For dogged dogs and curious cats, minor — and messy — cuts and scrapes are anything but rare. They step on glass, bash into sharp objects or get caught on barbed wire. In most cases, a little first aid, and perhaps some reassurance, is all they need.

To stop the bleeding and keep small wounds from getting serious, here’s what vets recommend.

For Dogs and Cats

Press on the wound.

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Worms — 7 Gutsy Solutions
A Rodale Press contributionIt’s unsettling to see something alive in your pet’s bathroom deposits, but intestinal worms are anything but rare.

Virtually all puppies and kittens are born with worms or get them soon after birth. And in areas where worms thrive — some of the Southern states, for example — many adult dogs and cats are also affected.

While the worms you see may be unpleasant, they rarely cause anything worse than a little diarrhea or vomiting. Worms you can’t see, however, like hookworms or whipworms, can cause anemia, dehydration or nutritional deficiencies, says Michael Willard, D.V.M., professor in the Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery at the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine in College Station.

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Rover stuck his nose in the garbage and sucked down all the nasty treats he could find. Tabby dropped a dead mouse on your doorstep. Now both are sick from — if not sorry for — their escapades. Vomiting is a natural reaction to something that shouldn’t be in your pet’s system. The animal may vomit after swallowing garbage, table scraps, or prey — or a hairball, rock, sock, or string. Or the problem could be a symptom of poisoning, parasites, food allergies, kidney or thyroid malfunction, or a disease such as distemper, parvovirus, diabetes, or cancer.

If your pet has vomited more than two or three times in 24 hours, appears to have lost weight, or is lethargic or dehydrated, call the vet. Report any details that may be helpful. Has the animal’s diet or appetite changed? Could he have swallowed a foreign object or been poisoned? Does he have a fever? Does his breath have a urine-like smell, which could indicate kidney failure or diabetes? Any information you can give the vet will help in your pet’s diagnosis and treatment.

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Your pet has always been a sure-footed beast, but lately (ever since you rearranged the house) she’s been bumping into things and looking lost. And when you go on walks, she has trouble finding you.

For some reason your pet’s sharp vision has faded. Some dogs and cats suffer from progressive retinal atrophy, which makes it hard for them to see in dim light. Others can get cataracts, glaucoma or other eye diseases that cause their sight to dim. Fortunately, there are a number of treatments as well.

“Some of the treatments available for pets are as sophisticated as people’s,” says Mary B. Glaze, D.V.M., professor of ophthalmology at the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine in Baton Rouge and co-author of The Atlas of Feline Ophthalmology.

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You always thought your pet had sharp eyes, but now she bumps into furniture. She scrambles right past the balls you toss. She tilts her head when you enter the room. She tends to settle into corners, where she feels safe. And when you look closely at her eyes, her pupils are huge.

These are all signs of vision loss, which can occur for a number of reasons. If the loss is sudden, your pet may have a detached retina, a condition in which something triggers swelling that actually causes the retina to separate from the back of the eyeball. Triggers include cancer, Lyme disease, fungal disease, autoimmune response, kidney disease, even high blood pressure. Or your pet may have lost her sight suddenly due to a blow to the head — say, from a car. More gradual vision loss may be caused by cataracts or glaucoma. Signs of this include eyes that are bulging and sore to the touch. (If you touch your cat’s closed eyelid, she reacts as if in pain.)

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With concern growing over the spread of the West Nile virus, here are some guidelines provided by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to help answer your questions in regards to pets.

• Dogs and cats can be infected with the West Nile virus in the same manner as birds, horses and people: through the bite of an infected mosquito.
• Although the West Nile virus has been identified in dogs and cats, infection with the virus does not appear to cause serious illness in these animals.
• People cannot get the virus from their pets; no evidence of human-to-human or pet-to-human transmission has been found. Only an infected mosquito can transmit the virus. Infected pets are unlikely to transmit the virus back into the mosquito population.
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Among the viruses that can infect your Pet and cause inflammation of the stomach and intestines:Parvovirus

The deadliest of the intestinal viruses, parvovirus sloughs away the intestinal lining, causing mild to severe, bloody diarrhea and dehydration–a frequent cause of death. It also affects the bone marrow and immune system.

Coronavirus

A common virus in areas with high dog populations, coronavirus causes mild to severe diarrhea and can cause severe damage to the intestinal lining.

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Among the viruses that can infect your Pet and cause inflammation of the stomach and intestines:Parvovirus

The deadliest of the intestinal viruses, parvovirus sloughs away the intestinal lining, causing mild to severe, bloody diarrhea and dehydration–a frequent cause of death. It also affects the bone marrow and immune system.

Coronavirus

A common virus in areas with high dog populations, coronavirus causes mild to severe diarrhea and can cause severe damage to the intestinal lining.

Read the rest of this entry »