Pet bladder health

    Can high protein dog food cause a urinary tract infection?

If your dog or cat has a urinary tract infection, you may be wondering if high protein food has contributed to that health condition.

There currently is not a lot of evidence pointing to high protein in your dog's diet as a direct cause of urinary tract infections. However, having a lot of protein in their diet can change the acidity of your dogs urine. That is, dogs that have a high level of protein in their diet tend to have more acidic urine. 

When a dog's urine is very acidic, they're more likely to form bladder stones. The problem is that when a dog forms bladder stones, these bladder stones make it more likely that they will develop urinary tract infections. If your dog has bladder stones, they will tend to have cloudy urine or smelly urine.

  

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PLN in dogs

  If your veterinarian has told you that your dog is losing protein through their kidneys, you may be wondering how this is possible. You may also be wondering whether losing protein through their kidneys puts your dog's health at risk in such a way that it could significantly shorten their life span.

This kidney ailment is described as protein losing nephropathy (PLN). Protein losing nephropathy usually affects large breed dogs. It causes blood serum and protein to seep into the urine instead of being sent through the body to perform other functions.

Veterinarians are aware that large breed dogs are typically at risk of being affected by this condition. This is because these dogs tend to have mutations which put them at risk of developing this disease. For this reason, they will suggest that your dog does regular tests. With this condition, as with many others, early detection can help to safeguard your dog's health.

If protein-losing nephropathy is left undetected, it can lead to end-stage kidney failure. However, if it's detected early, your veterinarian will prescribe a course of treatment which can prevent this kidney ailment from becoming fatal.

 

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Do fungal infections cause fevers?

  Why does your cat have a fever?

 If your cat has a fever, you can normally detect it by using a pediatric thermometer. There are several reasons why your cat could have a fever, including bacterial, fungal or viral infections. 

If your cat has a tumor or is having a reaction to certain medications, they can also have a fever. Conditions such as lupus can also cause fevers, so it's important to take your cat to the veterinarian if you observe them having a fever for a few days.

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How to give your cat liquid food

 There are several ways to give your cat liquid food. If your cat is strong enough, they may be able to lap liquid food on their own. 

However, sometimes after surgery or during an illness, your cat may be too weak to lap liquid food on their own. At times, they may also not want to eat anything at all, so you may have to force feed them. 

In this case it may be necessary to use a syringe to feed them. Your veterinarian will show you how to use a syringe to care for a cat by giving small amounts of liquid food to them.

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Liquid diet for pets

  If your cat has recently come home after doing surgery, you may want to know what cats on a liquid diet can eat. If a procedure has been done on your cat's mouth or another part of their body that makes it difficult for them to chew their usual food, your veterinarian may have advised you to feed them liquids during their time of healing so that they receive the right nutrients without experiencing unnecessary stress. 

There are several liquid foods that you can feed your cat, such as Virbac Rebound. These come ready-made and are easy to give. The unused portion can often be refrigerated for your cat's next meal. You can also prepare liquid foods by using ingredients that you already have at home. These include broth made from chicken, fish or beef.

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Lavender and Cats

  Medicine garden plants for dogs are safe for them to nibble on. These herbs provide health benefits to your dogs whenever they decide to chew on a leaf or two. 

All the garden plants that are toxic should be avoided. Your dogs can use safe plants to self medicate.

If a dog is feeling slightly distressed or emotionally upset, they can usually identify an herb that will help and can chew on a bit of it in order to feel more of a sense of comfort.

Dogs and several other animals are good at self medicating. This means that your dog will use their senses to find the plant that they may need at a particular time. 

If you have already observed a dog nibbling on grass whenever they feel ill, it's self medication in progress. By having a variety of plants in your garden, your dog can select the one that is best for their needs at a particular moment.

Mint is a good plant to have in a sensory garden for dogs. Mint as you already know is popular among humans because it helps to calm the stomach. Many people drink mint when they're feeling nauseous. 

Similarly, lavender also helps human beings to feel more relaxed at times when they're under stress. It has the same effect on your dog so it can be included in your sensory garden.

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Is basil good for dogs?

  The herbs that you include in a sensory garden for your animals will usually also be helpful to you. However, don't automatically assume that every plant that has medicinal benefits for you or for a particular animal in your household will also be safe for every pet in your house. 

Always check to ensure that the herbs that you are including are safe for everyone in your home. Many help both dogs and cats. Catnip is a favorite of cats and it is also safe for dogs.

if your dog suffers from separation anxiety or other forms of anxiety, basil is a good herb to include in your sensory garden because it helps with anxiety. If you have an older dog in your home or a dog that is affected by arthritis even though they're relatively young, basil should also be included. Basil helps with arthritis pain

Catnip can be included in your garden for your own benefit as well as for cats and dogs. Catnip contains a chemical which is similar to another group of chemicals that are found in valerian.

The chemical in catnip is called nepetalactone and it is used by plants as a natural insect repellent. While catnip is safe for your cat, observe how much of it they're using. It can make them high if they use a lot, whether they have fresh catnip, the oil or dried catnip.

Catnip helps with relaxation. If your dog or cat chews on catnip, they'll feel more relaxed. You may also observe that they all become a little bit more playful because they're in a relaxed mood.

However, the exact effect is a little bit different in both of these mammals. When your cat has catnip it acts as a stimulant. When your dog has catnip it acts as a sedative.

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Dandelion and heart Medication

    Dandelion is an herb that is sometimes recommended along with conventional medicines because of its diuretic properties. Researchers think that dandelion's diuretic effect is due to its high potassium content. 

If your holistic medical practitioner recommends dandelion, they may first adjust the dosage of prescription medications that you are currently taking. If you're not currently being managed by a holistic health care provider, it's important to talk to your doctor about dandelion and any other herbal supplements that you may be taking. 

Dandelion can interact with several types of prescription medications including estrogen based contraceptives, prescription diuretics, antipsychotic medications, antidepressants and statins.

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Leg Valve Problems

  Chronic venous insufficiency is a condition in which the veins in the legs don't work as they should. The veins are designed with valves which work similar to the valves that you would see in a pipe or elsewhere.

 Just as a valve in a pipe should allow water to flow in one direction, the valves that are placed in your legs also should only allow blood to flow in one direction. 

 However, patients with chronic venous insufficiency find that blood is also flowing back ways, so what happens is that excess blood collects in the legs. 

This causes discomfort and even pain. However, it is not regarded as a life-threatening condition.

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