Common Pet Conditions

a pot-bellied appearance (1) a transient fever and lymph node enlargement may occur but are often missed. Later (1) abdominal pain (1) abscess)-related red flags and progression (1) affected cats develop recurrent infections (eg (1) and anemia (1) and excessive panting. Owners often notice a “pot-bellied” abdomen due to enlarged liver and weakened abdominal muscles. The skin thins and hair loss occurs – often a symmetric alopecia along the flanks. Recurrent skin infections or delayed wound healing can happen due to cortisol’s immune suppression. Muscle weakness (1) and general poor condition develop. Advanced cases can show persistent fever (1) and have a foul odor. Often there is discharge: it can be brown/black and waxy (common with yeast or mites) or yellowish pus (with bacterial infections). The ear may be painful – dogs may yelp when the ear is touched or tilt the head to one side. In chronic cases (1) and infertility in intact dogs are other possible signs (1) and jaundice (yellowing of gums/eyes) due to liver damage. “Blue eye” (cloudy cornea) can appear during recovery due to immune complexes. Severe infections can cause bleeding (petechiae or bruising) and swelling of the neck/head (1) and loss of appetite. Severe cases (often in puppies) present with high fever (1) and may be rapidly fatal due to liver failure or bleeding (1) and muzzle/eyes (red around eyes or mouth). You may see red (1) and recurrent ear infections or skin infections (hot spots) as secondary issues. Dogs with atopy often have seasonal flares (worse during high pollen seasons) unless allergens are year-round (dust). Flea allergy causes intense back-half itching (1) and recurrent infections (1) and secondary bacterial infections (1) and sometimes signs of anemia or cancer (lymphoma (1) armpits (1) belly (1) bite (1) chew (1) chronic secondary infections (eg (1) depression (1) diarrhea (2) Dogs typically exhibit increased appetite (1) Early infections may be asymptomatic or cause mild fever and lymph node enlargement. Over time (1) ears (leading to ear infections) (1) especially at the base of the tail (1) evaluate for anal sac disease (impaction (1) evaluate for bordetella bronchiseptica infection-related red flags and progression (1) evaluate for canine parvovirus infection-related red flags and progression (1) evaluate for feline calicivirus infection-related red flags and progression (1) evaluate for feline immunodeficiency virus (fiv) infection-related red flags and progression (1) evaluate for feline leukemia virus (felv) infection-related red flags and progression (1) evaluate for feline upper respiratory infection complex-related red flags and progression (1) evaluate for giardia infection-related red flags and progression (1) evaluate for lower respiratory infection (nonspecific)-related red flags and progression (1) evaluate for mycobacterial infection (atypical mycobacteriosis)-related red flags and progression (1) evaluate for nocardia infection-related red flags and progression (1) evaluate for tritrichomonas foetus infection (cats)-related red flags and progression (1) evaluate for upper respiratory infection (nonspecific)-related red flags and progression (1) evaluate for urinary tract infection (cystitis)-related red flags and progression (1) foul-smelling (1) generalized cases show widespread alopecia (1) groin (1) hair loss in patches (from chewing) (1) increased appetite (often very food-motivated) (1) increased thirst and urination (1) infection (1) irritated skin or rash (1) lethargy (3) leukemia) (1) Localized cases present as small patches of hair loss with minimal irritation (1) Many adult dogs show no signs or only soft stools. Symptomatic cases (more common in puppies or stressed dogs) typically have diarrhea that can be acute (1) Mild cases may show fever (1) neurologic issues (1) Often no signs early on. Within 1–3 months after infection (1) often with a greenish tinge or mucus. The diarrhea may be intermittent or continuous and can contain blood in severe infections. Affected dogs might have weight loss and poor coat condition due to malnutrition. Vomiting occurs in some cases. The dog usually remains alert and eating (1) or hearing loss can occur (1) or scratch themselves excessively. Common areas affected include the paws (licking/chewing feet) (1) oral) (1) panting (1) pigmented skin over time (1) poor coat condition (1) recurrent gum infections (1) redness (1) respiratory (1) respiratory or skin infections) (1) signs like imbalance (1) Signs may vary (14) soft or watery (1) swollen (1) Symptoms tend to develop gradually. Common signs are increased thirst and urination (dogs may begin having accidents or need more frequent outings) (1) the ear canal skin may thicken and the opening can narrow. If the infection spreads to the middle/inner ear (1) The hallmark of allergies is itchy skin (pruritus) – dogs will lick (1) thin skin with hair loss (1) though in heavy infestations appetite might decrease (1) Typical signs are the dog shaking the head or scratching the affected ear frequently. The ear canal may be red (1) vomiting (1) walking in circles (1) weight loss (2) with red bumps and hair loss. Chronic allergy can also lead to thickened (1)