Cats
Overview
Feline asthma refers to a group of clinical syndromes with similar symptoms and treatments. The syndromes that comprise asthma cause inflammation (irritation) and swelling of air passages in the lungs. The inflammation and swelling lead to symptoms including episodes of coughing, wheezing, and, in some instances, difficulty breathing.
Cats
An abscess is an area of infection and pus accumulation in the body. In cats, two types of abscess are common. Dental abscesses occur when unchecked periodontal disease leads to severe infection of the teeth. Fight abscesses occur when the skin and its underlying tissues are injured and become infected as a result of fighting with other cats. This article discusses fight abscesses.
Cats, dogs, puppies, and kittens.
Ear mites are parasitic organisms that infest pets. They may cause intense irritation and itching in the ears, accompanied by production of large amounts of ear wax.
Ear mites are a leading cause of ear problems in kittens and cats. They can infest dogs and puppies as well, but are a less frequent cause of problems in this species.
Dogs
Dietary indiscretion describes gastrointestinal upset that occurs when a dog ingests something that its body cannot tolerate. Consumption of table scraps, garbage, or spoiled food may results in symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting, lack of appetite, and weakness in dogs. The syndrome is similar to food poisoning in humans.
Dogs and puppies
Puppy mange, also known as demodectic mange, is caused by a skin parasite called Demodex. Demodex is a type of mite.
Dogs
The cruciate ligament is located in the knee, where it helps to stabilize the joint. Injury to the ligament leads to instability in the knee joint. This triggers pain, swelling, and limping. Injury to the cruciate ligament usually is caused by trauma to the knee.
Cats and dogs.
Constipation is a syndrome in which a pet has difficulty defecating or is unable to defecate. It is characterized by repeated attempts to defecate that produce only small amounts of feces or no feces at all.
Dogs
Collapsing trachea is a common syndrome in middle-aged and elderly small dogs. In the syndrome, the structures that support the wind pipe, or trachea, weaken. This causes the trachea to narrow during the course of respiration, leading to irritation of the wind pipe and coughing.
Collapsing trachea is a chronic, progressive, and non-curable syndrome. However, it rarely causes severe compromise to quality of life, and very rarely contributes to premature death.
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.
Primarily dogs; very rarely cats.
Chocolate contains two compounds, caffeine and theobromine, that are poisonous to dogs. Caffeine and theobromine are related compounds, and have similar effects on dogs.
Consumption of small or moderate quantities of caffeine and theobromine leads to mild symptoms of agitation and nervousness. Dogs that ingest large quantities of the two toxins may suffer irregular heartbeats and even death.