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644 results for “IV fluids”
What to Do When Your Cat Has a Fever
Cats get fevers just like people, but a cat's fever is rarely simple - it can signal parasites, stress, bacterial infection, panleukopenia (feline distemper), feline herpesvirus, or various inflammations. A fever is not a small matter: left alone it can damage organs and even turn deadly. Telltale signs include hot ears and tail tip, a dry nose, sweaty paw pads, and a cat that suddenly prefers cool floors and dark corners while eating less and looking limp. Normal cat temperature runs 38-39C (about 39.3C in kittens); above 39.5C is a fever and above 40C is high. For a mild fever or when a clinic is out of reach, cool the paws and belly with alcohol and offer water, but never give human fever medicine, which can be fatal - see a vet for high fevers.
How to Tell Whether Your Dog Has a Cold or Distemper
A dog's ordinary cold and canine distemper can look alike at first, but they are very different problems. A simple cold brings runny nose, sneezing, fever, and cough from a viral or bacterial respiratory infection and is usually easy to treat. Distemper, by contrast, is a highly contagious and stubborn disease whose early sign is often a cold-like state; warning signs include diarrhea, bloody stool, vomiting, thick pus-like discharge from the eyes and nose, lethargy, and shivering. Distemper is far more dangerous, especially in puppies, and belongs in the hands of a veterinarian. The best defense against distemper is routine vaccination and avoiding unvaccinated groups during outbreak seasons.
What Is Canine Brucellosis
Canine brucellosis is a contagious bacterial infection of dogs caused by Brucella canis. It is best known for causing abortion, infertility, and hidden inflammation in many tissues, and most infections are silent. The greatest risk comes from infected pregnant females, which shed huge numbers of bacteria in the fetus, fluids, and afterbirth at 40-50 days of pregnancy. The disease can also infect people, so strict hygiene is essential. Diagnosis combines bacterial culture with blood tests, and affected dogs are usually isolated or euthanized; breeding stock should be tested before mating to keep the infection out of a kennel.
Canine Infectious Hepatitis: Can It Be Treated
Canine infectious hepatitis is an acute, often severe viral disease of dogs caused by canine adenovirus type 1 (CAV-1). It spreads through urine, saliva, and nasal discharge and hits weaned puppies hardest, sometimes with no warning signs. Typical signs include a fever that rises then falls, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, and a characteristic cloudy "blue eye" in about a quarter of recovering dogs. While there is no direct cure that eliminates the virus, most dogs recover with prompt supportive care such as fluids, liver protection, and antibiotics to control secondary infection. The good news is that the disease is highly preventable through routine vaccination, with puppy shots given at 8-9 and 10-12 weeks and annual boosters for adults.
Canine Parvovirus: Symptoms and Treatment
Canine parvovirus is an acute, highly contagious infection that hits puppies hardest and carries a high death rate. It shows as either severe hemorrhagic enteritis or sudden heart failure, and because mixed infections are common, quick recognition matters. Supportive care, fluids, and vaccination are the cornerstones.
Why Your Cat’s Diarrhea Persists Despite Probiotics
It is a common story: your cat has soft stool or diarrhea, you reach for a probiotic, and the problem does not go away. Probiotics can help the gut, but they are not a cure for every loose stool, and not every product on the shelf is what it claims to be. Understanding why they sometimes fail points you toward the real fix.
Summer Hazards for Cats
Summer is a rough season for cats. With poor sweating, they overheat fast - five minutes on hot asphalt, in a sealed space or on a sunny balcony can cause heatstroke: high temperature, fast pulse, panting, then dizziness, vomiting and coma. Move them to shade and cool with water or a fan, and rush to the vet if it does not ease. Warm weather also brings acute gastritis from spoiled food (limit water and feed easily digested fluids) and skin disease from fleas, mites and fungi - treat the cause and keep up prevention with cleaning and deworming.
Symptoms of Canine Distemper: Early, Middle, and Late Stages
Canine distemper is a highly contagious, often fatal viral disease that mainly strikes unvaccinated puppies, with death rates up to 90 percent in young dogs. The virus, which survives for weeks when frozen but breaks down at 50 to 60 C, spreads by contact and airborne droplets and appears as respiratory, digestive, neurologic, or skin forms. Early signs are lethargy, fever of 39.5 to 41 C, eye and nose discharge, sneezing, and diarrhea; the middle stage adds pus-like discharge, vomiting, and appetite loss; the late stage brings neurologic signs such as paresis, ataxia, and seizures. Diagnosis uses test kits, blood work, and PCR, and care focuses on vaccination, immune support, and symptom control.
What Every Dog Owner Should Know About Pancreatitis
Canine pancreatitis happens when digestive enzymes activate too early and the pancreas essentially digests itself, causing severe inflammation. Rich human food, obesity, toxins, and certain breeds raise the risk, and moderate-to-severe cases can be fatal. This guide covers causes, the telling 'praying' posture, diagnosis with pancreatic tests, treatment, and diet-based prevention.
Cat Upper Respiratory Infection: Symptoms and Treatment
A cat upper respiratory infection is inflammation of the mucous membranes of the upper airways. Affected cats typically cough, sneeze, and have a runny nose, sometimes with yellow nasal discharge, and a sudden drop in temperature, poor nutrition, or stress can trigger an outbreak. The usual culprits are viruses such as herpesvirus and calicivirus, bacteria such as Chlamydia, and fungi such as Cryptococcus. This article covers the common pathogens, how viral, bacterial, and fungal infections differ in their signs, what else can mimic these symptoms, and the supportive care and medications veterinarians rely on to treat them, from keeping the eyes and nose clear to antiviral, antibiotic, and antifungal therapy.