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370 results for “respiratory virus”
Why Your Cat Won’t Eat, Looks Lethargic, and Is Losing Weight
A cat that stops eating grows weak and thins fast, and prolonged refusal can be fatal, so find the cause. Look to gut disease, viral infection like panleukopenia or rhinotracheitis, parasites or hairballs, or unspent heat, and see a vet when unsure.
Cat Cold: Symptoms and Home Care
A sneezing or eye-discharging cat may have a mild viral cold or the start of a worse respiratory infection. Nearly all cat colds trace to calicivirus or herpesvirus, with signs appearing days to two weeks after exposure. Watch for mouth breathing, fever, or loss of appetite, and treat any cough, labored breathing, or darkening mucus as a red flag for pneumonia or secondary bacterial infection — and never give human or dog medication.
What to Do About Rabies in Dogs
Rabies is a fatal viral disease of the central nervous system spread by saliva, showing as either the furious form (excitement, hydrophobia, aggression) or the paralytic form (dropped jaw, weakness). After a bite, wash the wound with soap and water, use rabies immune serum or vaccine promptly, and keep vaccinations current — but once a dog shows clinical signs there is no treatment, and it must be euthanized and buried deeply.
What to Do When a Cat’s Eyes Are Inflamed Can It Heal on Its Own?
Mild eye inflammation in cats often clears up on its own, but the cause decides the treatment: rich or spicy food, an underlying eye condition, or feline herpesvirus (cat flu). Because the triggers range from trivial to contagious, pinpoint the cause before deciding it is nothing.
Symptoms of a Bath-Induced Cold in Cats
A cat chilled by too-frequent bathing shows weepy red eyes, sneezing, runny nose, and lethargy. Prevent colds with warmth, hydration, and regular disinfection, and isolate a sick cat since the illness spreads to other cats.
What Is Canine Distemper and What Are Its Symptoms?
Canine distemper is a highly contagious viral disease with an 80%+ death rate, especially in puppies. It starts like a cold with a double-peaked fever, then brings respiratory, gut, and finally neurological signs — vaccination is the only real defense.
How to Tell Canine Distemper Apart from a Common Cold
Distemper brings cough, thick yellow nasal discharge, eye crust, and fever, and can progress to neurological signs. A cold stays in the upper airways — cough, sneeze, runny nose, lethargy — and a weakened dog is more likely to catch distemper.
Can a Dog Recover from Distemper on Its Own?
Distemper cannot self-resolve, but recovery is far from hopeless: early and mid-stage cases have good odds, while late-stage is hard. Watch for fever, eye and nose discharge, cough, and diarrhea, and vaccinate to prevent it.
Five Myths About Dog Vaccinations
Good vaccine prep starts with ditching common myths: more diseases per shot isn't better, a healthy look isn't a green light, all vaccines aren't equal, over-vaccinating isn't safer, and leaving right after the shot skips the allergy watch. Match the vaccine to your dog's age and antibody levels, and stay 30 minutes post-shot.
What to Do When Your Dog Has Canine Distemper
Canine distemper is a highly contagious viral disease that hits unvaccinated puppies hardest, causing fever, respiratory signs, and in severe cases lasting neurological damage. Early veterinary care, supportive nutrition, and thorough disinfection are the keys to survival, while vaccination remains the only reliable prevention.