Common diseases in dogs and cats raised at home and how to prevent them that you need to know
Keeping dogs and cats at home can bring joy and enjoyment to life. However, raising and taking care of them is not easy, especially when they are sick. Therefore, to limit your pet from getting sick, you need to know information about the types of diseases that pets often encounter. And what do you need to do to prevent them from getting sick? Regular veterinary checkups, a healthy diet and good hygiene practices are essential to prevent these conditions. Here are some common diseases in dogs and cats:
Common Diseases in Dogs
- Parvovirus (Parvo)
- Symptoms: Severe vomiting, diarrhea (often bloody), lethargy, and loss of appetite.
- Prevention: Vaccination, avoiding contact with infected dogs.
- Treatment: Intensive veterinary care, including hydration and medication.
- Distemper
- Symptoms: Fever, nasal discharge, coughing, lethargy, reduced appetite, vomiting, and diarrhea.
- Prevention: Vaccination.
- Treatment: Supportive care, antibiotics for secondary infections.
- Kennel Cough
- Symptoms: Dry, hacking cough, nasal discharge, lethargy, loss of appetite, and fever.
- Prevention: Vaccination, avoiding exposure to infected dogs.
- Treatment: Rest, antibiotics, and cough suppressants.
- Heartworm
- Symptoms: Mild persistent cough, reluctance to exercise, fatigue, decreased appetite, weight loss.
- Prevention: Regular heartworm preventive medication.
- Treatment: Medications, restricted activity, and in severe cases, surgery.
- Lyme Disease
- Symptoms: Fever, loss of appetite, reduced energy, lameness, swelling of joints.
- Prevention: Tick control (tick preventives), vaccination.
- Treatment: Antibiotics.
- Fleas and Ticks
- Symptoms: Itching, redness, skin infections, hair loss.
- Prevention: Regular flea and tick preventives.
- Treatment: Medications, shampoos, and environmental control.
- Obesity
- Symptoms: Excessive weight, difficulty moving, lethargy.
- Prevention: Balanced diet, regular exercise.
- Treatment: Weight management plan, increased physical activity.
Common Diseases in Cats
- Feline Upper Respiratory Infections (URIs)
- Symptoms: Sneezing, nasal discharge, eye discharge, coughing, fever, ulcers in the mouth or around the nose.
- Prevention: Vaccination, keeping infected cats isolated.
- Treatment: Antibiotics, supportive care, fluids.
- Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV)
- Symptoms: Lethargy, fever, weight loss, recurring infections.
- Prevention: Vaccination, keeping infected cats isolated.
- Treatment: No cure, but supportive care and management of symptoms.
- Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)
- Symptoms: Weight loss, recurrent fever, lethargy, enlarged lymph nodes.
- Prevention: Keeping cats indoors, avoiding fights with infected cats.
- Treatment: No cure, but supportive care and management of symptoms.
- Feline Panleukopenia (Feline Distemper)
- Symptoms: Vomiting, diarrhea, fever, lethargy, loss of appetite.
- Prevention: Vaccination.
- Treatment: Supportive care, fluids, antibiotics for secondary infections.
- Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD)
- Symptoms: Difficulty urinating, frequent urination, blood in urine, licking of genital area.
- Prevention: Proper diet, hydration, stress management.
- Treatment: Dietary changes, medication, and in severe cases, surgery.
- Hyperthyroidism
- Symptoms: Weight loss, increased appetite, hyperactivity, vomiting, diarrhea.
- Prevention: Regular veterinary check-ups.
- Treatment: Medication, radioactive iodine therapy, surgery.
- Obesity
- Symptoms: Excessive weight, difficulty moving, lethargy.
- Prevention: Balanced diet, regular exercise.
- Treatment: Weight management plan, increased physical activity.
Preventive Measures for Both Dogs and Cats
To keep your pet healthy and less susceptible to the above diseases, always remember that prevention is better than cure. Therefore, please refer to the disease prevention information that we want to provide below:
- Regular Veterinary Check-Ups:
- Ensure your pet gets regular check-ups to detect and treat any health issues early.
- Vaccinations:
- Keep your pet’s vaccinations up to date to prevent common infectious diseases.
- Parasite Control:
- Use flea, tick, and worm preventives as recommended by your vet.
- Proper Nutrition:
- Feed your pet a balanced diet suitable for their age, size, and health status.
- Exercise:
- Provide regular physical activity to maintain a healthy weight and mental stimulation.
- Hygiene:
- Maintain good hygiene, including regular grooming and dental care.
By knowing common diseases and taking preventative measures, you can help your pet stay healthy and spend less money when they get sick and see the veterinarian. In other articles we will discuss in more detail ways to prevent and treat simple diseases for your pet.
