Natural Pet Health

Abnormal cat behavior is usually associated with psychological stress as cats are highly emotional creatures and react to environmental changes very quickly. At the same time odd behaviors can also result from an underlying disorder or infection. For example, if your cat suddenly develops a dislike for her litter box and urinates at odd places, more likely than not it is the first sign of an infection in lower urinary tract.

High frequency and difficulty in urination are the most prominent signs of feline urinary infection. The cat feels the urge but is not able to empty the bladder and is able to pass out only small amounts at a time, usually accompanied with severe pain. It perceives the litter box to be the cause of discomfort and starts avoiding it.

Urinary tract infections can also be caused by bladder stones that obstruct the urinary passage. This leads to feline urinary incontinence problems - a situation where the bladder is full but the obstruction does not let the urine pass easily. However, the urine somehow finds its way through the obstruction and leaks out involuntarily causing incontinence. 

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Cat dandruff is common among diabetic cats. A study shows that happens in 1 in 200 cats have what is known as diabetes mellitus (DM) and if you want your pet to get better, here are some things you can do.

The cause of this problem is associated with poor nutrition. So, instead of buying one of those generic brands of cat food, maybe you should change it and go for a food of good quality even if it may cost a little more.

You can also give food supplements whichcontain fish oil. Omega-3 Fish Oils have been shown to help correct the dandruff problem.  This may also come from canned tuna since it is rich in 3 fatty acids that will improve their hair in about a week. Before you add Fish Oils to your cat’s diet, please consult your pet health professional.

Symptoms which tell you if your cat has a skin problem like dandruff due to Diabetes include an increase in their appetite, excessive thirst or urination, dehydration, depression, muscle wasting, lethargy, weight loss and an unkempt hair coat that is a direct result of poor grooming. 

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Kennel cough or tracheobronchitis is bronchitis that is marked by dry spasmodic cough, retching, sneezing, snorting or choking. It is characterized by inflammation of the upper respiratory system. It can be caused by either a viral or bacterial infection.

Tracheobronchitis is highly contagious and occurs when dogs are kept in crowded places with poor ventilation and lot of warm air - places like boarding kennels, vaccination clinics, hospital waiting rooms or any other such place where other infected dogs may be present.

Kennel cough in canines is equivalent, in some aspects, to common cold in humans. The symptoms are characteristic and obvious enough for diagnosis. And just as common cold caused by a virus requires no treatment, kennel cough in dogs also does not require any treatment if the condition has been caused due to a viral infection.

The symptoms tend to go away within 10 days. However, the commonality between common cold and kennel cough ends there since instances of kennel cough that involve the distemper virus carry a high risk are and considered to be serious. Such cases need immediate attention to ensure that the progression of the disease is contained.

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Generally a cold is an inflammation of the nose and throat characterized by increased production of mucus. While human colds are associated with a change in season, cat colds are independent of seasonality and are usually caused by a virus.

The most important thing to note is that a virus must run its course and cannot be killed by drugs. Treating viral infections, especially in the feline respiratory tract is futile.

That said, cat owners should remember that although the symptoms of cat colds are similar to those experienced by humans, there is a vast difference in how feline colds should be managed. One of the common viruses that cause cold-like symptoms in cats is feline calicivirus, which belongs to a family of viruses that continually change their compositions. Moreover, feline upper respiratory infection  tends to progress due to a vulnerability to secondary infections.

You will be required to cure cat colds only if the underlying cause has been identified as a bacterial infection. Otherwise cat cold must run its course. Cats are likely to sneeze and sleep a lot during the course of the infection, which can last between 7 to 14 days at the maximum. You can make use of some time tested home remedies, herbal cures and homeopathic remedies to alleviate the symptoms.

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You want to get your child a pet, or bring a pet into the home with a child, but is a ferret the right pet to get if you have children? Are the children safe with a ferret in the house? The bigger question you should ask is if the ferret is safe in the house with a child!

Children have gentle souls – but they are not gentle creatures. Ferrets may have strong jaws, but the rest of them can be damaged by small hands or feet. So, should you avoid getting a ferret if you have a child? Not necessarily.

It is recommended that you not get a ferret if you have a child under the age of seven in the house. Some experts recommend not having one if the child is under the age of ten, however in the end, how responsible the child is really determines whether or not a ferret will be safe with them.

A ferret will see a child as a playmate – just as they see you or other animals as a playmate. They don’t understand that the child may not know his own strength. They do not distinguish adults from children, and if the child hurts them, they will react to that – with their teeth.

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Caring for your dog’s teeth is your responsibility. On the face of it may appear to be something that is not so necessary, but the fact is that your pet needs as much dental care as you do. The basic rule that prevention is better than cure applies as much to dog teeth as it does to any other pet health issue.

Without proper precautions there is a possibility of relatively minor problems ending up as major health issues over time. These simple problems in the mouth tend to aggravate into dental diseases. Plaque can mineralize within a couple of days after coming in contact with saliva and convert to tartar that sticks strongly to the gums.

This is what eventually leads to an inflammation of the gums, gingivitis, which can potentially progress into a more serious dental disease known as periodontitis.  Eventually the infectious bacteria may enter the system and spread to vital organs elsewhere in the body.

The initial symptoms of dental disease start with bad dog breath. Canine bad breath is normal in puppies when they are shedding teeth but in adult bad breath is a sign of dental problems. If you want to avoid any such problems, It is recommended that a teeth cleaning regime and other good dental practices be adopted from the beginning.

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Whatever the schedule we have for the examination of your pet, if there is any abnormality noticed in your animal, without delay, you need to take him to your vet for a thorough clinical examination.

It is suggested that even before the purchase of a puppy, consult a pet animal care specialist and try to understand about the schedules to be maintained for the examination of the animal. This will help a lot in solving many health related problems.

Though once every two or three months is the general schedule for the examination of the dog, as soon as the puppy is procured the dog needs to be taken to the veterinarian for a thorough examination. Hence, necessary health care measures will be obtained in time.

Most of the time, a cat or dog is to be taken to the veterinarian at the fifth or sixth week of age because in this period only, the vaccinations against diseases will be systematically carried out.  The period of vaccination in the first year will be continued up to the 16th week of age and the schedule needs to be maintained accordingly.

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Cat care and diabetes go hand in hand to ensure that your pet cat can live an otherwise more normal life than usual. It may be unfortunate for pet cats to have their own version of diabetes, also a serious affliction among humans. It is also important for pet owners to know how feline diabetes affects cats and how they can help make life better for their pets by learning how to better care for them.

There are two types of feline diabetes that may affect your pet cats. Type 1 is caused by an insufficient production of insulin while type 2 diabetes is characterized by the inability of the cat’s body to process insulin more effectively. And just like in humans, diabetes can also strike cats at any age but is more likely to affect older cats.

There is also a secondary feline diabetes that can be caused by drugs or by some diseases that may impair the natural processing of insulin in the body.

Cats also display symptoms that may tell veterinarians or pet owners of the onset of diabetes. These symptoms also have similarities with what humans with diabetes develop as the disease progresses. Cats may show frequent thirst and urination. With the body’s inability to process or handle glucose, diabetic cats may also experience weight loss.

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From kids to seniors, pet ownership benefits abound

According to the 2007-2008 National Pet Owners Survey, 63% of U.S. households own a pet, which equates to 71.1 millions homes. But do you occasionally take your cuddly companion for granted?

Chances are, work, family, and other obligations interfere with time spent enjoying simple pleasures with your pooch or kitty… but taking a moment to appreciate their benefits to our lives is worth doing now and then.

Most pets’ demands are quite small, requiring basics like food, shelter, veterinary care, and companionship. Compared to the immense health benefits they bring to us—including emotional support, lowered blood pressure and stress levels, and unconditional affection and friendship, it’s no wonder we grow attached.

There’s no doubt that pets live for the moment, coping with life’s ups and downs and then dismissing them. The innocence and trust of a companion pet help us to be less cynical. This positive attitude is particularly important for the elderly.

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The lower (distal) portion of the canine urinary tract comprises of the bladder and the urethra. The upper (proximal) portion consists of kidneys and ureters, a pair of thick-walled tubes that carry urine from the kidney to the urinary bladder.

The prostate gland encircles the urethra in males. The entire system barring the urethra is normally sterile. Pathogens from the environment enter through urethra, the duct through which urine is discharged in most mammals.

Certain breeds of dogs are more prone to develop urinary tract infections. In addition, proximity to human populations has lead to a situation where dogs have become more susceptible to common human ailments like UTI. In fact, urinary tract infection in dogs is far more common than it is in humans.

Urinary tract infection usually occurs at a single site - the bladder, ureters, kidneys, urethra, or the prostate glands. But it can affect more than one site at the same time also. Common signs of UTI in puppies and adult dogs are the amount, color and odor of urine along with the frequency of urination.

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