DrBarchas.com is a free resource for people with pets. Searchable articles are available on diseases, behavior, symptoms, and medical treatments for dogs and cats.
Cats and dogs.
Clindamycin is a commonly used antibiotic in veterinary medicine. Clindamycin is used to treat a variety of bacterial infections. Some of its more common applications include treatment of dental infections, abscesses, infected wounds, and infected bones.
Cats
FIV is a virus that is related to HIV, the human AIDS virus. Experts do not believe FIV is capable of infecting humans. FIV causes a syndrome in cats that is similar to human AIDS.
Most FIV-infected cats catch the virus by fighting with other cats. The virus spreads when an infected cat bites a cat that is not infected. A much smaller number of cats catch the virus from their mother as kittens. Sexual transmission of FIV does not appear to be common.
Cats
Eosinophilic granulomas are ulcers or sores that develop on the lips and in the mouth of cats. They occur when the cat’s immune system misdirects its activities and attacks the cat’s mouth.
The syndrome is painful. Severe eosinophilic granulomas can become infected or can be disfiguring.
With treatment, most eosinophilic granulomas can be managed. However, cats often develop many ulcers over their lives, and the syndrome can be a chronic problem.
Causes for this frustrating problem fall into two categories: medical problems and behavioral problems.
More common causes are listed first. Less common causes are listed later.
Cats and kittens
Upper respiratory infections, also known as URIs, are very common in cats. They are similar to colds in people, but they are caused by different types of germs.
URIs are especially common in kittens, and almost all cats will have experienced an upper respiratory infection by the time they reach adulthood. A very large proportion of kittens adopted from shelters suffer from URIs shortly after adoption.
Puppies and kittens. Rarely, adult cats and dogs.
Coccidia are microscopic intestinal parasites of dogs and cats. They are extremely common, but they very rarely cause symptoms in adult animals. In puppies and kittens, they are a frequent cause of diarrhea.
Untreated, severe cases of coccidia in young animals can lead to profuse diarrhea, dehydration, and serious illness. However, most cases of coccidia do not have these consequences.
Dogs and cats
Foxtails, or grass awns, are arrow-shaped stickers that are produced by some types of grasses that have gone to seed. Foxtails carry grass seeds. They evolved to embed in the skin and be spread by animals.
Cats, dogs, puppies, and kittens.
Roundworms (often simply called worms) are extremely common in pets. In dogs and cats, worms may cause no symptoms whatsoever, or they may cause diarrhea and other gastrointestinal problems. Many safe and effective treatments and preventatives are available to keep pets free of worms.
Male cats
Feline urinary obstruction is a life-threatening medical emergency. It occurs when a plug of mucus or a small stone lodges in the urethra and obstructs it. Strong spasms of the urethra may contribute to the syndrome. Because the urethra is the structure used to drain urine from the bladder, this situation makes urination very difficult or impossible.