Diseases

An informed pet owner is a prepared pet owner. Learn more about the diseases that can affect your pet here.

Addison’s disease

Diminished hormone production from the cortex of the adrenal gland. Also called hypoadrenocorticism. Occurs most often in dogs. Read more here.

Anemia

A reduction below normal in the number or volume of erythrocytes or in the quantity of hemoglobin in the blood.

Arthritis

Inflammation of a joint.

Bordetella

A very highly contagious respiratory disease among dogs. It causes inflammation of the trachea and bronchi.

Calicivirus

A virus that is an important cause of upper respiratory infections and oral disease in cats.

Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome

A brain disorder akin to Alzheimer’s disease in people most often seen in dogs older than nine years of age. Dogs with CCDS display impaired thinking, recognition, memory and changes in behavior. Read more here.

Canine distemper

A viral disease of some animals, especially dogs, causing fever, coughing, and catarrh. Read more here.

Canine Influenza

Canine influenza is one of many respiratory diseases included in what is currently known as the CIRD (Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease) complex. Other more commonly recognized respiratory infections in this category include Bordetella bronchiseptica (kennel cough) and canine distemper virus. Read more here.

Chagas disease

A disease caused by a single-celled protozoa, Trypanosoma cruzi, that lives in an insect called the kissing bug. In dogs, the disease causes fever, lack of appetite and can lead to severe heart disease and death. Read more here.

Cushing’s syndrome

A group of signs produced by an excess of free circulating cortisol from the adrenal cortex.

Demodectic Mange

A skin disease caused by the Demodex canis mite in dogs. When the dog’s immune system cannot regulate the mite population, hair loss occurs. In less severe cases, the hair loss is in small patches and in severe cases the hair loss is significant can can be accompanied with bacterial skin infections that can become life-threatening. Read more here.

Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes mellitus is an endocrine disease that is caused by the loss of or an inability of specific cells in the pancreas to synthesize and/or release proper amounts of insulin or an inability for cells in the body to use insulin. Read more here.

Feline chlamydia

A chronic upper respiratory disease caused by bacterial infection.

Feline leukemia

A disease that only affects cats. It is passed from one cat to another through saliva, blood, and to some extent, urine and feces.

Glaucoma

A group of diseases of the eye characterized by increased pressure, resulting in visual defects and eventually blindness if not treated successfully. Read more here.

Heart Murmurs

 

Heartworm Disease

Caused by an infection by the parasite Dirofilaria immitis (D. immitis), a type of microscopic worm, that is transmitted to an animal’s bloodstream by the female mosquito. As it develops, the parasite eventually migrates to the pulmonary arteries. Read more here.

Leptospira

A rare bacterial infection. It is most commonly transmitted from animals to humans when people with unhealed breaks in the skin, come into contact with water or soil that has been contaminated with animal urine. Read more here.

Lyme disease

An inflammatory disease characterized at first by a rash, caused by bacteria that are transmitted by ticks.

Panleukopenia

A parvovirus very similar in structure to canine parvovirus. It is highly contagious and extremely resistant to disinfectants and temperature extremes.

Parvovirus

A highly contagious infection in dogs that causes vomiting, diarrhea, fever and dehydration. There is a high mortality rate in young puppies, but vaccines are available for prevention of the disease. Read more here.

Pneumonia

Lung inflammation caused by bacterial or viral infection, in which the air sacs fill with pus and may become solid.

Rabies

A contagious and fatal viral disease of dogs and other mammals that causes madness and convulsions, transmissible through the saliva to humans. Read more here.

Rhinotracheitis

An upper respiratory or pulmonary infection of cats caused by feline herpesvirus 1.

Salmonella infection

Caused by the Salmonella bacteria, infection causes gastrointestinal upset, fever, shock and septicemia. It is a zoonotic disease, meaning it can be transmitted from animals to humans. Read more here.