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1171 results for “balanced nutrition”
Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy in Dogs and Cats: Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention
Hypertrophic osteodystrophy (metaphyseal osteopathy) is a bone-growth disorder of the active growing ends of long bones in young, rapidly growing large-breed dogs. It causes symmetric swelling, heat, and pain over the metaphyses with lameness, fever, and lethargy, and is managed with pain control, infection prevention, and nutrition.
Pica in Dogs and Cats
Pica is the compulsive eating of non-food objects such as stones, plastic, grass or wall plaster. It often signals a nutritional gap, pancreatic disease or parasites, and swallowed items can obstruct or perforate the digestive tract.
Selenium Metabolism Disorders in Dogs and Cats: Deficiency (White Muscle Disease) and Toxicity
Selenium is an essential trace mineral that supports antioxidant defence and immune function in dogs and cats. Both too little and too much are harmful: deficiency causes nutritional myodegeneration (white muscle disease) affecting skeletal and heart muscle, while excess produces acute and chronic poisoning.
Rickets in Dogs and Cats
Rickets in dogs and cats is a growing-animal bone disease from vitamin D, calcium, or phosphorus deficiency, producing soft, deformed bones, lameness, and dental problems. It is prevented and treated with corrected diet, sunlight, and veterinary-directed calcium and vitamin D.
Choline Deficiency in Dogs and Cats
Choline deficiency in dogs and cats, an anti-fatty-liver nutrient, causes fatty liver, poor growth, and a bone deformity known as perosis with joint swelling and unsteady gait. It is corrected by adding choline to a complete diet.
Niacin (Vitamin B3) Deficiency in Dogs and Cats
Niacin (vitamin B3) deficiency in dogs and cats causes pellagra-like signs, oral and esophageal ulcers, black tongue in dogs, diarrhea, anemia, and symmetric dermatitis. It follows corn-heavy diets low in tryptophan, and is corrected with dietary niacin.
Folate (Folic Acid) Deficiency in Dogs and Cats
Folate deficiency in dogs and cats impairs nucleic acid synthesis, causing megaloblastic anemia, poor appetite, diarrhea, and skin or mouth inflammation. It arises from low-protein or overcooked diets, gut disease, or high demand in pregnancy, and is corrected with folate and good nutrition.
Biotin (Vitamin H) Deficiency in Dogs and Cats
Biotin (vitamin H) deficiency in dogs and cats causes scaly dermatitis, hair loss, poor growth, and later weakness, diarrhea, and hind-limb paralysis. It is usually due to raw-egg white (avidin) or gut flora imbalance, and is corrected with dietary biotin.
Vitamin E Deficiency in Dogs and Cats
Vitamin E deficiency in dogs and cats, often with selenium lack, causes skeletal muscle degeneration, reproductive failure, and in cats cerebellar ataxia, plus a fat-tissue inflammation known as yellow fat disease. It is corrected with dietary vitamin E and treatment of any gut disease.
Vitamin D Deficiency in Dogs and Cats
Vitamin D deficiency in dogs and cats impairs calcium and phosphorus use, leading to rickets in the young and osteomalacia in adults, with bone pain, lameness, and deformities. It is prevented and treated by correcting diet, ensuring sunlight, and veterinary-directed vitamin D and calcium.