Special Pet Topics
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EmergenciesEmergencies include serious injuries from accidents, burns, poisoning, a new and sudden illness, or worsening of an ongoing illness. These conditions often require immediate veterinary attention. A call to your veterinarian can help you decide what needs to be done next.
- Introduction to Emergencies
- Emergency Care for Dogs and Cats
- Emergency Care for Horses
- Eye Emergencies
- Wound Management
- Lightning Strike and Electrocution
- Minor Injuries and Accidents
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Diagnostic Tests and ImagingWhen you have a health problem, your doctor may order blood tests, imaging, or other tests to help pinpoint the cause of the problem. When your pet has a health problem, your veterinarian will often order similar tests to determine the cause and seriousness of your pet’s condition. Depending on the tests needed and the facilities available at your veterinarian’s clinic, the tests may be performed at the clinic or at a laboratory or test facility in another location.
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InfectionsMicroorganisms are tiny living creatures, such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Microorganisms are present everywhere. Despite their overwhelming abundance, relatively few of the hundreds of thousands of species of microorganisms invade, multiply, and cause illness in animals and people.
- Introduction to Infections
- Defenses Against Infection
- Development of Infection
- Infections in Animals with Impaired Defenses
- Preventing Infections
- Resident Flora
- Infections Caused by Bacteria
- Infections Caused by Rickettsiae
- Infections Caused by Fungi
- Infections Caused by Parasites
- Infections Caused by Viruses
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Diseases Spread between Animals and People (Zoonoses)Diseases passed between animals and people (called zoonotic diseases or zoonoses) present an ongoing public health concern. Many organisms (such as bacteria and viruses) that infect animals can also cause disease in people. These organisms can be passed on in a number of ways. Contact with the animal itself is one way that disease is spread, but other ways include contact with urine, feces, or respiratory secretions of an infected animal, or contact with other items in the animal’s environment. Disease can also be spread through scratches or bites by a pet, or by insects that carry the infection from animals to humans.
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Drugs and VaccinesIf your pet has been diagnosed with a condition or disease that can be managed or cured, your veterinarian will discuss treatment options. He or she will recommend drugs that are necessary, safe, and effective for both the individual animal and the specific disorder. For many conditions, there are a variety of drugs that might be considered as an appropriate treatment. When selecting one to prescribe, veterinarians also consider the dose (amount), the method of action, how often to give the chosen drugs, the best way to give the drug, the particular form (for example, pills, liquid, or ointment) to be used, any public health or environmental effects, and local and state regulations.
- Introduction to Drugs and Vaccines
- How Drugs are Given in Animals
- Effect of Drug Treatment on the Fetus or Newborn Pet
- Guidelines for the Use of Antibiotic Drugs
- Drugs Used to Treat Heart and Blood Vessel Disorders
- Drugs Used to Treat Digestive Disorders
- Drugs Used to Treat Eye Disorders
- Drugs Used to Treat Bone and Muscle Disorders
- Drugs Used to Treat Brain, Spinal Cord, and Nerve Disorders
- Drugs Used to Treat Reproductive Disorders
- Drugs Used to Treat Lung and Airway Disorders
- Drugs Used to Treat Skin Disorders
- Drugs Used to Treat Kidney and Urinary Tract Disorders
- Antiviral Drugs
- Drugs Used to Treat Inflammation
- Drugs Used to Treat Cancers and Tumors
- Vaccines and Immunotherapy
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Pain ManagementAnimals, just like people, feel pain when they are injured or sick. However, recognizing pain in animals can be difficult because animals do not act the same way that people do when they are in pain.
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PoisoningPoisoning occurs when a toxic substance is swallowed, inhaled, or absorbed after coming in contact with the skin, eyes, or mucous membranes. Poisoning is also called toxicosis or intoxication. Because pets are unable to tell whether a substance is poisonous or not, they are often poisoned by eating something toxic, such as antifreeze or a poisonous plant. Pets can also be poisoned by a sting or bite from a venomous insect or snake, or even by a well-intentioned owner giving human drugs that are poisonous to animals.
- Introduction to Poisoning
- Metabolism of Poisons
- Factors Affecting the Activity of Poisons
- Diagnosis of Poisoning
- General Treatment of Poisoning
- Algal Poisoning
- Arsenic Poisoning
- Bracken Fern Poisoning
- Cantharidin Poisoning (Blister Beetle Poisoning)
- Coal-tar Poisoning
- Copper Poisoning
- Cyanide Poisoning
- Ethylene Glycol (Antifreeze) Poisoning
- Fluoride Poisoning
- Food Hazards
- Fungal Poisoning
- Gossypol Poisoning
- Halogenated Aromatic Poisoning (PCB and Others)
- Herbicide Poisoning
- Household Hazards
- Insecticide Poisoning
- Lead Poisoning
- Mercury Poisoning
- Metaldehyde Poisoning
- Nitrate and Nitrite Poisoning
- Nonprotein Nitrogen Poisoning (Ammonia Poisoning)
- Pentachlorophenol Poisoning (Penta Poisoning)
- Petroleum Product Poisoning
- Plants Poisonous to Animals
- Poisoning from Human Over-the-Counter Drugs
- Poisonings from Human Prescription Drugs
- Poisonings from Illicit and Abused Drugs
- Pyrrolizidine Alkaloidosis (Senecio Poisoning, Ragwort Poisoning)
- Quercus Poisoning (Oak Bud Poisoning, Acorn Poisoning)
- Rodenticide Poisoning
- Ryegrass Poisoning
- Salt Poisoning
- Selenium Poisoning
- Snakebite
- Sorghum Poisoning (Sudan Grass Poisoning)
- Spider Bites
- Strychnine Poisoning
- Sweet Clover Poisoning
- Toad Poisoning
- Zinc Poisoning
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Travel with PetsThis resource provides basic information on traveling with your pet, both within the United States and internationally. While the focus is on the United States as the “home country,” many of the principles and suggestions are applicable to travel within or between other countries. Some of the issues facing owners who want or need to travel with their pets will also be addressed. Where complete discussion of a particular issue is not possible, places to obtain additional information are suggested. Alternatives to traveling with your pet are also discussed, because sometimes it is not possible or in your pet’s best interest to bring it with you on your travels.
- Introduction to Travel with Pets
- Travel with Service Animals
- Planning Your Trip
- Regulations Regarding Travel with Animals
- Vaccinations and Preventive Medications for Travel with Pets
- Returning to the United States After Travel Abroad with Pets
- Where to Stay when Traveling with Pets
- Travel by Car
- Air Travel
- Travel by Ship
- Travel by Train
- Alternatives to Travel with Pets
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Health and the Human-Animal BondDogs, cats, and other pets have become an integral part of our everyday lives, they are commonly considered to be family members, and the human-animal bond has become a household term.
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Cancer and TumorsThe rate of cancer among dogs and cats is similar to the rate of cancer among humans. Cats seem to get cancer a little less frequently than humans while dogs seem to develop cancer slightly more frequently than humans. For most species, the chance of cancer occurring goes up with age. For example, cancer is more common in pets 10 years old or older. Among dogs aged 10 or more, just under half of the deaths are due to cancer. However, even young animals can develop cancer; age is not the only factor involved in cancer development.
