Useful Pet Care and Pet Health Articles at USPetHealth.com

Loss of Stomach Motility in Dogs

The spontaneous peristaltic (involuntary, wavelike) movements of the stomach muscles are essential for proper digestion, moving food through the stomach and out into the duodenum — the first portion of the small intestine.

Excessive gastric motility, with muscular contractions occurring too frequently, causes pain, whereas below normal motility causes delayed gastric emptying, abnormal gastric retention, gastric distention/bloating, and other related signs. Symptoms may occur at any age but it is less common in young dogs than in aging dogs.

• Symptoms and Types
• Causes
• Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Living and Management

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Chronic Progressive Nephrosis

Sometimes referred to as glomerulonephrosis, chronic progressive nephrosis is a common kidney disease in older rats that causes inflammation of the renal blood vessels. Obesity and a high-protein diet are some other factors which can lead to glomerulonephrosis. Male rats are most susceptible to the disease than females, and contract it at a younger age. And unfortunately, this kidney disease can not be treated and is fatal in rats.

• Symptoms
• Causes
• Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Living and Management

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Shock Lung in Dogs

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) refers to a condition of sudden respiratory failure due to fluid accumulation and severe inflammation in the lungs. ARDS is a life-threatening problem, with current mortality rates in dogs at almost 100 percent. This condition is also medically referred to as shock lung, as it occurs following an episode which leads to a state of shock, such as traumatic injury. As typified by a syndrome, ARDS is indicative of an underlying medical condition, usually an injurious event that has allowed blood, fluid and tissue to cross over the barrier and into the alveoli, the air cells in the lungs, causing them to collapse. Once the alveoli have been compromised in this way, breathing becomes labored, and eventually impossible if not treated with haste.

• Symptoms and Types
• Causes
• Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Living and Management

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It may not seem like it, but horses have the ability to become bruised just as people do. A bruise is the body’s natural response to a trauma, meaning that if a particular area is traumatized in any way, the chances of a bruise coming up are rather high.

Bruising is not normally a serious issue, although frequent and easy bruising may indicate a bigger problem with your horse’s health. In most cases, there is no need to even see a veterinarian when your horse has a bruise.

• Symptoms and Types
• Causes
• Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Living and Management
• Prevention

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Internal Abscesses

An abscess is a pocket in the skin or membrane, usually filled with pus. It can happen anywhere in the reptile’s body, but those which are found under the skin (subcutaneous abscesses) are the easiest to identify.

• Symptoms and Types
• Causes
• Diagnosis
• Treatment

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Wound Irrigation and Debridement

Wound irrigation and debridement (removal of foreign matter and tissue) are necessary for preventing infection of a wound while treating it. Wound irrigation is a process of using a liquid to remove dirt and any contaminating bacteria from the wound. Wounds are irrigated using a lavage technique, where a large amount of irrigating solution is used with pressure to wash away contamination. This method is intended for immediate treatment of a wound or puncture to the skin, and is not meant to replace veterinary treatment.

Wound Irrigation Solutions

Antiseptic solutions with the active ingredient povidone-iodine, or chlorhexidine diacetate, can be used as a base for formulating an irrigation solution. Povidone-iodine should be diluted to a weak tea color, and chlorhexidine diacetate to a pale blue color.

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Nutritional Disorders

Many fishes suffer from nutritional disorders because of a poor diet. Nutritional disorders are the most common reason for sickness and death in aquarium, tank or fishpond fishes.

Reasons and Prevention

1. Nutritional imbalance in commercial food: Fishes can be either plant eaters (herbivores), meat eaters (carnivores), or both (omnivores). And although commercial food is available for fishes, a nutritional disorder can still occur because each species of fish has a different nutritional requirement, which is not always fulfilled by the commercial food. Therefore, fishes will need more than one type of commercial food to meet their dietary requirement.

2. Incorrectly stored food: Improperly stored food is another reason fishes acquire nutritional disorders. Dry food should be stored in a cool, dry place and replaced after two months.

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Anemia

Anemia in horses is defined as the shortage of hemoglobin – a protein that transports oxygen from the lungs through the blood – in their blood. There are different reasons for anemia, and it always occurs secondary to some other health issue the horse may be experiencing.

• Symptoms and Types
• Causes
• Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Living and Management
• Prevention

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Hyperthermia

Also known as heat exhaustion or hyperthermia, heat stroke is a condition that occurs with horses performing a great deal of work in excessively hot or humid conditions. When the horse is unable to lose body heat, its body temperature goes up rapidly, causing severe (and sometimes fatal) health concerns. Therefore, heat stroke must be treated promptly and properly.

• Symptoms and Types
• Causes
• Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Prevention

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Chlamydiosis

Chylamydiosis in cats refers to a bacteria based chronic respiratory infection. Animals that have developed this infection will often exhibit traditional signs of an upper respiratory infection, such as watery eyes, runny nose, and sneezing. With treatment, the prognosis is positive.

• Symptoms and Types
• Causes
• Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Living and Management
• Prevention

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