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Dogs Cushing’s disease: Don’t Misunderstand These Signs and Symptoms Of Cushing’s Disease In Dogs

September 30th, 2009
by Kate Rieger

What is dog’s Cushing’s disease? Dogs Cushing’s disease is a common problem that affects senior pets, and is caused by overactive adrenal glands. This condition can easily be confused with premature signs of aging in dogs. Cushing’s disease symptoms include:

* weight gain * hair loss * urinating in the house * increased consumption of water * increased urination * increase in appetite

Thankfully, this disease is treatable and once treated your dog can live a much longer and healthier life. This condition can be treated at home using homeopathic remedies.

In dogs, Cushing’s disease can look like the debilitating effects of aging, so some pet owners may mistakenly consider euthanasia in order to let their pets go peacefully. It is very important to understand when your dog is truly just aging or if they are suffering from Cushing’s disease. Your vet can help you determine what your pet is facing.

In dogs, Cushing’s disease is usually found in pets that are around ten years old. Cushing’s disease is more likely to strike in miniature dogs and in spayed/neutered dogs. Since it can strike just about any dog and there are very few known predispositions for the disease it is sometimes hard to diagnose. Even the physical signs of the disease can be similar to a variety of other health problems.

Because the symptoms are so much like aging it is important to note the symptoms that are more than common signs of aging. These can be disproportionate drinking(water) as 80-85% of Cushing’s dogs will drink 2-10 times their normal amount. Another possible sign is a change in the color of your dog’s coat, 85-100% of Cushing’s dogs have a change in the skin or coat. 90-95% of dogs will also take on a pot-bellied appearance. By recognizing these signs you can treat the disease and make your dog live longer and more comfortably. Once you suspect the problem, a simple blood test could prove that your dog is suffering from Cushing’s.

If Cushing’s disease is left to progress without treatment it can lead to even more serious problems such as diabetes, congestive heart failure, failure of the liver and kidneys, and other problems like infections in numerous places on the body. These problems combined with Cushing’s disease can prove fatal to your pet. So if you pet is exhibiting any of the symptoms for dog’s Cushing’s disease and they are over 6 years of age, it is best to take them to a vet right away for a diagnosis.

About the Author:

Kate Rieger Pets and Animals , , , , , ,

Signs and Symptoms Of Dogs Cushing’s Disease-Have You Got A Beagle with A Pot Belly?

September 24th, 2009
by Kate Rieger

What is dog’s Cushing’s disease? Dogs Cushing’s disease is a common problem that affects senior pets, and is caused by overactive adrenal glands. This condition can easily be confused with premature signs of aging in dogs. Cushing’s disease symptoms include:

* weight gain * hair loss * urinating in the house * increased consumption of water * increased urination * increase in appetite

Thankfully, this disease is treatable and once treated your dog can live a much longer and healthier life. This condition can be treated at home using homeopathic remedies.

In dogs, Cushing’s disease can look like the debilitating effects of aging, so some pet owners may mistakenly consider euthanasia in order to let their pets go peacefully. It is very important to understand when your dog is truly just aging or if they are suffering from Cushing’s disease. Your vet can help you determine what your pet is facing.

In dogs, Cushing’s disease is usually found in pets that are around ten years old. Cushing’s disease is more likely to strike in miniature dogs and in spayed/neutered dogs. Since it can strike just about any dog and there are very few known predispositions for the disease it is sometimes hard to diagnose. Even the physical signs of the disease can be similar to a variety of other health problems.

Because the symptoms are so much like aging it is important to note the symptoms that are more than common signs of aging. These can be extreme drinking(water) as 80-85% of Cushing’s dogs will drink 2-10 times their normal amount. Another possible sign is a change in the color of your dog’s coat, 85-100% of Cushing’s dogs have a change in the skin or coat. 90-95% of dogs will also take on a pot-bellied appearance. By recognizing these signs you can treat the disease and make your dog live longer and more comfortably. Once you suspect the problem, a simple blood test could prove that your dog is suffering from Cushing’s.

If Cushing’s disease is left to progress without treatment it can lead to even more serious problems such as diabetes, congestive heart failure, failure of the liver and kidneys, and other problems like infections in numerous places on the body. These problems combined with Cushing’s disease can prove fatal to your pet. So if you pet is exhibiting any of the symptoms for dog’s Cushing’s disease and they are over 6 years of age, it is best to take them to a vet right away for a diagnosis.

About the Author:

Kate Rieger Pets and Animals , , , , , ,

What Is Feline Bladder Thickening?

September 22nd, 2009
by Kate Rieger

When your cat gets diagnosed with feline bladder thickening, then they likely have a urinary tract infection previously that caused the thickening. What is feline bladder thickening, and what can you do to reverse it?

First, you will need to understand that this condition is not a disease, but rather a symptom. Even though it can lead to other urinary issues, it is not going to be life threatening on its own. However, it is still something that will need to be fixed.

When a cat has had a urinary tract infection and is unable to relieve the pressure, it will feel the constant need to urinate. Over time, if ignored, then this pressure will increase and the muscle walls of the feline bladder will become thicker. This will make it even more difficult for your cat to control urination. If this happens, it can become a serious problem because the toxins within the bladder need to be emptied regularly and completely.

Using steroids and drug therapy, as well as antibiotics is one of the best ways to alleviate bladder thickening in cats. The down side is that cats are very sensitive and will not often be able to tolerate the side effects of such medications.

Natural remedies are another way that you can treat this problem in cast. Herbs like Cantharis or Staphysagris have been clinically proven to help treat the infection as well as soothe the inflamed tissues. This will help heal the bladder so that the thickening of the bladder goes away completely. Luckily, since these treatments are completely natural, they are gentle towards your cat and will not have any side effects.

Make sure that your cat always has fresh, clean water at all times. Instead of giving them tap water that is full of impurities, use filtered water. The chemicals that exist in tap water can often alter the pH balance of the bladder, leading to more infections. Make sure your cat is drinking plenty of water. The more water they drink, the better diluted their urine will be, and the more likely that the cat will flush out toxins.

Feline bladder thickening is a symptom that can lead to further problems in your cat. It is important you treat this right away so that it does not become a bigger problem in the future. We all love our cats, which is why it is important to do everything we can for them.

About the Author:

Kate Rieger Pets and Animals , , , ,

Natural Remedy For Urinary Tract Infection In Dogs – How to Get Rid of Your Dog’s Urinary Tract Infection and Keep it From Coming Back

July 7th, 2009
by Kate Rieger

If you are one of the millions of pet owners who have struggled to treat you pet’s urinary tract infection and are still battling the problem, perhaps you need to try a natural approach. Traditional treatments often only relieve the symptoms but do not get to the core problem. That’s why your dog continues to have a canine UTI. Read on to understand how using a natural remedy for urinary tract infection in dogs brings permanent relief to your dog and you peace-of-mind.

There are different causes of bacterial infections of the bladder. Sometimes they can recur because of a birth defect such as an ectopic ureter. Other times they can be caused by an illness like bladder stones or a bladder tumor.

In order to determine the cause and give a correct diagnosis, it is important to go to a veterinarian when you first notice the signs that something is wrong. If the infection is detected in its late stages, conventional treatment with antibiotics may be necessary. It the infection is in its early stages, a natural remedy for urinary tract infection in dogs will most likely do the trick. If the underlying cause of the infection is bladder stones, a tumor, or a birth defect, surgery may be necessary to keep the infection from coming back. In any case, in order to promote a healthy bladder, a healthy flow of urine, and a strong immune system that can fight off infections, a natural remedy for urinary tract infection in dogs can be highly beneficial.

You can get the most out of natural remedies by using them regularly. Natural remedies restore balance at a cellular level and promote overall health. They can keep your dog’s immune system strong and prevent infections from coming back. Antibiotics on the other hand are only a quick fix that will suppress the symptoms but not address the underlying imbalance that is causing the infections to happen in the first place.

Today, pet owners are concerned about using their dogs antibiotics because of all the negative side effects. You see, your dogs metabolizes the antibiotics quickly which means you must give higher doses over a longer period of time.

In contrast, a natural remedy for urinary tract infection in dogs is 100% safe and can be used for as long as necessary without risk of side effects. It comes in granules and has a pleasant taste so you can easily sprinkle it in your dog’s mouth.

So there you have it. If you are concerned about using antibiotics over and over again you now know you have an alternative. Find a natural remedy for urinary tract infection in dogs that is not only affordable it is safe too.

Conventional treatments aim at a suppressing symptoms and that does not address the underlying cause of the infection. In order to keep an infection from coming back, you need to use natural remedies such as homeopathy. By doing so, you will help your dog achieve permanent recovery and overall good health.

About the Author:

Kate Rieger Pets and Animals , , , , , , ,

Poison To Cats – Poisoning Your Cat With His Hairball Goop?

July 5th, 2009
by Kate Rieger

You would never think of giving poison to cats, but you may be doing it by accident. In fact, overloading your cats’ diet with some hairball remedies can prevent absorption of a vital vitamin.

Many of us rely on vitamin supplements to provide a nutritional boost to our human diets. Perhaps you even thought about supplementing your cat’s diet with vitamins. After all, didn’t you read somewhere that kittens with diets low in vitamin D develop rickets? Or what about older cats with low levels of vitamin D in their diet suffering from brittle bones?

Both of these conditions are possible, but such deficiencies are rare in today’s cat diet world. That said, it is possible that you may cause your cat to have a vitamin D deficiency simply by treating him for hairballs. You could be literally giving poison to cats when you treat them with hairball remedies that have a mineral oil or petroleum jelly base.

If your cat ‘just loves’ his petroleum based hairball remedy and you ‘just love’ giving it to him, you both may need to back off the program a bit. Excessive use of this type of hair ball remedy can interfere with the absorption of fat soluble vitamins, including vitamin D.

Now that you know better that indulging your cats with this type of hairball remedy don’t be tempted to add vitamin D back into their diet. Just continue to feed a high quality cat food which is full of vitamins cats need. Once your cats are off the petroleum based product, their digestive system will be able to absorb the vitamin D again. be

Now let’s consider completely removing this ‘petroleum based’ product from your cats diets. After all, would you ingest something made of petroleum? Here, have a pint of crude to slick up your innards. Its really not a far stretch to consider this as something close to giving poison to cats.

Switch your cats over to an herbal hairball treatment. There are herbal compounds that provide a gentle yet effective solution to cat hairballs. Psyllium nigrum is a very high source of dietary fiber while Aloe ferox (a well known medicinal herb) is known for its beneficial effect on digestive functioning. Nux vom is a proven homeopathic remedy often prescribed for indigestion, constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, violent retching and abdominal cramp.

Its easy to give this herbal remedy and if you have a cat who hates the other products, bets are that he’ll never even notice when you add a bit to his canned cat food. Just give 1/2 capsule 2 times daily for 10 days, followed by 1/2 capsule once daily as a maintenance dose for cats who are prone to nasty hairballs.

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Kate Rieger Pets and Animals , , , , , , ,

Feline Urinary Infection – Cat’s Bizarre Behavior Hides A Serious Illness

July 1st, 2009
by Kater

Before you let your cat’s feline urinary infection make a fool out of you read on. Our cats are amazing creatures. When they get sick they deal with it and we don’t know they are sick. But sometimes they do display some odd behavior.

Sometimes they may stand on the edge of the litter box forever, but there is nothing to show. No urine or stool. Then an few minutes later you may find a puddle of urine on the kitchen counter. Even more unnerving you may find cat urine in the bathtub and it has blood in it.

Forget about your cat getting better on her own. You know a feline urinary infection is painful and brings with it a fiery itch. Your cat needs help to get through this painful condition. If you let the condition linger on and on her immune system will weaken and she may get another cat illness.

Bacteria in the bladder is a primary cause of a feline urinary infection. This causes an infection that inflames the bladder and results in a cat UTI. Advanced cases include bladder stones which can cause a cat urinary blockage which can turn into a very painful emergency situation or even become fatal.

Get your kitty to the vet for proper diagnosis. When you ask him what caused the problem he may state it could be a bacterial infection or a stress induced feline urinary infection. Stress is the second most common cause of a feline urinary infection.

Now you are wonder what can you do to prevent feline bladder infections from occurring? Today’s vets are well armed with natural products that will strengthen your cat’s immune system and help her handle stressful times. There are homeopathic products on the market with a wide variety of abilities. What they do is to maintain the proper bladder pH and functions of the urinary track. They also help inflamed tissues of the urinary tract heal.

After cat bladder infections have occurred, she needs help maintaining a natural flow of urine and get the proper nutrients to live healthily. As you can imagine, this is quite important.

If you ignore your cat’s urinary health she can quickly digress into other kidney problems. There are effective natural remedies to help support the functions of the kidney and bladder.

Remember, if feline bladder infections aren’t treated early, they can spread to the kidneys and cause further complications. Some herbal ingredients specially provide support to the urinary tract system.

About the Author:

Kate Rieger Gardening , , , , , , , , , ,

Cat Tape Worms – What Are Those Rice Things On Your Cat’s Rear End?

April 14th, 2009
by Kate Rieger

Being able to spot cat worm symptoms is important to anyone who has a cat in their life and you and your cat will both be glad you know what to look for. Many of the parasites which affect cats can lead to permanent damage, so its vital that you keep an eye out for your cats health. Common cat worms include hookworms, tape worms, lungworms, roundworms and cat heartworm. There is no shortage of parasiticidal chemical treatments you can buy, but its better to treat cat worms naturally.

Sometimes your cat introduces her cat worms in a really gross manner. If she throws up after eating and you notice tiny whit bits of something that looks like pasta – but she didn’t have spaghetti for dinner, then you just spotted roundworms.

Your cat might have a wheeze; this could simply indicate a cold and vets see thousands of cats which seem to have a respiratory ailment. However, these symptoms can also mean that your cat is afflicted with parasitic lungworms. They will cause your cat to present symptoms which seem like asthma, but of course a different course of treatment is recommended if lungworms are the issue.

If you’ve recently adopted a new cat, there’s a good chance that he has some unwelcome stowaways: cat worms. If you haven’t yet been able to get into the vet for an exam, then you’ll need to keep an eye on the litter box. If you see black, tarry looking or bloody stools, then your cat probably has hookworms; your vet can make a definitive diagnosis of this problem.

If your cat is showing your blood in her vomit or she has bouts of diarrhea, then this may indicate roundworms. Your can can become quickly dehydrated and under-nourished so you need to jump on a treatment quickly. Her system needs to purge these parasites immediately.

Cat worms are parasites that feed off of your cat’s blood. In serious infestations, anemia can result. However, the most serious threat to your cat from cat worms is developing an impacted GI tract ” her intestines are packed with roundworms! Young cats especially may suffer an intestinal perforation as a result of this impaction.

You may have visions of a cat tapeworm many feet long, but in fact, these parasites are less of a threat than roundworms. Next time your kitty jumps on your lap and shows you here tail take a look around for a bit of tapeworms. They look like little pieces of rice and may be stuck in her fur or even in her rear-end. Also check her bedding for these rice-like clues.

Cat heartworms are one cat worm which can threaten your cat’s life. Symptoms may include coughing, vomiting, gagging and difficulty breathing, but in some cases, the cat shows no symptoms at all and keels over without any warning signs!These are the cat worm symptoms which you need to keep an eye out for to protect the health of your pet.

Here’s the short list of symptoms that you should be looking for. If you sense your cat is suffering from parasites, get her treatment soon.

1. Gagging

2. Diarrhea

3. Coughing, wheezing or difficulty breathing

4. Frequent vomiting

5. Vomiting short, white spaghetti-like matter

6. Blood in her poop; tarry looking

7. Rice stuff hanging off her bottom

Your vet will probably recommend a chemically derived oral or topical treatment to get rid of these cat parasites. Many cat owners are choosing to go the natural route with remedies like wormwood (Artemisia Absinthinium). This herb is often used to treat parasitic infestations in cats and should be considered as a possible remedy to provide your cat much needed relief from her cat worm symptoms.

Or you can choose a gentle, natural remedy including wormword. Wormwood has been used for centuries as a natural purgative of parasites and will clear up your cat’s worms in a few days.

About the Author:

Kate Rieger Pets and Animals , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,