Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Cat - Lyme Disease in Dogs

It is hard to get an early diagnosis of lyme disease in animals including your own dog. The first sign of lyme disease in humans is a rash, well; animals do not develop this rash. Lyme disease is also not one of the first illnesses that the veterinarian looks for when you take your dog in for a visit. Many other common illnesses can produce some of the same symptoms, so it can be hard to detect.

Lyme disease does affect each dog different as it does with humans. Many dogs that are affected with lyme disease seem to be in pain and many stop eating. They may even run very high fevers. Lyme disease affects the entire body and some dogs may become lame and then even if untreated the lameness can disappear but can reappear later on. Your dog may not even show any signs of an illness for a long period of time and in fact have lyme disease, and then the symptoms can show up a year later.

Diagnosis of lyme disease can be done with a blood test. But, if your dog has had the illness for a long time even confirming that it is, in fact lyme disease can be hard to prove. In many cases, the antibodies that are present when a dog has lyme disease may have already disappeared or have not been created yet.

So, of course, the best way to go to ensure that your dog does not contract lyme disease is in the prevention. Always groom your dog after they have been outdoors in and around where ticks live, high grass, thick brush, or even in the woods.

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Cat - Is Your Cat Not Using The Litter Box?

Many people have this problem with their cats! Truth is, there are several things that can cause your cat to stop using their litter box. Medical problems, stress, and litter box conditions are three of the top reasons for house soiling. Fortunately, the problem can be avoided and usually solved by following a few simple steps.

Perhaps your cat is avoiding the litter box because of a medical condition. If pain is caused while going to the bathroom, your cat may avoid their litter box because they identify their bathroom area with pain. If your cat normally uses the litter box and suddenly stops, it is important to make sure it is not part of a medical condition by calling a veterinarian.

If your cat is avoiding their litter box because of stress, look for ways to de-stress your cat. Make sure they have privacy for sleeping and resting. It's important for your feline to have a quiet place to escape from the stress that other cats, dogs or children can cause.

Here are some more quick things you can do to avoid stress on your cat. Provide several designated scratch posts in the house. Toys and catnip can also be a good means for stress relief. If you have an indoor cat, give them a safe place to go outdoors. A fenced yard or a porch can make a nice temporary escape.

Your cat avoiding their litter box due to unfavorable conditions is a problem that is easy to solve. Consider that cats must have privacy in their bathroom area. Sometimes they even prefer a dark room to a lit one. Make sure there are not loud noises in their litter box area. A washing machine or dryer can be irritating and cause your cat to seek a quieter place to do their business.

You might also try using multiple litter boxes in the house. For example, if your house has several floors then put at least one litter box on each floor. Does their litter box have a lid? Try taking the lid off or changing their litter to a different type. (Of course this could also be a cause of your cat not using the litter box as well)

It is usually pointless to punish your cat for not using the litter box. Chances are, your cat will not understand why they're being punished and you will aggravate the problem. First, rule out that your cat does not have a medical condition by calling your vet. Then try a combination of the other methods and you should be well on your way to solving your cat's house soiling problem.