29/03/2019
If you are a dog or cat owner, then watch out for these five common illnesses.
1.Diabetes mellitus – a permanently elevated blood sugar level characterises this illness. As in humans, animals can have type I or type II diabetes. The most common symptom is that your animal is drinking a lot and weeing a lot. Sometimes you can notice that despite eating regularly, your animal is losing weight. The reason for this is that your pet cannot take the energy from the food you are giving him/her. Sometimes you will achieve better control of the disease if your pet is fed a special diet, ask your vet or us for more details.
2.Cushing Syndrome – this disease is characterised by an increase in the cortisol blood level. You might have already heard of cortisol since it is the hormone involved with stress. The problem could be either in the hypophysis (a small gland in the brain) or in one of the two adrenal glands (adrenal glands are located very close to the kidneys). The management of this disease involves daily medications for life and routine blood tests. The blood performed is usually called a "stimulation test", since the vet will take a blood sample at time zero, administer a special drug and then take another blood sample after a set amount of time. The difference in cortisol between the two samples will tell if the disease is under control. The main symptoms are, as for diabetes mellitus, drinking a lot and weeing a lot, but also a change in the coat condition which becomes very thin. This syndrome is sporadic in cats.
3.Hypothyroidism in dogs and hyperthyroidism in cats. These two conditions affect the thyroid gland. The difference is that in hypothyroidism the thyroid is not producing enough hormones, while in hyperthyroidism it is producing too much. Albeit, both dogs and cats, can have hypo- and hyperthyroidism, dogs tend to have more commonly hypothyroidism and cats are more prone to hyperthyroidism. The treatment for hypothyroidism consists of tablets. However, for hyperthyroidism in cats, there are many treatments, and we recommend you discuss which one would suit you and your feline friend best with your vet. The main symptoms for hypothyroidism: lethargy, weight gain, hair becoming thin. While for hyperthyroidism: weight loss, vomiting, diarrhoea and behavioural changes.
4.Pyometra (only for entire females) – this illness is extremely dangerous, and it can be life-threatening. A pyometra is just a uterus full of puss. It can be open if you can see the discharge coming out of the v***a, or it can be closed if it is “sealed” into the womb. The treatment is surgical. The symptoms vary, ranging from lethargy to drinking a lot, anorexia, vomiting and diarrhoea.
5.Atopy (allergy) – dogs and cats can have an allergy as humans do. I had a canine patient, once, that was allergic to human skin! Allergies can arise at any point during the life of an animal, for example, when the animal becomes allergic to the food that the pet has always eaten without any problems. It is vital that ectoparasite prevention is performed properly to ensure we exclude other “itchy” skin illnesses, like fleas or mange. In addition to this, some animals can show allergies as recurrent ear problems. The treatment ranges from immunosuppressants, immunotherapy and corticosteroids
