Mar Vista Animal Medical Center. Welcome to the Mar Vista Animal Medical Center. Pet Web Library Our hospital strives to provide informational materials on some of the most common medical concerns of pet dogs & cats. We have adapted this material to the World Wide Web so that the entire global community may benefit.
Topics are arranged below alphabetically. Items with . Signs can be vague or can culminate in a circulatory crisis. Learn more here. Airborne Allergies (Atopic Dermatitis)We get hay fever; dogs get itchy skin. This condition is usually seasonal (but not always), and many treatments are available. Find out the causes and what you can do to relieve your pet’s discomfort. Alopecia XThe name of this condition has changed over the years, finally settling on a term that reflects our lack of knowledge. This condition represents a non- inflammatory hormonally related hair loss in the Nordic breeds.
Cerebellar Hypoplasia (cer·e·bel·lar hy·po·pla·sia) is a disorder found in cats and dogs which causes jerky movements, tremors, and generally uncoordinated. Cerebellar Abiotrophy in Horses. Cerebellar abiotrophy is a degenerative disease affecting the cerebellum, the portion of the horse’s brain responsible for basic. Welcome to the Mar Vista Animal Medical Center. Pet Web Library. Our hospital strives to provide informational materials on some of the most common medical concerns. Skin disorders are among the most common health problems in cats and have many causes. The condition of a cat's skin and coat can be an important indicator of its. Please check the synonyms listing to.
At this time, therapy involves step by step trials, usually starting with neutering. What do the Veterinary Dermatologists tend to agree upon? Read this page for some general recommendations. Anal Sacs. Got a pet who is scooting? Smelling a fishy foul odor?
Cause of Vestibular Disease in Cats. The root of the problem is proposed to be changes involving the peripheral vestibular system which is seated deep within the. Disorders of Eye Movements X. Nystagmus is a rhythmic regular oscillation of the eyes with low velocities in at least one direction.
Noticing some licking under the tail? This page should explain just what is going on. Anemia. Red blood cells are basically little microscopic bags of hemoglobin.
They have no nucleus and thus no DNA. They have no internal structures and thus no ability to perform complicated metabolism. Despite their simplicity, their function is crucial. In the whole patient this translates to lack of energy, poor appetite, pallor, basically an important reduction in life quality. Anorexia. Reduced appetite or even total loss of appetite is an important symptom of illness.
It may take time to work out the cause of the illness and in that time it is important to nutritionally support the sick pet. This article reviews several techniques for getting nourishment in the pet who is unenthusiastic about eating. Arthritis / Joint Disease Information Center. Arthritis and joint disease are common problems with many of our dogs, especially as they grow older.
As this is a complicated topic, we have begun to develop an information center, with separate pages devoted to such issues as the normal joint and common medications used to treat this problem. Aspergillus. Aspergillus is a fungus with which no one likes to admit familiarity.
Aspergillus species are lacy, almost dandelion- like molds that colonize foods left out too long (or any other opportunistic locations). Unfortunately, they also sometimes colonize our pet's bodies (usually a dog's nose). New treatments have made this very difficult condition manageable in many cases. Asthma (Feline)If your cat needs to open its mouth to breathe or if its abdomen moves excessively as it breathes (and its not purring), then it may be suffering from feline asthma. Here is some information as to the causes and possible treatments. Babesia Infection (Canine)Ticks are famous for carrying Lyme's disease but there are far worse things a tick can carry.
Babesia is a common and lethal canine disease worldwide but is not as well known in the U. S. This page has more information about this blood parasite and its disease which is similar to human malaria. Bartonella and Cat Scratch Disease.
Cat Scratch Disease, often called Cat Scratch Fever (thanks to Ted Nugent), is generally a self- limiting infection of people recently scratched by cats, though classically it is actually fleas that carry the infection. Whether cats get sick from this infection or are just carriers is a highly controversial subject. This is a human disease about which all cat caretakers should have some basic knowledge. Biliary Mucocoele. Bile is the fluid made by the liver and stored in the gall bladder and secreted into the intestinal tract to assist with digestion. The ability of the bile to flow is crucial to this operation and, as anyone with gall stones will attest, if the bile doesn't flow discomfort results.
If the bile duct actually obstructs, rupture of the gall bladder can occur and a surgical emergency results. The biliary mucocoele is basically a gall bladder filled with a thick wad of mucus rather than the slippery bile that it is designed for. Oddly, this condition, now fairly common in the scope of liver disease in dogs, was virtually unknown before the 1. Birth of Kittens. Birds do it. Even little cats do it. And what should you do when they've done it?
Here is a primer. Birth of Puppies. Preparing for the pitter- patter of little paws?
Here are some tips on what to expect and what to watch for (or check out the sister page on Care of the Pregnant Dog). Bladder Stones. Struvite, oxalate, urate, silicate, cysteine and combinations thereof. For now the canine calcium oxalate page is available. Bloat. A serious, life- threatening emergency. Learn to recognize the signs to get your dog to the Vet’s in time to possibly save it’s life. Brachycephalic Breeds“Brachycephalic” means short- faced and short- faced breeds of dogs have their own share of unique problems.
Be familiar with what they are. Chronic Bronchitis (Canine)Coughing occasionally is one thing, but fits of coughing month after month is a chronic problem. There are many reasons why a dog might develop an ongoing cough but after ruling out heart disease, tracheal collapse, and other problems, it may turn out that the problem is wear and tear on the airways, leading to a vicious cycle of inflammation. Visit this page for more information. Brucellosis (Canine)Most of us have spayed or neutered dogs and have never heard of this disease. Those who breed dogs, though, need to know all about it as it is an important venereal disease in dogs. Exposure to an infected dog's secretions (cleaning up urine or fetal membranes after a litter is delivered) can transmit the disease to humans.
Every breeding dog needs to be tested for this disease regularly. Need more information? This page has it. Cataracts. Cataracts are an important cause of blindness in the dog.
Through special surgery, it may be possible to restore vision. Would you recognize a cataract if you saw one in your cat or dog? Click here to find out (or learn more about causes and treatments). Cerebellar Hypoplasia.
The cerebellum is the part of the central nervous system involved in the involuntary coordination of movement so that one can move in a coordinated fashion even on uneven terrain, successfully maintaining orientation of up versus down, without falling. When a pregnant cat is infected with the feline distemper virus or vaccinated with a live vaccine during pregnancy, the kittens do not develop normal cerebellar structure. What does this mean for the cat?
Click here and find out. Chocolate Toxicity. We love our chocolate whether we are drinking it in cocoa, licking it an ice cream cone, or gobbling a chocolate bar. Unfortunately, our pets want to share and it is important to realize that chocolate has toxic properties as well as tasty ones. Keep candy out of your pet's reach no matter how tempting it is to share and read this article for signs to watch for. Cholangiohepatitis (Feline)Cholangiohepatitis is the second most common cause of liver failure in the cat: the other three most common causes being hepatic lipidosis, lymphoma, and feline infectious peritonitis. If your cat is in liver failure, these are the four conditions to know about.
Click here to read about this one. Cherry Eye. In the Surgery Suite.
Has a red lump suddenly appeared in the corner of your pet’s eye? What does it mean and what should you do?
Click here to go to The Surgery Suite and find out. Chylothorax. Fluid accumulation in the chest takes space away from the inflating lung. Breathing becomes effortful and the patient can even die. Chylothorax refers to the chest filling with lymphatic fluid.
This page will give you information and treatment options. Clostridium Perfringens. When pets get chronic diarrhea, one of the tests that sooner or later comes up is the test for Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin. Clostridium perfringens is a bacterium and it produces an unpleasant toxin. Read the details here. Coccidia. Coccidia are single- celled parasites that commonly infect young animals housed in groups. It causes a bloody diarrhea that can be severe enough to be life threatening for a very small animal.
This is a very common infection; we probably diagnose several cases each week. Click here to find out more about this strange parasite and how to cure it. Colitis“Colitis” means inflammation of the colon and that spells diarrhea, often with fresh blood or mucus, straining and discomfort for the pet as well as a mess to clean up. We have received many requests to add a page on this condition, and here it is. Constipation & Megacolon. Difficulty in passing stool can mean extra effort (constipation) or complete impossibility (obstipation).
Management can be surgical or with medication, depending on severity. Find out the difference, and find out what Megacolon is, too, on this informative page. Corneal Ulcer. A scratch or scrape on the eye is extremely painful, causing squinting, redness and excess tears.
What do you need to know about taking care of a pet with this condition? Click here to read about the diagnosis and treatment of corneal ulcers and erosions. Cryptosporidium. Cryptosporidiosis is an infection of newly recognized significance in pet animals though we have known since the 1.
This single- celled parasite causes chronic diarrhea in dogs and cats though most infected pets do not show symptoms. This is a parasite that anyone with a suppressed immune system should be well aware of. Click here to read more. Cushing's Disease Information Center.
Excess thirst, excess urination, excess appetite, poor hair coat and a pot- bellied appearance. This is a classical disease for which lots of information is available. We have attempted to include an explanation of this complicated problem and all the latest information. Cytauxzoonosis in the Cat.