily transmitted to you or your pet. Do you know what the diseases are and how to spot the symptoms in your pets?

Identify Ticks here:

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/ticks/article_em.htm

Common Tick Diseases and their Symptoms

  • Lyme Disease- A particularly deadly tick disease that may be hard to spot in pets until well after they have been infected. The main symptom is a general malaise in your pet. Fatigue, loss of appetite, and lameness in one or more legs are all earmarks of this very serious sickness. If your pet is exhibiting these symptoms and you have any reason to believe they may have suffered a tick bite within the last few months, be sure to as your vet to test them.
  • Rocky Mountain Spotted Tick Fever (RMSF) – This sickness is typically carried by what is commonly known as the “dog tick” and can result in pretty severe sickness for at least a couple weeks, sometimes resulting in death. Don’t let the name of this disease fool you either while it is more frequent in the Rocky Mountain states, it has been found country-wide. Symptoms in pets for this tick disease include stiffness and/or difficulty walking due to neurological effects, blood in the urine or nose bleeds, swelling of the limbs, and lethargy. This sickness usually results in pet hospitalization and treatment.
  • Anaplasmosis – This disease comes from the same ticks that transmit Lyme Disease. There are actually two different variations of anaplasmosis with similar symptoms. Symptoms include lethargy, vomiting, nose bleeds, and high fever. If your pet tests positive for this tick disease, it can be treated with antibiotics and your pet should start improving in 2-4 days!
  • Ehrlichiosis – This tick disease can vary in severity, affecting your pet’s quality of life for a few weeks, months, or even years. In very severe cases, pets may require blood transfusions. Symptoms include weight loss, pain in joints, depression, coughing, vomiting, and fever.

What better reason do you need to stay on top of your pets flea and tick prevention this year? Ticks don’t limit themselves to dogs or cats either. Any pet that spends time outside should be treated regularly. Be sure to use treatment specific to your pet though. What works for dogs can be very dangerous for rabbits or ferrets!

Some tick-borne illness can affect humans too so keeping your pet tick free ensures the health of the whole family! Remember, if your pet is acting out of the ordinary always be sure to have your vet consider these tick borne illnesses before the disease is allowed to progress into something very, very serious!

Cost of Pets: What Cost and Which Breeds Take the Cake?

How Much Does Your Pet Cost?

With pets in American increasingly being treated like children as opposed to animals the cost of pet ownership is soaring! Pet spending topped $56 billion dollars in 2014 and is expected to reach or exceed $60 billion in 2015. What are American’s spending such large amounts of cash on? Not vet bills like one would think. Turns out most of the spending is being put into healthier pet foods. Healthy pet food totals over a third of that yearly total. Maybe because of this investment in more quality and nutrient rich food, veterinary bills are now the second costliest part of pet ownership.

Are you a dog or cat person? do you prefer  rabbits or other small animals? If finances are an obstacle for you, then you need to choose wisely before you bring a companion home from the local pet store or shelter.

While dogs often top spending over cats and other house pets, the dog breed that seems to rack up the most in vet bills and general care, surprisingly, is the Rottweiler. Large dog breeds garner significantly higher costs than any other house pet. The Rottweiler breed is especially susceptible to many allergies as well as gastric disorders which can lead to regular vet bills, medications, and specialized care. Other expensive dogs to care for include Great Danes, English Bulldogs and Ragdolls.

While cats are generally less known for specific breeds, the famous Siamese Cat is notably more expensive than your average house cat. Siamese cats are prone to respiratory disorders as well as liver diseases. Again, hitting your wallet much harder than a small pet like a hamster or gerbil.

Overall, most specialized breeds of pets are going to be prone to medical issues unique to their variety. Make it a point to research well and know things you can do right from the start to minimize your pets need for veterinary care. Want more information about the annual cost of pets per year? Check out the ASPCA website for a breakdown!

photo credit: <a href=”https://www.flickr.com/photos/my_minime/2591002720/”>MandCo</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/”>cc</a>

Five Cat Health Problems Pet Owners Often Overlook

I had a pet cat for almost 15 years, and he was my baby. I spoiled him rotten, but there are things that I learned during his 14 1/2 years on earth with me during the time that I had him that he taught me. Several health problems in cats are not as prominent as they are in dog’s because cat’s can hide pain very well. They also don’t manifest their problems until they’re too late, and it’s difficult to treat, let alone prevent. However, we as pet owner’s, have a responsibility to take care of the pets (cats, dogs, etc.) we choose to have. They depend on us for their well-being, and we owe them that, plus more.

The following are five cat health problems that are serious and should be taken so and more owners, often than not, overlook them.

  • Feline Obesity– Being overweight in a cat is not healthy by any means, and can eventually kill them, whether over a long or short period of time. Monitor your cat’s intake and don’t let them become obese.
  • Hyperthyroidism– This is a very serious issue in cats and if left untreated can be very detrimental to your pet. If your cat has a sudden increase in energy, combined with rapid weight loss, there’s a problem, and your cat needs to see a vet as soon as possible. The reason why hyperthyroidism is a serious matter? It’s quite easy to treat and manage, and putting it off or ignoring it altogether makes for an even greater at-risk situation.
  • Urinary Tract Disease– Many cats suffer from urinary tract infections and disease with many owners overlooking the issue or chalking it up as their missing the litter box on purpose or just to be mean. This is sometimes the case, but often times not. Please talk to your vet before you make any assumptions on your own.
  • Dental Disease– If your cat has dental problems, they’re in an absorbent amount of pain and their ailment should be treated as soon as possible. How can a cat eat, if at all, with rotted teeth, and sore or infected gums. Talk about pain at it’s worst! Make sure your cat receives an overall comprehensive dental examination. Following that, you can get your cat the right treatment or find out if they need any teeth to be removed.
  • Arthritis or Aching Joints– As your cat ages, much like you age, he or she’s bones begin to not function correctly or as properly as they once did when they were young. Chances are if they’re aching or seems like their showing signs of page, it obviously needs to be taken care of and treated properly.

Do you know of any other health problems that you have had your cat have or had? Let us know and share with us your tips and suggestions for keeping our pets healthy, physically and emotionally, to the best of our ability.

Article Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/22/cat-health-problems_n_3478807.html

Canine Flea and Tick Medicine Could Harm Your Cat

Dog and Cat Reclining on a Blanket ca. 2000 San Francisco, California, USA

There are those of you who read this blog that have both cats and dogs, who may not know about the interaction between cats and flea medicine. Cats and dogs do not usually frolic and play together, but there is the rare exception, and this is wherein the danger lies. A common ingredient in canine flea and tick medicine, permethrin, is extremely toxic to cats. New reports are surfacing daily about the hazardous effects permethrin is having after coming in contact with cats.

Permethrin acts as a neurotoxin in felines, and causes seizures and death. Any type of flea and tick medicine intended for dogs should never be put on cats. If you have both dogs and cats in the house, make sure they are separated for several days after the medicine is applied. Remember, dogs like to roll, get on furniture and interact with their families, but if your cat ingests any of the chemical, it can have devastating results.

If you are looking for a non-toxic alternative to the flea and tick medicine that is commonly available, look no further than Diatomaceous Earth. It is a non-toxic substitute that can be sprinkled on your dogs AND cats, and can be found in the pest control section of most mainstream home and garden stores. It is made up of the fossilized remains of diatoms, a type on algae, and can actually be used as a safe alternative to all bug control. So, after you sprinkle it on your pets, dust around your house and even in your yard. It is safer to have your animals in an environment free of toxic chemicals, than risk any interactions that could potentially shorten your time with your pets.