Birth Difficulties

This Allergic Reaction Can Be Deadly for Your Dog

"Shock and awe" is more than a military tactic - it's a good description of a potentially deadly allergic reaction that occurs in all types of mammals and, without prompt emergency treatment, is fatal. Anaphylaxis, commonly known as "anaphylactic shock," is a rare but rapidly-developing allergic reaction that results in respiratory failure, heart failure and death. It's most often caused by an allergic reaction to a bite from a stinging insect or snake, or after ingesting a certain food. It can also be brought on by vaccines, antibiotics and select hormones and medications. [...]

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Anesthesia in Pets Greatly Improved

Anesthesia has a well documented place in both human and animal medicine, and it's especially critical as a way to calm and treat animals who are frightened and in pain. The anesthetics that are used in veterinary medicine today are much safer than ones used in the past, and their results are much more predictable. Gas anesthetics can be quickly eliminated by simply removing the mask. Injectable anesthetics, meanwhile, all have a reversal agent that can be quickly administered if there are any adverse effects, such as a drop in the dog's blood pressure. This additional safety is very important, since veterinarians use anesthetics more than regular medical doctors. That's because many animals become extremely terrified or agitated while at the vet's. Therefore anesthesia is often used in procedures like X-rays, joint examinations and laparoscopic procedures. [...]

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Birth Difficulties

Very few people can resist a cute and cuddly kitten, only very few people want to keep that kitten after it has grown into a full grown cat. Cats and kittens end up in animal shelters or are discarded on roads, or simply left to become feral cats outdoors. Therefore one could say that the first birth difficulty is actually finding suitable permanent homes for cats before you cat actually gets pregnant. Felines are very fertile creatures, with the average cat having five or six kittens in each litter. Some breeds are inclined to have bigger litters. From the time your cat is five months old, she will be in and out of heat from January to October with a reprieve in November and December for pet owners living in Europe and North America. [...]

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Understanding The Problems With Retention Of Afterbirth In Mares

In a normal birth the mare will have the foal and then in about one to three hours, sometimes even in less time, she will expel the afterbirth or placenta from the birth canal. The placenta is the sac or membrane that surrounds the fetus while it is in the uterus. There are many myths around the afterbirth and placenta, but there are serious health concerns if some or all of the placenta is not expelled from the reproductive tract. In most cases where the placenta is retained longer than two to three hours it is important to call a vet immediately. Retained placentas may be related to bacterial infections or other health conditions that can lead to laminitis, metritis and scepticemia that in turn can lead to death of the mare if not treated. In most cases part of the afterbirth will be protruding from the vulva, which will let the owner know that there is a problem. In more dangerous and difficult to diagnose cases the placenta will not be visible and if the foaling was done outside in the pasture the owner may not even realize the afterbirth was not expelled. [...]

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