 |
|
|
|
 Addison’s Disease AllergiesAmputationAnal Glands ArthritisAural HematomaBite AbscessesBrachycephalic BreedsCanine PregnancyCanine Skin DisordersCataractsChocolate ToxicityCoccidiaCorneal UlcerCranial Cruciate Ligament RuptureDemodectic MangeDiabetes MellitusDry Eye ("KCS")Ear InfectionsEar MitesEosinophilicGranuloma Complex Feline AsthmaFeline House SoilingFeline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) Feline PregnancyFeline Upper Respiratory Disease Flea AnemiaFLUTDGlaucomaGastric Dilatation (Bloat)Heartworm DiseaseHemangiosarcomaHepatic LipidosisHigh Blood PressureHookwormsHorner's SyndromeHypoglycemiaPoison PreventionRat PoisoningRattlesnake BitesSnail Bait Poisoning | 
Do you have questions about your animal’s health, diseases, disorders, treatments, or surgery? Our pet web library was created by the veterinary professionals at Camino Animal Clinic who have been serving the veterinary needs of the Thousand Oaks, CA area for over 25 years.To help you make educated pet-care decisions, we've created this website with the most reliable, up-to-date information on dogs and cats. You are welcome to use our library to research a variety of animal-care topics including anterior cruciate ligament rupture, arthritis, bladder stones, cataracts, diabetes mellitus, glaucoma, heartworm disease, hip dysplasia, lyme disease, parvovirus, rattlesnake bites, and much more. Animal diseases and disorders are organized alphabetically along the side and top of this library. Good communication between veterinarians and owners is a very important part of pet care. We encourage you to ask us questions about the treatment we provide for your animal while you are at the clinic. Our goal is to give you the information you need to make well-informed decisions regarding your pet's health. 
Addison's Disease Addison's disease involves the hormones called corticosteroids. In most cases, parts of the cortisone-producing adrenal glands waste away to such an extent they are only minimally functional. As a result, the adrenals don't produce enough of two types of cortisone crucial to your dog's ability to use energy-containing glucose and balance levels of critical minerals. Read More... Allergies Pets that scratch excessively may be allergic to something. Some pets are affected at certain times of the year, while others have problems only occasionally or continually. Pets may be allergic to such things as flea bites, pollen, mold, grasses, trees, wool, tobacco smoke, certain foods, and even other pets. Regardless of the allergen, the main signs are scratching and chewing the skin, Read More... Amputation of a Limb Limb amputation is a surgical procedure commonly performed in dogs and cats to remove a diseased or injured limb, either front or rear. Amputation may be a life saving procedure for animals that only minimally impacts their comfort and quality of life. Read More... Anal Glands When normal defecation does not effectively empty the anal glands, some dogs and cats experience an accumulation of anal gland fluid. Anal gland disease is a common problem in dogs and cats. The anal glands can become impacted, infected, and abscessed. Read More... Arthritis/Joint Disease Arthritis is a degenerative joint disease in which pain and stiffness develop as a result of wear and tear to the joints involved. Wear and tear, which occurs throughout life, may reach a stage where areas of the cartilage become worn, exposing the underlying bone and leading to pain and/or impaired movement. Read More... Aural Hematoma A hematoma is swelling created by a broken blood vessel after bleeding has occurred inside a tissue. Hematomas within the ear flaps ("aural hematomas") occur when head shaking breaks a blood vessel within the ear flap. The ear flap may partially or completely swell with blood.The swelling may be so large that the opening of the ear canal is occluded. The extra weight of the ear flap may be uncomfortable and may lead to a permanent change in the carriage of the ears. Read More... Bite Abscesses Abscesses are a frequent problem in cats, especially un-neutered males who get into territorial or breeding disputes. During these disputes, the pet may receive a bite or a scratch. If the wound becomes infected, an abscess may form. Neutering your male cat will reduce his desire to fight. Read More... Brachycephalic Breeds Most people are not familiar with the term "Brachycephalic," but if you own a Pug, Boston Terrier, Pekingese, King Charles Spaniel, Boxer, French Bulldog English Bulldog, Brussels Griffon, Japanese Chin, Lhasa Apso or any one of the other breeds with "pushed in" faces, you should become familiar with this word. The word comes from Greek roots "Brachy," meaning short and "cephalic," meaning head.Read More... Canine Pregnancy and Birth of Puppies It is a good idea to keep track of your dog's breeding date so as to know when to expect what. The gestation period of the dog is approximately 63 days, but may range from 58-68 days. After about 35 days of pregnancy, the mother's caloric requirements will begin to increase. In general, she will require about twice as much food as usual. Read More... Canine Skin Disorders Skin diseases are common in dogs. Although seldom fatal, many are chronic. They can be controlled but not cured. Therefore, many skin diseases require frequent, if not lifelong, treatment.Read More... What is a Cataract? A cataract is any abnormal opacity (cloudiness) of the lens or its outer covering (capsule). The opacity may range from a tiny spot to total loss of transparency. Read More... Chocolate Toxicity Chocolate is found in many of the foods we eat, including chocolate candy, ice cream, chocolate drinks, chocolate cakes and pastries. We may be tempted to share our favorite treat with our pets, but chocolate is toxic to pets. Read More... What are Coccidia? Coccidia are single-celled organisms that infect the intestine. These protozoa multiply in the intestinal tracts of dogs and cats, most commonly in kittens and puppies less than six months of age, in adult animals whose immune system is suppressed, Read More... Corneal Ulcer
Any abrasion to the cornea, including a bee sting, rub from a paw, a scratch from a claw or thorn or an invasive infection can abrade the cells on the surface of the dog or cat cornea. Once the surface cells are disrupted the smooth surface of the cornea becomes rough, infective organisms can invaded the spaces between the cells and the area becomes a source of pain and irritation to the animal. Dogs and cats with corneal ulcers commonly will have increased tear production, will squint and rub at their eye. The irritated tissues often become infected.Read More... Cranial Cruciate Ligament Rupture In the knee, rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament allows the femur (thigh bone) to slide back and forth over the tibia (shin bone) as the knee has lost its stability. Over-extension of the knee joint may tear this ligament allowing two bones to slide back and forth causing pain, lameness, and instability. Read More... Demodectic Mange Demodectic Mange is an inflammatory parasitic disease of dogs and rarely cats characterized by the presence of a high number of mites in the hair follicles, which often leads to inflammation and infection. The mite, demodex, is part of the normal biological composition of the skin and is normally present in small numbers Read More... Diabetes Mellitus Typically diabetes mellitus is seen in obese cats that are middle aged or older, and more commonly in males (the opposite of dogs). There is no specific breed predilection in cats.Dogs are typically middle aged and older, with purebred dogs showing a higher incidence. Common breeds are: Miniature Schnauzers, Labrador retrievers, and Miniature poodles. Read More... Dry Eye (Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca or KCS) KCS means inflamed, dry cornea and conjunctiva. It occurs when there is a deficiency in the water portion of the tear film which normally accounts for 95% of the tear volume. Without the water, one is left with oil and mucus; resulting in the yellow eye discharge characteristic of this condition.Read More... Ear Infections Causes of ear infections include ear mites , allergies (especially in reoccurring cases), yeast infection, autoimmune disease, foreign bodies (such as foxtails), obstruction due to cancer, polyps, and excessive hair (common in poodles and schnauzers). Disease of the ear usually stems from over-production of wax as occurs in response to irritation. The moisture of the wax promotes bacterial growth and infection. Read More... Eosinophilic Granuloma Complex The eosinophilic granuloma complex is an incompletely understood condition. For now it is best to view it as an extreme symptom of allergic skin disease. The cause of EGC is unknown; however, an underlying hypersensitivity such as a food allergy, atopy, or insect allergy (particularly to fleas and mosquitoes) often has been associated with these lesions. There are no breed predilections to EGC, but females may be predisposed to development of lesions. Young to middle-age cats usually are affected (average age 3.5 years). Read More... Ear Mites Ear mites are tiny infectious organisms resembling microscopic ticks. The mite can just barely be seen as a small white dot, but usually must be detected by examination of a sample of ear debris under a microscope. Infection usually produces a characteristic dry black ear discharge commonly said to resemble coffee grounds. The discharge is composed of ear wax, blood, inflammatory biochemicals, and ear mites themselves. Most ear mite cases are found in cats, but ear mites can infect dogs. Read More... Feline Asthma Asthma is a recurring respiratory compromise that occurs when the lung airways constrict either spontaneously or in response to stimuli. Excess mucus forms, airways swell with inflammation and can ulcerate, and the airway muscles go into spasm leading to constriction. Airway constriction leads to inability to take a deep breath, intolerance to exercise, coughing, and wheezing. Not all of these signs need be observed. An acute asthmatic crisis can arise at any time and can represent a life-threatening event. Read More... Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) FIV stands for feline immunodeficiency virus just as HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. In fact, these two viruses are closely related and much of the general information that has become common knowledge for HIV also holds true for FIV. FIV is a virus that causes AIDS in cats. There is a long asymptomatic period before AIDS occurs and our job is to prolong this asymptomatic period. The average life expectancy from the time of diagnosis for FIV is 5 years. Read More... Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) FIP is a rare disease, although it is fatal. It is seen more often in cats less than 2 years of age and older than 10 years of age. Multiple cat households, along with cats that spend time outdoors, are most susceptible. The virus that causes this disease is spread by respiratory secretions and feces. Litter that is contaminated with the virus is easily trapped on a cats fur, which is ultimately swallowed when the cat grooms. Cats infected with FeLV also are more at risk of developing this disease.Read More... Feline Pregnancy and Birth of Kittens The feline reproductive system is seasonal. Therefore, cats are designed to give birth only during warm months (Spring through early Fall).The female cat begins cycling when she has reached 80% of her adult size and when the days are appropriately long. This could be as young as 5 months of age. After age 7 or 8, cycles become irregular and there are more complications with birth so it is important to breed cats before this time. Read More... Feline Upper Respiratory Disease Feline Upper Respiratory Disease is characterized by many symptoms including: sneezing, nasal discharge, runny eyes, cough, oral or nasal ulcers, sniffles, fever, hoarse voice, or a combination of any of these.Read More... Flea Anemia We all know that fleas bite and can make pets itch. Just one flea bite can cause dramatic skin inflammation in a pet with allergies. However, many people do not know that fleas drink blood and that large numbers of fleas can consume a significant amount of blood. This can result in the physical state of inadequate red blood cells, which is called ANEMIA.Read More... FLUTD (Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease) WSome cats with FLUTD develop crystals in their urine. In the male cat, these crystals can block his urethra preventing him from urinating even though the bladder still fills. Sometimes, a plug can form and also block the urethra. FLUTD is a serious disease and if left untreated, it can result in death..Read More... Gastric Dilatation and Volvulus ("Bloat & Torsion") There are many injuries and physical disorders which represent life-threatening emergencies. However, the condition called gastric dilatation and volvulus, "bloat" arises quickly and needs immediate medical attention.Read More... Glaucoma Glaucoma is increased eye pressure caused by fluid buildup in the eye. Glaucoma is due to an obstruction to the drainage of aqueous humor from the eye.Read More... Heartworm Disease Heartworms are the most life-threatening canine parasites. They reside in the dog's heart and pulmonary arteries, causing heart failure and eventually death.Read More... Hemangiosarcoma Hemangiosarcoma is a malignant tumor of blood vessel cells. With the exception of the skin form (which can often be eliminated by surgery), a diagnosis of hemangiosarcoma is bad news. This tumor is associated with serious internal bleeding and rapid internal spread. Fortunately, it is not a completely without therapy options and, as long as expectations are realistic, temporary remissions are possible.Read More... Hepatic Lipidosis ("FATTY LIVER") Feline hepatic lipidosis is a common condition in cats in which the liver accumulates a large amount of fat and the liver cannot function normally. It is a very serious disease, and unless treated aggressively, can be fatal.Read More... High Blood Pressure High blood pressure is an extremely important concern in human medicine. High stress lifestyle, smoking, and high salt diet all contribute to this potentially dangerous condition and virtually everyone in the U.S. knows how serious it can be. But what about our pets? They do get high blood pressure especially with increasing age and here is what you probably should know. Read More... Hookworms The hookworm (Ancylostoma caninum) (the egg in the middle of the picture above) is one of the classical internal parasites of puppies, the others being roundworms, tapeworms, and coccidia. (There are species of hookworms that infect cats but hookworm infection in the cat is not nearly as common as hookworm infection in the dog.) Animals can be infected by ingestion of larvae from contaminated soil or water; by eating an infected transport host; through larvae penetrating their skin; and by larvae infecting fetuses or the young in the uterus or through the milk.Read More... Horner's Syndrome Horner's Syndrome is a group of signs that occurs when specific muscles of the face lose their stimulation by certain nerves, specifically the sympathetic nerves. It is caused by some type of injury to, or lesion of, the nerves. The injury may occur at the level of the brain, upper spinal cord, or between the spinal cord and the face.Read More... Hypoglycemia Toy breeds like chihuahuas, pomeranians, toy poodles, maltese, and yorkshire terriers have incredibly small babies. They have trouble maintaining body temperature, get their baby teeth in late and therefore have trouble with kibbled foods, and they have difficulty maintaining blood sugar. Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) creates listlessness, incoordination, and even seizures.Read More... Poison Prevention Pets are not immune from poisonings, accidental or intentional. Dogs are especially prone to poisonings as they can and do eat almost anything. The three most common causes of serious poisonings in dogs are snail baits containing metaldehyde, rat poisons containing blood thinners, and ethylene glycol antifreeze. Only a little can cause life-threatening poisoning. Prevent potential pet dangers by using the following guidelines. Read More... Rat Poisoning Trapping of rodents is a slow process and may take time to control the problem. Poisoning is an easier, quicker, and more economical way to control the problem, but it has its consequences. These consequences include the possibility of our pets (both dogs and cats) and wildlife (raptors, bobcats, coyotes, and mountain lions) ingesting the poison directly or indirectly through ingestion of a dead or dying rat. Read More... Rattlesnake Bites Rattlesnake bites are common during the warm months in many regions of California. Bites from venomous snakes can be horribly painful and result in permanent damage. However most animals will survive if taken immediately to a veterinarian for treatment. Cats and small dogs may have a poorer prognosis due to their body size compared to the venom dose. Read More... Snail Bait Poisoning In California, snail bait constitutes the most common poisoning agent in the dog. Most cases are inadvertent as many gardens have snail problems. Snail bait is commonly formulated in pellets and flavored with molasses or bran to attract snails. Animals can be affected by ingesting the bait directly, or eating snails, slugs, or rats that have eaten the bait. Snail baits are also available as liquids and powders which can get onto paws and be licked off during normal grooming. Very little snail bait is required to cause poisoning (less than a teaspoon per 10 lbs of body weight). Read More... |
|
|
