Common Treatable Problems Your Pet May Face This Year

Common Treatable Problems Your Pet May Face This Year

We want our pets to be as healthy as possible but, like us, they are prone to some medical issues. Here are some common treatable problems your pet may face, thanks to Paolo Williams…

Pets make for great family members. Reports claim cats, and dogs are the most prevalent types of pets in households globally. They offer great benefits to their owners, such as companionship, comfort, and fun. 

Just like humans, pets also suffer from various health problems. Fortunately, many of these problems are treatable. However, pet treatments should only be supervised and carried out by professional vet services, such as Flea Mail. 

Just like all the past years, your pets are still susceptible to acquiring ailments. Having said that, the common treatable problems your pet may face this year include:

1. Obesity

Pet obesity is a condition wherein pets possess excessive amounts of body fat to the point that it already affects their health and quality of life. Pet obesity is usually unnoticeable until it reaches an advanced stage. 

As a pet owner, you need to regularly investigate whether or not your pet is already overweight. Any sign of obesity should be reported to the vet immediately.

It’s crucial to note that the longer a pet is obese, the higher is their likelihood to develop more serious health conditions, such as diabetes, heart diseases, and osteoarthritis.

• Diabetes: Diabetes mellitus is an inability to produce sufficient insulin to control blood sugar. As it is in humans, there are two types of diabetes in pets: Type I and Type II.

In Type I diabetes, blood sugar levels are high due to reduced production of insulin. In Type II diabetes, on the other hand, blood sugar levels are high because cells in the body don’t appropriately respond to insulin. 

Weight loss, loss of appetite, increased thirst, and increased urination are some of the symptoms of diabetes in pets.

• Heart Diseases: Heart diseases that are caused by obesity are referred to as acquired and degenerative. Heart failures are the endpoint of prolonged heart diseases.
• Osteoarthritis: Otherwise known as the Degenerative Joint Disease, it’s a gradual and possibly permanent long-term deterioration of the cartilage surrounding the joints. It’s a chronic form of arthritis. 

Causes of osteoarthritis include dysplasia – a malformation of the hip and elbow joints – obesity, and diabetes, amongst others. Symptoms in cats and dogs may include stiffness and decreased activity.

Additionally, obesity in pets can cause a host of heart diseases, which disrupt normal blood circulation. This leads to an inadequate supply of blood to their muscles and different organs. 

2. Skin Disease

Skin diseases are common problems that your pets may face. These diseases usually become evident through changes in their coats around specific areas, such as the ears, feet, and tail. These can be treated through various skin medications, supplements, and lifestyle changes.

Some of the skin diseases that your pet is likely to face this year include:

• Flea Allergy Dermatitis: This is regarded as the most common skin disease among pets. It’s otherwise known as flea bite allergy due to its known cause, which is saliva from fleas. Pruritus refers to an itchy sensation that forces one to scratch their skin, and it’s a symptom resulting from this type of allergy.
• Atopic Dermatitis: Atopic dermatitis is often caused by allergies. Allergies in pets may be caused by various triggers, such as grass, pollen grains, and tree barks. 

Pets suffering from this particular condition excessively scratch and lick themselves. Areas commonly affected are the feet and ears.

• Dry Skin: Dry skin in pets can result from nutritional deficiencies and skin conditions, such as atopic dermatitis, and flea-bite allergy. Its symptoms include dandruff and flaky skin.
• Excessive Shedding: Shedding is a process in which a pet loses old and damaged hair. Excessive shedding can be determined by the amount of hair your pet is losing. It could be a sign that your pet might be having a skin disease, which may be caused by food allergies, skin parasites, and hormonal disorders.
• Hot Spots: These are collectively referred to as pyotraumatic dermatitis. It’s a condition in which an area of skin is infected, usually containing pus and discharge. Pets tend to lick and chew on these areas, which may cause lesions. 

Hot spots are caused by atopic dermatitis, food allergies, and fleas, among others.

3. Gastroenteritis And Gastritis

Gastroenteritis is the inflammation of the intestinal lining. On the other hand, gastritis is the inflammation of the stomach only. These inflammations can range from mild to severe, life-threatening levels. 

Various factors are responsible for this condition in pets, such as feeding on garbage, bacterial infections, viral infections, and malfunctioning internal organs, amongst others.

Symptoms of chronic gastroenteritis include diarrhea, vomiting, blood loss, and weight loss. In the event of any of these symptoms, a veterinarian should be consulted. Stool and blood tests are used by vets to diagnose this disease.

Antibiotics, dewormers, fluids, and hospitalizations are some of the conventional treatments that may be administered by the vet upon consultation.

4. Urinary Tract Diseases

Urinary Tract Diseases are infections and diseases caused mostly by bacteria and, in fewer cases, fungi, or parasites. A pet’s urinary tract includes its kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra.

Common risk factors of urinary tract diseases are fecal contamination and weak immune systems. This infection is contracted by the movement of bacteria from the intestine or the environment through the urethra.

Some of the infections caused by the progressive action of bacteria infection of the urinary tract include:

• Bladder Infection: Otherwise known as Bacteria Cystitis. It’s the condition in which the action of bacteria infects the bladder. 

Some of the signs of bladder infection are frequent urination, bloody urination, and the presence of blood in the urine of a pet. Sometimes, there are none of these symptoms present, requiring a vet’s diagnosis to know whether a pet has this infection. 

• Pyelonephritis: This is the inflammation of the kidney by the presence of bacteria. These bacteria progress into the kidneys from the bladder to cause this disease. The risk factors of pyelonephritis are weak immune systems and poorly functioning kidneys. 

Its symptoms include pain around the kidney area, fever, vomits, among others.

All bacteria infections are best treated early to avoid antibacterial resistance, which can lead to more diseases that’ll need management. 

5. Dental Disease

There are many dental diseases found in pets. They’re quite similar to those in humans. Several factors are responsible for the development of dental disorders in pets, such as plaque, premature adult formation, among others.

Here are some dental problems your pet may face this year:

• Gingivitis: Gingivitis causes the gums to be inflamed due to the presence of plaque. It causes the gum to swell, bleed, and change in color. 

Gingivitis is treatable by taking your pet for professional teeth cleaning. An untended form of gingivitis leads to periodontitis.

• Periodontitis: This is a more severe infection of the tissues surrounding the teeth, including the gums, ligaments, and bones. It’s an irreversible effect of the continued presence of plaque, tartar, and gingivitis. 

The most common cause of teeth loss in pets is a continued presence of unattended periodontal disease.

• Endodontic Disease: This is an internally occurring tooth disease. This disease festers when the teeth pulp is exposed from the presence of a fracture allowing bacterial presence. 

This disease is often caused by injury, biting inappropriate objects, external trauma, amongst others.

• Malocclusion: This dental disorder is known as “improper” or “abnormal” bite. They’re caused by genes, trauma, and persistent primary teeth. 

Persistent primary teeth induced malocclusion can be treated by detecting and extracting the persistent primary teeth early enough. Repositioning can be achieved through the use of braces and other extensive veterinary treatments. 

It’s always crucial for pets to have an effective bite, especially dogs.

6. Bite And Claw Wounds

Bites are more common in dogs than cats, and more common in domestic pets. Typically, young pets often bite themselves as a result of inexperienced playing. Aggressive behaviors in older pets are a means of communication, subduing competition, and marking territories.

Clawing is typically a cat’s defense mechanism. But, in cases where claws prove ineffective, cats can resort to biting. Most pets are likely to get into fights with other pets away from the sight of their owners. Both biting and clawing can impact severe injuries on your pet during a fight. 

Most bite and claw wounds close up quickly without bleeding of any sort. The effects of an untreated bite and claw wounds are quite dangerous to the health of your pet due to the vast amounts of bacteria contained in the mouth of dogs and cats. They include abscesses, cellulitis, and septic arthritis, amongst others.

If you suspect your pet has been in a fight recently, it’s advisable to take it to the veterinarian for an examination.

Conclusion:

This year, there are quite a host of treatable problems your pets would be combatting. This includes obesity, skin diseases, gastroenteritis, dental disorders, and wounds during fights with other pets.

Routinely visit the vet to ensure your pet’s health all the time. In times of emergencies, also consult your doctor for the best advice and treatment. 

Taking out a pet health insurance would also help absorb treatment costs at the vet’s. These measures will give you and your pet a long time spent together in health.

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About the author

Paolo Williams is very compassionate about pets. Paolo produces online content and videos to educate people about the importance of pet care and how they can benefit when they start looking after one.
If Paolo is not busy writing blogs and updating his website, he spends time with his pets at home.

 

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