If they are not spayed, female dogs have periods just like humans do. The first cycle, also called an estrus, tends to happen when the dog is 6 months old, but there are factors that influence this occurrence, such as the weather or the animal’s health.

In today’s article, we’re looking at everything you should know about dog periods, especially if you’re considering adopting or buying a female puppy.

What are the stages of a heat cycle?

Before we move on to describing the symptoms of periods in dogs and other such details, it is important to look at why the period itself happens in the first place. Although it is a little different compared to that in humans, the whole point of the cycle is to result in ovulation and, therefore, the possibility of puppies.

Typically, a dog’s heat cycle can be split up into 4 main stages. There’s bleeding for a period of up to a week or 10 days, then a similar period where the female dog actually wants to be bred, so she accepts to mate with males, and then there’s a final 7 to 10-day period where the dog’s body starts going back to normal.

The final stage consists of the up to 6 months that pass between one estrus and the next, where the female’s ovaries do not produce any eggs, and therefore, she doesn’t have any period, either.

Do dogs produce period blood?

There’s only one answer to this question, and it is yes. Like any other mammal, dogs have periods that result in bleeding, even though they experience their heat cycles at different times throughout the year or at different distances from one another compared to other species.

Some female dogs are unique, so instead of bleeding for one week in the proestrus part of the heat cycle, they might do it until they are no longer fertile. The biggest amount of blood will be noticeable in the beginning, though, so that’s when owners will notice not just the bleeding but also the following:

• Vulva swelling
• Personality modifications
• A little lethargy
• Changes in the dog’s appetite
• Tail tucking between the legs

After the heat cycle ends, your female dog will no longer be receptive to males, will no longer experience any bleeding, and will not have any puppies if she hasn’t mated – for a period of up to 150 days or more (so at least five months).

It’s important to note here that spaying your dog is a good idea if you want to prevent any unwanted pregnancies – male dogs are extraordinarily resourceful when it comes to mating with females in their heat periods, so they will go to any length possible to breed your dog. Plus, spaying prevents some pathologies, such as pyometra (uterine infections), as well as ovarian and breast cancer.

Do dogs get period cramps?

Your dog is not going to be extremely comfortable while they are experiencing their estrus period, especially in the first 7 to 10 days. Not only is their body bombarded by a hormonal charge all of a sudden, but that also results in bleeding, so there is some degree of discomfort that your pet feels.

Pain symptoms can, of course, vary a lot from one dog to the next, but if we’re strictly discussing period malaise, you might notice the following symptoms:

• Irritability
• Fatigue
• Anxiety or fear
• Occasional aggression
• Whining
• Weakness
• Trembling
• Restlessness

There’s also a thing called ‘period poop’ where because of the changes that happen at a local level in the dog’s abdomen and pelvic cavity, their normal transit is somewhat influenced, so your pet’s stools might end up being a little softer than normal. Some dogs can actually experience diarrhea when they get their periods.

If the discomfort is a bit higher, they might also experience vomiting or a lack of appetite for food or water, in which case we recommend going to your local vet clinic and seeing what could be at the root of the issue.

How to relieve period cramps in dogs

Unless your veterinarian instructed you to, we advise not giving your dog anti-inflammatory medication, especially if it is not specifically designed for veterinary use. Human NSAIDs can cause real problems in dogs, maybe with the exception of Benadryl, but even that you should give to your pet only in certain situations.

There are pet-specific painkillers, though, and you can ask your vet for a prescription for one. CBD oil treats might help, too, and if your dog tends to experience digestive distress when they start going into their heat cycle, adding probiotics to their diet might solve a bit of the issue.

Some herbal teas might also be beneficial, such as lavender or valerian tea, both of which can calm an anxious dog, especially one that has never gone into heat before.

Keep your dog in a safe, clean, and calm place, and understand that their body is going through some changes right now and that they might not exactly know what’s happening.

If the bleeding is getting out of control, you can use pet-appropriate diapers. In most cases, the amount of blood is not even noticeable, especially if your pet lives outdoors in their dog house in the warm season.

Meat can be given to dogs on occasion, especially to those whose appetite hasn’t really been the same recently or those that need better diets compared to the low-quality kibble they’ve received throughout their life, for example.

And while in the wild, dogs do eat meat from the prey they catch, it is almost always fresh. It’s quite rare that a dog will eat spoiled meat, unless they are extremely hungry and they haven’t had anything to eat in quite a while.

In today’s article, we’re discussing whether dogs are allowed to eat spoiled meat, if you can feed it to them even if you cook it extremely well, and some health risks that you might be exposing your pet to with this practice.

Can you give your dog spoiled meat?

The simple answer to this question is no, but in some situations, the answer to the same question is that it depends.

If the meat is spoiled per se, meaning that it’s not just past its expiration date but it also has gone bad, it is never safe to feed to pets, regardless of the temperature and amount of time you cook it.

However, if you go to the store and there’s beef expiring on that day, you probably have nothing to worry about if you go home and cook it straight away, without waiting for three days before finally giving it to your pooch.

In other words, it all comes down to common sense when giving meat to dogs. Do keep in mind that raw meat is always dangerous, even when it is fresh, because you really can’t know how it was handled or how the animal it comes from was slaughtered – such as whether or not the intestinal contents came in contact with the meat per se.

That is always a risk that needs to be considered, so cooking the meat is always a good idea, even when you want to give it to your pet and you don’t want to eat it yourself.

Why is spoiled meat risky for dogs?

Dogs can get food poisoning as much as people can after eating food with spoiled ingredients or spoiled meals per se.

We talked about how important cooking the meat before giving it to your pet is, but when you do that, you’re basically killing the bacteria and other dangerous germs that can be found in the meat. However, even if you do kill the microorganisms themselves, there are certain toxins that they tend to release in the fibers, and these can also lead to your dog developing all sorts of digestive symptoms.

Some of the most common clinical signs that a dog that has eaten spoiled meat can experience are vomiting or diarrhea.

If you also don’t cook the spoiled meat properly and there are remnants of certain bacteria in it, your dog can truly end up at the emergency veterinary hospital with extreme diarrhea, fever, shivers, dehydration, nausea, and pretty much all of the symptoms that a classic case of food poisoning can cause.

Just to give you an idea, some of the most common germs that can be found in spoiled meat are the following:

• Salmonella spp.
• Bacillus spp.
• Clostridium spp.
• Campylobacter spp.
• Escherichia spp.
• Pseudomonas spp.
• Enterobacter spp.
• Aeromonas spp.

These are just a few bacterium species that we mentioned, but there are different types of molds that can grow on spoiled meat too, and they can cause other symptoms:

• Penicillium
• Cladosporium
• Sporotrichum
• Mucor
• Alternaria

These molds release mycotoxins into the meat, and they are the culprits for the food poisoning per se and some symptoms you might notice in your dog in that case would be shortness of breath, diarrhea, nausea, or fever. The signs aren’t very different compared to the classic bacterial food poisoning.

How dogs can eat spoiled meat without getting sick

There are certain degrees of decomposition – we use the word ‘spoiled’, but we all know that it can be fresher or older and that it can cause food poisoning or not.

There are necrophages in the world that survive by eating dead animals. However, if an animal is dead for a week, chances are that even a well-known necrophage such as a hyena is not going to eat it.

There’s a difference between eating the corpse of an animal that died in the last few hours and one that has been dead for more than 72 hours.

How can you tell if the meat is spoiled?

If you’ve been keeping minced meat in the fridge for more than 3 days, even though you can’t smell it or see any visual modifications such as changes in color, chances are that it is spoiled and it is not fit for human consumption. But 2-3 days of keeping it in the fridge, depending on certain signs, might mean that it’s ok to eat by animals, especially if you cook it properly.

Meat that you should never feed to your dog smells bad, whether rancid or not. You feel the smell and it puts you off. It also differs in texture compared to fresh meat, meaning that it might have some sort of mucus on the surface or it could be unusually sticky.

The color, too, can be an important factor. If the meat has started to turn green or blue, it’s time to throw it in the trash rather than put your own health or your dog’s health in danger.

Do you have to feed meat to your dog?

As your veterinarian is likely to advise you, even though your dog might be interested in a piece of steak or some other meaty meal you might have prepared for yourself, it’s not always good to give them meat.

If you feed your dog a healthy, high-quality diet consisting of food manufactured from good ingredients, no by-products, no artificial colors, preservatives, or anything else that might damage your dog’s body rather than sustain it, there’s probably no need for you to give them meat anyway.

Granted, sometimes meat can go on special, especially if it is expiring on that day, but in that case, you can make a meal for yourself, save some of the meat and forgo seasoning it, and give that to your dog.

Do not leave meat in the fridge for days on end and then consider it safe to feed to your dog.

All cats vomit at one point or the other, whether to get rid of hairballs or because they might have a certain pathology. But when your cat starts vomiting bile on a regular basis, there could be some causes for concern.

In today’s article, we’re looking at the reasons why this might be happening, how the condition itself is diagnosed and how it might be treated, and whether or not you can do something in particular to prevent it.

How does vomiting bile differ from other types of vomiting?

You probably know that ‘bile’ is the name that most people use to describe the secretion extracted by the gallbladder, which is attached to the liver. The biliary salts secreted by the gallbladder play an essential role when it comes to ensuring normal digestion, but an excess can lead to all sorts of gastrointestinal symptoms.

Cats can suffer from a wide range of gallbladder pathologies, such as bile duct inflammation or gallbladder stones. In most cases, the stones do not completely block the duct, so there will be some amount of biliary salts released into the animal’s systems – which is why most cats don’t even show any gallbladder stone signs.

Bile is composed of bilirubin and bile salts, so the color of the vomit will differ from instances where your feline friend vomits because they have to throw up a hairball, for example.

Most of the time, the vomited material will have a light or dark green or yellow color and might be covered in a bit of foam. Therefore, it looks completely different compared to white foam vomit, which could be caused by occasional indigestion or foreign objects lodged inside the gastrointestinal tract.

Reasons why your cat might vomit bile

It is difficult to assess the exact cause of why your pet might end up with this symptom, especially if you don’t know if they have recently eaten something they shouldn’t have.

If you take your cat to the vet on a regular basis for check-ups (at least once or twice a year), it’s quite likely that a condition such as liver disease might be discovered during a routine examination. In that case, your cat will be put on a special diet, and you’ll know what to expect.

But sometimes, the causes of vomiting bile in cats can be more or less unknown. They can range from gastritis or inflammation of the intestines to more specific reasons, such as intoxication or kidney pathologies. Here are a few other possible causes:

• Liver disease
• Cholangiohepatitis/Feline cholangitis
• Infections
• Severe parasite infestations
• Diet changes
• Pancreatitis
• Obstructions
• Cancer

Diagnosis

First of all, if this is a more or less common occurrence (meaning your cat vomits bile once a day or several times a day), it wouldn’t hurt if you took a shot of the vomited matter. It might not sound appealing, but it could provide your veterinarian with some information that might seem irrelevant to you (such as the color that we mentioned).

You should also tell your vet what you are feeding your cat or if they tend to go outside and might have been exposed to toxins, other animals, or any other factor that might have led to this outcome.

The most basic tests that the veterinarian will first perform are going to be biochemistry and a complete blood count, followed by urinalysis (if it is possible). Imaging diagnostic methods such as an ultrasound or even an X-ray could provide essential additional data.

Depending on the ultrasound machine, the vet might be able to see whether the lining of some organs is going through inflammation or might actually see the gallbladder stones.

Contrast radiographic techniques can also be helpful, especially for discovering foreign objects, obstruction, or occlusion.

Treatment

Vomiting bile is a symptom, so the focus of the diagnosis is to discover exactly what’s wrong with your cat’s body. Only after this phase is completed will your vet be able to initiate therapy with a specific medication. Vomiting bile is not a disease itself, so besides symptomatic treatment options, there’s not much that your veterinarian can do until they understand what’s at the root of the problem.

Depending on the cause, there are various therapy options. Naturally, if your cat is diagnosed with a type of cancer, there will be several treatment choices you will have to consider with your vet.

Antibiotics are utilized for infections and your vet might recommend changing your cat’s diet if the vomiting seems to be idiopathic or only caused by the diet. Probiotics could also prove their worth in this situation, especially if your cat has a hard time passing stools, too. There could be a number of other recommendations that you might receive from your vet, depending on your cat’s health status and symptoms.

Can you prevent your cat from vomiting bile?

There’s not a lot of things that you can do in the way of preventing this clinical sign from affecting your cat. We recommend choosing a very high-quality diet, especially since cats don’t tend to eat as much as larger animals, so even though it might seem expensive, it will do your pet a world of good.

Giving your cat probiotics as a prevention method can be another good idea as it ensures that the digestive process takes place properly.

Finally, make sure that you do not miss your appointments at the veterinary clinic. Senior cats should be seen by a vet at least twice a year because they tend to develop common geriatric conditions such as hyperthyroidism or kidney failure, so you need to constantly keep an eye on their health.

Lumps and bumps can appear for a wide range of reasons on a dog’s body, but they can be somewhat alarming for any responsible pet owner. Skin tags are an example of what you might find on your pet’s body and while it is a good idea to understand what they are and take them to the vet, you should not be panicked about them immediately.

Read on to find out more about skin tags, what they can be, and when you should feel worried about them.

What are skin tags?

Skin tags can be any type of small and benign growth that you might notice on your dog’s face, elbows, armpits, hips, or trunk. Sometimes they might even grow around your pet’s mouth or around their eyelids.

While in most cases, they do not put your dog’s health at risk, they can become infected, especially if they rupture or if your dog is constantly scratching the area and accidentally creating a wound.

What does a skin tag look like?

A skin tag can often be mistaken for a tick, especially one that hasn’t completed feeding yet. These growths are white, and there is no discharge coming out of them (or blood) so long as they weren’t ruptured by a type of trauma or even friction.

In general, skin tags are a lot lighter in color when compared to scabs, warts, and even some types of tumors, such as hemangiomas. The majority maintain their size and do not spread to other areas, but they also don’t disappear and reappear like some types of warts, especially the viral kind called papillomas.

Causes of skin tags on dogs

First of all, there are some breeds that are more likely to develop skin tags compared to others, and they are the following:

• Poodles
• Miniature Schnauzers
• Cocker Spaniels

Besides this genetic predisposition, they can appear in all dogs, regardless of age, gender, or general health status. They do seem to be somewhat more common in larger and giant breeds.

They tend to appear in areas where there’s constant friction, such as in the shoulder or hip areas. If the dog is sleeping on a hard surface, this can also lead to the development of skin tags.

But what is important to remember is that in most cases, they are not painful, and they do not cause any degree of discomfort to the dog. They also cannot be passed from one dog to the other or to people, for that matter, so they can’t be considered contagious.

Diagnosis of skin tags

If this is the first skin tag your dog might have developed, you will naturally feel worried about its nature. Fortunately, there are many diagnostic methods these days that can be utilized to rule out more potentially negative growths such as tumors.

Veterinarians usually rely on two types of diagnostic techniques. The first is cytology, and it involves the collection of a number of cells from the tag itself using a fine needle aspirate method.

There is also the option of the tag being completely removed with surgery, in which case a histopathology specialist can analyze the sample under the microscope and determine if it is benign or malignant and if it is a neoplastic growth, exactly what type it is and what stage of development it has reached.

In terms of cost, the price of such a diagnosis can vary largely depending on factors that pertain to the animal and if their general health is alright or factors that deal with where you are located and the types of clinics available in your area. In most cases, you should expect to pay anything ranging from $200 to $300 or more for the pathology report only.

Usually, other tests, such as a complete blood count and biochemistry, along with anything else that your vet might recommend, have to be added to that calculation.

How are skin tags treated?

If the growth is diagnosed as being completely benign, your vet might recommend surgery for its removal. However, do keep in mind that there are many dogs that are middle-aged or seniors that have tags on their bodies that never end up affecting their health.

The skin tag can be cauterized if you are wary about general anesthesia – a mild sedative and a local anesthetic usually get the job done, especially if the tag isn’t attached to any of the surrounding or underlying tissues at all.

Do not try to treat your dog’s skin tags at home. More often than not, some of the home remedies you will come across online are not only ridiculous, but they can also put your dog’s health at risk. Using string or floss or trying to remove it through any forceful methods can be dangerous for everyone involved – plus you will also create a wound that will require treatment anyway.

It is always better to know exactly what your dog has on their body and only then understand what the best way to treat it is.

Is there any way to prevent skin tags on dogs?

As previously mentioned, some breeds are just more predisposed to developing skin tags compared to others. Besides taking your pet to the animal hospital regularly so that your vet can give them a check-up and also look at their body, there aren’t a lot of things you can do in the way of preventing skin tags.

But because any self-inflicted wound can end up developing into a skin tag, you should make sure that you treat your dog’s external parasites regularly so that they don’t develop an allergy and that you give them a well-balanced diet for skin health.

Avoiding harnesses or collars that are too tight and that could cause chafing is another good idea since this can also cause skin tags in time.

Burning sage and sweetgrass could have some positive effects on people and their anxiety levels, but it can be more or less dangerous for pets.

As a veterinarian, I will never recommend burning any type of herb in a household where a dog that has asthma or a history of respiratory pathologies resides.

And while sage might have some benefits for dogs if it is given to them in the form of tea, for example, especially if they are feeling extremely nervous whenever an appointment to the veterinary clinic comes along, burning it is completely different. Read on to find out more!

Why burn sage or sweetgrass in the first place?

Smudging supposedly has some benefits for the mind and body. Sage has antimicrobial properties, which is why some people tend to think that burning it will make their living space healthier.

Apparently, it is also supposed to fight sore throat, headaches, and inflammation, along with depression. And while it is true that as a herb itself, sage does have some features that do tend to alleviate the symptoms of severe depression only through momentarily calming the person, that does not mean that it will have the same effect on your dog.

Is burning sage healthy for dogs?

The most dangerous part of smudging is the burning itself. There are various smudging kits available for sale these days, but all of them require you to burn the herb for anything ranging from less than a minute to five minutes or more.

Even when you do it for a couple of seconds, your dog’s respiratory lining can become irritated. Dogs that have a history of any type of disease that has affected their breathing are not supposed to be exposed to smoke, whether from smudging or smoking cigarettes.

Not only the respiratory tract can suffer from irritation and inflammation, but also your dog’s eyes. If your pet has eye discharge due to their anatomy or you’ve treated them for pink eye in the past, you should avoid smudging altogether.

Dogs like clean air because that’s what is healthy for them – and for people, too, for that matter.

Can smudging be safe for pets or people in other situations?

The answer to this question is that while general burning sage is unsafe for dogs, it also depends on how you do it. For example, if the sage is burnt in a wide-open space and the dog has the ability to move freely and get away from the smoke, it might not be as detrimental to their health.

The amount of time you burn sage is also important. If you do it for more than a few seconds and you cover the whole living space in your apartment or house, your dog is definitely not going to be happy about that.

But even if you do it for a limited time, you should make sure you properly air out your place afterward.

Do consider that in time, if a dog is exposed to smudging consistently, they can end up developing chronic bronchitis – and as many negative energies you might have tried to get rid of by burning sage in your house before, there’s no energy as negative as having to spend thousands upon thousands of dollars on trying to treat your dog for a chronic respiratory condition.

If you really have to burn sage and there’s no other way, at least try to protect your pet by keeping them in a separate room – even though there will still be a very low amount of smoke going in there, even in this case.

Using sage for dogs in other ways

Besides burning it, sage does have a number of benefits that can be offered to your canine friend by feeding them the herb or by giving them sage tea instead of plain water.

Sage contains a range of vitamins and minerals, such as vitamins E and A or magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, and more. Of course, that doesn’t mean that your dog isn’t already getting the essential nutrients they need from their regular kibble, especially if you opt for a high-quality diet.

What is interesting about the herb, though, is that it does have some fairly good antimicrobial properties. Consequently, giving your dog tea can improve their breath – not just because of the way the herb smells but also because it decreases the number of bacteria in their oral cavity.

Furthermore, sage also has a calming effect on dogs that are known to be overly anxious, stressed, or nervous, especially in situations such as having to live at someone else’s house when you’re on vacation or going to the vet clinic on a regular basis.

Given its anti-inflammatory properties, sage can also help with discomfort during the warm season, when dogs are known to suffer from itchiness after being exposed to common allergens.

As for the amount of sage that is safe to give to your dog, there are no particular guidelines at this moment. Too much of a good thing is possible in this situation, too, so do consider that some dogs might experience side effects such as digestive distress or even seizures.

In the end, while sage is considered non-toxic to dogs, any type of smoke is unsafe for them, so we advise you to avoid smudging in the presence of your pets.

Vision problems exist in cats just like in any other animal species, including humans. Sometimes, cats can lose their sight due to age, but in other cases, the cause could be something pathological and that requires immediate medical assistance.

In today’s article, we’re discussing everything you should know about feline blindness – from its most common causes to whether or not your cat might be able to recover at least part of their sight back after losing it.

What causes blindness in cats?

Cataracts

Cataracts is a condition that can affect felines that are living with hypertension and diabetes. Sometimes, it can also be a result of the normal aging process. A cat with cataracts will have a part of its lens opaque, which will make the transmission of light partially or fully impossible.

Cataracts can affect one eye or both or just parts of the ocular globe (lens). Veterinary medicine has evolved so much over the past decades that these days, and depending on the cat’s general health condition, some cataract cases can be solved through surgery. Lens implantation is possible as it is in people.

Corneal ulcers

This is a lesion that can be caused by various factors, with one of the most common ones being exposure and development of Feline Herpesvirus (FHV).

Unlike cataracts, corneal ulcers come with a wide range of symptoms, whether that be eye discharge, conjunctivitis, sensitivity to light sources, or consistent pawing at the affected eye. Treatment is possible, but because cats tend to self-harm themselves, they might have to wear an Elizabethan collar. If the damage is extreme, surgery might be required.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma can be an emergency as sometimes, the amount of fluid that accumulates inside the eye can lead to the complete loss of the organ. Moreover, it puts pressure on the optical nerve, the one that is in charge of transmitting the electrical signals from the brain to the eye and the other way around.

This pathology is more common in Siamese and Burmese cats but it can also be caused by infectious diseases such as FeLV, FIP, or FIV – and sometimes even toxoplasmosis. Although the condition itself cannot be cured, there are ways to relieve the pressure and treat the inflammation. Progressive loss of sight is to be expected.

Hypertension

Hypertension can affect cats of all ages, but it is particularly more common in senior pets. Chronic hypertension can have a plethora of negative effects on an animal’s health, including the detachment of the retina, for example, as well as hemorrhages behind the eye.

Hypertension itself can be caused by primary conditions such as heart diseases, kidney pathologies, diabetes, or hyperthyroidism. If your cat is older than 7, you should make sure you stick to your vet’s schedule and take them to the animal hospital for check-ups at least once or twice a year.

Old age

Everyone’s vision starts to become poor as they age, whether they are animals or humans. But even though cats do have a likelihood of going blind, especially if they are champions when it comes to longevity, this will happen gradually.

It will take years before a cat loses their sight completely simply because they are growing old. It’s not something that you notice from one day to the next and your veterinarian is likely to update you on the progression.

Medications

Some drugs have severe side effects, and there have been cases documented of an antibacterial drug called Enrofloxacin (an antibiotic that works for treating many types of infections).

While this medication still acts in more or less confusing ways, apparently, it can produce retinal degeneration in some cats – not in all, but it’s still a risk that many vets are not willing to take when it comes to the treatment of bacterial infections in this species.

Trauma

Depending on the extent of damage that the cat’s body has sustained, especially in a car accident, for example, they might lose their sight forever.

Sometimes, it is the ocular globe itself that becomes damaged, whereas in other situations, the optical nerve suffers to such an extent that it becomes incapable of doing its job.

Cancer

The most common type of eye cancer that cats can develop is called melanoma, and it often affects more than one tissue type inside the eye. Iris melanoma eventually leads to glaucoma or abnormalities of the pupil, as well as chronic inflammation or hypertrophy in the eye.

Some cats can also develop sarcoma, especially after trauma and after having developed chronic uveitis.

Conjunctivitis

Although conjunctivitis is an extremely common eye pathology in cats, dogs, and other animals, if it is left untreated and depending on the type of microorganism that has led to it, it can lead to blindness.

This cause is somewhat rare compared to the others that we have mentioned previously. Still, it is a good idea to keep an eye on your cat’s vision and nothing if something weird seems to be going on.

How to tell if your cat is going blind

Not a lot of cats show clinical signs until they have almost completely lost their vision, and the reason for this is that those that spend almost all their life indoors (in the same space) have a way of getting around objects, furniture, and other obstacles based on other senses – smell and their whiskers being two examples.

However, if your cat does go blind all of a sudden, they will experience some sort of distress, and it’s quite likely that something about their eyes will look a little unique and will get your attention.

Other cats might simply bump into things, especially seniors that have lost their sight progressively, but will not exhibit any worrying symptoms in the short run. You can ask your vet a variety of questions about how a cat with normal eyesight should behave if you don’t have any knowledge on this.

Caring for your blind cat in the long run

Blind cats can become disoriented a lot quicker and easier compared to their counterparts, so it is highly recommended that you keep them indoors only.

Not only does this allow them to live in a safe space, away from predators, but it also prevents encounters with other cats that might transmit parasites, viruses, bacteria, or other diseases.

Blindness doesn’t make cats completely oblivious of what’s happening around them, but it does make them slightly more vulnerable, so try to talk to your feline companion as often as possible and in a reassuring tone.

Keep the feeding station and the litter box in the same place they’ve always been. And even if you keep your cat only indoors, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get them microchipped and fit them with a collar and an ID tag (just in case they get lost).

References

Enrofloxacin-associated retinal degeneration in cats, K.N. Gelatt et al, 2001, (view website)

Feline ocular post-traumatic sarcomas: Current understanding, treatment and monitoring, Carissa Wood & Erin M. Scott, 2019, (view website).

How fast or slow should a cat’s heart beat? The heart rate is an important vital for all animals, specifically those that are known to have cardiac conditions. You may need to measure your pet’s heart rate at home under the guidance of your veterinarian on a regular basis to make sure that your cat does not require immediate veterinary assistance.

Read on to find out more about what a cat’s heart rate can tell you, what other symptoms tachycardia and bradycardia might be associated with, and what drugs are currently used to treat heart disease in this species.

What is the normal heart rate for cats?

The heart rate range that cats are supposed to have when they are completely at rest is 80 to 160 beats per minute. The average stands at 120, so that is the number of BPM that you can expect from your pet when you measure their heart rate at home.

Whenever cats are taken to the animal hospital or are put in another stressful situation, their heart rate can increase to 200 or even 220 in a physiological manner.

What causes a cat’s heart to beat faster?

Rapid heart beating can be defined as any number that goes beyond 160 beats per minute. As previously mentioned, there could be normal factors that cause this, such as stress and anxiety or even the cat’s age (kittens’ hearts tend to beat a little faster). In young cats, a heart rate of 200 to 260 beats per minute can most of the time be no reason for concern.

Generally, if an adult cat’s heart beats at over 200/220 beats per minute and they are exhibiting other symptoms, too, pet owners should seek out veterinary assistance immediately.

Other clinical signs of a rapid heart rate in cats are listed below:

• Respiratory distress (coughing, choking, wheezing)
• Weakness
• Nervousness
• Decreased or absence of tolerance for any type of physical activity
• High blood pressure
• Abdominal or chest pain
• Lack of appetite for food or water

A rapid heart rate can be caused by a number of various factors, such as actual heart conditions (myocarditis, congestive heart failure, cardiac arrhythmia caused by severe electrolyte imbalances), or generalized diseases such as poisoning, pancreatitis, cancer, metabolic disease, hypothyroidism, a trauma that leads to shock, or fever.

What causes a cat’s heart to beat slower?

If a cat’s heart rate is lower than 80 beats per minute, they need to be seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible.

Bradycardia also has multiple causes, such as heart disease, trauma to the head, increased potassium levels, intoxication with certain substances such as insecticides or alcohol, and more.

Some of the other symptoms that are noticeable in this case are the following:

• Lethargy
• Intolerance to exercise
• Lack of muscle coordination
• Seizures
• Fainting
• Hypoventilation

Bradycardia tends to affect cats less than it does their canine counterparts, even in situations such as when they become hypothermic. Cats can have a slower heart rate when they are intubated or sedated or when they have undiagnosed diseases such as breathing complications, neurologic conditions, or kidney failure.

How to measure your cat’s heart rate at home

Even though the most accurate way of measuring a cat’s heart rate is by using a stethoscope, since you might not own one at all, you can at least attempt to get a somewhat correct measurement indirectly.

When your cat is resting on one side, place your hand on their thorax and measure the number of beats that you can feel per 15 or 30 seconds. Multiply that number by 4 or 2 to find out the heart rate for a full minute.

Another location you can use for the same purpose is on the cat’s left side, behind the front leg. In this way, you’ll be measuring the pulse without them even realizing what you are doing.

At the veterinary clinic, vets use a stethoscope to measure a cat’s heart rate, but this can sometimes be complicated by the patient’s purring. Cats sometimes purr when they’re brought to the vet so as to soothe their own anxiety – making the physical diagnosis of respiratory and cardiac conditions a little difficult.

How are heart conditions diagnosed in cats?

Whether your cat has a primary heart condition ( the heart rate isn’t, in fact, influenced by other diseases affecting other organs or their system in general) or not, the veterinarian will recommend an EKG and an ultrasound exam.

These two diagnostic tests are used to establish that the cardiac muscles are functioning normally, that there are no abnormalities in terms of electrical conduction, or that there is no damage produced to the heart walls or valves.

A Holter monitor placed for a period of 24 hours can be utilized in cats, too, although it can sometimes be challenging to prevent them from removing the device or the electrode patches.

How can feline heart disease be treated?

The most common medications for treating heart conditions in cats are listed below:

• Amiodarone
• ACE inhibitors
• Atenolol
• Carvedilol
• Digoxin
• Diltiazem
• Furosemide
• Mexiletine
• Vetmedin (pimobendan)
• Sotalol
• Spironolactone

Two nutritional supplements, taurine and L-carnitine, are thought to have beneficial effects on some patients. However, the actual effectiveness of these supplements is not comparable to the formerly mentioned medications, especially in patients that otherwise have normal levels of both in their bloodstream.

The right type of drug is selected based on the exact heart pathology diagnosed and the specific part of the organ affected.

Final thoughts

The heart rate is an important vital to keep an eye on in cats, especially when it comes to patients that have a history of heart complications.

Your veterinarian will show you how to measure your cat’s heart rate and what signs to look out for, but if you notice any of the clinical symptoms that we have mentioned in this article, seek out veterinary assistance as soon as possible.

Keeping track of your cat’s vitals can help you understand if your pet is healthy or not – especially since this species is so well-known for hiding symptoms of disease until the condition has become severe.

Your cat’s body temperature can provide a number of clues as to what is happening inside your feline friend’s body. In today’s article, we’re looking at what the normal body temperature of cats is, how to measure your cat’s temperature, and also when you should be worried and take your pet to the vet clinic.

What is the normal body temperature for cats?

While the body temperature of people is somewhere around 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees F), the normal body temperature for cats is approximately 38.6 degrees C (101.5 degrees F).

Naturally, it can vary depending on several factors, such as the cat’s health, age, recent physical activity, or the conditions she has had to spend time in (cats that are left out in the freezing cold can quickly become hypothermic, especially if they have nowhere to hide and save their energy).

Usually, the variations that are accepted range from 37.5 to 39.1 degrees C (99.5 to 102.5 degrees F).

Cats are naturally more comfortable than humans in heat, so that’s why even when the weather is scorching in the summer, you might see your feline companion seeking out the warmest spots in your home.

How to measure your cat’s body temperature

For this purpose, you can use two types of thermometers – an infrared one or a rectal one. The second is considered more accurate than the first, but getting into your pet’s anus and waiting for a good 20 seconds until it beeps can be very challenging.

If you decide to use an infrared thermometer, make sure you point it to your cat’s inner ear, as close to the ear canal wall as possible. There could be several inaccuracies in terms of measurement with this device, so your cat’s body temperature could actually be higher by .1 or .2 depending on how well you’ve operated the thermometer, if they have moved, and other such factors that might have affected the whole process.

If at all possible, ask someone to assist you with taking your cat’s body temperature. It will be much easier if someone calms down your cat or even restrains them as you are using the thermometer. Make sure to use vaseline or petroleum jelly if you decide to use the rectal device.

You can measure a cat’s temperature even when they’re standing or sitting if you’re using an ear thermometer, whereas, with the rectal measurement, they should be lying on their side.

When should you take your cat to the vet?

Every time you notice that the readings are below or above the normal limits for a cat’s temperature, you should consider going to the animal hospital. Both fever and hypothermia are emergencies.

If your cat’s body is colder than 37.2 degrees C (99 degrees F) or hotter than 40 degrees C (104 degrees F), go to the veterinary clinic immediately.

Hypothermia

Hypothermia is somewhat less common in cats, if not only for the reason that the majority of pets these days do find the opportunity to retreat to a warmer place in case the weather gets dangerously cold – even the cats that spend time indoors and outdoors will usually do this.

Naturally, indoor cats are always better protected, not only against inclement weather but also potential predators, parasites, or viruses, and bacteria.

Hypothermia in cats causes symptoms such as the following:

• Lethargy
• Shivering
• Skin that is cold to the touch
• Superficial breathing
• Pale gums

If you measure your cat’s temperature and it is below 37.2 degrees C, try to raise it immediately. In case you don’t own an electric heating pad, at least boil some water, pour it into two glass bottles, cover them with a blanket or towels, and put them close to your pet’s body. You can also use a magic bag for the purpose, the one that can be heated in the microwave.

If your cat is conscious and manifests any interest in drinking water, give them mildly heated bone broth or any type of strained chicken or meat broth instead of plain cold water.

Fever

A fever in cats can be considered when their body temperature reaches at least 102.6 degrees F (39.2 degrees C). Anything above 40 degrees C (104 degrees F) should be a reason to feel worried because the cat might not have simply basked in the sun for a good couple of hours, but they might have also contracted a disease such as an infection.

Fevers can be caused by a range of conditions, such as bacterial or viral infections, but also inflammation, internal injuries, trauma, severe pain, and even some medications.

Besides the obvious increase in body temperature, pet parents might notice the following symptoms:

• Weakness
• Dehydration
• Lack of appetite for food or water
• Tremors
• Tachycardia
• Digestive distress (diarrhea or vomiting)

Final thoughts

While you do not need to measure your cat’s body temperature every single day, sometimes keeping track of variations might be a good idea – especially if your pet has a chronic disease. If you notice any of the symptoms that we have mentioned above, do not hesitate to contact your veterinarian.

The respiratory rate is an important vital to keep an eye on when it comes to cats and other species, for that matter. Significant changes in the respiratory rate can sometimes suggest pain, inflammation, or other, more complicated health conditions.

In today’s article, we’re looking at what the normal respiratory rate for cats should be and what situations can lead to cats experiencing tachypnea (rapid breathing) or bradypnea (slow breathing).

How fast should cats breathe?

Cats should normally take anything between 10-15 and 30 breaths per minute. The respiratory rate should always be measured when the cat is at rest, so either sleeping or just relaxing.

Depending on whether the cat played or engaged in some strenuous activity or not, the respiratory rate can sometimes reach the limit of 50-60 breaths per minute. Anything beyond that can be viewed as pathological, though, especially in animals that have other health issues that might not have been diagnosed and that are also engaging in physical effort.

A respiratory rate higher than 50 when the cat is resting means you should contact your veterinarian as soon as possible.

While the breathing rate can differ largely from one animal to the next depending on their age (kittens tend to breathe faster than their adult counterparts, for example), health status, and other factors, in this case, the breed makes no difference.

Rapid breathing in cats

Also known as tachypnea, rapid breathing might not be the symptom of a disease if it happens for physiological reasons. It is perfectly normal and to be expected that a cat breathes faster when she runs or hunts than she does when she sleeps.

However, if it is associated with other signs or if it shows up in animals that are known to have chronic conditions, especially heart disease, rapid breathing should always be a sign that should convince pet owners to get to the emergency veterinary clinic.

If the cat takes more than 30 breaths when completely at rest, this can be considered tachypnea. Besides the increased frequency itself, the pet might show additional clinical signs, such as the following:

• Open mouth breathing
• Lack of appetite/interest in food or water
• Gagging or coughing
• Wheezing
• Lethargy
• Longer or more frequent sleep sessions

Tachypnea in cats can be caused by several different factors, and they range from allergies and asthma to stress, heat, pain, pulmonary edema, and respiratory infections. One of the most worrying causes is heart disease, which can often go undiagnosed (especially since cats are very good at showing symptoms of illness in general).

Rapid breathing can also be caused by intoxication, in which case it is accompanied by symptoms such as blue gums (a sign that there’s not enough oxygen in the animal’s blood), a condition called cyanosis and that can appear in other complications, too, such as pneumothorax, severe pneumonia, carbon monoxide poisoning, respiratory paralysis, or shock.

The treatment for tachypnea in cats varies a lot depending on what it was caused by. In some cases, it could be an infection that responds well to antibiotics, while in other cases, it could be an inflammatory condition or an allergy that can be treated with the appropriate medications.

Slow breathing in cats

A lower respiratory rate isn’t supposed to be a major cause of concern if the cat is completely healthy and is resting. However, no cat should take fewer than 15-20 breaths per minute – when the rate is lower than that, it’s time to feel just a little worried, especially if there are other noticeable signs, such as labored breathing, wheezing, gagging, and more.

Bradypnea can appear in medication overdoses, carbon monoxide poisoning, or sleep apnea, a condition that can affect cats that are overweight or obese.

If your cat is known to have any type of heart condition, you should keep an eye on how they are resting and how well they are breathing. Both bradypnea and dyspnea can sometimes be a sign that their heart is not functioning normally and that it might be time for you to take them to the clinic to have their medications changed or dosage adjusted.

How to check your cat’s respiratory rate at home

The simplest way to check your cat’s breathing rate at home would be to measure the number of times their chest rises and falls when they are sleeping.

Of course, some cats can be in a deep sleep, so they might take just 10-20 breaths per minute, but if they are exhibiting no other symptoms whatsoever and they have behaved completely normally for the whole day, that’s probably nothing to worry about.

To make your life just a little easier, you can count the breaths for just 15 seconds and then multiply that number by two. If your pet has changed positions, sniffed, moved, or anything else has happened, you have to start over since the result might be inaccurate. When purring, cats always have a higher breathing rate than normal.

Resources

Impact of Obesity on Lung Function in Cats with Bronchoconstriction, Alicia Caro-Vadillo et al, 2022, Vet. Sci. (learn more)

Cats are extremely good at hiding signs of disease, which means that their pet parents have to pay attention to as many symptoms as they can. Like any other species, cats have a number of vitals that have to be within a normal range in order for the animal’s health or life not to be in danger.

Read on to find out more about what these vitals are and how to check them in the comfort of your own home.

What are cat vitals?

The three main types of vitals that pet guardians need to keep an eye on, whether it’s cats, dogs, or other types of pets, are the following:

• The respiratory rate
• The body temperature
• The heart rate

But because sometimes these might not be so easy to measure, we could add two others to the list – the capillary refill time and the mucous membrane color. These two can also provide important information as to whether your pet’s body is functioning normally or not.

These vitals are something that your veterinarian also checks when you take your cat to the animal hospital – whether for a check-up or because you are worried that they might be sick.

Normal temperature of cats

When it comes to the body temperature of this species, the normal range that should be expected is 99 to 102.5 degrees F (37.2 to 39.2 degrees Celsius).

The temperature can increase or decrease depending on a number of various factors, such as external ones (sitting in the cold for too long can make a cat develop hyperthermia) or internal ones (infections, trauma, poisoning, and more).

Normal respiratory rate of cats

In a resting state, your pet should take 10-15 to 30-40 breaths per minute. Anything lower than that should be a matter of concern and should convince you to get to the emergency veterinary hospital.

A higher respiratory rate (tachypnea) can occur in low oxygen levels in the blood, asthma, choking, or anemia. A low respiratory rate (bradypnea) can be the result of bleeding, trauma, heart failure, intense pain, or a side effect of some medications.

Normal heart rate of cats

A cat’s heart can beat anything between 110/140 to 180/200 times per minute. This is the resting heart rate, which means that it should be measured when the pet is sleeping or when they have been lazing around for a while.

The more relaxed your pet is, the lower their heart rate will be. This is why it can be quite challenging for vets to determine the exact heart rate of a cat when they are brought to the vet since some can be extremely stressed and experience tachycardia as a result of anxiety.

The heart rate tends to vary depending on age. Kittens’ hearts beat faster, averaging between 220 and 260 beats per minute.

Normal mucous membrane color of cats

Assessing the color of your cat’s mucous membranes can be a little difficult sometimes, especially if your pet is very fluffy, doesn’t like being handled, or they are born with spotted gums or develop lentigo throughout their life.

The normal color should be light pink. While cats’ noses don’t have to be moist all the time, a too dry one could be a sign of fever. The gingiva should also be pink all the time and moist.

Abnormal colors range from white and yellow to blue, red, and chocolate brown. All of these can be signs of disease. Yellow can indicate liver or gallbladder health complications. White or pale mucous membranes can be a sign of anemia, whereas blue membranes can be a sign of intoxication or oxygen depletion.

What is capillary refill time?

The capillary refill time can be defined as the amount of time it takes for the cat’s mucous membrane to regain its normal pink color after you or the veterinarian have applied pressure to an area. Normally, the color should return in about two seconds.

If the CRT is higher than 2 seconds, you should get your cat to the vet clinic as soon as possible.

How to check your cat’s vitals at home

Out of all of these vitals, the respiratory rate is the easiest one to assess. When your cat is sleeping or resting on their side, just count the number of times their chest rises and falls over a period of 30 seconds (and then multiply it by 2) or a whole minute.

The heart rate can be a little more challenging to measure. You can place your hand either inside your cat’s groin so as to feel your pet’s femoral pulse or behind the shoulder blade. You can count the heartbeats per 15 seconds or 30 seconds and multiply to get the number for the whole minute.

To measure your cat’s body temperature, you can use two types of thermometers – an infrared one or a rectal one. While the value provided by the rectal one is more accurate, it can be difficult (if not impossible) to use it on your cat, especially if you need to do the procedure alone, without anyone helping you. Besides, it should be in your cat’s anus for 20-30 seconds or more, depending on the model, which makes everything even more challenging.

The infrared thermometer can be used inside your cat’s ear or as close to their inner ear as possible. If you hold it at a 90-degree angle and make sure you do not insert it too deeply, you can rest assured that you are not damaging your cat’s eardrum. Once it beeps, you have the measurement ready.

Final thoughts

Besides all of these vitals, another one that can be very useful when it comes to cats is blood pressure. Senior cats are more likely to have hypertension, and it can affect a variety of their other organs, especially their kidneys, so ask your vet to check it whenever you go in for a check-up.

The cat breed also has a say when it comes to what vitals need to be checked more often. For instance, Maine Coons and Burmese cats have a higher chance of developing heart disease, so in their case, the heart rate and the respiratory rate should be checked more often.

Blood in the urine is never a good sign, no matter the species that it appears in. Some dogs that show this symptom could develop severe complications, which is why veterinary assistance is necessary as soon as possible.

In today’s article, we’re looking at this clinical sign in depth and seeing what it is caused by, what other symptoms it is associated with, how the condition that has led to it is diagnosed, and more.

What causes blood in a dog’s urine?

While there are multiple factors that can lead to this outcome, they can be split into several different categories themselves. Some of them pertain to the upper urinary tract, whereas others pertain to the lower urinary tract.

Some causes that are unrelated to these two primary types range from infectious diseases and trauma (such as an accident) to chemotherapy and vasculitis or any other form of inflammatory disease. Some dogs can have coagulopathies, so that can be another cause.

As for the upper urinary tract ones, they are listed below:

• Kidney stones
• Kidney infections
• Kidney cancer
• Idiopathic renal hematuria (a fancy name for a condition that has no cause regardless of the number of diagnostic tests performed)

Several lower urinary tract causes of hematuria in canines can be found below:

• Bladder stones
• Bladder infections
• Urinary crystals (and associated infections)
• Bladder cancer
• Prostate conditions (one of the most common ones is benign prostatic hyperplasia)

Now that we’ve gotten the main possibilities out of the way, we would like to note that, in some cases, pet guardians might confuse hematuria with estrus. While the majority of female dogs do not eliminate massive amounts of blood when they are in heat, they will sometimes express it when they urinate, which can alarm their owners.

Finally, another cause that can lead to your dog eliminating blood in their urine can be poisoning. Some toxic substances, particularly rat poison, can cause hematuria along with other clinical signs.

Other symptoms that pet owners might notice

While hematuria can be the only sign that you might notice in some cases, depending on the exact factor that has caused it, you might see additional ones.

We already mentioned toxic substances. A dog that has been poisoned will act in a strange manner, such as having low to no tolerance to exercise, having a hard time breathing, being extremely lethargic all of a sudden, and more. Depending on the poison, some dogs might cough, or their abdomen might become distended.

In the event of an infection, the dog will experience pain when urinating, will strain to do so very often during the day, and will continuously lick their urinary opening. Passing stones can be very painful, too, so dogs might effectively howl because of the discomfort they experience when this happens.

If the ‘blood in urine’ situation is actually caused by estrus, your female dog’s vulva will be more swollen than normal, and droplets of blood will be visible in the area before and after she urinates and after she sits for some time.

What should you do if your dog is urinating blood?

Even if it’s not something extremely serious that has caused this symptom, you should take your canine friend to the veterinary clinic as soon as possible.

If your dog ate rat poison, they could lose their life before the end of the day. In some conditions, time is of the essence, so you could be risking your dog’s life and well-being if you do not get veterinary assistance as soon as possible.

Should your pet behave more or less normally, you can set up an appointment for a consultation in the next few days, but if they’re lethargic, don’t engage in any exercise, have zero appetite for food or water, or they have a fever, get them to the emergency veterinary clinic right away.

Diagnosis of blood in dog urine

There are several different ways of diagnosing the condition that has led to this symptom. Besides a physical examination, the vet will use urinalysis to tell what’s happening with your dog’s pee. Regular blood tests such as a complete blood count and biochemistry can also be helpful.

Imaging techniques such as an ultrasound or contrast radiography for the bladder can be extremely helpful, especially when it comes to diagnosing growths, crystals, or even tissue thickening or suspicious lesions.

Fortunately, veterinary medicine has advanced hugely in the past decades, so there are many ways to tell what’s wrong with your dog if they are passing bloody urine.

Treatment options

The therapy can vary a lot from one case to the next, and the reason for that is the variety of causes that can lead to this symptom.

If an infection is diagnosed, your dog will be prescribed antibiotics. It is of utmost importance that you stick to your vet’s recommendations and give them the treatment until the end.

As for the other conditions, it all depends on your dog’s age and general health and whatever treatment is available. These days, even kidney and bladder tumors respond well to treatment, including chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation therapy.

Bladder stones can be removed with an operation, whereas treatment for urinary crystals can involve immediate therapy plus a significant change in your pet’s diet.

There are a lot of options that you need to look into with your veterinarian to make sure you end up choosing the best one.

Can you prevent your dog from passing bloody urine?

Since hematuria is a symptom and not a disease in itself, it’s very difficult for you to prevent it. You can prevent your dog from getting poisoned, though, and you can ensure that their urinary health is in good condition especially once they hit the age of 6 to 7.

Males should have their prostate checked at least yearly or twice a year particularly in their senior years. Making sure your dog is vaccinated against potentially life-threatening diseases along with feeding them a healthy diet are two other ways to prevent urinary pathologies.

Cats are known for their incredible sense of hearing, but like any other animal out there, they can lose it as they age, or they can be born deaf. 

In today’s article, we’re looking at the most common reasons why cats can end up being deaf, how you can tell if your feline friend is deaf, and how to better care for a deaf cat in general. 

Can cats be born deaf?

Deafness can be congenital in some cases. For example, if the kittens become exposed to toxins or even viral diseases when they are still in their mother’s womb, they can develop a range of degenerations, including those pertaining to the ear. 

Deafness can also be hereditary, so genetically transmitted from the parents to the litter. A certain gene in cats causes white and blue-eyed cats to be partially or completely deaf. 

Some breeds just have a higher likelihood of being born deaf (especially if they are also white and blue-eyed), such as the following: 

• Maine Coon
• Ragdoll
• Manx
• Scottish Fold
• Devon & Cornish Rex
• Turkish Angora
• Persian

If a cat is not born with deafness, then it can be developed during their life by a variety of factors, all of which will be discussed below. 

What can cause deafness in cats?

• Old age

Any animal or human will lose their hearing as they become older and older. By the time they are considered seniors, cats might have lost a good part of their sense of hearing, but in some cases, they will still hear better compared to most people. 

Deafness due to old age is expected to happen gradually, though, and shouldn’t necessarily be related to any other pathologies. Unfortunately, as your cat grows old, the flexibility of the inner ear structures decreases, which leads to the tissues losing their ability to vibrate as well (and transmit sound). 

• Medications and toxins

Some drugs have deafness as a side effect, and most of them are either in the diuretic or antibiotic category. Despite them being extremely potent and good at what they are supposed to do, these medicines do come with adverse reactions – your vet should advise you of the risks before they initiate a certain treatment for your cat’s condition. 

Even basic antiseptics such as chlorhexidine can lead to a cat losing their hearing, not to mention very common antibiotics such as gentamicin or diuretics such as furosemide.

As for toxins, a wide range of household cleaning products can end up inside a cat’s ear – even as a result of grooming. 

Heavy metals such as mercury, arsenic, or lead, can also lead to deafness in cats. 

• Ear-related pathologies

The most common auricular pathologies that can cause deafness in this species naturally pertain to the structures of the inner, middle, and external ear. When left untreated, even an external canal infection can lead to deafness.

As a pet owner, it is important for you to pay attention to the clinical signs that your cat might show and that might be related to the health of their ears. Cats are quite asymptomatic in general, but prevention is worth a pound of cure in this case. 

Other ear-related pathologies that can cause deafness are ear bone damage (which can occur in the event of an accident), tumors, or inflammatory polyps. If a blockage has been caused by a foreign body or a growth, it can be removed – but the hearing can be recovered partially or completely depending on the amount of damage that was sustained. 

• General pathologies

Some conditions might not affect the ear directly but could lead to the cat becoming deaf. These range from hypothyroidism to infectious diseases or nerve damage. 

Symptoms of deafness in cats

The most obvious sign that can be seen in deaf cats is unresponsiveness to any sort of sound. Partially deaf cats might be able to detect the presence of a sound or even a specific frequency, but might be incapable of telling its exact source (in terms of direction). 

While it is true that cats don’t respond to being called by name as their canine counterparts do, they should definitely respond to sounds, such as a can of cat food being opened or even a noisy toy being used behind them. 

Deaf cats tend to have a much louder meow compared to their healthy counterparts – they cannot hear their own voice, and if they do hear it partially, they might think that they need to be louder. They also have a higher likelihood of becoming scared of sounds or objects that they think have appeared out of nowhere.

As for cats that haven’t been born deaf, they can show a variety of other symptoms, especially if they are connected to diseases. Here are a few examples:

• Pawing at the ears
• Local pain or inflammation
• Bad smell coming from the ear canal
• Disorientation (along with the cerebellum, the ear has an important role in maintaining a cat’s balance)
• Ear discharge

Diagnosis of deafness in cats

Your vet can use a range of tests to determine if your cat is deaf in both or one of their ears and what the cause of the deafness might be. They could use an otoscope to look at the inside of your pet’s ears and tell if there are any lesions, wax accumulations, discharge, foreign bodies, growths, or anything else present.

Additional tests for diagnosing general pathologies such as hypothyroidism can be used and they range from regular blood tests to more complex ones.  

Can feline deafness be treated?

If the cause has produced temporary deafness, then your cat might be lucky enough to be treated for the pathology – and might recover, if not all of their hearing, most of it. But if the deafness is congenital or hereditary or has been caused by old age, there is no specific treatment available. 

Tumors or growths can be removed surgically. 

For infections, local and general antibiotics could prove their worth. Damage to the ear tissues can sometimes be permanent.

As a species, cats rarely respond well to wearing hearing aids, which means that you, as a pet parent, will need to adjust to your cat’s deafness instead of the other way around being the case. 

Prevention & living with a deaf cat

If your cat wasn’t born deaf, there are some ways to delay and prevent them from becoming deaf for as long as possible. Make sure that their ear hygiene is as good as possible – a clean living environment makes it more difficult for cats to develop ear infections. Indoor cats have a lower likelihood of developing them, too, especially compared to their outdoor counterparts. 

If you notice any pawing or scratching at their ears, go to the veterinarian as soon as possible – the quicker you get treatment for your cat’s ear pathology, the lower the chances of them becoming deaf. 

As for lifestyle, deaf cats are easier to scare, so you’ll have to approach your pet gently. Play with your cat using visual toys instead of those that make sounds. 

Try to teach your pet some visual cues so that they know when their meal time is approaching when it’s time to play, or when cuddling might be in order. Most cats learn quickly, so you shouldn’t have any issues with these techniques. 

Dogs have always had a better sense of smell compared to people and other species, and it has allowed them to benefit from an advantage over other animals – in feeding, mating, and also in socializing with other dogs and humans.

Read on to find out more about how a dog’s sense of smell allows them to interact with the world and how different it is compared to ours.

Fun Facts About a Dog’s Sense of Smell

A dog’s nose can detect emotions

If you’ve been a dog owner for a while, you probably know that your pet can tell when you are feeling stressed or sad – they might even try to calm you down.

This is because dogs are capable of telling how you are feeling based on the smell of your skin. Whenever you have a specific emotion, your perspiration smells in a different way, which allows Fido to understand what’s going on with you.

The same rule applies to people who don’t like dogs or who are scared of them because they’re doing something bad. Burglars can be a lot more intimidated by dogs if the latter feel that they can scare them away as effortlessly as possible.

Your pet’s sense of smell is impossible to fool

Even if everything seems to be fine with a person or another animal, a dog will be able to tell if something is amiss just by smelling them.

The same goes for environments that involve body fluids – if your canine friend smells another potentially dominant dog’s scent, they’ll go out of their way to mark that territory.

Some dog noses are better than others

Believe it or not, a dog’s anatomy actually has a lot to say when it comes to how effective their sense of smell is. Brachycephalic breeds such as French Bulldogs do not tend to smell as well as their counterparts, particularly dogs with long noses.

The longer the nose, the higher the number of receptors in it – which is why breeds like the Bloodhound, the German Shepherd, or the Labrador Retriever will smell better compared to a Pug.

A wet nose is better than a dry one

Not only is a dry nose a potential sign that a pet might have a fever, but it’s also not capable of doing any service to its owner.

A cold and wet nose is much more effective when it comes to picking up scents, so a coating of mucus inside and on the surface of the nose makes it easier for the pet to interact with the world around them.

There are no good or bad smells

Given how powerful their sense of smell is, you might think that dogs tend to get disgusted by certain scents in much the same way that people do. That couldn’t be farther from the truth.

While dogs do have their preferences, especially when it comes to food, the way they look at it is a little different compared to how we, humans, see it. They can actually tell the ingredients of a certain dish, kibble, or canned variety, instead of seeing it as a ‘yummy meal.’

Why dogs smell each others’ butts

Apparently, dogs smell each others’ nether regions not only to be able to tell if their new friends are females or males but also to find out how they stand in the hierarchy of the area, what their personality is, and what behaviors they might expect from them.

A dog’s nose can tell time

Certain scents lose their potency as time goes by, whether it’s because of dust, wind, rain, or other weather factors or just because they don’t have the same amount of pheromones in them.

Consequently, a dog can tell (or at least make a rather correct assumption about) when the last time another dog went through the same area, whether it was an hour ago or yesterday.

Smelling and breathing happen differently for a dog

One of the main reasons why dogs can smell so well, especially compared to other species, is that they can breathe and smell at the same time. This constant circulation of air allows the scent chemicals to better reach every receptor on the mucous membrane of the olfactory sensing area.

A special pheromone-detecting organ

Another aspect that makes dogs and humans so different from one another is that the first actually have a vomeronasal organ that’s particularly designed to pick up on hormones released by animals and people.

This not only allows them to understand what emotions we are experiencing, but it also enables them to know practical things, such as whether or not a female in heat has recently been in the same area.

Licking enhances a dog’s smell

Anyone who has ever had a bad cold where they lost their sense of smell knows that the sense of taste follows almost immediately. There’s an undeniable connection between these two senses, and in a dog’s case, it’s even stronger.

Even if your dog doesn’t lick the area they are smelling, by licking their nose while sniffing on it, they’re effectively improving their information processing – once again, a wet nose does its job a lot better compared to a dry one.

How much better do dogs smell compared to humans?

Dogs are equipped with three hundred million olfactory receptors in their noses. By comparison, humans have just six million. Consequently, a dog can smell at least 10,000 times better than a person, even if they’re brachycephalic.

Furthermore, the part of a dog’s brain where scents are processed is up to 40 times larger than the same one in humans.

The two types of tachycardia that do present problems and that are caused by pathological factors are atrial tachycardia and ventricular tachycardia.

Atrial tachycardia is almost always caused by either cardiac disease or conditions that have affected the dog’s body to such an extent that the heart stops functioning normally along with the rest of the other organs.

Ventricular tachycardia can have one or several different causes, such as the following:

• Pulmonary conditions
• Cancer
• Pancreatitis
• Birth defects
• Gastrointestinal conditions
• Medication overdose
• Anemia
• Myocarditis
• Low blood pressure
• Infection
• Shock
• Fever
• Abnormal serum levels of potassium or calcium
• Splenic disease

A rapid heart rate, complete with all of the complications that it can cause, is a risk that tends to affect certain dog categories more than others – pregnant dogs, those that have primary heart disease, or those undergoing treatment for thyroid conditions have a much higher likelihood of experiencing the worst symptoms of tachycardia.

When ventricular tachycardia happens, time is of the essence. The ventricles are in charge of pumping the blood from the heart to all of the other organs, so when they start malfunctioning, the dog could lose their life in a short amount of time.

Some dogs are more likely to have ventricular tachycardia simply because they are born this way – Boxers are a good example of a breed that’s more predisposed to it.

What symptoms does tachycardia cause?

Regardless of the exact type that a dog might be experiencing (particularly if they have ventricular tachycardia), the clinical signs that can be noticed are typical for an acute malfunction of the heart.

Consequently, pets can experience the following:

• Lethargy
• Intolerance to any form of exercise, including climbing the stairs or jumping on the couch
• Fainting
• Shortness of breath
• Fever
• Pale mucous membranes
• A weak pulse
• Confusion
• Sudden collapse

Some dogs can simply die after beginning to experience the symptoms of ventricular tachycardia without their pet owners even having the time to take them to the veterinary clinic. If you know that your dog has a heart condition and you start noticing some of the previously mentioned symptoms, take them to the animal hospital right away.

How is a rapid heart rate diagnosed?

While there are a variety of tests that can be performed when you get to the vet, in both atrial and ventricular tachycardia, the only diagnostic method that can lead to an accurate and clear diagnosis is an electrocardiogram (an ECG).

If the heart rate is not ventricular and seems to have an unapparent cause, the vet will perform a number of effort tests, along with a chemical blood profile, urinalysis, a complete blood count, and a wide range of other tests that could lead to a different diagnosis.

Since a rapid heart rate can also be caused by pulmonary conditions, it is of utmost importance for the vet to rule out any lung disease, including cancer.

In some situations, a Halter monitor might be able to provide valuable information as to how the dog’s heart functions over a period of 24 hours – especially in cases where the tachycardia is not life-threatening. Any medication that is administered for the symptom itself can lead to changes in the way the heart functions, so using a Halter monitor could be worthless as the results might be inaccurate, especially after treatment is initiated.

How is tachycardia treated?

Until a diagnosis is confirmed, tachycardia can only be seen as a symptom instead of a disease, which means that the dog can only receive symptomatic therapy so that their condition is stabilized and they don’t risk losing their life.

After the cause of the clinical picture is discovered, the vet could administer a number of medications that solve both the primary issue that has led to the rapid heart rate and the clinical sign itself.

Antiarrhythmic therapy does exist, and in veterinary medicine, the two most common medications that are used for this purpose are sotalol and lidocaine. Procainamide is also utilized to treat ventricular tachycardia, along with two other conditions, atrial fibrillation, and ventricular premature complexes.

Atenolol and amiodarone are also commonly utilized for treating tachycardia, with the second one being more popular in Europe than in North America at this time. A combination of mexiletine and atenolol or sotalol seems to be quite effective in reducing the intensity of the symptoms of ventricular tachycardia.

In supraventricular tachycardia that causes the dog to experience a heart rate higher than 240 beats per minute, drugs such as dobutamine or diltiazem can prove to be more or less effective.

Recovery and prevention of rapid heart rate in dogs

Continuous monitoring can be quite helpful when it comes to dogs that have been treated for tachycardia. There are also a number of lifestyle changes that pet owners have to ensure to prevent the symptom (or condition) from recurring, such as limiting the amount of strenuous exercise that the dog gets, helping them lose weight and more.

Keeping your dog’s arrhythmia in check at home can be done with the prescription medication that your vet has recommended. In general, dogs with heart conditions or whose cardiac muscle has been affected (whether more or less) need to be kept under strict observation. Consequently, you may need to take your pet to the vet once a month after treatment and once every 2-3 months until their condition improves.

Some heart complications may never be prevented, especially if they are caused by birth defects or even electrolyte imbalances. The majority of pet diets these days are somewhat balanced in this respect, but every dog’s body is different, so they can develop cardiac symptoms for a wide range of reasons.

The mucous membrane color of a dog can give you a clue as to how they are feeling and even if they’ve recently experienced an event that could be life-threatening.

Physiologically, the color of your dog’s gums, tongue, or conjunctiva should be pale pink. But in some conditions, this color can be changed dramatically by a variety of mechanisms that kick in when a dog’s health is in danger.

In today’s article, we’re looking at some of these color changes and what they might mean. We’re also looking at how the diseases or accidents that lead to them can be diagnosed, treated, and prevented.

Evaluating your dog’s mucous membranes at home

Besides the color, which is, of course, important as it needs to be pale pink at all times, there are some things that you should pay attention to when it comes to a pet’s mucous membranes.

First of all, the easiest mucous membrane to evaluate would be the gums, but if your dog is reluctant when it comes to you touching their mouth, you can at least assess the color and overall appearance of the mucous membranes by looking at the inner part of their eyelids.

If the mucous membranes are sticky, it could be a sign of dehydration. If you apply pressure to an area of your dog’s gums for three seconds, you can actually assess the capillary refill time, which is an indicator of how well your dog’s blood circulation is functioning.

While you can do all of these assessments at home, they are in no way a replacement for actual veterinary assistance. If your dog is depressed, vomiting, having trouble breathing, or exhibiting any other worrying symptoms and their mucous membranes don’t look as they normally do, call your vet as soon as possible.

Abnormal colors to look out for and what they might mean

White, pale, and slightly pale

White gums are never a good sign as they could be an indication that there’s internal bleeding happening somewhere and your dog is losing a lot of blood quickly – it goes without saying that this color can show up in accidents, for example, so veterinary assistance is required immediately.

Pale and slightly pale gums can mean anemia, which can be produced by a variety of factors, from blood-clotting abnormalities to autoimmune diseases. Shock and kidney disease can be two other conditions at the root of this symptom.

Red

The exact type of red can mean different things in this case. Bright, almost cherry-like red mucous membranes might be an indication that the dog has either eaten something toxic or has been exposed to something else that’s poisonous, such as carbon monoxide. This color shows up in pets that have high blood pressure, too.

On the other hand, slightly red mucous membranes can be an indication of gingivitis or local oral health issues, whether that be from periodontal disease, irritation, or an infection.

Purple or blue

These two colors are almost always an indication that your dog’s blood isn’t oxygenating properly.

Whether it’s because of asthma, choking, or hypothermia, or because they have developed a form of heart disease that makes it impossible for enough blood to be pumped into their main circulation, blue or purple is never a good color when it comes to your dog’s visible mucous membranes.

Brown or black spots

Unless your dog is a breed where these spots are actually normal, or they were born with them for any reason, brown and black spots could be a sign that your dog might have developed some sort of oral complication or that they might have contracted a viral disease.

If the color is gray to brown, they might have developed methemoglobinemia, which can happen if you gave your dog Tylenol or they somehow ingested a few acetaminophen pills. By the way, some human medications, especially those for pain, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, are a no-go for dogs as they can cause havoc in their systems.

Yellow

Yellow mucous membranes, whether that be a dog’s gums, skin, lids, or any other, is a sign of icterus. Also known as jaundice, this condition is caused by an unusual accumulation of yellow pigment in the blood and tissues.

Normally, this pigment (bilirubin) is eliminated through the bile and the normal digestive process. Yellow mucous membranes can also show up when a large destruction of red blood cells has taken place, such as in damages to the spleen or when the bile duct is obstructed.

When to bring your dog to the veterinary clinic

Whenever you see any changes in your dog’s mucous membrane color, you should take them to the vet. In some cases, time is of the essence as your pet might have suffered some form of organ failure, so they need to receive treatment as early as possible.

Given that mucous membrane color changes can also show up in severe intoxications, time is of the essence.

How are mucous membrane color changes diagnosed and treated?

Since the majority of the causes leading to such modifications are internal, there could be several different diagnostic methods that your veterinarian might use to make sure that they reach an accurate diagnosis. These can range from imaging techniques like ultrasonography or x-rays or more advanced ones such as MRI or CT scans to blood tests for biochemistry or a complete blood count.

A physical examination rarely leads to a clear diagnosis, in the sense that besides the capillary refill time (which can be tested), there’s no way of knowing what has caused the change in the mucous membrane color. Of course, if an oral health issue is at the root of the problem, a physical examination could prove its worth, but even in this case, additional testing is required, such as dental x-rays, for example.

As for the treatment, it can vary largely depending on the cause. In icterus, for example, which causes the mucous membranes to become yellow, depending on the degree of liver damage, the treatment can last for months before the organ recovers its capacity. If the gallbladder needs to be removed, then an operation will be performed, and the dog may have to eat a certain diet for the rest of their life.

If the pale or white color is caused by internal bleeding, the pet will need to be stabilized, and the hemorrhage will have to be also stopped with surgery (following a series of diagnostic tests).

When mucous membranes look different

Some dogs have different physical features compared to others, which can make the examination of mucous membranes a little more challenging. For example, there are breeds that naturally boast pigmented gums, such as some Airedales, Mastiffs, or Newfoundlands.

The majority of the breeds that do have pigmented mucous membranes still have some spots that are pink or that show their true color, but that is not the case for all dogs. In most Chow-Chows, the gums are black across their entire surface, while their tongues are blue – which makes the task of assessing their mucous membrane a little challenging. Still, even in these dogs, the sclera and the ear flaps can be examined for changes.