Cat Hair Loss Tail

Hair loss in cats is becoming one of the commonest pet health issues these days. A cat loses hair all over the body or just in patches, (a condition called alopecia areata) due to many reasons. One of the most common parts where a cat loses hair is its tail. Often, the hair loss is at the tip of the tail and moves upwards. Factors like toxins in the blood, mites or flea infestation, stress, hormonal imbalance, injury, or stud tail causes alopecia areata in cats tail.

The most common cause for a cat to lose hair on its tail is an allergic reaction to flea bites. In this case, the bite of a single flea is enough to make the cat scratch, bite and lick the tail at the skin level causing baldness in that area. One can prevent this by applying anti-flea ointment or brushing the coat with a metal flea comb regularly. Including fish oil in the cat’s diet also helps in treating flea bite allergies. There is also endocrine alopecia that is responsible for hair loss on the tail. This condition causes inadequate or excessive hair growth hormones thus disturbing the hair growth cycle. This problem can be treated only by a veterinarian. Injury to the tail can also be a reason for hair loss, as it makes the cat lick the wound excessive causing hair fall. So, it is important to check for injuries on the tail or any other body part if one notices hair loss in an area.

If there has been a change in the cat’s environment or even food, it will become edgy, nervous, stressed and anxious and lick itself excessively causing hair loss. Checking for and eliminating such factors will help in getting rid of the hair loss on the tail. The presence of toxins in the body also makes them lose hair excessively as the poisonous chemicals in the blood stream affect the body cells. Keeping the cat free of toxins should be a regular part of pet health care and it can be ensured by regular moderate exercise and nutritious cat food. An important pet health info with regards to cat hair loss is a condition called stud tail. Sometimes a build up of wax or oil from the sebaceous glands near the base of the tail causes hair loss and a sour smell. A veterinarian must be consulted if the owner suspects this condition.

Cat Ear Hair Loss

It is disheartening and worrying to find hair loss in a furry pet like cat. Cat hair loss, also called alopecia areata, can be hereditary or acquired and has several causes. Though the cat loses hair all over the body, the face, neck, and ears are most prone to cat alopecia. Pet health info worth noting is that hair loss caused on the ear the most worrisome one and must be treated immediately. Allergens like some food products, pollen or dust mites, ear mites, fleas, chronic stress, and side effects of some medications cause alopecia areata in cats. General pet health care can prevent all these problems and the resultant hair loss.

Ear mites infesting a cat’s ears cause severe itching, redness, wax, foul odor and hair loss. Mites can be easily removed from the ears and a solution can be instilled into the ear canals. Similarly, the saliva left behind by the fleas after biting causes an itchy reaction in the ears. The cat scratches its ears against furniture or rough surfaces to find relief, in turn, losing hair. Fleas can be treated by insecticidal sprays or shampoos. Ringworms, actually an itchy fungal infection, also affect the cat’s ears. The mites that cause this infection survive in the hair follicles and nourish on dead cells and cause breakage of the hair at the skin level thereby leaving bald patches. Fungal infections often require the cat’s hair to be shaved off completely. Tablets and topical ointments are available to treat the infection. Mange is also a mite infestation that causes hair loss in the ears, and on the neck and face. Additionally, the skin gets covered by a yellowish crust. The treatment of mange includes applying lime sulfur once a week about six to eight times.

Apart from these infestations, food allergies also cause itching and subsequent hair loss, which is further worsened by chronic ear infections. It’s important to find out what is causing the allergy and avoid feeding the cat that food. Lastly, though in only a few cases, stress and boredom also cause hair loss in cats. The more stressed a cat is, the more it licks its fur and paws. This causes the hair to fall, and since ears have short hair, they fall off more easily. If all the factors causing stress are eliminated, the cat won’t suffer from hair loss. There are other problems like damage to the sebaceous glands or even cancer that cause hair loss on the ears too.

Cats are generally known to be an independent breed. When it comes to pregnancy, too, the cat is more or less independent throughout the gestation period and during the delivery. She will decide who does and does not she want to be with and will also look for a cozy place in the house on her own to deliver her litter. The cat goes through the pregnancy and delivery almost without any trouble. The owner may not have a big role to play. He will just need to pay attention to her nutrition and general pet health care during her pregnancy and give her affection, fresh water and make a comfortable litter box for her.

When a cat gets pregnant, she will show many physical and behavioral changes. She will have a bigger appetite, will gain weight and her nipples will be larger and rosier. There will be behavioral changes as well. A cat that likes being outdoors will be seen around indoors more often. She will be more subdued, lazy and will want to sleep more than usual. An important part of pregnant cat behavior is her disinterest in male cats and other cats in general, as she wants privacy during gestation period. So, it would help if the other cats in the house are kept away from the pregnant queen. The cat will shower more affection on her human companions and she will also seek more attention from her owner. The owner must give her that attention but try not to pick her up too much as this will make her irritable. In some cases, the pregnant cat may avoid her human companion and behave moody. But once she has delivered, her behavior will be back to normal.

During the last stage of pregnancy, the cat will be restless and try to find a comfortable place in the house where she might deliver the kittens. This is perfectly normal. But if the cat gets too irritable and restless, or pants and paces around too much, the owner must consult a vet immediately. One of the reasons for such a behavioral problem can be eclampsia (depletion of calcium from the blood stream), which is one of the pet health issues found in cats during the last stage of pregnancy. If you see cat behavior problems like not eating and being too lethargic along with passing a discharge, you must have your cat checked by a vet immediately.

Usually, the owner cannot tell that his cat is pregnant for the first three weeks, unless he has bred her and keeps a track of her pregnancy. A sign like a bulging stomach becomes visible only a couple of weeks before the cat is due to deliver the litter. So, a cat’s pregnancy often goes undiscovered till she is well into the pregnancy period. One can determine whether a cat is in gestation or not by knowing some pregnant cat symptoms, which are both physical and behavioral.

One of the first cat pregnancy signs is a stoppage of her heat cycle. The pregnant cat will stay indoors and away from male cats. This can be seen as the first sign of pregnancy. About three to four weeks after conceiving, the cat’s nipples become more visible, softer and pinker. This change is called pinking. Other than these, signs of a pregnant cat also include increase in its appetite and weight gain. Since the cat has to eat for herself and her fetus, she will crave more food and after four weeks of pregnancy gain considerable weight too. The weight gain will be more on the stomach and mid-section. Just like human beings, a pregnant cat also suffers from morning sickness, that is, she will have occasional bouts of vomiting in the morning. While this is perfectly normal, if the episodes of vomiting become too frequent, a veterinarian must be consulted.

The owner will also be able to see a change in the cat’s behavior when she is pregnant. She will seem lazier, quieter and will tend to sleep more. Jerky and sudden movements such as stretching will be avoided by the pregnant cat. Though the pregnant cat will be less affectionate towards male cats, she will have affection in abundance for her owner. This is often credited to her maternal instincts. During the advanced stages of pregnancy, she will look for a warm, quiet and secluded place to deliver her litter, a behavior that has been termed as the ‘nesting behavior’. It becomes important to pay attention to pet health care when the cat is pregnant and give her nutritious food. Though these signs show that a cat is pregnant, ultrasound procedures are recommended to rule out abnormalities in fetuses that can pose pet health issues later. Another important pet health information for a pregnant cat is that she must be given adequate clean water and exercise to prevent obesity and to keep her muscles toned.

Cat Gestation

Other than how many kittens a pregnant cat would be delivering, the most likely question about cat pregnancy is: how long are cats pregnant. The usual cat gestation period is 58 to 65 days, that is, about nine weeks or a little over two months. However, the cat can have a normal delivery approximately five days before or after the stipulated date too. So, over all, the cat pregnancy period can be as short as 58 days or go up to 70 days. If the owner is breeding the cat, he will be able to keep a check on the gestation period. But, if the cat is in heat, meets an unneutered male cat and has an unplanned pregnancy, there are chances that the owner will discover it after about three weeks. This is because the cat will not show any signs or symptoms of pregnancy for about three weeks after breeding, and her abdomen will bulge only a couple of weeks before she gives birth to kittens. If one finds the cat’s nipples getting softer, rosier and warmer, it should serve as the first sign of pregnancy. Other than that, the cat’s appetite increases, it gets more affectionate, gains weight, and suffers from morning sickness. If all these signs are visible, the cat must be taken to the veterinarian to confirm pregnancy.

Cat Pregnancy Tips

Even though cats are self sufficient during pregnancy, it is very important to give the pregnant cat the right care throughout the pregnancy period. One important pet health fact about a cat’s pregnancy is that she must be kept indoors as much as possible throughout the cat gestation length as she can be on heat during pregnancy as well. She can have two different sets of litter at the same time. Anyway, kittens must be delivered only in a warm environment. The cat must be fed nutritious food high in proteins and calcium. To ensure that the cat produces a healthy litter, one can mix cat food with a premium kitten food as it has more calcium, fat and protein than regular cat food.  Other than specific pregnancy tips, the owner needs to keep general pet health care in mind during pregnant cat care. She must not have fleas or intestinal worms as she can pass them on to the kittens through her womb or milk. It always helps to have your cat checked by a vet regularly to prevent any pet health issues especially during pregnancy.

How to Boost, Increase Dog Immune System

Boosting dog’s immune system is very important for its well being. This vital system continuously protects the body against viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi. Boosting a dog’s immune system helps to kill virus and bacteria and remove toxins from the body. Improper functioning of the immune system in a dog leads to certain problems such as chronic  or acute, eczema, yeast infections, demodectic mange, arthritis, food allergies, ear infections, fertility disorders, or slow healing of wounds.

There are many reasons for low immunity in dogs such as stress, inadequate sleep, lack of exercise, auto immune diseases, and most important of all, poor diet. The most prominent reason for immune deficiency is improper nutrition. Research on dogs has proved that nutritional deficiencies in dogs can affect the next generation’s immune system even if the next generation of dogs is well nourished. Here are some tips to boost your dog’s immunity:

•    Stabilized levels of vitamins, minerals, and trace elements are necessary to your dog’s immunity to fight parasites, fungi, viruses, and bacteria.

•    A dog’s digestive system is designed for raw food, which enhances the immune system. Avoid commercialized dog food as it decreases the immunity due to its contents of over processed food mixed with chemicals. Prepare food at home containing all the vitamins and minerals.

•    To satisfy the total nutrient requirements for your dog, you can use good quality nutrient supplements to your dog’s food such as folic acid, vitamin B complex, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, selenium, magnesium, iodine, potassium and biotin. Vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant, antiviral, and toxin fighter, is a very important immune booster. Omega fatty acid is another very important dog nutritional supplement for boosting your dog’s immune system; it makes food digestion more efficient.

•    Natural or herbal nutrient supplements are the best immune boosters in dogs; they allow the body to fight against the infections naturally, without any side effects. The important natural or herbal nutrients are astragals, mistletoe, echinacea, Indian ginseng, milk thistle, and cat’s claw.

• Astragalus maintains the blood sugar levels and enhances appetite.
• Mistletoe is used to treat circulatory and respiratory problems.
• Echinacea maintains the blood pressure and boosts immunity.
• Indian ginseng strengthens the immunity.
• Milk thistle is a liver tonic. It cleans the toxicity.
• Neem extracts increase the production of T cells, thereby enhancing immunity levels.

•    Give your dog a fresh, clean bowl of filtered water frequently. This helps flush the toxins out from the dog’s body, which is important for the proper functioning of all the organs, including the heart and brain.

•    Exercise your dog daily to relieve stress.

Xylitol Side Effects in Dogs

Xylitol is a substitute for sugar that is found in substances like toothpastes, candies, chewing gums and baked food and are considered a great alternative by diabetic patients or by those who are on a diet low in carbohydrates as the amount of insulin released is less. However, this substance is very toxic and a small dose of the same can prove fatal if consumed by dogs. Just one chewing gum containing xylitol consumed by a small dog can prove fatal. Your dog might experience difficulty in standing or walking followed by dog vomiting and weakness after consuming xylitol in any form. These symptoms might show up as early as thirty minutes after its consumption after which immediate medical attention will be required.

Xylitol can cause hypoglycemia which is caused due to a heavy release of insulin into the bloodstream that leads to extremely low levels of sugar in the blood. In about 72 hours, the dog might experience heavy bleeding and a gastrointestinal hemorrhage because the side effects start affecting your body within minutes. Xylitol can cause great damage to the liver which in turn can cause a liver failure and this effect can be seen within approximately 10 hours of its consumption. The exact reason as to how xylitol affects the liver is not known but it is said to damage a very important compound in the liver which makes it difficult to perform effectively. Symptoms for a liver damage include vomiting, diarrhea that leads to dehydration, a loss in appetite, feces that are dark in color or bloody, anemia, loss of blood, increase in water consumption and frequent urination. Treatment for xylitol needs to be instant because if the condition leads to hypoglycemia and the dog is treated for the same; his liver might get affected eventually leading to his death.

If the time from consuming xylitol is less than 30 minutes, you can use hydrogen peroxide to induce your dog to vomit so that the poison can be thrown out of the stomach. You need to keep your dog on fluids as this is very important to keep them hydrated. Also activated charcoal can be another option that you can consider. You should keep a tab on what your dog is eating and do not feed them gum or any other food that contains xylitol. You must ensure that such items should always be kept at places that are not accessible to your dogs

Chocolate is widely enjoyed and a favorite with almost everyone, regarded as a yummy treat to people of any age. Though it may be a great treat for us, it is a big no-no for your dogs. Chocolate is said to be toxic for your dogs. Chocolates are not toxic for humans because the way we digest theobromine (the chemical component in chocolate) is much better than dogs and the half life of theobromine in a dog is 17.5 hours which is a long period. The toxic compound, theobromine becomes toxic if consumed between 100 to 150 milligrams per kilogram of the body weight. But there are other factors linked to it like the weight of the dog, the chocolate concentration and so on. Milk chocolate contains approximately 44 milligrams of theobromine per oz, semi sweet chocolate contains about 150 milligrams of theobromine per oz, baker’s chocolate contains 390 milligrams per oz and dry cocoa powder with 800 milligrams per oz. If you have to calculate the toxic dose as 100 milligrams per kilogram, for milk chocolate it will be 1 ounce per 1 pound body weight. So in case of semisweet chocolate, it will amount to 1 ounce per 3 pounds of body weight and for baker’s chocolate; it will be 1 ounce per 9 pounds of body weight.

Cocoa powder and cooking chocolate are forms of chocolate that are most toxic as they contain theobromine ten times more than what it is in milk chocolate. The chocolate in milk chocolate is diluted and thus, will take larger amounts of consumption to get toxic for your dog and even if your dog licks a small portion of the icing on a chocolate cake, it can cause him to fall ill. There is no harm in feeding your dog milk chocolate once in a while as a treat, but this is not advisable for the simple reason that it could create a problem if the dog develops a liking towards it as they have a tendancy to get a sweet tooth. It may not always be easy to keep foods away or secure enough to prevent your dog from getting to them and it could move on to eat more concentrated forms of chocolates. Your dog may show signs of nervousness, vomiting, diarrhea, an increased amount of thirst, frequent urination in some cases, muscle spasms or seizures if toxicated by consuming chocolate. Your dog may suffer from diarrhea 12 to 24 hours after eating milk chocolate and steps should be taken to ensure that your dog does not get dehydrated. In case of severe symptoms, rush your pet to the clinic immediately.

Gestation refers to the time when a female dog is pregnant with this period normally lasting for 60 to 64 days which is about nine weeks. The number of days, however, differs from breed to breed. A surprising fact about female dogs is that they have menstrual cycles that continue all their lives because of which they can reproduce their entire lives. Every female dog undergoes the Estrus heat cycle twice in a year where each cycle lasts for 6 months and it is during this period that the dog mates. This cycle consists of four stages, the first one being proestrus cycle which is a period before the onset of the heat cycle which lasts for about 7 to 9 days. The next stage is the estrus stage in which the dogs mate and the stage after this is known as the diestrus stage where the male dog is not interested and the female dog may show signs of getting pregnant. The last stage is the anestrus stage where this situation is consistent until the female dog goes into the stage of heating again.

You might not be able to find out if your dog is pregnant even upto five weeks of gestation as there is no concrete blood test that determines it but you can find out by getting her examined by your veterinarian where their abdomen is felt. Also, an x-ray can be done to determine the same and is very accurate to know the exact number of puppies. Dogs undergo a great deal of physical changes during gestation period and the most common is weight gain where the mammary glands swell up between 35 and 45 days after conceiving.

A pregnant dog diet must be healthy and nutritious so that both the mother and baby are in the best of their health. The diet of your dog should be increased but make sure that it is increased steadily and is not forced upon. For the first few weeks, give your dog protein rich food like eggs, lean muscle meats or liver. However, avoid feeding them pork. Serve them with small quantities throughout the day and these need to be followed especially in the last few weeks. Water intake increases considerably during dog pregnancy period therefore, make sure that you keep fresh water available all the time and that is easily accessible. Also during this period, you can make your dog have small walks and moderate exercises making sure that you do not indulge them in strenuous activities.

You might have certain plants in your house that look great with their color accentuating the beauty of your house. But though these plants look really beautiful and perfect in your house they might be toxic and extremely harmful for your pets causing some serious damage to their life. Even outdoors, there are a number of plants that you need to know and be careful of so that your dogs do not eat them. While your dog is outdoors, he might want to sniff around and eat stuff here and there which is fine but you need to keep a tab on what your dog is eating outdoors. It is said that there are 700 and more plants that produce toxic substances in variable amounts which can have an adverse effect on animals. These in turn cause reactions ranging from mild to severe and can also lead to death.

The bulbs of a hyacinth, daffodil or narcissus are toxic plants for dogs that can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and even prove fatal if consumed by your dog. If you have any of these as house plants, remove them right away. Lily plants like the Easter lilies, tiger lilies and stargazer lilies are poisonous as they are known to damage the kidney in dogs with symptoms showing up within hours of its consumption. The castor bean plant is highly poisonous as it contains a toxic substance known as ricin. This substance is present in the entire plant but their levels are more concentrated in the bean and thus are very dangerous if consumed by your dog.

The seed of the cycad palms especially the sago palm and false sago palms are toxic as they contain cycasin, a toxin that is present throughout the plant but more in the seed. Convallaria majalis or lily of the valley is a plant that is toxic and it is extremely dangerous as it may result in a sudden death of your dog without showing any prior symptoms. The leaves and branches of the oleander are again very poisonous that affect the heart and can cause a severe upset of the digestive system which might even lead to death. Foxglove is a garden plant, the leaves of which if consumed in large amounts can affect the heart, digestive system and even cause death. Also, the berries of jasmine are extremely harmful plants for dogs as they directly result in death.