Common Ailments Affecting Dogs and Cats

This area of the guide is divided into two distinct sections - Symptoms and Disorders. The first is a collection of charts, each of which covers a specific symptom for a particular species and contains one or more of the disorders commonly associated with it. You can then look up any one of the potential diagnoses in the second section, which provides a comprehensive explanation of each disorder, what to do about it, whether or not you can treat it yourself, and how and when to call a veterinarian.

For example, suppose that you observe that your dog has blood in the urine. When you look this up in the symptom charts, you find 5 possible diagnoses listed. However, you see that only four of these also involve the associated symptom "with urinary difficulty or incontinence." After reading the distinguishing features of each of these 4 disorders, you determine that perhaps only two of them produce a profile of symptoms that resemble those of your pet. You may then select the Disorder(s) producing the profile of the symptom to read more about these ailments, and to help you determine what to do next. The Disorder section can also serve as a valuable resource when you already know the diagnosis and simply would like more information.

This guide is not, however, intended as a substitute for the advice and expertise of your local veterinarian. As a subscriber, you should always consult with your veterinarian about any suggestions made in these pages.

You may also want to review the following free ebooks by Dr. Johnny Braddy:

Preventive Health Care (.exe file)
Home Medical Reference Guide (.exe file)
The Savvy Of Pet Ownership (.exe file)
Cat Breeds (.exe file)
Dog Breeds (.exe file)
 

1. The Merck Veterinary Manual (8^th ed.) Susan E. Aiello and Asa Mays, Eds. ( Merck & Co., Inc., 1998)
2. Small Animal Surgery, Theresa Welch Fossom, Mosby-Year Book, Inc., St. Louis, Missouri, 1997
3. Feline Practice, Gary D. Norsworthy, J.B. Lippincott, Philadelphia, 1993
4. The Cornell Book of Cats, Mordecai Siegal, Ed., Villard Books, New York, 1992
5. The Complete Dog Book (19th^th ed.) The American Kennel Club, Howell Book House, New York
6. Medical & Genetic Aspects of Purebred Dogs, Ross D. Clark and Joan R. Stainer, Eds., Veterinary Medicine Publishing Group, Edwardsville, Kansas, 1983
7. Quick Reference to Veterinary Medicine, William R. Fenner, J.B. Lippincott, Philadelphia, 1982
8. Feline Medicine and Surgery (2^nd ed.) E.J. Catcott, Ed. (American Veterinary Publications, Inc., 1975)
9. Canine Medicine, (1^st ed.) E.J. Catcott, Ed. (American Veterinary Publications, Inc., 1968,
   Reprinted 1971)
10. Canine Ophthalmology (2^nd ed.) William G. Magrane, Lea & Febiger, Philadelphia, 1971
11. Canine Cardiology, Stephen J. Ettinger and Peter F. Suter, W.B. Saunders Company,
    Philadelphia, 1970
12. Small Animal Dermatology, George H. Muller and Robert W. Kirk, W.B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia, 1969