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Animals will often chew plants to get some roughage. For dogs this is because they are omnivores and actually enjoy plant foods. Plant roughage can be a good source of vitamins and can be helpful for passing food through the intestines. Cats are strictly carnivorous, but eating plants can benefit them by helping to bind hair in the stomach and carry it back out when they hack the hair out through their esophagus and mouth. However, animals also eat leaves for reasons we do not always understand. This is especially true for pets that are kept indoors most or all of the time, since they have not learned which plants taste bad and should be avoided, or they do not have enough access to plants and will chew on whatever is accessible. There are some types of decorative plants that are toxic to dogs and cats. In some cases, only mild indigestion and discomfort will result, in other cases, the toxicity can lead to more severe health problems, and even fatalities. If you are planning to br...

You're sustaining your puppy a healthfully adjusted eating routine and following the bearings on the name with exactness. You look as your new closest companion ravenously eats his puppy sustenance, and induce his hunger isn't the issue. Notwithstanding your earnest attempts, be that as it may, he's not putting on weight as he should. Puppies develop at various rates, yet in the event that yours is underneath the normal for his breed, there might be an issue. Anything from inadequate bolstering techniques to fundamental maladies can cause moderated development in puppies, says Dr. Dan Su, a clinical sustenance occupant at the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. You may accidentally be bolstering your puppy an inadequate number of calories or an eating regimen that needs basic supplements for development. In any case, "medicinal reasons for impeded development are more typical and can incorporate parasites, stomach related pro...

Rectoanal Polyps in Mutts  Rectoanal polyps is portrayed by the development of fold like distensions in the butt-centric and rectal dividers. The polyps might be specifically joined to the intestinal divider (sessile), or appended through a stalk-like barrel shaped association. Most rectoanal polyps are non-carcinogenic, and are simply augmentations of the deepest tissue covering of the intestinal dividers. And keeping in mind that most instances of polyps are typically secluded, there are events mutts experience the ill effects of different polyps. The condition depicted in this therapeutic article can influence the two pooches and felines. In the event that you might want to figure out how rectoanal polyps influences felines, please visit this page in the PetMD wellbeing library. Side effects and Sorts  Puppies experiencing this condition will show stressing or torment while passing stools. The stools might be recolored with blood as well as secured with bodily ...

Though discouraged by many veterinarians, there are a few things you should consider before choosing to vaccinate your own dog (or cat). First, any animal can have an adverse reaction to any vaccine. The probability is small, but if it happens, your pet could be in big trouble -- fast! To see an actual case of a vaccine induced urticarial reaction in a Dachshund, look here. Adverse reactions from vaccinations are rare but do happen. The worst case scenario occurs when the dog or cat has what is termed an anaphylactic reaction. These hypersensitivity reactions cause a number of physiologic disturbances within the body that result in low blood pressure, slow heart rate and depressed breathing rate. Because the brain is starved for oxygen due to the low blood pressure, unconsciousness can occur. In thirty years of vaccinating pets nearly every day (over 200,000 doses administered!) I have witnessed three of these anaphylactic reactions. They are very scary and require immediate lif...

Dogs are known for their indiscriminate eating habits and will eat some unusual things. Some dogs have even been seen ingesting fecal material (their own or from other animals). The medical term for this act is coprophagia, and its underlying causes are numerous. In this article we will focus on coprophagia due to deficiencies in digestive enzymes. REASONS FOR COPROPHAGIA For some dogs, eating feces is a behavior learned from the littermates and/or mother. Watching other animals pick up feces and ingest it becomes a curiosity that can turn into an ingrained behavior. However, dogs that are fed a low-quality food (or an insufficient amount of food) may also resort to eating feces in an instinctual attempt to balance out a dietary deficiency. This may be further exacerbated if your dog has a digestive enzyme deficiency, because it prevents any of the food’s nutrients to be properly absorbed by the body. Basically, your dog is attempting to eat feces in the hopes to forgo starvin...

Whether it be a cat or dog you wish to bathe, the most important thing to remember (especially with those frisky felines) is to start ‘em young. Yep, we mean as babies. But even if they are babies, you can’t just toss them straight into the bathwater (as apposed to throwing the baby out with the bathwater). You need a strategy, or a plan, or something to help you get those fluffy bundles of joy ready for a lifetime of enjoying a splash in the tub. 1. Playtime Toys and play are essential before you even get your pet into the tub. Play with them in the bathroom and bring in favorite toys. Basically, you’re teaching them the bathroom is not a scary place. Of course, like kids, toys in the tub are fun for your pet, too (though only the ones made of plastic). Pets especially love toys with treats hidden inside them. We say bonus points for the types of toys with treats that clean the teeth and sweeten the breath! 2. Water Temperature Puppies and kitties are very sensitive ...

Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) impairs an animal’s ability to digest and absorb the nutrients available in food. Because there are insufficient digestive enzymes created by the pancreas, food passes through the body basically undigested. The affected animal will begin to lose weight and have loose, foul-smelling diarrhea. Animals with EPI eat voraciously because they are not able to gain nourishment from the food they do ingest. Treatment for this condition focuses on the use of enzyme replacements in the food. Replacements are typically required for the remainder of the animal’s life. Other factors will play a role in this disease condition, and your veterinarian will need to monitor your pet long-term to see if additional supplements, such as vitamin B12, or medications are necessary to maintain control. VITAMIN B12 (COBALAMIN) DEFICIENCY Both dogs and cats with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) are at risk of developing a vitamin deficiency at some point. V...

It was one of those situations I dread. I had just examined Fritzie and spent quite a bit of time making a diagnosis and suggesting treatment for the little Schnauzer’s heart problem. My receptionist buzzed me on the intercom … "Mrs. Smith is still here and wants to talk to you about her bill. She’s certain that you made a mistake and overcharged her for the medication you dispensed for Fritzie. I tried to explain that the $57 was the correct price for the two-month supply but she's certain that’s not right. Good luck!" After about twenty minutes trying to explain why many of today’s state of the art medications are expensive and that I am not in collusion with the drug companies to soak the general public and that I have an obligation to prescribe whatever medication I believe will be best for my patients, Mrs. Smith and I resumed our day. It made me uneasy, though, because I wondered how many other Mrs. Smiths were out there who did not call or question me when t...