Articles Library on Cats, Dogs, Birds, Horses, Fish, Rabbits, Reptiles, Ferrets, Exotics, Chinchillas and other pets.

Contact Dermatitis

Dermatitis due to allergy is rare in young animals, and is extremely rare in cats unless they are exposed to insecticides that contain oil extracted from a citrus rind, a common allergen. Contact dermatitis may be caused by an allergy, or it may simply mean that your cat has touched something that has irritated its skin, such as the sap in poison ivy, or salt on a road. It is usually limited to one area; an overall reaction, as from shampoo, is uncommon. It can be difficult to distinguish one cause from another because the symptoms usually appear the same. If it seems to occur at certain seasons, it may indicate that the offending source is a plant or outdoor compound.

• Symptoms and Types
• Causes
• Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Living and Management

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A true working foxhunter, the Parson Russell is alert and confident, strong and enduring. A cousing to the Jack Russell, the Parson Russell Terrier also excels at obedience and agility trials. It may be a quick-tempered scamp at times, but its cuteness is undeniable.

Physical Characteristics

The Parson Russell’s lively and free gait is complemented by its good drive and reach. The weatherproof and coarse outer coat (which is white, white with black or tan markings, or a combination of these, tri-color) may be broken or smooth, with a dense and short undercoat. In the case of a smooth outer coat, it is hard and flat, while dogs with the broken variety have straight, harsh, close-lying, and tight hair, with hardly any sculpted furnishings.

The expression of the Parson Russell is generally full of life and keen. With a medium-boned, slightly tall, and slender build, the dog can squeeze through narrow passages to chase its quarry. Its long legs, meanwhile, help it to keep up with hounds and horses during a lengthy foxhunt.

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Coagulation Factor Deficiency

The process of coagulation takes place when blood transforms from a free flowing liquid into a thickened gel like state. In this state the gelled blood is called a clot, and it is through clotting that a wound begins to seal. This process is critically important for healing to take place. When your dog is injured and continues to bleed uncontrollably, this may be symptomatic of a defect in one or more of the processes that bring about coagulation. A complex series of enzyme reactions are involved in turning blood from a fluid to a gel. A failure in one of these processes can cause prolonged hemorrhaging after an injury, and will result ultimately in blood loss anemia. The failure of blood to coagulate can also result in internal hemorrhaging. Knowing the symptoms to watch for is crucial.

• Symptoms and Types
• Causes
• Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Living and Management

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Got a white or light-colored pet? Then you might have run across the issue of tear-stained eyes.

“Raccoon eyes,” as I call them, are the marks under the eyes and in the linear groove that runs down the bridge of the nose of both dogs and cats. If you’ve seen them on your pets, more than likely you wished them gone.

They make your pet look old … or sick … or just plain “not-so-pretty.” They’re unsightly by comparison with the pristine hair that surrounds the stain, that’s for sure. And maybe it means your pet really is sick.

So what’s a concerned pet owner to do?

First things first: See your veterinarian. The most common reason for tear staining is excess tear production or tears that aren’t being properly drained by the tear ducts. Blocked tear ducts, abnormally shaped eyes where the lids turn in or out (called entropion and ectropion, respectively), and many other diseases of the eye can do this. Food allergies can also do it.

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In case you didn’t already guess it, the topic is considered a tad taboo among veterinarians. At the very least, it’s controversial. That’s because the basic spay and neuter do the job well. Very well, in fact. Unfortunately, they’re also invasive. In the case of the spay, VERY invasive.

All the same, we spay and neuter safely all the time. Typically in the United States, we spay by cutting out the ovaries and the uterus, and neuter by removing both testicles. And we’re good at it. VERY good at it. But that doesn’t mean it’s the only way to sterilize a pet. It doesn’t mean other approaches shouldn’t be considered––not for dogs, anyway.

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For the most part, I’ll answer: NO! However, as always, I have some exciting examples that make me think twice about how much dental care is appropriate — and I’m a dentistry junkie.

Let me first confess: I believe only a minority of dogs can get through life comfortably without routine dental care. Studies demonstrate that even those that may never experience oral discomfort would live longer, more disease-free lives with routine brushing and/or professional cleaning.

It’s funny, then, that I recently met some dog parents who I believe go way overboard on the dental thing. In fact, they might have Münchausen by proxy syndrome.

Have you heard of this? It’s a psychiatric disorder where people invent health conditions for their loved ones and get off on the attention and satisfaction they receive from caring for them. Famous cases usually involve children but we see this in pets, too.

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“Greenification” is well underway in the world of pets. As a consequence, pet owners are not just being urged to buy “green” products, you’re being asked to change your behavior to reflect the needs of a planet with limited resources.

To that end, I’ve put together a list of “to-do’s” that can help reduce your pet’s carbon pawprint. Here’s my top 10:

1. Eliminate all pet breeding except in the most responsible format. Ideally, that means that all dogs and cats in your care (and that means the outdoor cats you feed, too) should be spayed, neutered, or kept in a mate-free environment––unless, that is, you have a purebred pet with superior genetic qualities and the know-how to produce healthy offspring.

2. Bring your cats indoors, if at all possible. Minimizing hunting of sensitive prey species is best for the environment. If you can’t keep them in at all times, be aware of migratory seasons and keep you cats indoors more often during these times of the year. At the very least, keep a loud bell on your kitty’s collar.

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Acute Hepatic Failure

Acute hepatic failure is a condition characterized by the sudden loss of 70 percent or more of the liver’s function due to sudden, massive, hepatic necrosis (tissue death in the liver).

• Symptoms
• Causes
• Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Prevention

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Sometimes referred to as horse malaria or swamp fever, Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) is a virus that does what its name suggests — causes anemia in horses. EIA has become an endemic in certain parts of the world, but is concentrated in North and South America, the Middle East, Russia, South Africa, and certain parts of Europe.

• Symptoms
• Cause
• Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Living and Management

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Rabies is a very severe and almost always fatal viral disease that occurs commonly in warm-blooded animals, including rabbits. It typically results in the swelling of the brain and nervous system, which can result in paralysis, blindness, aggression, mood changes, and other symptoms.

• Symptoms & Types
• Causes
• Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Living and Management

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