Most of the time, excessive sneezing in cats and dogs is a sign of an irritation, inflammation or infection of the upper respiratory system (involving the nasal passages and sinuses). Allergy in cats and dogs more frequently affects the skin or digestive tract. Individuals allergic to seasonal pollens, for example, are more likely to feel […]
Category: Pet’s Health
Information on Pet’s health care.
Dogs and cats eat lawn grass or other plants because they need to vomit.
Dogs and cats eat grass in your yard primarily because it is there. Young Animals investigate the world around them by watching, listening, smelling, touching tasting almost everything they encounter. Although our pets are classified as carnivores, or meat eaters, it may be natural to supplement their diets with plant materials. They can develop a […]
Certain dog breeds require cropped ears or docked tails for health reasons.
The practice of surgically altering ear shape and tail length began in a time when dogs were used for working or hunting large wild game, or were legally “pitted” against each other in dog fighting arenas. In this day and age, there is no value or health reason to justify cropping a dog’s ears or […]
The hair in a dog’s ears should always be plucked.
In general, if something is not broken you shouldn’t fix it. A dog with hair in the ear canals but no sign of otitis (ear infection or inflammation) should not have the ear hair plucked. Sometimes, plucking the hair from a healthy ear irritates and inflames the canal and could even predispose your pet to […]
Heartworm is detected by analyzing stool samples.
The adult heartworm is a parasitic worm that inhabits the heart chamber. It is not found in the intestine and is not eliminated in feces. To test for heartworm, your veterinarian will recommend an annual or semiannual blood test. There are several different methods of analyzing the blood sample. Prevention is even more important for […]
Parasitic worms can always be identified by looking at them.
With few exceptions, most adult worms look alike to the naked eye. Roundworm looks like long spaghetti noodles. However, in the larval stage the roundworm can be much shorter and resemble other worms. The exception is the tapeworm, the eggs of which infrequently appear in fecal analyses, which sheds clearly visible flat segments that resemble […]
Intestinal parasites always cause diarrhea and vomiting
In many cases, the presence of intestinal parasites is tolerated by the “host” animal. The worms thrive, robbing the infested dog nutrients. Meanwhile eggs are released through the feces to extend the cycle of infestation to other potential hosts. The animal may not have any signs of gastrointestinal inflammation and may not even appear sick. […]
Intestinal parasites affect only young pets
Parasitic worms in the digestive tract are usually (but not always) orally transmitted in the form of microscopic eggs. This can occur from direct contact between individuals, such as between a mother animal and her offspring or between animals when they groom or lick each other in greeting. The transmission of parasite eggs can also […]