What is the CBC?

The CBC test actually takes a count of both the red and white blood cells in your pet’s blood. With the help of the CBC test, which requires taking a blood sample and performing what is called a “blood smear,” the vet can check for signs of illness. Having a low red blood count, for example, could be a sign that your pet is suffering from anemia. A high white blood count, on the other hand, is a sign of infection. Odd blood counts can also indicate inflammation as well as an immune system disease.

Why is a CBC Performed?

A CBC may be performed as a part of your routine health screening in order to make certain your pet is healthy. It may also be performed before undergoing anesthesia in order to be certain your pet is healthy enough for the procedure.

Even if your pet appears healthy and is not about to undergo anesthesia, a CBC can catch a problem in its early stages so it can be treated immediately. The earlier a disease is caught, the greater the probability of successful treatment.

A CBC may also be performed if your pet has recently experienced trauma or appears to be sickly in any way. With the help of the CBC, the veterinarian can better pinpoint the problem, which can range from a simple infection to something more complicated. Certain types of cancers, for example, can be identified with the help of a CBC. This is particularly true of leukemia, which can sometimes be identified with a simple blood smear.

Depending upon the results of the CBC, the veterinarian may recommend a diagnostics test. A diagnostics test is a test that looks for traits related to a specific disease that the veterinarian suspects after reviewing the CBC.

How is a CBC Performed?

In order to perform a CBC, your vet or your vet tech will need to sterilize a needle and then look for a superficial vein from which blood can be drawn. He or she will then wet your pet’s fur with alcohol and may snip away some hair in order to better locate the vein. With the vein properly located, he or she can then insert the needle and draw out some blood. While this certainly isn’t a painless procedure for your pet, it is the same as drawing blood from a human. Therefore, most pets tolerate it quite well and suffer no harmful affects.

The blood is then placed into a special tube with an anti-coagulant that prevents the blood from clotting. The blood is then passed through a machine that is able determine the number of white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. Then, a drop of blood is placed on a slide and examined under a microscope. Here, the machine’s diagnosis is confirmed and any abnormalities in the cells are identified.

CS Swarens is the president of Find a Pet Online. 800 998-7065

For additional information on dogs, cats, birds, horses, and exotic pets visit the internet’s pet resource including pet classifieds at http://www.findapetonline.com

Research over 430 pet breed profiles http://www.findapetonline.com/breeds.html

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Be prepared for the veterinarian bills that will come with your cat. There are a series of initial and annual vaccines that the cat will need to keep them healthy. In the initial meet and greet with your cat’s new doctor, make sure to include a conversation about spaying or neutering your cat. These types of surgeries are not as traumatic to kittens as they are to older cats, so don’t put off the decision for too long.

Scratching is a normal and healthy part of a cat’s existence. Most veterinarians will only declaw a cat in exigent circumstances; with the right environment and a little training, your cat and your nice furniture can peacefully coexist without leaving the cat defenseless.

You will need a trip to the pet store as soon as you’ve adopted your new cat. Check off one litter box, a bag of cat litter, a poop scoop, food and water dishes, and a few cat toys to keep them occupied. Quality cat food formulated for the age of the cat will supply them with all of the nutrients they need and prevent health problems down the line. Keep in mind that cats are as finicky about smell as most people are when it comes to litter boxes. While you begin the task of training your cat to use the litter box, the most important step will be keeping it clean. If you don’t like the litter box smell, you can count on your cat not liking it either!

Cats normally like a bit of privacy while doing their business, so make sure you locate the litter box in a convenient spot that still affords them their dignity.

A cat can be a great addition to any family and home, as long as the home and family are ready for the cat. Feeding and caring for any pet is a rewarding, life-long commitment.

Jessica Lorber helps pet owners make their pets a part of their family. You can find more of her tips for cat health care and her personal recommendations for pet supplies at MyOtherKids.com

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I have a Lhasa Apso female dog who is 5 years old. A week before she developed kidney problems as diagonised by the vet. Her urea in blood came as 334 and creatinine as 5.1. She was immediately put on IV fluids.A week later her blood test was done again and her urea count came down to 134 and creatinine to 2.5.She is still undergoing IV fluids treatment. Please suggest what kind if diet should i give her and what other treatments are possible?

Answer :

Hello,

I would like to start with a few general comments about your post:
- kidney failure is quite unusual for a 5 years dog
- a blood test is not enough to make a diagnosis of kidney failure
- I think your figures might be urea=5 and 2.5 and creatinine=334 and 134 and not the other way round. If your vet uses a different reference range from mine, then I will not be able to comment. If however, it is as above, then the result does not sounds too bad to me … and would not provide any evidence of kidney failure.

Therefore, I would like to keep an open mind about this. If your dog was my patient, I would like to test her urine and check the specific gravity to confirm the presumptive diagnosis.

If despite my concerns, your dog is confirmed to suffer from kidney disease, then it is very important to make sure that the kidney problem is not secondary to another disease. In such a young dog, poisoning would be a possibility. Products such as anti-freeze may trigger kidney failure in very young dog. Also I note that your dog is female. Has she been neutered? If not, be aware that a pyometra (infection of the uterus) can cause kidney disease as well.

Finally, to answer your question about the food, kidney sparing diets exist and are sold by specialist companies:
http://www.vetstoria.co.uk/templates/hill_s_k_d-6-814-familypet.html

If you prefer feeding your pet a home-cooked diet, I recommend low but high quality amount of protein: small amount of white meat such as chicken or boiled egg white with boiled rice. avoid salt. you may had products which bind potassium such as:
http://www.vetstoria.co.uk/templates/ipakitin-6-977-familypet.html

I hope this helps and that your doggy is on her way to a full recovery.

Best of luck, Julien
http://www.vetstoria.co.uk

If you’re starting to notice lethargic behaviors in your pet that come complemented by the loss of muscle mass and tremendous weight gain, while eating and drinking a lot, chances are your pet is suffering from a condition called Cushing’s disease. Also called hyperadrenocorticism, Cushing’s disease arises from the excessive production of hormones from a tumor-inflicted pituitary or adrenal gland in animals. Given the abnormal activity of the glands, all the other vital systems of the body are drastically affected. Complications that come with the disorder include a weakened immune system that makes animals vulnerable to infections and other diseases. Cushing’s disease usually strikes in the degenerative stage where its symptoms manifests similarly with other pet illnesses. Pet owners need not despair however because the disease can be treated and this would allow the pet to live longer with an overall healthy system.

Herbal remedies have now become an integral part of holistic pet health care and are in fact being regarded for their overall therapeutic benefits. An alternative to veterinary medicine in the management of this pet disease is the root tincture of Burdock. Estrogenic activity has been noted in its extracts, which is an anti-tumor property that reduces tumor cell-proliferation in the glands. Its active constituents include inulin and mucilage which aids in digestion, in regulating blood sugar levels and in the process body detoxification.

Another effective anti-tumor herb would be Huang Qi. The herb is purported to contain various nutrients that heightens immune response against cancer. Its constituents which include polysaccharides, triterpene glycosides, amino acids, minerals, and flavonoids therapeutically heal various imbalances that may come with the disorder. Decoctions of Huang Qi are ingested to revitalize body organs, enhance metabolism, and improve blood circulation.

With all the systems in a living organism’s body connected in such an intricate manner, it is no wonder that herbal remedies and their holistic activities operate to resolve the underlying causes of disorders as well. Thus, as herbals are recognized to cure tumors, they can also restore healthy balance to various bodily systems. In the case of cushing’s disease, standardized pet herbal supplements have been formulated to address this condition. Such formula is available in every drop of Cushex Drops, a pet herbal supplement formulated to specifically support adrenal gland health in pets, while promoting overall physiological balance. By stimulating the healthy functioning of your pet’s adrenal glands, all the other components such as the digestive, circulatory, urinary and epidermal systems of the body will likewise endeavor a healthy route.

Bruce Maul is a partner in Gold Flax Seed, Inc. which provides only top quality Flax Seed, Herbal Remedies and other health related products. Learn more about Herbal Remedies by visiting http://www.myherbalremedystore.com

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Advantages Of Regular Dog Health Checks

Well, here’s one more you can add to your list: regular dog health checks. Don’t look so surprised. How else are you going to detect anything abnormal with Rover’s health? It’s all part of canine health care. A progressive history of your dog’s health will enable you to have a clear understanding of what your pet’s regular health status looks like.

Weekly dog health checks will allow you to quickly detect any sign of something abnormal so that you can keep track of further developments and take action early if needed. For example, if you find that Rover has nicked his paw while playing, you can disinfect it immediately and help prevent infection. If you had not paid careful attention, you might have missed it and incurred veterinary costs that were easily avoidable. Rover gets spared a lot of pain and anxiety.

Canine Health Issues Under Control

A number of canine health issues are quite easy to control, provided they are caught early. One of them that is quite common among dogs is allergies. If you notice an excess of flaky skin, you may want to give Rover an essential fatty acid supplement. Once you have eliminated parasites as a cause, all you may need to do is feed him a hypo-allergenic diet for a few weeks and keep him under observation. If allowed to spread, a skin allergy can make a dog feel miserable.

But finding a lump may be a different story: after all, it may be nothing but a lipoma, but what if the lump is an early sign of cancer? Early detection may mean the difference between life and death for your pet. A carefully kept dog health record will inform your vet about the latest changes in Rover’s health and give him more clues as to what may be in store.

Dog Health Care Information That Is Priceless

Imagine your dog being hit by a car during a weekend when the veterinary clinic is closed. That is when all the dog health care information you have accumulated becomes absolutely priceless. You don’t have to just stand by watching helplessly while the emergency clinic staff do their best for Rover. You can access your best friend’s records online and supply all the information you gathered doing your weekly pet health exams. Now how good does that feel?

If you have not started keeping regular canine health records yet, go do it now. Don’t wait till it is too late and you have to live with the knowledge that you could have done something, if only … Doesn’t Rover deserve your best care?

Amber D here: Sherlock & I dug through a pile of dog food myths to uncover the truth about a natural dog food diet versus commercial dog food; http://www.DogTrainingStar.com/Dog-Food-Dog-Health.html is where you can go to dig up our findings. We also sank our teeth into the dog health debate and cornered a vet until he spilled the beans on natural & holistic canine health; our goal is to empower you to make the right decisions for your best friend. Feel free to do your own sniffing at http://www.DogTrainingStar.com/Dog-Health.html

(c) Copyright — Amber D. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

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Acupressure and other holistic modalities for animals have seen a jump in popularity as animal owners look for ways to help their furry family members live longer, happier and healthier lives. Animal owners are leading the charge as they demand more options for their beloved pets. They are challenging their veterinarians to think outside the western medicine they learned in veterinary school and many veterinarians are responding.

For thousands of years Acupressure has long been used in China to maintain the health and well-being of livestock. Today, there are multitudes of books, classes and entire program offerings for those interested in learning this art form. Acupressure is based upon the same theories as Acupuncture only your hands do the manipulating instead of needles. Traditional Eastern belief is that every living being is born with a fixed amount of Chi or Energy. Through illness, injury, trauma and age our Chi slowly becomes depleted. Acupressure is a means of stimulating certain points on the body to restore depleted Chi.

Stimulation of Acupressure Points can release endorphins, reduce pain, cause a relaxation effect, and bring fresh, oxygenated blood into an ailing area flushing toxins and bringing nutrition rich blood where it’s needed. Ideally, Acupressure is used as a preventative to maintain health and well being. “Maintenance sessions” with a professional practitioner will depend on the animal but will vary to between once every one to four weeks for a healthy animal. Acupressure is also used to relieve specific conditions both acute and chronic and the number of sessions will vary depending on the health, age, lifestyle and genetics of the animal as well as the specific problem being addressed.

Typical Acupressure treatment

1. Observation

2. Introduction

3. Opening

4. Treating

5.Closing

During the Observation the practitioner observes the animal’s movement, posture, gut sounds, etcetera, and makes notes of marks and patterns on the body to use these cues in the work. The practitioner then asks the animal for permission to do an acupressure treatment. This is done by speaking and touching softly so that the animal accepts the practitioner and gives its permission. The Opening is when the practitioner runs a hand from the eye to the hind foot along an energy meridian called the Bladder Meridian. This opens the energy flow in the entire body and prepares the animal for the Acupressure Point Work or Treatment. The treatment will be unique to each animal and its condition. The intention of the Point Work is to bring balance and healing. The Closing is performed to finish the treatment and is the same as the opening, a long stroke from eye to hind foot. This leaves the animal relaxed and refreshed. A treatment can last anywhere from twenty to sixty minutes depending on the animal and its condition.

If you start working with any cooperative therapies such as Acupressure, Reiki, Massage, or Aromatherapy you will begin to make personal discoveries that often depend on your and the practitioners developed intuition rather then on any “rational” process or scientific theory. When someone insists that these therapies meet “rational” standards of proof, they rule out methods of treatment that have been shown for years to be effective and harmless. Janet Travell was effectively sidelined by her medical colleagues for years because anatomical knowledge could find no explanation for the patterns of pain distribution associated with myofascial trigger points. She was in her late eighties before the breakthrough was made and she received the belated recognition that her success in diagnosis and treatment should have earned her forty years prior.

Acupressure and other forms of animal bodywork are exciting and rewarding fields of study for those looking to enhance the health and well being of their own furry friend or begin a new career helping the animals of others.

For more information on animal Acupressure, Massage, Reiki and other programs, or to order books, DVDs, or charts, contact the Rocky Mountain School of Animal Acupressure and Massage, P.O. Box 1491, Carbondale, CO 81623, 303-669-4227. Locations in Golden, Englewood, Littleton, Brighton, and Carbondale.

Lisa Speaker is the founder of the Rocky Mountain School of Animal Acupressure and Massage, Inc. http://www.rmsaam.com Lisa has trained animal massage professionals from around the world and has appeared in leading publications and live forums around the country as an expert on the benefits of animal massage and acupressure therapy.

The certification program at Rocky Mountain School of Animal Acupressure has trained men and women of all age groups around the country and the world.

Graduates of the program have gone on to gain national recognition of their own and have built successful businesses around the training they received.

Lisa has served as an Advisory Council Member for the IAAMB, The International Association of Animal Massage and Bodywork, and is a founder of CAAMB, Colorado Association of Animal Massage and Bodyworkers. Lisa is also a member of IAAMT, International Association of Animal Massage Therapists and Founder of the non-profit, Colorado Alliance for Animal Owners’ Rights.

Lisa lives in Carbondale, Colorado with her husband and their furry family. Lisa manages the school and continues to work on educational materials and legislation that affects the future of cooperative animal healthcare modalities.

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See this video to know how to cure for Parvo , virus that kills thousands of dogs .

Once an appropriate pet food and feeding schedule have been selected, the management program should be strictly adhered to. Pets that have previously been fed free-choice should be gradually switched to the new regimen. Although most dogs will adapt quickly, cats can be very resistant to changes in their feeding routine and in the type of food that is fed. This resistance can make dietary management of a diabetic cat difficult for some owners. Mixing the new food into the cat’s previous food and changing to a meal-feeding regimen over a period of several weeks can help decrease these problems. Allowing cats to nibble over the period of insulin activity is also effective in some cases. Supplemental food should not be given, and feeding times should vary as little as possible. Periodic monitoring of blood glucose levels can be used to adjust the diet as the pet loses weight, changes the amount of exercise it gets, or requires adjustments in insulin dosage.

Dogs & Cats Health

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