Feline Care Guides

Ear Infections and Your Pet

Ear infections generally begin as inflammation of the skin inside the outer ear canal. Once the inflammation is present, discharge, redness, and other characteristics of an ear infection become established.

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Ear Mites in Dogs and Cats

Ear mites are small parasites that live on an animal’s body, particularly in the ears of dogs and cats. Ear mites sustain themselves by eating skin cells, blood, and earwax. They deposit their waste (a dark, crusty debris) in the ear of the host animal. They also mate and produce eggs in the ear of the host. The mite’s entire life cycle is only about 3 weeks, and the mite spends its whole life on the animal. Ear mites are contagious to some other animals (for example, cats, dogs, and ferrets), but they are not contagious to humans.

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Electrocardiography

The body sends electrical impulses through the heart that stimulate heartbeats to occur at a consistent rhythm and rate. An electrocardiograph machine can detect and record electrical changes associated with the beating of the heart. Your veterinarian can interpret this information to determine your pet’s heart rhythm and rate. The process of using the electrocardiograph machine to assess heart rate and rhythm is called electrocardiography, and the result is an electrocardiogram (ECG).

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Endocarditis

Endocarditis is the infection of the heart valves and/or inside lining of the heart. In most cases, the infection involves bacteria, but a fungus may also be responsible. The disease typically occurs in dogs, especially mid-size to larger breeds, and is rare in cats. Male dogs are most commonly affected.

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Endoscopy

Endoscopy is a procedure for looking inside your pet’s body using a flexible or rigid scope with camera and magnification capabilities. Endoscopy allows your veterinarian to see within a body cavity and examine the surface of organs, such as the liver or kidneys, or to see the structure of various joints, such as the knee.

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