Assuring your pet's daily well-being requires regular care and close attention to any hint of ill health. Consult veterinarians if your pet shows any of the following signs:

Pet Cancer

Skin: Skin tumors are very common in older dogs but much less common in cats. Most skin tumors are malignant but in dogs, they are often benign.

Head and neck: Cancer of the mouth is common in dogs and less common in cats. Masses on the gums, bleeding, odor, or difficulty eating are signs to watch out for. Many swellings are malignant, so early treatment is essential, Cancer may develop inside the nose of both cats and dogs. Bleeding from the nose, difficulty of breathing or facial swelling may occur.

Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is an infectious disease syndrome spread primarily by a tick no larger than the head of a pin. It is caused by a spiral-shaped bacterium called a spirochete that is transmitted to animals and humans by the bite of the tick. In people, lyme disease can appear similar to other diseases such as flu or Alzheimer's disease. If untreated, it can lead to joint damage, flu-like symptoms and neurological complications.

Internal Parasites

Worms: Parasites such as roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms, whipworms, and heartworms can make a home inside your pet and rob your animal of vital nutrients leading to poor appetite, loss of energy, serious anemia and even death. Puppies and kittens are especially susceptible. Parasite infestations can be controlled and prevented. Your veterinarian can tell you about the extent of the parasite problem in your area. Simple diagnostic procedures can be performed.

Rabies: Rabies is a deadly disease caused by a virus that attacks the nervous system. The virus is usually transmitted by a bite from a rabid animal. Prompt and appropriate treatment after being bitten and before the disease develops can stop the infection and prevent the disease in people. Not all rabid animals foam at the mouth and appear mad. Infected animals can be very calm and tame.

External Parasite

Lice: Lice are not just aesthetically unpleasant and therefore, not nice but they can become a source of danger for your pet especially to puppies. Often dogs with just a few lice are very "itchy," while those harboring thousands of lice may not scratch themselves at all. So small they escape notice, some lice penetrate the pet's skin and suck the blood. The females will lay eggs, which in just three weeks will hatch and develop into adult lice.

The constant blood-sucking, if extensive, can cause severe anemia in puppies and generally weaken mature dogs, particularly females with nursing puppies.