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370 results for “respiratory virus”
What Pet Owners Should Know About Rabies
Rabies is a viral disease that infects dogs, cats, and people, and because a rabid dog can harm humans, it demands serious attention. The virus travels along nerves to the brain after a bite, and once signs appear the outcome is almost always fatal. Prevention through vaccination and prompt wound care is the only real defense.
What Is Kennel Cough in Dogs
Kennel cough, or infectious tracheobronchitis, is a highly contagious respiratory infection spread by many pathogens at once. It hits dogs of any age but is hardest on puppies, and it flares in cold, crowded, damp conditions. The classic sign is a harsh, dry, honking cough, and while most cases clear on their own, knowing when to treat matters.
Why Is Your Dog Having Trouble Breathing
Difficulty breathing means changes in a dog's breathing rate, depth, and rhythm, often with the chest muscles working overtime to compensate. It is a common and serious sign of respiratory or other system disease. The causes fall into a few mechanistic types, and a sudden breathing struggle is always an emergency.
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.
Treatment for Corneal Ulcers in Cats
A vet diagnoses a cat's corneal ulcer with a full eye exam and fluorescein staining, though finding the cause can be tricky. Possible triggers include abnormal lashes, eyelid faults, dry eye, feline herpesvirus, and uveitis as a complication. A thorough exam, stain test, tear test, and cultures pin down size, depth, and infection so the right treatment can start.
How to Treat Cat Sinusitis
Cat sinusitis is a common respiratory disease that can cause difficult breathing, coughing, head discomfort, and discharge. Treatment centers on controlling the infection—antibiotics such as amoxicillin-clavulanate for bacterial cases, or antiviral drugs like interferon when a virus is involved—plus isolation to protect other cats. Severe cases may need nasal flushing, and surgery if pus builds up and blocks breathing. This article outlines the symptoms, treatments, and home care you should know.
Which Vaccines Does Your Own Cat Need?
Even indoor cats need the core FVRCP vaccine—owners, supplies, and pet-store visits can carry viruses home. Core shots cover panleukopenia (distemper), calicivirus, and herpes (rhinotracheitis); the first dose is never skippable. Non-core vaccines (FeLV, FIV, FIP, chlamydia, Bordetella, rabies) depend on risk. Follow AAFP siting: FVRCP right front leg, FeLV left front, rabies right hind. First immunity is two shots a month apart, then a booster about a year later; many vets now booster every three years, not annually.
Can a Cat’s Cold Heal on Its Own?
Whether a cat's cold clears by itself depends largely on its own resistance and the virus's strength. A cat with good constitution can beat the virus and recover; a weak one may relapse and, in severe cases, die. Ordinary colds are rarely fatal, but serious viral colds are hard to cure and can be deadly. The common viral causes are herpesvirus (cat flu / upper-respiratory infection), calicivirus, and chlamydia—none heal by willpower alone and need targeted medication. Herpesvirus: fever, sneeze, runny nose, eye inflammation, possible mouth ulcers; calicivirus: also joint and mouth inflammation; chlamydia: also swollen lymph nodes. When unsure, see a vet for a confirmed diagnosis.
Dog Bloody Stool and Vomiting: Causes and Solutions
Dog vomiting with blood in the stool can stem from simple overeating, gastroenteritis, serious viral disease (distemper or parvovirus), or parasites. Overeating and rough play after meals cause acute vomiting; gastroenteritis brings recurring diarrhea and sometimes blood; parvovirus shows lethargy, foul diarrhea, and respiratory signs; long gaps since deworming point to parasites. See a vet for diagnosis, fast the dog, and use probiotics to support recovery.
My 2-month-old Bichon vomited (or passed) yellow fluid with a little blood after chewing a bone, and now has a worsening cough with phlegm — what should I do?
A puppy's cough is usually caused by a respiratory infection, the distemper virus, or swallowing a foreign object. If your puppy is only coughing but still eating and acting normally, you can give a vet-recommended pet cough remedy at home and monitor for 1–2 days while keeping him warm. If the cough does not improve, have your vet rule out distemper and check for pneumonia or an intestinal foreign body.