The most common pets are, without a doubt, dogs and cats. Despite the fact that a person has long coexisted with them under one roof, they do not become completely independent. Although they say that the cat is on its own, she needs care too. Like a dog. However, despite the abundance of attention of the owners, four-legged friends still sometimes get sick. What are the most common ailments and how to deal with them?
General information
The general health of the animal can be determined by external examination. Inspection of the coat, eyes and ears is also an important component of successful “maintaining the tone” of the pet and a good opportunity to notice the disease early. You should measure your heart rate and breathing. As usual, sick animals sluggishly respond to the call of the owner, become inactive, avoiding sudden movements, lose interest in the environment. There is a decrease in appetite, a condition similar to melancholy. More obvious signs of the disease are fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and increased heart rate. If signs of the disease are found, it is best to seek help from a doctor. Sometimes they can help directly on specialized sites. If not online consultation, then at least with all the necessary information, for example can contribute to raising the level of knowledge about your pet.
If there is nowhere to pull, you can take some action yourself. This requires certainty in the disease and a first aid kit. As for the first-aid kit: it should have at least a medical (and preferably a veterinary) thermometer, a syringe, dressing, a tourniquet, solutions of brilliant green and iodine, ribbons for clamping the jaws. And as for the certainty in the diagnosis, it is, of course, better to see a doctor, but you need to know the general signs of diseases of cats and dogs. These can be infectious diseases, plague, fleas, cat knothedrosis and dog pyroplasmosis.
Infectious diseases
They proceed similarly to people. An increase in body temperature and lethargy are the first signs. In order to avoid infection of other animals, it is best to isolate a sick pet. After overcoming the disease, immunity is developed. And for prevention, vaccinations should be given and the premises should be disinfected.
Fleas
Many pets suffer from fleas. Cats have their own, and dogs have their own. But both of them suck blood from the animal, causing severe itching and leaving the possibility of infection with plague or other dangerous diseases. Because of the itching, the animals begin to bite themselves. Sometimes wool crumbles from them. For treatment, similar methods are used as in the treatment of lice: the use of insecticides. For prophylaxis, it is necessary to periodically conduct pest control of booths, litter and other places of pets.
Plague
In view of the breadth of the spread of this viral disease in dogs, you should know more about it. Dogs are more susceptible to it; in cats, a similar disease is called panleukopenia. Plague develops mainly in the summer.
Appetite decreases, lethargy appears. The nasal “mirror” becomes dry, sometimes vomiting occurs. But the main symptom is fever. In the early days of treatment, special serums are administered. A number of antibiotics are also used, including benzylpenicillin and sulfadimezin. Also, symptomatic drugs are used together, that is, antipyretic drugs, castor oil, etc.