Dogs and cats can get diabetes just like humans. The most common type of diabetes in dogs and cats is diabetes mellitus, which is similar to Type II diabetes in humans. Although diabetes can happen to any pet, overweight and obese cats and dogs are most at risk along with certain dog breeds.
 

When your dog or cat visits the veterinarian, the doctor will use a stethoscope to listen to the heart.

This Halloween, you may think spiders and worms are the creepiest pests around, but cats have a whole other idea of what creeps them out: microscopic parasites that crawl into their ears and make themselves at home. This might sound like something out of a horror film, but it’s a common occurrence for cats (and dogs) – ear mites!

FeLV is a retrovirus that infects cats and is responsible for more deaths than any other organism. It is, unfortunately, not uncommon. FeLV is highly contagious and is easily spread once a cat has been in close contact with another infected cat. Kittens and immune-compromised cats are more susceptible to the disease. Cats can contract the virus through saliva, urine, using the same litter box, nursing, and cat bites.

Glaucoma is rare in cats, though when it occurs, it’s very painful and can lead to blindness. It can’t be cured, though sometimes it can be treated.

Healthy eyes have a balance of fluid and drainage. In cats with glaucoma, the fluid stops draining and builds up behind the eye, causing a lot of pressure. Sometimes the eyes bulge. Glaucoma also damages the optic nerve.

Have you thought about the health of your pet’s eyes? Chances are, as long as your dog or cat seems to see okay, you may not have thought much about it.

However, they can be susceptible to eye problems, and one of those eye problems is known as cherry eye.

This unsightly condition gets its name from a reddish mass in the eye. It can protrude from the eye and sits like a red bump in the corner.

Outdoor temperature plays a role in health from both an Eastern and Western perspective. A healthy body—whether human or animal—should be able to adapt easily to changes in weather, until it starts getting into extremes. However, if the body is already out of balance, your dog or cat may experience more inflammation as the temperature rises.

You may have not known that your dog or cat could even get diabetes. But they can, and veterinarians are seeing more and more of it due to diet and sedentary lifestyles in our dogs and cats.

The good news is, early detection means diabetes is treatable. However, like many diseases, it can require some serious lifestyle changes.