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Medical Conditions

  • Diarrhoea is not a disease in itself but rather a sign which may reflect many different problems, some of which involve specific diseases while others may be related more to management factors, such as diet. Many cases of diarrhoea will respond quite readily to simple treatment, frequently without the initial cause ever being established. If diarrhoea is chronic, your veterinary surgeon may require further investigations.

  • Diarrhoea is a sign of a bowel problem. This can vary from simple dietary indiscretion, e.g. eating a rotting bone found in the garden to potentially fatal illnesses such as cancer.

  • Muscle (called smooth muscle) and fibrous connective tissues form the framework (stroma) that holds other tissues together in the organs of the body. A number of different tumours can develop from the cells of these tissues.

  • False pregnancy (also known as pseudocyesis, phantom pregnancy or pseudopregnancy) is the term used to describe the condition whereby a non-pregnant dog undergoes bodily and behavioural changes similar to those you that would expect if she was pregnant.

  • Sometimes it is necessary to use a special type of collar to prevent your pet from attacking a particular area, such as a wound or bandage dressing. They take two forms: Elizabethan collars and tubular collars.

  • Keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS) is commonly called dry eye. This is a very apt name since the condition results from lack of proper tear production so that the eye has a dry and sore appearance.

  • All reptiles grow by shedding their skins periodically. Dysecdysis describes the failure to shed skin properly.

  • Infections of the external ear canal (outer ear) by bacteria or yeast are common in dogs but not very common in cats. This type of infection is called otitis externa. A cat with an ear infection is uncomfortable and its ear canals are sensitive. The vet may examine the ear canal with an otoscope. The results of the otoscopic examination and cytology tell the vet what to do.

  • The ear mite (Otodectes cynotis) is a surface mite that lives on cats, dogs, rabbits and ferrets. It is usually found in the ear canal but it can also live on the skin surface.

  • These tumours are polyp-like growths with a narrow base or a stalk. Some are nodular overgrowths secondary to inflammation but others are benign or malignant cancers of the glands found in this area.