Overview
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.
Overview
Cats and dogs.
Carsickness is a common problem in cats and dogs. Pets suffering from carsickness show symptoms including salivation, vomiting, and diarrhea. Two factors play a role in carsickness. The first is true motion sickness. The second is anxiety or stress related to being in a car.
Hunting, stalking, and attacking are natural behaviors for cats and kittens. During play, these behaviors are inevitable. However, some kittens and cats have trouble determining how far to proceed with these actions. As a consequence, they may play too roughly.
If your cat is playing more aggressively than you’d like, there are several steps to take. The first is to offer a wide variety of safe toys. This will allow your pet to vent some of its aggressive energy on inanimate objects, rather than on you.
Owners of cats and dogs often find drops or traces of blood on the floors or other surfaces of their home and suspect that their pet is the source of the blood.
More common causes are listed first. Less common causes are listed later.
A wide variety of problems may cause a pet to smell bad. They range from simple grooming-related issues to serious medical conditions.
More common causes are listed first. Less common causes are listed later.
Primarily dogs; occasionally cats
Aural hematomas occur when blood accumulates underneath the skin in the external portion of the ear. A noticeably swollen area develops on the ear. The area is often painful or irritating to the pet.
Aural hematomas develop when trauma occurs to the ear. Direct trauma or chronic, violent head shaking can break blood vessels in the ear. Broken blood vessels allow blood to accumulate under the skin, forming a hematoma.
Antihistamines such as hydroxyzine (Atarax®), diphenhydramine (Benadryl®), and chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton®) are used in veterinary medicine primarily to treat allergies that cause skin problems. Less often, they are prescribed to prevent carsickness, to treat severe allergic reactions to insect bites or stings, or as sedatives.
Finicky eating behavior and decreased appetite are often related in cats and dogs. Food preferences and minor behavioral issues are responsible for many instances of finicky eating behavior.
However, a very large number of diseases suppress appetite in pets. Pets with suppressed appetites may eat less, or may become more selective (finicky) about what they eat.
More common causes are listed first. Less common causes are listed later.
Shedding, unkempt hair, and hair loss in pets are extremely common complaints among owners. In many cases, shedding is normal and harmless for the pet. However, hair loss leading to baldness, or hair loss accompanied by itchy, red, scabby, moist, or malodorous skin usually is linked to a medical problem.
More common causes are listed first. Less common causes are listed later.
In veterinary medicine, sulfadimethoxine is used primarily to treat coccidia (Isospora) in puppies and kittens. Courses of sulfadimethoxine generally last from 3 to 21 days.
Sulfadimethoxine also may be used as an antibiotic, but this is not common in veterinary medicine.
Sulfadimethoxine is currently considered an inferior treatment option for coccidia. A different drug, ponazuril, is preferred.