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Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Nasal Discharge In Cats

In cats, chronic viral nasal disease develops from one of two viruses involved in upper-respiratory tract diseases. Both the feline rhinotracheitis virus (FVR) and feline calici virus (FCV) are extremely contagious. Clinically, the difference between these two viruses is unnecessary for diagnosis and treatment.

Symptoms and Causes

The typical signs associated with chronic viral disease include sneezing, bilateral nasal discharge, nasal bleeding, increased breathing sounds, and discharge from the eyes. Any bleeding associated with viral disease is usually very minimal; however, if nasal bleeding becomes extreme, it may be suggestive of a tumor.

Nasal discharge from one side of the nose is more typical of a foreign body, tumor, or tooth-root abscess. Moderate to severe bleeding or deformity of the facial bones suggests an erosive process, such as cancer fungal or a foreign body.

To differentiate chronic viral nasal disease from other causes of feline upper-respiratory disease, you must know the past health of the cat. Any previous signs of acute infection would be expected with viral disease. An old injury or prior trauma might have healed externally but resulted in deep bone damage or changes in the nasal anatomy which can lead a patient to be predisposed to nasal disease.

Diagnosis

A cat with chronic viral nasal disease is generally in good condition. Chronic viral nasal disease can be diagnosed only by the elimination of other upper respiratory conditions, such as cancer, foreign bodies, bacterial disease, allergic disease, fungal disease, polyps, dental disease, and prior trauma. Not only will this guide your veterinarian in the proper course of treatment, but will also give you an accurate prognosis. If the diagnosis becomes chronic viral nasal disease, you may expect a long-term treatment or potentially negative results.

Your veterinarian will examine the skull and hard palate very carefully, along with an eye examination. The viruses involved in upper-respiratory diseases do not cause mass lesions or inflammation of the inner structures of the eye. If these problems are identified, then viral disease is unlikely.

To rule out the possibility of cancer, the lymph nodes around the cat's head and neck are also carefully examined. Your veterinarian may also look for a discharge from both sides of the nose or from the cat's eyes. After antibiotics are discontinued, there may be sneezing and relapse of symptoms. These signs are similar to what would be seen in a cat with a polyp.

If the history suggest a systemic cause, then a complete blood count, serum chemistry profile, urinalysis, and chest x-rays are indicated. These tests should also be done if there is any concern about anesthetic risk for the next phase of the examination.

The second phase of examination involves more aggressive testing, such as skull x-rays, endoscopy, and nasal biopsies to eliminate non-viral causes for the nasal disease. You may or may not want to continue with this aggressive diagnostic path, depending on the severity of clinical signs and the evidence provided by the history, physical examination, and other less invasive tests.

Treatment

Some form of antibiotic treatment is often prescribed for a cat with chronic viral nasal disease. If the chosen antibiotic is going to be effective, symptoms should improve noticeably in three to five days.

If improvement is evident, your veterinarian will determine the length of time that the antibiotics should be continued. Normally, the dose is tapered off slowly. In some cats, intermittent bouts of sneezing can be controlled by continued administration of low-dose antibiotics.

Symptomatic treatment also includes the use of decongestants, cortisone, and humidification. Your veterinarian will determine the best treatment for your cat. Local decongestant therapy can be very helpful. Local treatment also decreases the chance of systemic side effects. Decongestants can be given topically or orally.

The problem of using cortisone is that it can mask the development of other problems or decrease the ability of the abnormal nasal cavity to cope with infection. Cats who are virus carriers may start actively shedding the virus. Consequently, cortisone should only be used if absolutely necessary and with close monitoring.

Humidification is a very simple way to provide relief to some patients. Increasing the moisture content of the nasal secretions makes it easier for all the material in the nose to drain. Home vaporizers are inexpensive and easily obtainable from local drug stores. Placing the cat in a bathroom while the shower runs may also be helpful.

To increase your cat's comfort, frequently clean your cat's face, nose, and eyes with cotton balls and water. You can also heat the food to help your cat smell it and increase the appetite.

Although cats with chronic viral nasal disease are prone to intermittent attacks of upper-respiratory symptoms, they can lead normal lives. As with any chronic disease, open communication with your veterinarian and realistic therapeutic goals are essential.
http://www.eliminatecatodour.com

Anita Hampton http://www.eliminatecatodour.com

What Is Inside The Head Of A Horse

As you may have figured out, horses do not seem to speak our language. That is why we must learn to adapt and speak theirs. Have you noticed the swivel of their ears, the movements of their hips and the expressions on their face? These things are the way horses communicate with each other and us.

In order to understand their language first we must understand what our body language says to them. Waving arms around in a desperate attempt to get the halter on is sure to cause some alarm. Running towards them in a pasture instead of approaching them calmly can give them the image of a surprise attack by a predator. Remember, when it comes down to it, no horse is bombproof so when you are around your horse make sure your body language is slow and calm. Keeping yourself calm is the first step to helping a horse remain calm.

Horses speak with both ends of their body - unlike us humans who speak with only the top half. Not only are the back and front the ends where the signals come from they are also the ends where injuries to humans come from, so watch what they are telling you.

EARS BACK

Almost all horse people know that when a horse has his/her ears laid flat back something is amiss. The horse could be frightened or in most cases angry. This is a time to watch both ends of the horses body carefully.

Yet this gesture is not always dangerous. The horse could either be listening to commands or noises coming from behind or just be resting out of boredom. As you come to know your horse you will begin to learn the true difference.

EARS FOWARD

Not really anything to worry about right? Happy horses have their ears forward - sometimes but not always. As a horse directs his or her attention to something its ears usually follow. Also ears sticking up high can be signs of mischief or the horse being very alert. Good time to remind your horse you are in charge if his/her attention span flies around during your ride.

GROOMING

Most people approach grooming as something that just needs to be done and nothing else. In truth grooming your horse establishes a bond with you and that horse just as a horse would bond with other horses through grooming in the wild.

If you treat a horse roughly or only do a quick once over with the brush the horse can only assume you are a rough or harsh handler. Whereas if you spend a lot of time grooming and caring for the horse you create a trusting bond with it.

View more equine articles and classifieds at - http://www.horsegalore.com/index.php?option=com_content

Shannon Margolis

Socializing Your Puppy: Is it Important?

Virtually all breeders, trainers and dog lovers agree the single most important factor in having a well-adjusted and calm dog or puppy is to provide appropriate socialization experiences starting at the youngest possible age. These socialization experiences need to be done on a daily basis, especially with the more aggressive or timid breeds to prevent the natural tendencies towards these behaviors to become established.

Puppy Socialization

In nature the adult dogs and his or her brothers and sisters socialize a puppy. Puppies learn that when they bite too hard they get bitten back, or they are growled at but the adult dogs. When the puppy is removed from the mother and brothers and sisters prior to this socialization it is up to the humans to complete this training. When the puppy bites or chews and is hurtful the adult must respond in a way that shows displeasure with the actions of the puppy. This usually involves a louder and rapid Ouch or Dont bite followed by ignoring the puppy for a few minutes. Usually this is all that is required. If the dog is slapped or spanked when they bite they may, in fact, become more aggressive as they are trying to tell you that they are being hurt. If your puppy does not respond to the Ouch or Stop command try substituting a chew toy to teach them the appropriate thing to bite on. They should be praised for chewing on the toy and not biting a person.

Some breeds will naturally nip or heel. This is particularly true for herding dogs such as Border Collies, Australian Cattle Dogs, Corgi breeds and Sheepdogs of all varieties. A squirt bottle full of water is often all that is needed to teach these highly intelligent breeds to herd animals, not humans. Puppies and dogs that are working breeds need to challenged mentally and need to be given commands and work to do to keep occupied.

A puppy should be introduced to as many new types of animals, situations and environments as possible. This means that puppies should get the opportunity to ride in the car, walk through the park, and be around lots of other people, dogs and other animals. The more that puppies experience the world in a positive way the less likely they are to become aggressive or shy or fearful as adult dogs.

Some breeds are more prone to overly aggressive or timid behavior. These breeds should have particular emphasis placed on socialization to prevent issues arising as the dogs age and become more aggressive or afraid. Dogs that are not properly socialized respond to new situations by either trying to flee or trying to fight, both that are usually very undesirable responses.

Socialization can occur naturally if you take your puppy to the park or to a puppy obedience class. It is very important that you monitor the puppys response and offer support and encouragement or praise when the puppy interacts with other dogs in a desirable manner. Avoid situations where the puppy becomes frightened or fearful of other animals as this can prompt an aggressive response.

By keeping the socialization positive and ongoing it is relatively simple to keep your dog well behaved around other animals and people. If you have having challenges with socializing your dog consider taking an obedience class and getting the assistance of a professional trainer.

Kelly Marshall is a popular contributor at http://www.ohmydogsupplies.com - where you can find dog beds, dog steps, pet ramps, and more unique dog gear that you'll never find at your local pet store.

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