Coccidia is an intestinal  protozoan parasite seen in dogs and cats, most commonly seen in young pets under stressful conditions such as in kennel or pet store situations.  In fact, low numbers of coccidia are present in the digestive tracts of healthy pets.  During periods of growth or stress, these parasites may overgrow causing clinical signs of diarrhea, loss of appetite and weight loss.   Transmission may also occur through the feces of affected pets to other nearby animal.

Coccidiosis is most commonly diagnosed by detecting the characteristic eggs on fecal exam.  While some pets may develop severe and even bloody diarrhea, treatment is usually highly effective, and most commonly includes drugs of the sulfa class such as Albon.   On occasion vets have used Metronidazole, which is also effective in some cases.  Most healthy adult pets usually do not have problems with these parasites.  If an infection is detected in adult pets, I will usually place these animals on a good source of probiotics and enzymes such as NaturVet Digestive Enzymes to help strengthen the immune system of the gut. .

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One of the most frustrating oral diseases seen in dogs and especially cats is one called stomatitis.   Stomatitis is defined as an inflammation of the structures of the oral cavity including the gums, cheeks,  palate and sometimes throat.   In many patients this starts out occurring around the teeth, but eventually may spread to involve any area of the mouth.

While bacteria may be involved as instigating factors, the exact reason why stomatitis occurs is not known.   It is believed that an overactive immune response of the immune system to antigens or tissues of the oral cavity may be involved.  This overactive immune response will lead to symptoms of inflammation and redness, ulceration, drooling and foul odor.  In severely affected pets, the ability to eat and drink may be compromised.  Diagnosis is often suspected from direct visual exam; however, biopsy of the affected tissues of the mouth is necessary for a definitive diagnosis.

While ultrasonic dental cleaning and extraction of diseased teeth, as well as antibiotics may be helpful, these still do  not address the underlying cause of stomatitis in most cases.   In many causes immune suppressive medications with drugs such as Prednisone and gold salts may be needed.  Other drugs including Azathioprine and Cyclosporine may also be needed in more serious cases.  Mouth washes, including Chlorihexidine flushes, may also be helpful to soothe ulcerated and inflamed tissues.  The prognosis for cure of stomatitis is certainly guarded; however with aggressive medical and sometimes surgical treatment, most pets may lead normal lives.

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One of the most common concerns and questions that animal guardians will ask is in regards to the character and feel of a dog’s nose.  Many animal guardians often feel that their pets must have a cold and wet nose in order to be healthy, and that a dry nose means that their pet is sick.  Except in cases of dehydrated dogs (where the nose may occasionally appear dry), there is often no special significance as to whether a pet’s nose is dry or wet.

It is more important to look at other clinical symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite or energy as more important indicators as to whether a pet is sick.   In certain cases, particularly of respiratory tract disease, what can be more important regarding signs of illness, is the type of discharge from the nasal passages.  For example, in many cases of upper respiratory infections or infectious kennel cough, pets may develop thick yellow or green discharge as part of their clinical history.  If these symptoms are noted at home, it is important that a pet be examined by a local veterinarian for the possibility of infection and the likely need for prescription antibiotic therapy.

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One of the more common questions asked in veterinary dermatological practice involves cleaning pets’ ears.  The frequency of ear cleaning needed will depend upon several factors, including the presence of pre-existing ear disease, anatomic conformation, as well as presence of wax and/or discharge.

Certain breeds, including many Retrievers and Cocker Spaniels, will need their ears cleaned up to a few times weekly as maintenance, because of the tendency to build up wax and discharge.  Many pets, including most cats, often don’t need their ears cleaned at all.  If a pet develops an ear infection with increased inflammation, wax, odor, discharge or pus, then cleaning ears is often an important part of the daily treatment and regimen.

The type of ear infection diagnosed by your veterinarian will determine what is ideal to clean the ears.  Many veterinarians will evaluate the ear discharge under the microscope to see if yeast and/or bacteria are present, both of which usually require different types of ear cleaning solutions.  A few of my favorite all purpose ear cleaning solutions are Epi-Otic Advanced Ear Cleanser and Zymox Otic Enzymatic Solution with Hydrocortisone which can work in a wide variety of types of ears and for various types of discharges. It is easiest to simply flush these solutions liberally down the ear canals and then allow the pet to shake their head, before wiping excessive solution with a dry gauze or cotton balls.

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As with people, pets may suffer from motion sickness when riding in cars or trucks.  While this phenomenon is fairly common, it is not clear why some pets are more predisposed to this than others.

Symptoms of motion sickness may include restlessness, panting, drooling and even vomiting.  Some pets may get so upset that they will learn to vomit on anticipation of even entering a car at rest.   Other pets will develop motion sickness at various points on a long trip.  Treatment of motion sickness usually involves medications such as Benadryl or Dramamine.  A newer veterinary drug known as Cerenia may also be effectively used for motion sickness in pets. A homeopathic remedy known as Cocculus may also be helpful in some circumstances.

Sometimes crating pets or using special restraints while riding in vehicles may help lessen the severity of motion sickness.  Gradually increasing the length of car trips from a few minutes on up may also help to get pets accustomed to longer trips in moving vehicles.

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One of the most frustrating behavioral problems seen in dogs is submissive or excitement urination. This unsightly behavior is most often typically seen when friends or strangers overly greet pets, or lean down and/or reach for nervous pets, who often respond by rolling over on their backs and/or dribbling urination.  Most of the time the pets ears are pinned back and/or their tails are wagging with their heads held low in a submissive posture.

The best way of preventing this is by getting down on the pet’s level first from a distance and reaching one’s hand out, allowing the pet to move slowly toward the outstretched hand. In this way, the pet can first sniff the non-threatening hand, and eventually the pet’s head may be gently stroked.  When approached in such a manner many pets with submissive urination can be cured of this unwanted behavior.

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A common neurological condition that presents in most senior pets is a condition known as idiopathic vestibular syndrome.  This condition often comes on suddenly and in most cases no known eliciting cause is determined.  The most common symptoms of vestibular syndrome include head tilt, rapid involuntary motion of the eyeballs, as well as unsteadiness on the feet and often falling over.  Many pets may vomit because of the likely dizzy sensation they are feeling.

This condition most commonly involves an inflammation of the nervous system involved with balance.  Trauma, toxins and bacteria are usually not involved, which is why we label this condition idiopathic and of unknown origin.  The condition also occurs seasonally in young to middle aged cats for unknown reasons.  Treatment usually includes hospitalization and IV fluids, along with injectable anti-nausea medications and antibiotics to prevent secondary infections.  Often the motion sickness drug Meclizine is used to decrease the likely motion sickness and nausea perceived by affected animals.  The condition will usually self-resolve with or without supportive treatment over a period of several days. Prognosis is therefore excellent.

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There is nothing more distressing than sleeping next to a person who snores. Unfortunately, many pets also suffer from excessive snoring.  While in most cases this is not anything to worry about, there are a few clinical conditions where excessive snoring may indicate a more important medical condition.  For example, many pets with brachycephalic syndrome, or short muzzle syndrome, will often snore due to anatomic abnormalities of the nose and airways.  This is commonly seen in certain breeds such as Boxers, Pugs, and Boston Terriers.

If snoring or respiratory sounds become excessive or difficulty breathing occurs, then these pets should be evaluated by a veterinarian.  In older pets, increased snoring and/or high pitched wheezing sounds may be due to other causes of airway obstruction, including nasal polyps and growths.  In some overweight animals, snoring may be normal due to excessive pressure of abdominal fat on the diaphragm.

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Pets can lose weight for a variety of health reasons.  Dietary inadequacy and/or dietary allergies may be involved in some cases.   Intestinal parasites are also possible.  Any sort of chronic metabolic disease, including inflammation of the liver, kidney or pancreas may also cause weight loss.  Hormonal conditions including Addison’s disease and diabetes also may result in weight loss.  Infectious or inflammatory disease, including inflammatory bowel disease, as well as cancer anywhere in the body are other possible conditions.

Any pet with chronic weight loss should have a full medical evaluation and workup, including a CBC/chemistry blood profile, urine analysis, as well as several stool checks for parasites.   X-rays and/or ultrasound also may be needed. After an extensive workup the cause of chronic weight loss can often be detected.  Prognosis will vary depending upon the specific cause of the weight loss, as well as early detection through these appropriate diagnostic tests.

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Like people, pets may develop defects in the abdominal muscles which may lead to the presence of out-pouchings known as hernias.  One of the most common hernias seen in small animal veterinary practice is a weakness in the area known as the umbilicus located on the midline of the abdomen, leading to what is known as an umbilical hernia.

This will appear to the animal guardian and veterinarian as a puffy swelling over this area, which most commonly can be reduced up into the abdomen with gentle manual pressure.  This hernia is quite common in young puppies, and usually is not a risk to the health of the animal.  In very rare instances, the hernias may become strangulated, but this is extremely uncommon.  In most cases, it is best to have the umbilical hernia repaired surgically at the time of neuter or spay over 6 months of age.  The hernia is cured with this surgical correction.

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