HealthyPets

What's the most common reason cats and dogs are brought to their vet? If you answered “fleas," you are correct! Flea infestations may not be obvious to the people in the house, but you may notice flea related problems, such as hot spots, scratching, hair loss, and flaky or smelly skin. Many of these problems can be avoided through regular monthly use of effective flea control products. Is your pet 100% indoors? Have you noticed how spiders and ants are able to gain access to your home? Guess what, fleas can too.

Bladder stones, or uroliths, are stone-like mineral deposits that form in the animal's urinary bladder. Bladder stones may occur as a single deposit or as many, smaller pieces. They can be large and take up most of the bladder, or they can be fine particles that are passed when the animal urinates.

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) was discovered in the late 1980’s after researchers began searching for a virus in animals that was similar to the HIV virus in humans. We now know that both viruses are part of the Lentivirus family of retroviruses. These viruses are species specific, infect an individual for life, and cause a slow, progressive disease. People cannot contract FIV from a cat, just as cats cannot contact HIV from a human.

We love attention from our pets- but sometimes getting up close to our animals reveals pungent breath. While halitosis can be addressed with minty treats and other temporary fixes- the true problem is almost never addressed by pet owners. Bad breath is caused by bacteria in your pet’s mouth that forms plaque and tartar. This process often leads to periodontal disease, a clinical condition that affects 80% of adult cats and dogs.

Hot spots are areas of pyoderma , or bacterial skin infections, in dogs and cats that cause an extremely red, inflamed area of hairless skin. Often, this patch of skin looks as though it is wet and may even feel moist. These lesions can appear suddenly and can expand rapidly, as they are caused by a bacterial infection. Anything that irritates or breaks the skin can create the environment for bacterial contamination if the skin surface has just a bit of moisture on it.

Do you long to satisfy your dog's desire for people food but suffer from the uncertainty of what's really safe Learn all you need to know about providing people food for your dog here at EntirelyPets with this awesome infographic from Woofs Upon a Walk.

Has your dog been scratching a lot lately Skin infections are more common than you think. Learn how to spot a hot spot with this handy guide to canine dermatitis.

Born a feral, Jinx began life living with a skunk.