When your dog doesn't seem interested in eating his food, do you know what to do? When your dog vomits often, could there be something serious wrong with him? If he struggles to get up the stairs, does he need to see a vet? Having never owned an older dog, I knew nothing about the things that can begin to go wrong when dogs age. I adopted this guy when my neighbor moved into a nursing home and had to learn a lot about how to care for an older dog. My blog is filled with the many things that I have learned over the last year through the help of my vet.
caring for an elderly dog
2 Serious Diseases That Can Affect Your Cat
Lucy Grant
If you are a cat owner, you want to keep your feline companion in the best possible health. However, there are several serious diseases that are common among pet cats. Here are a two:
Feline leukemia is a cat disease that is caused by a virus. Within about 36 months of being diagnosed, 85 percent of cats that are persistently infected die from it.
The virus works by negatively affecting the immune system. Cats that suffer from feline leukemia find it difficult to fight off infections. In addition, an infected animal may display a wide variety of symptoms, such as weight loss, lack of appetite, poor coat appearance and diarrhea.
Cats contract the disease from other felines, so it is best to keep your pet away from other cats that may be infected. The incidence of feline leukemia is quite low for indoor cats as well as for cats that dwell in a single-cat household. In fact, if a cat is the only feline in a family, it only has around a three percent chance of developing feline leukemia.
Although a vaccination for feline leukemia does exist, it does not fully protect a cat from contracting the disease. If you are planning to adopt an additional cat, be sure to have the new animal tested before bringing it home.
Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease
Feline urinary tract disease can be caused by multiple factors, such as bladder stones, a blockage in the cat's urinary tract, a bladder infection, stress or even cancer. The symptoms include problems emptying the bladder, blood in the urine, an overly firm, swollen abdomen, frequent licking of the opening to the urinary tract, urinating outside of the litter box and vomiting.
It normally affects cats that are over a year old. In addition, male cats are more likely to be diagnosed with the disease.
If your cat shows signs of feline lower urinary tract disease, it should be taken to a veterinary clinic as soon as possible. Serious complications that may accompany the disease, such as the inability to urinate and bloody urine, are considered medical emergencies.
At some point, your cat may incur an ailment that is considered life-threatening. However, if the animal receives prompt treatment from a veterinarian at a facility like Bearss Animal Clinic, the cat may still be able to recover. If your cat displays symptoms of physical stress that you believe are consistent with a feline disease, contact your veterinarian immediately. He or she will be able to diagnose your cat's condition and determine if it is treatable.
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