The Pill Book Guide to Medication for Your Dog and Cat - Softcover

Roby, Kate; Southam, Lenny

 
9780553579895: The Pill Book Guide to Medication for Your Dog and Cat
Softcover
ISBN 10: 0553579894 ISBN 13: 9780553579895
Verlag: Bantam, 1998

Inhaltsangabe

How much do you know about keeping your dog or cat healthy?

Did you know that the same aspirin that can safely relieve a dog's fever can be fatal to a cat?

What conditions may respond better to alternative therapies than standard prescription medications?

Under what circumstances can common over-the-counter medications be hazardous to your pet's health?

Do you know what hazardous household products are poisonous to your cat or dog?

How do certain drugs interact with other drugs or with your pet's normal diet?

This one-of-a-kind guide provides you with important information about the most commonly prescribed and over-the-counter drugs for cats and dogs, plus the latest information on grounbreaking alternative therapies that will keep your pet healthy and happy. From common antibiotics and powerful drugs prescribed for more serious ailments to recent medications such as the "flea-pill," here are the facts you need to know. Each drug is extensively profiled for effectiveness, safety, proper dosages, possible side effects, allergic reactions, toxicity, and much more. You'll also receive expert advice on the following:

How to choose a veterinarian
A description of common dog and cat diseases and their treatments
The pros and cons of using human drugs such as Prozac and Elavil
How particular medications may effect your pet's behavior
How to perform a physical exam at home to assess your pet's general health
PLUS a guide to preventive care, an index of symptoms, a quick reference first-aid guide, and much more.

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Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Dr. Kate Roby received her veterinary degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. Her postdoctoral training included residencies in large animal medicine and clinical laboratory medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine and a fellowship in nephrology and metabolism at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. After many years of nephrology research at the University of Pennsylvania and many publications, Dr. Roby entered private small animal practice. At present, she combines work in small animal practice with a career as a medical writer.

Dr. Lenny Southam completed an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, following graduation from the University of Mexico School of Veterinary Medicine. Following her internship, she was a research veterinarian at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia and an adjunct associate professor in the Department of Medicine and held a fellowship for postdoctoral studies in pathology at the University of Delaware. At present, she has a housecall practice in Pennsylvania where she cares for dogs and cats, horses and a variety of other companion animals. Dr. Southam has published a number of scientific papers as well as articles for pet owners and runs the Vet Care Forum on CompuServe.

Von der hinteren Coverseite

How much do you know about keeping your dog or cat healthy?
Did you know that the same aspirin that can safely relieve a dog's fever can be fatal to a cat?
What conditions may respond better to alternative therapies than standard prescription medications?
Under what circumstances can common over-the-counter medications be hazardous to your pet's health?
Do you know what hazardous household products are poisonous to your cat or dog?
How do certain drugs interact with other drugs or with your pet's normal diet?
This one-of-a-kind guide provides you with important information about the most commonly prescribed and over-the-counter drugs for cats and dogs, plus the latest information on grounbreaking alternative therapies that will keep your pet healthy and happy. From common antibiotics and powerful drugs prescribed for more serious ailments to recent medications such as the "flea-pill," here are the facts you need to know. Each drug is extensively profiled for effectiveness, safety, proper dosages, possible side effects, allergic reactions, toxicity, and much more. You'll also receive expert advice on the following:
How to choose a veterinarian
A description of common dog and cat diseases and their treatments
The pros and cons of using human drugs such as Prozac and Elavil
How particular medications may effect your pet's behavior
How to perform a physical exam at home to assess your pet's general health
PLUS a guide to preventive care, an index of symptoms, a quick reference first-aid guide, and much more.

Aus dem Klappentext

you know about keeping your dog or cat healthy?

Did you know that the same aspirin that can safely relieve a dog's fever can be fatal to a cat?

What conditions may respond better to alternative therapies than standard prescription medications?

Under what circumstances can common over-the-counter medications be hazardous to your pet's health?

Do you know what hazardous household products are poisonous to your cat or dog?

How do certain drugs interact with other drugs or with your pet's normal diet?

This one-of-a-kind guide provides you with important information about the most commonly prescribed and over-the-counter drugs for cats and dogs, plus the latest information on grounbreaking alternative therapies that will keep your pet healthy and happy. From common antibiotics and powerful drugs prescribed for more serious ailments to recent medications such as the "flea-pill," here are the facts you need to know. Each

Auszug. © Genehmigter Nachdruck. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

Home Physical Exam

You spend the most time with your pet and know it best. You know what is normal behavior and what is not. With a little extra effort, you can learn to examine your pet in a systematic way. This may help pick up problems early when they are more easily. treated. It also lets you provide your veterinarian with information to help determine when something is an emergency, when it can wait for regular office hours, or perhaps be treated at home.

It is important to use all your senses. Look, listen, touch, and smell. Do not forget the most important sense--common sense.

Stand back and look at your pet. If you do this regularly when your pet is healthy, you will notice the subtle changes that may mark the start of a problem. Look at the haircoat. It should look healthy. The eyes should shine. Look at how your pet holds its head, ears, and tail. Look at how your dog or cat stands and moves. Watch how she or he responds to you. Notice any changes in the way your pet eats and drinks, urinates and defecates.

Listen to the breathing, the heart, and the gurgle of the intestines. You do not need a stethoscope to do this, but if you want to hear better, you can buy an inexpensive stethoscope. Use your sense of touch. Animals love to be petted. Pet your dog or cat all over. Run your hand over the legs and feet. Gently massage the muscles and think about what you are feeling. You will be able to pick up lumps and bumps, changes in the skin and hair coat, and places that hurt.

Pay attention to anything that smells differently and try to figure out the source of any bad smells. Common sources include the mouth, the folds in the lips, ears, skin, and anal area.


Examination--The Vital Signs

The most important values to help your veterinarian evaluate your pet over the telephone are temperature, pulse, respiration, color of the gums, and capillary refill time (CRT). Practice getting these when your pet is healthy. That way you will be ready in an emergency when you need to be calm and you will know what is normal for comparison.

Take the temperature with a rectal thermometer for humans. You can buy one in any pharmacy. Lubricate the tip with petroleum jelly, a water-soluble lubricant, or water and gently insert it in the rectum. It should go in 1/2 to 1 inch. If it does not go in immediately, continue to push gently, but do not try to force it. Many pets do not like this procedure at first and you may need help. Most pets will learn to let you take their temperature if you take your time and stay calm. If your pet gets too agitated, it may make sense to skip the temperature and let the veterinarian get it. It is not worth hurting your pet or risking having someone bitten. A warm nose is not a reliable indication of a fever.

The respiratory rate can be measured by counting the breaths either by watching the nostrils or the chest move or by feeling air blow out of the nostrils. Count the number of breaths in 15 seconds, then multiply by 4 to get breaths per minute. If your pet is panting, there is no need to count, just report it as panting. Also notice if the breathing is labored or if your pet had his head stretched forward and elbows rotated away from the body to make breathing easier.

The pulse or heart rate can be measured by listening to the heart with a stethoscope over the left side of the chest behind the elbow. If you are listening to the heart, each beat will have two parts that sound like lub-dub. The pulse may also be felt on the inside of a back leg. Put your hand around the upper part of the leg with your thumb on the outside and your fingers on the inside. Feel the long femur bone that goes from the stifle/knee to the hips. Slide your fingers toward the back of that bone until they fall into the groove behind it. The femoral artery runs in this groove. Press gently but firmly and you should be able to feel the pulse. Count the number in 15 seconds and multiply by four to get the rate per minute. It takes practice, so practice before there is a problem and do not give up.

The color of the gums or mucous membranes in the mouth and CRT give an estimate of how well the heart and lungs are working and if enough oxygen is getting to the cells where it is needed. The gums should be pink except in some breeds such as chows and in animals with dark pigmentation. CRT is determined by pressing on the gums above or behind an upper canine tooth with your finger. Press for a few seconds and then remove your finger. The pressure keeps blood from flowing through the small capillary blood vessels and there should be a pale fingerprint for an instant after you remove your finger. The normal pink color should returns within 2 seconds.


Normal Vital Signs for Dogs and Cats


   Temperatures over 103°F are elevated and may indicate a fever. Fevers are usually an indication of infections but also occur with some types of cancer and immune-mediated diseases such as lupus. Cats with hyperthyroidism may also have elevated temperatures. Temperature is generally elevated after exercise and in very excited or agitated animals. It is also elevated in animals that have been in too hot an environment or are suffering from heat stroke. Call your veterinarian if the temperature is over 103°F. Fevers in dogs and cats may reach 105°F to 106°F. This is not as dangerous as it would be for a human, but it is a sign to contact your veterinarian or emergency clinic as soon as possible.

Body temperatures lower than normal are often due to the thermometer not being inserted correctly. They may also be lower 12 to 24 hours before whelping and in the presence of some health problems such as overexposure to cold, shock, and advanced kidney failure.

Pulse rate normally increases with excitement and exercise. It also increases if there is a fever and in some types of heart disease. Pulses above 200 beats per minute may prevent the heart from filling completely, which reduces the amount of blood pumped with each beat and the overall efficiency. Decreased pulse rate may occur when your pet is asleep, in some types of heart disease, and with some electrolyte imbalances.

The respiratory rate normally increases when the ambient temperature and humidity are high or if the animal feels hot. Panting is very fast breathing and is a way for dogs and cats to lose excess body heat. Nervous or excited animals may pant even when they are not too hot. The respiratory rate is also elevated if a pet has a fever, in some types of electrolyte imbalances, and if not enough oxygen is being carried to the body.

The respiratory rate is decreased in very cold or comatose animals.

Gums become redder with excitement, exercise, certain poisons, or fever. Anemic animals with low levels of red blood cells may have pale or white gums. Animals that do not have enough oxygen due to heart disease or shock may have a bluish tinge to the gums. Yellow gums indicate jaundice and may be a sign of liver disease or anemia due to rapid destruction of red blood cells.

If the CRT is more than 2 seconds, it may indicate a problem with blood circulating to the small blood capillaries. This is a sign of dehydration, shock, and severe heart failure.


Emergency Situations Requiring Immediate Veterinary Care

1. Severe trauma.

2. Heat exhaustion or stroke.

3. Frostbite and exposure to cold.

4. Electric shock.

5. Hemorrhage from the nose, mouth, ears, rectum, urine, or trauma.

6. Very painful eyes with squinting, dilated, or constricted pupils; pupils of uneven size; conjunctivitis; or protruding eyeball.

7. Frequent vomiting, and/or diarrhea with or without blood.

8. Retching or unproductive vomiting particularly if the stomach area looks bloated.

9....

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Verlag
Bantam
Erscheinungsdatum
1998
Sprache
Englisch
ISBN 10 
0553579894
ISBN 13 
9780553579895
Einband
Taschenbuch
Anzahl der Seiten
624
Kontakt zum Hersteller
Nicht verfügbar
Verantwortliche Person
Nicht verfügbar

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