My dog is squinting, blinking a lot and rubbing his eye – I think he may have eye pain. 

Have you ever had dust or an eyelash in your eye? Then you know exactly how painful it can be when something is wrong with your eye. This can happen to pets too! Eye pain can have many different causes, most of which can be successfully treated if caught early. However, some conditions can worsen quickly and may even lead to vision loss if not addressed promptly. 

I’ve noticed my senior pet has slowed down considerably. Is he sick?

As humans age, we can feel (and hear!) the telltale signs of ageing joints by their creaks and cracks; aches and pains. In pets, however, it can be much more difficult to identify joint issues. Though many pets do not show obvious signs of arthritis pain, studies have shown that 80% of dogs over the age of eight years old and 90% of cats over the age of 12 are affected by arthritis. Your pet cannot tell you when their joints are hurting but they will show signs of arthritis pain, which you’ll be able to identify at home. In this article, we share the signs of osteoarthritis to look out for in pets, and the tests and treatments involved in the management of joint pain in pets. 

"My dog has a runny nose and really bad diarrhoea. They seem feverish, won’t eat and are coughing and wheezing."

When a dog shows signs of eye and nasal discharge, lack of appetite, weight loss, fever, diarrhoea, cough or wheezing/trouble breathing, and neurological problems like muscle twitches and a lack of coordination, the prognosis is usually poor. This is the reality of distemper – a highly contagious viral disease that affects mostly unvaccinated dogs and puppies that are not yet fully vaccinated. The recent distemper outbreaks in Gauteng and the Overstrand area (Hermanus and surrounds) have put the spotlight back on this terrible canine disease. 

Ear infections in dogs and cats

You may notice a foul odour emanating from your dog or cat’s ears, or maybe the pinnae (ear flaps) are red and warm, or you can see a dark discharge (or pus) or inflamed ear canal. However, it would be your pet’s behaviour that alerted you to the potential problem to begin with: persistent scratching, head-shaking, pawing at their ears and/or vocalising while rubbing their ears. They may flinch when being touched on the head or even avoid your touch altogether. 

Most dogs will sit on their rump and have a scratch behind their ears or relieve an itch on the trunk of their body. They will then stand up, shake off, and continue on with their day. A dog with atopic dermatitis will spend the majority of their waking hours scratching themselves, nibbling on their paws, licking their skin, and/or rubbing their face.

South Africa has the perfect temperate climate to keep dogs and cats safely comfortable during all seasons. However, in some parts of the country, it can get very cold in winter and very hot in summer. During weather extremes, we need to be aware of pets’ wellbeing: are they warm enough or cool enough? How do they keep themselves warm or cool themselves down, and what can we do to ensure they are not freezing or overheating?

Dogs’ and cats’ endocrine systems work very similarly to humans’, and they experience similar disorders of the endocrine organs as humans do. This includes diabetes mellitus. Diabetes originates and presents in different ways between dogs and cats, but the mechanism is the same: the body is unable to use the glucose in the bloodstream. This occurs because either the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or the body is resistant to insulin secretion.

What are allergies?

Allergies are your body’s immune system over-reacting to a substance or material that is innocuous and shouldn’t cause a reaction (referred to as an allergen). When the body then encounters this allergen it launches an excessive immune response resulting in symptoms such as sneezing, coughing, wheezing, itchy or swollen eyes, and rashes or hives.

It’s a frightening experience to witness your dog or cat having a seizure. In everyday life, pets are conscious and aware of their owners, responding to your words and actions, but during a seizure, a dog or cat may be standing up or lying on their side, staring blankly, twitching, convulsing and drooling, or making some seemingly terrifying sounds. You may feel scared and helpless, not knowing what’s happening to your pet or what you can do to ease their seeming discomfort.

Feline asthma is a respiratory condition characterised by a cat having difficulty breathing, frequent episodes of coughing, retching and or attempted (unsuccessful) vomiting. The symptoms are triggered by environmental allergens like dust, pollen and other inhaled particles that activate the immune system. These symptoms are a result of the narrowing of airways due to inflammatory changes, as well as the thickening (hypertrophy) of muscles lining the airways and/or their constriction. Cat asthma can be acute (sudden onset) or chronic (progressive and long-term).