Allergic Pet Blog - Page 20 of 21 - Your Best Source for Natural Solutions to Pet Health Problems

18
Jun
2013

Dog Seizures Causes and Signs

Cream – Seizure Alert Dog (Photo credit: certified su)

When a beloved pet dog is going through seizures, it is hard not to worry. Understanding the causes and the possible treatments will help owners recognize when it is time to worry and when the pet’s seizures will pass.

Epilepsy

Idiopathic epilepsy is a potential cause of seizures in dogs. Although it only occurs in roughly 1 percent of canines, owners should watch be wary of any seizures that occur regularly or for extended periods of time.

If a seizure persists for more than 30 seconds, then it is a good idea to have a vet look at the dog. Tests can help make a proper diagnosis of epilepsy.

Illness

In some cases, bacterial or viral infections will cause seizures. This type of seizure will usually stop after the sickness passes. Treating the sickness is usually the best way to stop the seizures.

Head Injuries

If a dog has lived through trauma and head injuries, then seizures are a possibility. The seizures are directly related to the injury and usually have limited treatment options as a result.

Low Blood Sugar

Although hypoglycemia is not common to most breeds, it can occur in some dogs. Low blood sugar can cause seizures or tremors, but it usually possible to treat with a careful diet plan.

Natural Treatments

The best way to treat seizures is through natural remedies that are recommended by a vet based on the cause of the problem. Although medications are available for canines, it is potentially dangerous and toxic to use those drugs. A natural dog seizure remedy does not have the same side effects because it focuses on nutritional changes and healthy solutions.

When a beloved pet dog is going through seizures, it is often emotional. Although the problem is potentially stressful and worrisome, pet owners can use natural remedies to help prevent or reduce the regularity of the seizures.

17
Jun
2013

Gluten and other allergens that affect your pet

categories: Dog Allergies

Photograph of 4 gluten sources. Top: High-gluten wheat flour. Right: European spelt. Bottom: Barley. Left: Rolled rye flakes. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Just like people, dogs can have allergies or food sensitivities. In fact, allergies and the symptoms they induce have become the top reason that pet owners visit their veterinarian. Often, medications are prescribed to control symptoms, but this may not be the only option. With medications comes the possibility for other side effects, and medications only treat the symptoms, not the problem. The best way to treat your dog’s allergies is to isolate the allergen and try several dog allergy remedies” natural dog allergy remedies.

Causes Causes of allergies can range from:

Flea and tick bites
Foods such as gluten, corn, milk, eggs
Environmental irritants like grass, dust, mold, or cleaning products

Gluten allergies, or celiac disease, are quite common in dogs and easily treatable. Gluten is found in wheat and is a protein. It is an ingredient that is found in a large variety of dog foods. If untreated, it can cause several symptoms that are at best irritating for your dog, and at worst, life threatening.

Symptoms Symptoms to gluten and other allergens are usually first noticed on the skin of your pet. They may scratch constantly and the appearance of red raised bumps is not uncommon. Red itchy eyes are another symptom. Bowels may become affected when dogs intestines become inflamed, and they may experience diarrhea. Nutrients cannot be absorbed and your pet may lose weight and become cranky. Sneezing and snoring due to inflamed throat and sinuses are a possibility.

Remedies The first step in treatment is the isolation of the allergen. Your local vet can draw your pet’s blood to determine what they are allergic to, or this can be done by a process of elimination. Allergies are forever, and the best treatment is to eliminate the culprit from your dog’s environment or food source. If gluten sensitivity is the issue, find a gluten free food for your pet, there are a variety of choices available, or research making your own dog food. That way you know exactly what is in it. Treat skin symptoms by bathing your pet often, but be careful here. Some pet shampoos have fragrances or other ingredients that will irritate the skin. Instead, give your pet a bath in a combination of oatmeal and warm water to soothe itchy skin and rashes. Include essential fatty acids into your dog’s diet in the form of flaxseed or salmon oils. These are known to reduce symptoms from allergic reactions and boost immunity so allergies are kept to a minimum. Keep your pet indoors if the allergy source is grass or pollen. Vacuum often and wipe your pet down so allergens do not stick to the skin.

Pet allergies are becoming increasingly common, especially allergies to gluten containing foods. While medications like antihistamines or steroidal creams may be necessary for extreme cases, natural remedies may be just as effective, and safer, than meds. Most people love their dogs and treat them like one of the family, so maintaining their health is an important step in having a happy pet that will be around for years to come.

14
Jun
2013

Dog Kidney Stone Symptoms

categories: Dog Kidney Stones

Kidney Stone (Photo credit: peterjr1961)

Pets suffer from many health complications, including those that humans often have. Kidney stones are one of those risk factors. It can be difficult to spot symptoms of kidney stones in dogs, but as a loving pet owner, you will want to take steps to do so whenever possible. The more you know about this condition, the better the steps you can take to reduce your pet’s health risks.

What Is Nephrolithiasis?

Kidney stones, a condition formally known as nephrolithiasis, develop in the kidneys or the urinary tract of the pet. These stones can cause serious health complications to the pet. Some pets are more likely to suffer from this condition than others are, include Lhasa Apsos, miniature poodles, and other dogs.

What Are the Symptoms?

The symptoms of kidney stones in dogs are not often evident. In fact, most dogs have no external symptoms at all. In some cases, the pet can experience the following symptoms.

Painful urination
Difficulty with urination
Vomiting
Recurrent urinary tract infections
Urination in very small amounts, but frequently

In some cases, the dog will have areas that are tender when the pet owner touches them. The most common diagnosis of kidney stones in animals occurs when the doctor is looking for other illnesses and discovers them. For example, a doctor may examine a bone from breakage, x-ray it, and locate the kidney stones as a result.

Keep in mind that not all kidney stones are a problem. In fact, they can often be inactive. This means there is no active infection present. These do not get any larger and do not cause any type of obstruction. In this case, they may not bother the pet. Inactive kidney stones in dogs are not necessary to operate on and often doctors will not do so.

In all cases, doctors will need to monitor the pet to determine what his or her symptoms are. In some cases, these will require surgical removal for the pet. Any clinical changes you notice in your pet should be presented to your vet for further examination. Even if your pet just seems tense or in pain, report it to the vet.

13
Jun
2013

Dog Epilepsy Treatment

categories: Dog Seizures

B0085P0004 (Photo credit: Nottingham Vet School)

Dogs can have epileptic seizures, just as humans do. Generally, if a dog has a grand mal seizure, it will stiffen up and fall, then it’s legs may start shaking or moving like the dog is running. The dog may also drool, urinate or defecate.

Causes of Seizures: Sometimes, there is no definite cause of seizures, according to AllergicPet.com. These seizures are called idiopathic epileptic seizures. Sometimes, a veterinarian can determine a probable cause. Probable causes include:

~ Trauma to the head. The brain could swell or hemorrhage during the trauma, thus causing scar tissue inside the brain. Sometimes, seizures may not present until years later.

~ Kidney failure. Though this is rare, kidney failure and having high levels of uremictoxins may cause seizures.

~ Lead poisoning. This cause may not be as common as it was in past generations because of the crackdown on using lead in paint, on toys and other places due to the damage it does to children.

~ Encephalitis. This is an inflammation of the central nervous system. If your dog has encephalitis, it could contribute or cause seizures.

~ Heat stroke. Always be aware of your dog’s environment. If it’s hot outside, bring your dog into the air conditioning, if you have it. If not, be sure the dog has plenty of shade and water.

There are several other things that cause seizures, including high blood ammonia levels, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and canine distemper, all of which your veterinarian can check during yearly checkups for your dog.

Natural Treatments for Epilepsy: The veterinarian may prescribe medication for your dog, but you may also opt to treat the issue with natural means. Medications such as phenobarbitol could cause organ damage. According to PetWebMD, dietary changes and acupuncture may help reduce the number of seizures a dog has and may reduce the extent of the seizures. Neuroplex, a homeopathic treatment may also reduce or stop seizures. Neuroplex capsules contain cinnamon, ginseng, licorice, silkworm and other ingredients.

What to Do: If you suspect your dog has had a seizure, make an appointment with a veterinarian. The vet can check the underlying cause of the seizure. While the seizure itself is usually not fatal, the underlying cause may be fatal.

12
Jun
2013

Causes of Dog Diarrhea

categories: Dog Diarrhea

Bucket-headed dog (Photo credit: Paul Kidd)

Dog diarrhea is never fun, for you or your dog. However, if you know some of the common causes of diarrhea in your dog, you can start to decipher what is causing the diarrhea. Without knowing any of the underlying causes, you may not treat your dogs diarrhea properly, using natural treatments, and cause even more issues in the health of your dog.

A primary cause of diarrhea in dogs, is changing their food to quickly. Unlike humans, who can have a different meal every day, dogs have to be changed slowly to a new food. If you change them too quickly, their systems cannot handle the change. Which will cause diarrhea to start and last until they are adjusted to the new food. Once the dogs are adjusted, the chance is still present for diarrhea. This chance comes from the bacteria in their stomachs might be to weak to help them digest food properly.

Food allergies is another cause of diarrhea in dogs. When dogs are allergic to a food, their bodies can react in several ways. A common way dogs react is by getting the food out of their system as quickly as possible. For example, if your dog is allergic to corn, and the dog get a hold of corn based food, they will pass the food through their system as quickly as possible. Commonly the way the dog will pass this food through their system is by having a touch of diarrhea.

Illness is another issue which may cause diarrhea. Even if the diarrhea was not present before the illness, the medicine your dog is taking can wipe out the natural bacteria. When this happens, your dog will get diarrhea for the same reasons people do. With the natural treatments for the illness, the bacteria in your dogs system is generally not wiped out, meaning no diarrhea.

Finding the underlying cause for your dogs diarrhea is a hard task. However, once you have found the cause, you need to know natural treatments are a lot easier on your dog. When you use the natural treatments for dog diarrhea, these often lead to less problems in the future, but also a dog that is back to their playful and energetic self quickly.

12
Jun
2013

Cat Tapeworm Symptoms

categories: Cat Tapeworms

If your tabby is a mouser, then there is a pretty good chance that he or she might have tapeworms. In fact, according to Web MD, tapeworms are the most frequent internal parasites found in adult cats. There are two common types of cat tapeworm species, Dipylidium caninum and Taenia taeniaformis. The former is acquired from fleas that have immature tapeworms within their system, while the latter is typically contracted when your cat consumes rodents, uncooked meat, raw freshwater fish, or discarded animal parts.

Tapeworms are Just Disgusting…

Dipylidium life cycle (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

To put it another way, you have seen the half of the carcass that your feline friend had deposited on your pillow, so the missing half is possibly the cause of any tapeworm problems.

As they say, what goes in must come out, and when it is coming out is, generally speaking, when you will find any evidence of tapeworm activity in your cat. As noted, tapeworms come in two species, but they come in any variety of sizes. They can be smaller than an inch in length, or they can extend to several feet long within your cat’s lower intestines.

Regardless of the species, the tapeworm embeds its head into the gut wall with hooks and suckers before drawing nutrients from the host. The parasite has a segmented body that contains egg packets, and as the tapeworm grows it is these egg packets that break off and are passed in the cat’s feces.

And So is Checking to See if Your Cat has Them…

Readily evident signs that your cat may have tapeworms can be gleaned from his or her behavior. If they are biting at their anus, or dragging their butt across the carpet to relieve the itching are sure indicators. Should you suspect that this activity is caused by tapeworms then a closer exam of the cat’s stool is in order.

You will be looking to find small, dried, white or cream colored segments within your cat’s feces or attached to their fur near the anus. The segments will most closely resemble a sesame or cucumber seed in size and appearance. A sample of the feces can be tested for the parasite at the veterinarian’s office. The best way to avoid tapeworms is to ensure that your cat is not suffering from ticks or fleas. Additionally, keeping them out of trash and away from dead carcasses should be beneficial as well.

12
Jun
2013

Cat Hairballs: Treatment and Symptoms

categories: Cat Hairballs

Cats are very clean animals, but they can’t simply hop in the shower when they need to remove dirt or oils from their fur. A cat relies on their tongue for all of their cleaning chores. Unfortunately, this can lead to a lot of ingested hair, especially as the seasons change and your pet undergoes a major shed. Loose hair accumulates in the stomach or intestines, creating a hair ball. Watching your pets for signs of these internal issues and treating them promptly could help you avoid costly surgeries or a mess on your rug.

Both long and short haired cats can develop these wads of hair, but long haired felines are definitely at a higher risk. When your pet has a full ball developed in its stomach, it may try to vomit it back out. Most cat hairballs become too large to pass through the other end very quickly. Regular vomiting, attempts at vomiting, and general loss of appetite often indicate a blockage. You may notice your pet is worn out or has a hard and bloated stomach as well. If they stop using the litter box, invest in immediate vet attention. Complete intestinal blockages are possible and will threaten the life of your pet.

There’s no need to worry about hairballs if you add a few simple and natural products to your routine. Most commercial hairball treatments are based on petroleum jelly to lubricate the hairball. However, this jelly also blocks vitamin absorption through the digestive system. For long term use, choose natural hairball treatments containing fish oils, psyllium husks to help push the hair through, and other safe ingredients. Brushing your pet daily during the shedding seasons will also minimize the amount of hair they ingest – and the amount of loose fur that ends up on your furniture.

12
Jun
2013

How to Treat Cat Constipation

categories: Cat Constipation

Male tabby cat (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A common symptom that cats suffer from is constipation. And while such a condition is fairly common in felines, the symptoms of cat constipation can be anything from painful bowel movements to discomfort to, in more extreme cases, even death. Constipation can stem from a variety of issues and lead to more advanced stages of constipation depending on the severity of the situation. It’s why if your cat is constipated or experiencing abnormal digestive behavior, you should seek immediate consultation with your veterinarian.

Veterinarians help treat conditions such as constipation. They may do so in a variety of ways, including:

Laxatives: Nothing accelerates the digestive system quite like a laxative. However, many laxatives that are suitable for other animal species, such as saline and stimulant laxatives, are not safe for cats to take. That’s where anti-constipation formulas, designed specifically for felines, come in handy. For instance, Lax-eze is a specialty formula for cats that helps to get things moving in the digestive system.
Stool softening: Often times cats experience constipation when their feces is either too large or too hard in their digestive system. If that’s the case, the best remedy is to loosen the stool in order for it to more easily pass. This can be done by entering the cats rectum and attempting to loosen the stool with a certain chemical. This is best done by a veterinarian who understands the workings of the cat’s rectum and can safely and effectively complete such a procedure.
High Fiber Foods: It’s joked that Raisin Bran is a sure-fire way to get the digestive system working in humans. Why? Because it contains a lot of fiber. While we don’t recommend feeding Raisin Bran to your cat, you can attempt to remedy the constipation situation by feeding your animal foods that are high in fiber. Your vet may prescribe a medicine or recommend a food such as canned pumpkin to try to kick the digestive system into gear.
Prevention: One thing your vet will certainly be sure to do as your cat’s treatment comes to a conclusion is recommend ways to prevent such an issue from occurring again. While genetics plays a role in feline health issues, health issues such as constipation can be solved with a combination of proper diet and a proper dose of vitamins and minerals.

Failure to address conditions such as constipation can have dire consequences on your cat’s behavior and life. Bloody stool, defecation outside of the litter box – potentially on furniture and carpeting – weight loss and pain and discomfort are all common signs of cat constipation. And as we told you in the opening, failure to seek proper treatment can be deadly. That’s why the first sign of constipation should be addressed with a vet.

12
Jun
2013

Can Dogs Have Asthma?

categories: Dog Asthma

Symptoms of asthma usually include shortness of breath and wheezing. These breathing problems occur because of spasms and constrictions of the bronchi and trachea, which are the large upper airways. Just like people, dogs can develop asthma. Generally, in dogs, this disorder is diagnosed as allergic bronchitis.

This disorder usually begins when the dog has an allergic reaction to something he inhales in his environment causing his upper airways to inflame and fill with mucus, and then the spasms begin. Sadly, if a dog suffers with this condition for a long time, it can damage the delicate tissues that line his respiratory tract.

Asthma Attack Symptoms Vary

The symptoms of an asthma attack in a dog vary greatly from an occasional problem breathing to severe breathing difficulties that approach suffocation. Unfortunately once it becomes severe, it is rarely reversible and is considered as chronic bronchitis. In extremely severe cases, he may resort to breathing through his mouth and his gums may turn a bluish color because of oxygen deprivation. If a dog’s asthma attack becomes severe and he has a dry, raspy cough, he needs immediate veterinary care or he may not survive.

What to Look For

Dogs of any age can suffer with allergic bronchitis. One of the most common symptoms is a chronic, dry hacking cough. This cough can come on suddenly or gradually occur.

Signs to watch for include:

Sluggishness
Poor appetite
Breathing through the mouth
Shortness of breath/wheezing
Blue or purple gums/tongue
Weight loss
Difficulty with exercise

Treatment

While veterinarians do have medications that will assist with allergic bronchitis, many have unwanted side effects. For this reason, numerous pet owners have decided to look into natural treatments.

There is a lung strengthening and a lung-clearing product called Fresh Aire Lung Formula. A veterinarian created this formula and it has been used for more than 20 years in the treatment of congestion and breathing issues related to asthma, coughing, sneezing and cardiac problems in cats and dogs. Other herbs that are helpful with this disorder areechinacea,inulahelenium,plantagolanceolata and marshmallow.

If your furry friend is suffering with asthma, consider getting him the help he needs so he can breathe, eat and play happily once again.

12
Jun
2013

Angelica and Dog Allergies

categories: Dog Allergies

Allergy season is approaching and doctors are forecating that the 2013 allergy season may be one of the roughest seasons for those with allergies than they have seen in decades. The drastic weather changes occuring across the globe are creating a rapid temperature change, which creates trees to and grass to pollunate faster and more heavily than when the seasons change gradually. Although there are numerous over the counter and prescription medications that allergy sufferers can take for relief, there are also many natural remedies that can be very beneficial and have little to no risk of side effects. Angelica archangelica is a biennial plant with sweetly scented stems and roots. Angelica has been shown to be a great herbal treatment for allergies, specifically dog allergies.

Typical alllergy symptoms include a stuff

Angelica archangelica (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

y nose, chronic headaches, breathing problems and congestion. When consumed, wild angelica has properties similar to an expectorant medication, which allows the herb to clear nasal passages and break up congestion. Aside from congestion relief, angelica also allows the blood to flow through the body easier. This can decrease puffiness in the eyes, as well as the itchinees and swelling that comes from dog allergies.

The recommended dosage of angelica for the treatment of any type of allergy is between 300mg and 500mg. Angelica archangelica can be bought in pill form, and when taken on a daily basis, can decrease allergy symptoms, both seasonal and pet related. Angelica archangelica has been used in Chinese medicine for thousands of years.

Previous 1 … 18 19 20 21 Next