07
Jan
2010
Cats, Pet Health
Cats, like any other pet and humans, sometimes get sick. Some symptoms aren’t particularly worrisome, but some indicate life-threatening illness. All pet owners need to pay attention to the health of their pet and make sure to find out cause of the problem before it can get worse.
Although there are lots of different symptoms and diseases that cats can get, there are a few that make up a decent percentage of problems. Whatever the issue, make sure that you get medical attention from your veterinarian if your pets’ condition gets worse or if it already needed treatment in the first place.
One symptom that is very common in cats is vomiting. Most of the time, this is caused be hairballs, but there can be other reasons for your cat throwing up. If your cat gets hairballs often, increase the combing, brushing, or petting you are giving your cat. Some cats shed more than others, and long-haired cats can need increased grooming. Your cat may need to be brushed every week or two down to every couple days. Another reason for cats throwing up include having a hard time digesting the food you’re feeding it, or even being allergic to its ingredients. Make sure your cat is getting enough water and doesn’t get dehydrated. If your cat gets worse, make sure you discuss the problem with your cats’ veterinarian.
Just like people, some diabetes is common in cats. If your cat has diabetes, you have to be very careful about its diet. Some signs include urinating frequently and getting thirsty very quickly. Beware if your normally energetic cat becomes lethargic. Even though many cats get less active as they grow old, a sudden change in activity could be a sign of diabetes. A diabetic cat can be harder to care for and you need to coordinate with your vet to properly diagnose your cat and treat it.
Diarrhea is often caused by diet. Give your cat a balanced diet and make sure they get enough liquids. Feeding a cat entirely dry food can contribute to kidney failure, but many cats can’t stand an entirely wet food diet either. Change your cats diet and contact your vet if your cat keeps getting diarrhea or has it often.
A troubling new disease that is affecting outdoor cats is FIV. Like its human counterpart, HIV, it is spread sexually. Getting your cat spayed or neutered does not protect against FIV. In some areas FIV is becoming a major problem–you may have to keep your cat indoors all the time. If you live in a city or area with a feral cat population, it’s best to limit your cats outdoor time as much as possible. Make sure that you take your cat to your vet quickly if you suspect your cat has this disease.
Remember to watch your cats health–cats can’t dial for help. (At least, I don’t know of any cats that know how to use a phone…;) Educate yourself more about cat illnesses and don’t underestimate the dangers to your pet.
Read similar article...
Colic is the most important horse illness in terms of: – It is the most frequent cause of pre-mature death of horses – It is the most common cause of serious illness, with at least 1 in 10 horses getting it each year – It is the bigest single cause of large veterinary bills (into thousands of dollars. It sometimes results in other serious illnesses (e.g. laminitis or founder).
The primary causes have been identified by research which has spaned thousands of colic cases. Following is a list of what one should do to avoid these primary causes and thereby minimise the risk of horse colic.
1) Feed Frequently. Horses have evolved as foragers, eating throughout the day. The more often your horse eats, the healthier its digestive system will be. Try to replace a few large meals by more but smaller meals.
2) Grass or Hay. The horse’s digestive system is designed for high-volume and high-fiber foods. High-energy foods such as grain or musli do not meet these requirements. Although one can feed grain, the majority of the horse’s food should ideally be grass or failing that hay. Furthermore, when feeding both hay and grain, the hay should be fed first to aid digestion and reduce bolting.
3) Soak Pelleted Food. Unsoaked pellets (e.g. hay pellets) are more likely to be bolted and more likely to cause choke than soaked pellets. More relevantly, unsoaked pellets expand when they come into contact with stomach liquids and can thereby result in bloat and subsequently colic.
4) Lock Feedroom Door. Horses which get into a feedroom can stuff themselves, especially on grain, which can result in colic (it can also cause laminitis). A lock or horse-proof latch is adviseable.
5) Bolting. If your horse bolts (swallows before chewing) its food, discuss options with your veterinarian. You may need to change its feed or feeding regime (e.g. soak pellets, feed hay before grain, feed more often) to correct this habit. Also check if there are dental issues which require corrective work.
6) Dirt and Sand. Horses that ingest large amounts of dirt or sand are likely to develop impaction colic, especially if they have a low-fiber diet. Do not feed your horse on a sandy or dirty surface. Avoid putting them on over-grazed pastures, as they will ingest earth on such pastures.
6) Water. Ensure that the horse has access to water at all times. During winter, horses will often not drink enough if the water is too cold so one may need to warm the water. After exercise, limit the amount of water the horse drinks before it cools down.
7) Worming. Horses which are wormed regularly (3-4 times/year) are less likely to develop colic. All the horses on a given pasture should be wormed at the same time to prevent cross-reinfection. Horses which have not been wormed for a long time can get colic when wormed due to an excessive worm population, so they should be given a laxative a few days before to first reduce the quantity of worms.
8) Exercise. Horses which are regularly exercised or that have natural exercise through pasture access are less likely to have colic. When starting an exercise regime or sport, changes should be made gradually as a rapid increase in the amount or intensity of exercise may cause colic.
9) Bedding. Horses will often eat straw bedding. If your horse eats excessive amounts of bedding, especially indigestable bedding types (e.g. wood shavings), change to a bedding type which they will not eat.
10) Cold. Most horses can tolerate cold well, especially if they are young and healthy. However, if a horse becomes chilled (drop in body temperature) there is a good chance they will have colic. This is most likely when a period of mild weather is followed by sudden cold weather. It is also likely to occur when cold weather is combined with wet and windy weather.
Allowing your horse to grow a long winter coat and protecting it with a rug during the coldest weather is adviseable. Special care needs to be taken with old, sick or weak horses which are less able to maintain body temperature.
Read similar article...
