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506 results for “liver disease cat”
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.
What Is Canine Herpesvirus Infection
Canine herpesvirus type 1 causes an acute, often fatal disease in young puppies. Adult dogs usually carry the virus without signs, but newborns can die within a day of infection. Because treatment is poor once signs appear, warmth and supportive care, plus prevention, are what matter most.
Canine Ehrlichiosis: What Owners Should Know
Ehrlichiosis is a tick-borne rickettsial disease with acute, subclinical, and chronic stages, and chronic cases can linger for years with vague signs like lethargy, fever, and low platelets that risk bleeding. Because many illnesses look similar, diagnosis leans on bloodwork, urine, imaging, and antibody or PCR tests. This guide walks through the stages and workup.
Why Pets Gain Weight After Spaying or Neutering
An intact cat's base metabolic rate is about 30 percent higher than a neutered cat's, so the same food leads to faster weight gain after the procedure. Obesity raises the risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis, fatty liver, and more. The fix is diet and exercise: feed timed, smaller, high-protein low-fat meals, drop the treats, and keep moving, with low-impact activity like swimming for joint-prone breeds.
Can Dogs Eat Cheese?
Cheese is a familiar food that boosts a dog's appetite and supplies calcium, but is it really suitable? Over 4,000 cheeses exist. Harms: overfeeding causes obesity, but more importantly cheese delivers high sodium and lactose. Cheese-making uses salt, and its sodium can cause high blood pressure and organ damage, so experts do not recommend feeding cheese long-term. Benefits: good protein; essential vitamins and minerals; rich calcium; vitamin A; B vitamins; healthy fatty acids. Avoid: blue cheese and other French cheeses—blue produces a toxin fatal to dogs (difficulty breathing, racing heart, then seizures; needs prompt stomach pumping) and has the highest sodium; cheeses with garlic or herbs (Havarti, even cream cheese); Brie and feta, the highest in saturated fat, which can trigger pancreatitis. Dogs to avoid cheese: overweight; lactose-intolerant (diarrhea); picky eaters (cheese won't fix appetite); those with digestive disease (a burden). Choose: low-fat cheese, and cottage cheese if possible (lowest fat and sodium)—always read the label.
What Are the Symptoms of Epilepsy in Dogs?
Epilepsy is a condition marked by repeated seizures that can range from brief, mild episodes to severe ones that last a long time and recur often. Because seizures take many forms and can be triggered by a wide range of underlying diseases, spotting the four key signs helps dog owners respond correctly. A seizure may be generalized, causing a dog to collapse and paddle with no awareness of its surroundings, or focal, affecting only one part of the body. Dogs often show subtle restlessness beforehand, and may seem confused and unsteady afterward. Many illnesses can cause seizures, so a vet must rule out each one. Most seizures are not immediately dangerous, but any episode lasting over five minutes needs emergency care.
Feline Panleukopenia: How Fast Is It Fatal?
Panleukopenia is a deadly, highly contagious viral disease that attacks the gut and bone marrow. Unvaccinated kittens under a year often die within 2–4 days if untreated; unvaccinated adults usually within 5–7 days, some lasting around 10. Vaccinated cats rarely die. Early care lifts kitten survival above 50% and adults above 80%—and surviving one week usually means recovery. Prevention through vaccination beats treatment every time.
Senior Dog Vision Fading? Foods That Protect the Eyes
Eye disease is common in dogs—conjunctivitis, keratitis, glaucoma, cataracts—and over half of dogs past ten develop cataracts. Diet can slow that decline. Vitamin A from liver and carrot supports night vision; antioxidants like lutein, vitamins C and E, and anthocyanins guard the retina; omega-3 from fish eases dryness. Avoid overdoing vitamin A or raw food, and get seniors checked yearly.
Why Is Your Dog’s Gum Pale? Don’t Ignore It—It Could Signal These Illnesses
A healthy dog's gums are pink and refill quickly after a light press. Pale or whitish gums often mean the body isn't getting enough oxygen—usually because of anemia or an underlying chronic disease. The causes range from nutritional and blood-loss anemia to kidney or liver problems and infections. Because pale gums can point to something serious, they deserve a prompt check rather than guessing at home.
Dog CoQ10 for Seniors and Small Breeds: A Value-Minded Guide
If your dog tires after a few steps, pants often, sleeps longer, or coughs at night, that is not laziness — it is the heart asking for help. Canine heart-disease risk climbs steeply with age (about 10% at 5–8 years, 30% at 8–10, and 45% past 13), which is why CoQ10 is a staple for senior and small-breed care. This guide explains how to judge real value instead of falling for 'cheap' placebos or overpriced imports.