Natural Pet Health

Everyone seems on edge about the latest outbreak of avian flu. People in China are told to kill their poultry in order to keep the virus from spreading. Meanwhile people in the United States watch on in fear that the avian flu will come to their shores. So what exactly is all the hubbub about? After all, every winter millions of people come down with bird flu.

Origin of Influenza

Influenza, the term, came into use around 1504, though it had little to do with the virus. It came from the word: influence. At the time, influence meant: ‘the ethereal power of the stars acting on men.’ It was basically a supernatural way of explaining the effects of disease on people at the time. During a particularly nasty outbreak of the flu in Europe during 1743, the term was officially attached to the name of the disease. 96 years later, the term was shortened to just: flu.

A lot of people would like to know whether their dogs and cats can catch common colds like humans do. The answer is YES and NO!

Symptoms like a runny nose, sneezing and coughing can develop as a result of a viral, bacterial or fungal infection in the canine or feline respiratory system. But while human colds are usually associated with a change in season, cat and dog colds are independent of seasonality and are usually caused by a virus.

Many pet owners bring their dog or cat to a vet, kennel or cattery while traveling. The risk of infection increases greatly. In addition, the holidays are often a time of high-travel, and pets may come along for the journey.

Scary new pets stats on drug-resistant bacteria

While many of us are aware of the worldwide pandemic of deadly ‘super-bugs’ (also known as strains of bacteria that have mutated and become resistant to conventional antibiotics) that have been affecting hospitals to households, we now have to worry about our pets having the same fate.

In dogs and cats, the bacteria are slightly different than the strains that affect people, which are usually methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA. Animals are likely to contract methicillin-resistant staphylococcus intermedius, or MRSI, but it’s overall causing the same problem in which some strains of common bacteria have evolved to resist the antibiotics we normally use to treat it.

In recent years, the vaccination of cats has become more popular. The three most common vaccines give protection against feline infectious enteritis (FIE), feline influenza (cat flu) and feline leukaemia (FeLV). An initial course of two injections, the first at nine weeks are usually given, and yearly boosters are recommended thereafter.

FIE causes vomiting and diarrhoea, and the cat develops a very high temperature. Before the vaccine was introduced, it killed a great many cats by dehydration due to the bowel symptoms. Cat flu is caused by two viruses: the feline rhinotracheitis (FCV). FVR is the more severe of the two, causing coughing, sneezing, and nasal and eye discharges.

While your pet may initiate certain behaviors regarding eating habits and exercise, through the evolution of domestication, many of these normal processes fall under the influence of our hands. Therefore, making just a few tweaks in routine may greatly benefit your pet’s overall health and well-being.

There is much that can be done to support a healthy immune system in pets. Here are a few tips:

• Avoid exposure to toxins and chemicals as much as possible.
• Don’t expose your pet to second hand cigarette smoke.
• Give your pet a healthy varied diet – making sure to include lots of raw meat, fresh vegetables and fruit.

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.

The immune system in a cat’s body has a committed task. It is a complex interconnected system of white blood cells, antibodies and other substances that are released to combat infections and eliminate foreign proteins. On recognition of a foreign invasion, the system releases antibodies which chemically bind with antigens to destroy them.

The important part of the immune system is that it is supposed to recognize foreign substances and respond immediately to destroy them. Unfortunately it does not happen like this always. Certain disorders cause the controlling mechanism of the immune system to fail and it produces antibodies that attack the body’s own tissues. These are known as autoantibodies.

Why is liver functioning so important for my pet?

The liver is the second largest organ in the body and is often seen as the most important one. In traditional Chinese medicine, for example, a healthy liver is seen as the most critical element in the body’s ability to fight disease and function optimally.

Amongst other important functions, the liver is responsible for eliminating and detoxifying the poisons that enter the blood stream. It also produces bile which is essential in the breakdown of fats and is the organ which stores Vitamin A, D, E and K.

Environmental pollution, processed and unhealthy foods, prescription drugs, frequent vaccinations and sedentary lifestyles all contribute to sluggish and diseased livers. The result? Pets with depressed immune systems, constant fatigue, obesity, sluggish livers and digestive systems, allergies, respiratory ailments, unhealthy skin and many other health problems.

What is Canine Distemper and what are the symptoms?

Canine distemper is a highly contagious, extremely serious viral disease which occurs in dogs and other wild canids (e.g.. foxes, wolves and coyotes), raccoons, skunks and ferrets.

It is an airborne virus, which affects the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and central nervous system of the animal. Puppies between three and six months and elderly animals are particularly at risk.

Symptoms grow increasingly severe as the disease progresses, they include:

* Conjunctivitis (a watery, pus-like eye discharge) and inflammation of the eye
* Fever
* Nasal discharge
* Pneumonia (Coughing and labored breathing)_
* Lethargy
* Reduced appetite
* Vomiting
* Diarrhea
* Seizures
* Hyperesthesia (increased sensitivity to sensory stimuli, such as pain or touch)
* Muscle twitching
* Progressive deterioration of mental abilities and motor skills
* Complete or partial paralysis

How can toxins affect my pet?

Daily exposure to a wide variety of toxins can seriously affect your pet’s health.

A highly processed, chemically-enriched diet filled with colorants and preservatives; drinking chlorinated water, regularly wearing a commercial flea collar, daily being exposed to second hand cigarette smoke, insecticides and pollution – all these are just the tip of iceberg when it comes to the toxins affecting our pets.

Exposure to toxins can weaken a pet’s immune system and damage his body’s natural ability to fight off disease. Domestic animals are provided with food which they do not have to hunt for and which is not always suited for their bodies.