Servicing Boise and the Treasure Valley with quality veterinary service. We come to your door to take care of your pet in the comfort of your own home. Our mobile vet van is a full service vet clinic on wheels that can care for your pet without the hassle of taking your animal to a clinic. Pets are less stressed when treated in their normal environment and Dr. Ormond comes to your door backed with years of experience in the vet industry. For less hassle and quality pet care call Mobile Pet Medical care today.
Pet Care Boise
Monday, November 12, 2012
Boise Vet - Actinomycosis
Our pets often suffer from minor cuts and scrapes without us
ever knowing about it. In most cases,
these will heal without incident. But
sometimes these injuries can become a more serious problem—particularly in dogs
or cats who suffer an injury around their faces or mouths—when they become
infected with actinomycosis bacteria.
These bacteria live normally in the mouths and noses of dogs, but in
some cases they cause infections which lead to abscesses on your pet's face,
inside the mouth, or even in the respiratory tract or digestive tract of your
pet.
What Is Actinomycosis?
These bacteria usually live in small amounts in the mouths
and noses of healthy dogs. While usually
they don't cause any sort of problems, they can cause infections in pets who
suffer an injury in the face or mouth area.
In most cases, the infection will thrive in an animal with a compromised
immune system, but even healthy pets can become infected with actinomycosis if
the circumstances are right.
What Are The Symptoms Of Actinomycosis Infections?
These infections will often begin as small wounds, and can
grow quite large. The wounds will often
have drainage of a yellowish crystalline fluid and will not typically heal
completely on their own. When the
infections spread to the inside of the mouth, throat, lungs, or digestive
tract, your pet may exhibit other symptoms such as:
- Fever
- Loss of appetite
- Lethargy
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Raspy Breathing
How Is Actinomycosis Diagnosed And Treated
This infection is usually diagnosed through a thorough exam
and analysis of your pet's symptoms.
Cultures of abscesses may be taken to determine what type of bacteria is
causing the infection. Once
actinomycosis is determined to be the cause, a course of antibiotics will be
started. Treatment with antibiotics will
typically last 3-4 months. In almost
half of all cases of actinomycosis infection, your pet will become reinfected
with the bacteria. The infections have a
very low mortality rate, meaning most pets will recover from the infection without
incident.
Bacterial infections in our pets can range from mild to
severe. In most cases, paying attention
to your pet's everyday health can let you know early on when your pet becomes
ill. Often, simply treating your pet
early with antibiotics will cure your pet of any unwanted infections. Keeping your pets in a clean, safe
environment will often help prevent these infections from occurring in the
first place.
Mobile Pet Medical Care offering quality vet services in the Treasure Valley.
Mobile Pet Medical Care offering quality vet services in the Treasure Valley.
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