Your Pets And Allergic Dermatitis

May 7th, 2009

Allergic dermatitis is one of the most common skin diseases that may pester or affect your beloved dogs or cats. You should be informed, however, allergic dermatitis is a serious chronic skin disease that can never be cured, only treated or controlled.

Literally, the term ‘allergic dermatitis’ is derived from root words allergy, which means sensitivity or physical reaction to certain substances, and dermatitis, which means inflammation that is normally and usually exhibited or found in the skin.

Hence, allergic dermatitis can be accurately defined as skin inflammation caused by exposure to strong and harsh substances called ‘allergens’ in medical jargons. These substances are often absorbed through the skin, inhaled or taken in as food.

Symptoms of allergic dermatitis

The most common symptom or sign that your cat or dog is infected with allergic dermatitis is excessive itching. Dogs usually chew, bite, lick or scratch the itchy part of their skin, which will consequently bring about skin redness, open sores or, to your dismay, hair loss.

In dogs and cats, however, sometimes, it will be hard to differentiate if their itching is caused by fleas or allergic dermatitis. If the pet’s itching persist and there are no signs that it is caused by fleas, then, automatically, it is allergic dermatitis.

The most common spots where allergic dermatitis manifests in your pets are the armpit areas, the feet and the face. Be cautious and alert because if allergic dermatitis is not treated immediately, it may infect the entire body. Some pets would also tend to itch, but not indicate any skin problems. In such cases, a visit to the veterinarian would be advised.

Specifically, for dogs, allergic dermatitis is manifested by redness in the face, dark or stained areas on the foot due to licking excessively and oily skin due to chronic rubbing.

Cats do not get allergic dermatitis as frequently as dogs do, but when they are infected with it, some additional symptoms may be observed. Among them are the appearance of small bumps all over the body, lip ulcers, neck excoriation and patches of lost hair.

Causes of allergic dermatitis

Several causes are cited for the occurrence of allergic dermatitis in pets. The most basic is hereditary or genetic factors, meaning, it runs in the pet’s family.

Another is the inhalation or intake of allergens like grass, tree pollens, feathers, cigarette smoke, weed, house dust and wool. Take note that several of these also cause harsh allergic reactions to hyper-sensitive humans.

Treatment

Since allergic dermatitis is treatable but never curable, medications available in the market would only help ease your pet’s discomfort until the symptoms fade away.

It would be best to seek the help of your trusted veterinarian to get prescriptions for such medications and know their accurate and safe administration.

Since medicines for pets are not easily distributed, it would help if you would also ask your veterinarian where the drug shops for pet care are. These drug stores usually practice strict drug distribution practices to secure safety both of the pet and the owner.

Cortisones, antihistamines, anti-fungals and antibiotics are the usual drugs prescribed by veterinarians for pets with allergic dermatitis.

Prevention

To avoid the occurrence of allergic dermatitis in your pets, be sure they would not be exposed to allergens identified.

Clean your house thoroughly to get rid of dusts and pollen that might arouse allergic dermatitis among your pets. Give your pet a good and quick bath after a short outside trip to eliminate pollens and dusts that might have been stuck through their furs.

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Posted in Dogs, General, Pets

Cats And Ring Worm

April 30th, 2009

Ringworm is a very common form of skin disease that is found in both dogs and cats.  Although its name makes you think otherwise, this skin disease isn’t caused by any type of worm.  It’s actually caused by fungi known as Dermatophytes that feed on dead tissues found in the surface of the skin, spreading them around the skin of the animal.

With cats, there is a certain type of fungi known as M Canis that is found with nearly 95% of all ringworm cases.  Normally, cats will get the ringworm disease from contaminated objects like bedding, clippers, or another animal that already has the disease.  If there are animals in your home or around your house that have the ringworm disease, your cat could very easily contract it this way.

If you have kittens or cats that are under a year old in your home, you should always use precaution, as they are more susceptible to ringworm.  Kittens can easily contract the disease, especially if you allow them to go outside.  They can easily come in contact with a contaminated object or another cat that has the disease.  Kittens take a long time to build their immune system up, and in the meantime they are more apt to get common disease such as ringworm.

The most common symptoms of ringworm in cats are rough or broken hairs, or hair loss around the head or the paws.  Ringworm can easily be identified by a patch of scaly skin on the body that appears itchy and inflamed.  There will also be broken hairs around the patch of scaly skin.  This area is very sensitive, and you should never try to touch it, as it will hurt your cat.

If you notice any of the above symptoms with your pet, you should immediately schedule an appointment with your vet.  If the vet diagnosis your cat with ringworm, he may prescribe ointment or tablets.  What he describes however, will determine on how serious the ringworm is.  If he prescribes tablets to your cat, you should give them with meals.  Ointment on the other hand, is normally spread into the coat, topically.  You should always use what your vet prescribes on a daily basis, to ensure that your cat heals.  The healing process will take time, normally around six weeks or more.

Cats that have ringworm should be labeled as infectious.  If you have children in the house, you should keep them away from your pet. Whenever you handle your cat, you should always use gloves.  Ringworms are contagious, and you should always use caution.  Even though it’s a mild disease, ringworm can result in serious problems due to the slow recovery time and fact that it’s contagious.

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Posted in Uncategorized

Heartworm Treatment For Cats

April 29th, 2009

As most pet owners already know, heartworm treatment for cats and dogs isn’t the same. Never, under any circumstances, should you give your cat heartworm treatment that is designed for a dog – or vice versa.  Even though you may own both dogs and cats, you should always give them medicine that is designed for their species.

No matter how you look at it, heartworm treatment isn’t easy.  Your goal is to get rid of the heartworms, although there are several factors that you’ll need to consider.  The first thing to do is take your cat to the vet, as he will be able to run tests to determine just how many heartworms your pet has.  He can also find out how the worms are affecting your cat and if your cat can deal with any side effects that the treatment medicine may impose.

Heartworms are a very serious condition, as the worms will feast on the vital areas around your cat’s heart.  Treatment can be serious as well, especially if something goes wrong.  Veterinarians are trained to deal with heartworms though, in both cats and dogs.  Even though you may be able to buy treatment medicine at your local department store, you should always consult with your vet before you give anything to your pet.

Treating your cat for heartworms may indeed be no treatment at all, as cats are extremely difficult to treat.  The dying worms have side effects as well, often times causing more than 1/3 of the treated cats to end up with serious problems.  Dying worms can become lodged in the arteries of the heart, which are already inflamed due to the worms being there.  When a lodged worm starts to decompose, it can lead to very serious problems.  Pets that have a serious infestation with heartworms may need to spend some time at the hospital, to ensure that they are properly treated.

Some cats may not be able to take a certain type of heartworm treatment medicine.  Depending on the side affects and how the medicine affects the cat, some breeds may not be able to take some of the better medicines.  To determine the best treatment options for your cat, your vet will need to run several tests.  Once the tests have concluded, your vet will be able to tell you the best options available for treatment.

With all diseases, prevention is a lot better and safer than treatment.  Be sure to talk to your vet and find out what heartworm prevention medication is the best to use.  Your vet can tell you what you need to get, and how to use it.  This way, you can prevent your pet from getting heartworms – and the serious side effects and life threatening issues that go along with them.

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Posted in General, Pets

The Amazing Cat Species

March 16th, 2009

We all know that cats are loving and truly wonderful creatures.  These days, it isn’t out of the ordinary to see a cat in virtually every other home, sleeping in the window or cuddling up on the laps of their owners.  Although cats have been popular pets for as long as most can remember, they weren’t domesticated less than 5,000 years or so ago.  Domestication took place in the valley of the Nile, which is what research tells us today.

In the beginning, people were very grateful to cats and encouraged them to stay with them by feeding them various scraps of food.  Once they were fed and perceived humans to be no threat, the cats would move in permanently with their human owners.  As time went by, even the wildest of cat would allows humans to approach him, often times even hold and touch as well.

In those days, cats were very loyal and endearing pets.  They proved to be great hunters, as they done their sleeping in short periods and were much easier to wake up than dogs.  Cats also have better night vision than dogs, and much better hearing as well.  If someone moved through the house or if they heard suspicious noises, they would wake while dogs would sleep right through it.  Humans loved having cats around, and they seemed to get along good with dogs as well.

These days, cats are used for both companionship and show.  They aren’t used much at all for hunting mice and rodent anymore at all.  There are a lot of breeds available, from the traditional alley cat to the well known Siamese.  All breeds are unique in their own way, and will provide you with years of companionship if you take care of them.

Before you get a kitten or older cat, you’ll first want to examine the source.  If you are getting the kitten from a breeder, you’ll want to make sure that the breeder has a reputable reputation.  You’ll also want to ensure that the cattery is clean and in good shape.  The kittens that are still there shouldn’t be overcrowded, and their surroundings should be clean.  The litter boxes there should be kept up and both the food and water dish should be clean and full.  The kittens shouldn’t be caged, instead free to run around.  All cats that are there should appear healthy, with shiny coats and none of their ribs showing.

When you get your kitten, it should be used to being touched and handled.  The kitten should be sweet, not afraid in the least.  Kittens that have been handled young normally have a better temperament.  The better breeders won’t allow their kittens to leave the nest until they are around 12 weeks old, with some waiting until the kittens are 16 weeks.  By doing this, breeders ensure that the kitten is in good health and his immune system has properly developed.

There’s no mistaken the fact that cats are great to own.  You can get a kitten from a reputable breeder, through a local newspaper, or an adoption agency.  Cats can also be obtained from a local pound, although people normally don’t like to choose this option.  No matter which way you decide to pursue, you should always make sure that your cat is healthy.  If you get a healthy cat, you won’t have a lot of problems later on down the road.  Healthy cats were taken care of – and normally have everything up to date – including their vaccinations.

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Posted in Cats

Taking Care Of Cats

March 14th, 2009

These days, cats are among the most popular pet you can own.  There are several breeds available, with the most popular being Persian and Siamese.  Cats are a domesticated animal, with origins dating back some 8,000 years and beyond.  Like any other pet that you may own, including dogs, cats cost money to take care of properly.

When you get a cat, you’ll need to think about the costs.  You’ll obviously need food, and you’ll also need to plan ahead for vet costs.  You’ll also need litter, which can tend to get quite expensive as the years go by.  Your cat will need a litter box, food dish, and water dish.  You should also invest in some toys as well, such as a scratching post, cat toys, a pet carrier, and a bed.  You should also look into getting an ID collar as well, just in case your cat ever gets lost.

Feeding your pet will depend a great deal on his age.  Older cats require two small meals or one large meal for the day.  Kittens on the other hand, require several feedings a day until they get around the age of 12 weeks.  Cats that are between three and six months of age need to be fed three times a day.  Canned food can be fed to cats, although any food that has been left out longer than 30 minutes need to be disposed of.  Canned food can get expensive fast, and you should always keep in mind that some may need to be thrown away when you buy it.  Cats loved canned food, although it doesn’t have any benefits to their dental health like dry food does.

As an alternative plan, you can always leave a supply of dry food out for your pet.  When you give your cat dry food, you should always make sure that he has enough water.  Dry food costs less than canned food, and it can also help to prevent the buildup of tartar on your cat’s teeth.  When you buy dry food, you should always look in terms of health and benefits, and stay away from generic food.  Even though generic food may be cheaper, it may not offer the nutrients your pet needs.

If you own a kitten, you should only give you kitten food designed for him.  You’ll also need to clean and refill his water dish every day.  Even though kittens and adult cats like cow’s milk, you should avoid giving it to them as it can cause diarrhea.  Treats are fine on occasion, although too many of them can cause your pet to get fat.  Feeding your kitten human food is good on occasion, although you may have to mix it in with his cat food.

By themselves, cats stay fairly clean.  Although you don’t have to bathe them that often, you’ll need to give them a brushing at least once a day.  Brushing will reduce the risk of hairballs and keep your cat’s coat nice and clean.  If you are keeping your cat indoors, you’ll need to have a litter box in an area that is easy for your cat to access.  You should always scoop it on a daily basis, and clean it out once a week.  Cats don’t like to use dirty litter boxes, they prefer for it to be nice and clean.

Although cats do require some work, they are great pets that will provide you with years and years of companionship.  As long as you take care of your cat and take him to the vet for his checkups, he should remain healthy.  Even though cats can get sick from time to time – knowing how to care for him will make a world of difference.

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Posted in Cats