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1274 results for “blood test”
Common Causes of Coughing in Dogs
Coughing in dogs most often points to a problem in the respiratory system, but it can also come from heart disease, infectious illness, a swallowed object, or even a fracture. Watching the type of cough - wet, dry, weak, or continuous - and noting whether the dog also loses appetite, runs a fever, or has nasal discharge helps you and your vet pin down the cause. A wet cough with phlegm suggests airway disease, a harsh dry cough may be kennel cough, a weak cough can mean pneumonia, and a repeated dry cough may signal heart trouble. Many conditions from roundworms to heart failure, tracheal collapse, pneumonia, and distemper can all show up as coughing, so persistent or severe cases deserve a veterinary check.
What Is Canine Salmonellosis
Canine salmonellosis is a group of infections caused by bacteria of the Salmonella genus, which can affect both dogs and people. Dogs pick it up from sick animals, contaminated food and water, or even healthy-looking carrier dogs, and the illness ranges from silent carriage to severe, life-threatening septicemia in young puppies. Signs include fever, vomiting, watery or bloody diarrhea, and rapid dehydration. Diagnosis relies on culture and identification of the bacteria from stool or organs, and treatment pairs antibacterial drugs with fluid and symptom support. Careful food handling and a clean environment are the cornerstones of prevention.
What Is Canine Tuberculosis
Canine tuberculosis is a chronic, slowly progressive infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex bacteria. Dogs usually catch it from infected people, cattle, or cats through the air or contaminated food and water, and it can pass to humans as well. Early signs are vague - odd appetite, tiredness, and gradual weight loss - but as the disease advances, dogs may develop a persistent cough, digestive upset, abdominal swelling, or skin ulcers depending on which organs are affected. Because the infection forms hardened granulomas in tissues, it is difficult to cure, and open or positive cases are generally humanely euthanized to protect public health. Strict hygiene and prompt testing of sick animals are the main defenses.
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.
Why Your Dog’s Urine Is Dark
Normal dog urine is pale yellow. Dark urine is a sign that something is mixing into it, usually bile pigments, blood, or other material, and it often points to a real problem. The causes range from liver and kidney disease to infection and certain toxins, though a few are harmless.
What to Do When Your Dog Is Too Thin
A thin dog can fall into two patterns: one that eats little and wastes away, and one that eats plenty yet still loses weight. The second is often more telling, because calories are going somewhere other than the body. Matching the pattern to the likely cause is the first step toward fixing it.
What Is Canine Hemophilia A
Hemophilia A, also called factor VIII deficiency, is an inherited bleeding disorder in dogs. Affected dogs lack the clotting protein factor VIII, so they bleed easily and cannot form clots normally. It is X-linked recessive, mostly affects males, and currently has no cure, only lifelong management with clotting-factor replacement.
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.
Why Dogs Need Vaccinations
Puppies are vaccinated around two months, after the vet checks temperature and recent health to be sure the body can handle the stress. Mild reactions are normal: some diarrhea, vomiting or low spirits for a day or two - keep water available, do not force food, and add probiotics. Serious signs like itchy skin, facial swelling or red eyes mean allergy and need an anti-allergy shot, so observe at the clinic before leaving. High fever, blood in urine or seizures may mean the dog was already unwell; see a vet at once. Keep the dog warm, calm and away from others, and follow the schedule - first shots about a month apart, then yearly.
What Is Feline Glomerulonephritis
Feline glomerulonephritis is an immune-mediated kidney disease that most often affects young male cats. It develops when antibody-antigen complexes are filtered and trapped in the glomeruli, the kidney's tiny filtering units. The result ranges from protein-wasting nephrotic syndrome to chronic kidney failure. Recognizing the signs and the treatment goals helps owners act early.