Cushing’s disease (also known as pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction, or PPID) is the most common disease affecting the endocrine system of horses. This group of glands produces hormones that help keep the body in balance. With Cushing’s disease, an imbalance of these hormones causes several symptoms,

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Arthritis has several names — degenerative joint disease, osteoarthritis — but, whatever you call it, your horse has stiff and painful joints. This common chronic condition often affects older horses, as the cartilage around their joints deteriorates, especially around their knees, coffins, fetlocks,

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This relatively new disease was first diagnosed in 1990 in the state of New York. It’s still a rare condition and mostly confined to the United States. Symptoms Horse owners might first notice that their horse is eating plenty, but still managing to lose a lot of weight. He might have a short gait,

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Infectious diseases are those that one horse passes to another, or that mosquitoes or other vectors transmit. Some are more common than others. Treatments and prognoses vary, but your veterinarian can help by recommending appropriate vaccinations. Here are some of the more common viral diseases. Equine

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Venereal diseases, also known as sexually-transmitted infections or diseases, are infections that can be passed during sexual contact. In horses, the two most common ones include: Equine viral arteritis Contagious equine metritis Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA) Equine viral arteritis is a contagious sexually-transmitted

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Equine recurrent uveitis (also known as Moon Blindness or periodic ophthalmia) is one of the most common diseases that affect the eyes of adult horses. It is also the most common cause of blindness in horses, which makes prompt diagnosis and treatment of this condition essential. Causes of Equine Recurrent

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Horse lovers have observed this frightening disease for centuries. It’s been called azoturia, tying-up, cording up, holiday disease and Monday morning disease; the last two names reflect that symptoms are sometimes observed after hard work followed by a period of rest. In the last couple of decades,

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Rabies deaths are uncommon in the U.S .these days, and public health officials intend to keep it that way. That’s why rabies vaccinations are required for cats and dogs in many states. Even indoor cats have to follow the law. Millions of animals—and more than 50,000 humans—around the world die

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Ringworm is a common skin condition in cats. In spite of its name, this condition is actually caused by a fungus, not a worm. One of the symptoms, though, is a circular rash on the skin that resembles a ring. However, this ring does not always appear. Cause of Ringworm The fungi that cause ringworm come

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Staphylococcus aureus is a type of bacteria that commonly live on the skin in both people and animals. Usually, this does not cause any problems. However, sometimes the bacteria can change so that the antibiotic methicillin no longer works on them—meaning, this drug cannot slow their growth or kill

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A cat’s urinary system can be negatively affected due to a variety of reasons, including suffering from an endocrine disease, such as diabetes mellitus and hyperthyroidism. More often, however, the cause of a urinary problem is a feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD). When problems with the urinary

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Feline leukemia (FeLV) is a virus that weakens your cat's immune system. Unfortunately, when the immune system does not function properly, your cat may be more likely to develop other diseases, such as cancer and blood disorders. How Cats Contract Feline Leukemia Cats get feline leukemia from other cats.

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Zoonosis refers to diseases that can be transmitted to humans from animals. In particular, they occur when an infected animal passes on bacteria, parasites, fungi or viruses to humans through scratches, saliva, feces and urine. Vectors (e.g., organisms like fleas and ticks) can also carry zoonotic diseases

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Pancreatitis is rare in cats, but can be very serious. It comes in two forms: chronic and acute, with chronic being more common for cats. The disorder happens when something triggers the pancreas to start destroying its own tissue. Function of the Pancreas This V-shaped organ is small—a cat’s pancreas

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Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) is a retrovirus that, like feline immunodeficiency virus (another retrovirus), produces an enzyme known as reverse transcriptase, which allows the retrovirus to inject duplicates of its own genetic matter into the cells it has corrupted. Though closely related, because a

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Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a terminal disease that affects cat. Caused by feline infection peritonitis virus (FIPV), it is a mutation of feline enteric coronavirus (FECV) and is more likely to occur in environments where large groups of cats are together, such as animal shelters. The virus

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