7 Routine Pet Health Issues: What You Need to Know
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Our pets are faithful companions, protective security, and fun playmates. And they depend on us to take care of them. So what’s the best way to ensure your furry friends live long, healthy lives?
Knowledge.
The more you understand about potential health issues, the easier it is to give the right care.
Like people, pets are not immune to common health conditions that may pop up. Most of the conditions we’ll cover today are easy to remedy with early intervention.
Let’s take a closer look at these 7 common pet health issues …
Ear Infections
One of the most common issues found in both cats and dogs are ear infections. Typically, they’re not serious. But it can be difficult to watch your fur-baby shaking her head and pawing at her ears.
Ouchy!
If Fido or Fluffy is experiencing pain or discomfort due to an ear infection, you’ll likely be able to spot the signs.
Symptoms to watch out for include:
- Head shaking
- Unpleasant odour
- Excessive scratching
- Lack of balance
- Redness or swelling
- Brown, yellow, or bloody discharge
Ear infections can be caused by all kinds of things, like:
Don’t be too hard on yourself-your pet’s ear ache probably wasn’t caused by anything you did (or didn’t do).
Still, ear infections can be painful. If you think your little guy might be suffering, best to call your vet and get him in for a quick once over.
In most cases, cleaning and medicating the ear canal will clear up an infection. Your vet may also prescribe an antibiotic to fight a bacterial infection.
To fight yeast infections of the outer ear canal, your vet might prescribe a topical antifungal ointment or cream, like miconazole or ketoconazole.
If ear mites are to blame, your vet will thoroughly clean the ears and prescribe a parasiticide medication you can apply to the inside of your pet’s ear, or directly on their skin to kill and remove the mites.
