Older Dogs Can Suffer From Arthritis By John Wollitz

Older dogs are like newborn babies. When these lovely creatures are feeling pain, they cannot tell anyone. The poor old dog gets slower and less active on a daily basis. Though they can not tell anyone, sometimes you can visibly see that they are in pain. Often this pain is the result of arthritis. Arthritis is quite common in older dogs, and it appears more frequently in larger dogs than it does in smaller ones. The larger dogs also have a more difficult time moving around when affected by arthritis than the smaller ones do.

Like arthritis in people, arthritis in dogs can appear in different forms with differing amounts of pain and symptoms. Dog arthritis, like the disease in people, is often caused by the inflammation of the joints. Dogs get the disease, and then it continues to get worse over the course of time. The joints that were once cushioned have lost this comfort, and the dog begins to have trouble getting around. The nerve endings are affected, and this adds to the pain of the aging animal. The dog will just not be the same frisky dog that it used to be.

What The Dog Owner Can Do To Help

The pain in the dog's joints is caused by the deterioration, and this impedes the dog from getting around. The owner will notice that the dog begins sleeping more and becomes less active. The dog that went running up the stairs before will no longer want to do this. The old dog with arthritis will also have trouble jumping into the car. The owner will probably find themselves doing a lot more for the dog than they had to previously. A good vet will be able to determine the problem, and then make suggestions for the care of the dog.

There is help for canine arthritis from a vet and the pharmacy. There are medications including some that will start to make the dog feel better right away. These will help the way the dog feels, but they will not necessarily eliminate the disease. Some of the drugs for a dog with arthritis are expensive, and some may cause unwanted side effects. For this reason, all natural herbal and homeopathic remedies have become quite popular. Each dog lover should work carefully with their vet to make the dog as comfortable as possible. The vet will be able to give plenty of advice to help the dog. Each owner should remember that dogs do not live as long as people so dogs are much older than their years.

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Common Pet Diseases And What You Can Do By Vaughn Balchunas

While disease and illness is expected and even forgiven in fellow humans, we often try to close our eyes to the possibility of our pets getting sick. And if they ever fall sick, we conveniently forget that a little timely care and treatment would have saved us the problem in the first place. First of all, let's do away with the myth that we can catch all kinds of diseases from a pet. While some diseases are communicable, most others are infectious only among pets.

Basics of cat diseases:

You can pick up fleas or ticks from a pet that is not kept clean. But diseases like cancer, diabetes and cystitis are non-communicable. Even diseases that come too close for comfort like Feline Leukemia and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus can affect cats and ONLY cats! Also, your cat's runny nose, cold and sneezing will not get passed to you, or vice versa.

Cats have a reputation of being cleaner than most other pets. So, it's easy to see why people tend to overlook symptoms and signs till matters get worse. Some of the most common diseases that cats ail from include:

Upper respiratory diseases: We know this as the common cold and cats are subject to different kinds of 'cold' viruses, just like humans. Signs include severely inflamed eyes, high fever, sneezing, snotty noses, excessive tearing, depression and difficulty in breathing and swallowing. Secondary infections like pneumonia may set in if the cat's resistance is lowered and the disease is not treated soon.

Parasitical infections: Cats can get infected with internal and external parasites. External parasites include ticks, fleas, mites, and lice. These parasites can cause pesky itching problems which may lead to secondary infections and skin rashes. Coats, ears and eyes have to be kept clean and infected cats will have to be treated with chemicals or medicine. Among the most common internal parasites, roundworms and tapeworms cause the most harm. Diagnosis can be made by inspecting the feces. Cats have to be de-wormed periodically to keep such parasites away.

Some other common problems seen in cats are Feline Urological Syndrome (infecting the urinary system), Abscesses (caused due to trauma to the skin) and ringworm. Ringworm is contagious and can pass on to humans.

Basics of dog diseases:

Just because you are feeding him well and exercising him regularly, don't think that your dog is immune to diseases. Dogs are vulnerable to a number of common diseases. Some varieties of dogs also carry strains of inherited disorders that will surface as they grow older. While there is nothing much you can do about inherited diseases, you can help effect speedy recovery in other cases. As always, early detection is the key to good health. Some of the common diseases in dogs are:

Diarrhea: This is more often seen in pups than adult dogs and may be triggered by stress, a sudden change in food or a viral or bacterial attack. Diarrhea is deadly because it can lead to death due to dehydration. Older dogs may suffer from bloat and occurrence increases with age.

Upper respiratory infections: Discharge from the eyes/nose, coughing or sneezing is indicative of respiratory diseases. Airborne viruses and bacteria transfer the disease which is highly contagious between dogs. “Kennel Cough' is a respiratory disorder that can be prevented through vaccinations.

Other common ailments like rabies, distemper and parvovirus can be prevented through timely vaccinations and booster doses. Just like cats, dogs also play hosts to a number of internal and external parasites. Good grooming and proper treatment can help prevent damage. Dogs also suffer from periodontal diseases as they grow older. Proper dental hygiene is the only way to prevent this.

Pet birds also suffer from a number of diseases; the most common among these is the Proventricular Dilatation Disease also called the 'Macaw Wasting Disease'. This causes seizures, weight loss and regurgitation. 'Parrot Fever' or 'Psittacosis' is another common bird disease which can infect people too.

Most pet owners love their pets to distraction, and when disease strikes, they feel helpless and unsure. Take your sick pet to the vet as early as possible. Always be vigilant and try to catch symptoms as soon as they appear. Since your pet cannot tell you about its headaches, tummy disorders or toothaches, you have to be extra careful.

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