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Dogs, cats & hamsters Act when our pets catch cold
The current wet, cold autumn weather not only ensures that many people catch a cold, but also get their pets ill. If the dog has a cough or the cat has a cold, master and mistress should pay a lot of attention.
Autumn weather favors colds - in humans and animals
Around 28 million pets live in German households, the majority are dogs and cats. Infections with viruses, bacteria, fungi or parasites can make some pets sick, but you can not catch a cold in your dog. And also not the dog in humans. Colds, which plague dogs and cats or even rabbits, resemble the symptoms of humans in their symptoms: they cough, breathe heavily, get bad air, are tired and weak. However, the pathogens are "species-specific", explains Lea Schmitz, a biologist at the German Animal Welfare Association in Bonn in a message from the news agency dpa. You can trigger the symptoms of respiratory infection with bronchitis or pneumonia. This is - similar to humans - favored by wet cold autumn weather.
Take animal diseases seriously. Image: Wanja Jacob - fotolia In certain cases a visit to a veterinarian is advisable
As veterinarian Thomas Steidl, a member of the Committee for Small Animals of the Federal Chamber of Veterinarians, explains, the disease is not so serious, as long as only nose and throat cause problems. "But if the lower respiratory tract, including the bronchi and the lungs are affected, a veterinary visit is urgently needed," said the expert. Signs may be that the animals eat less, behave apathetically or get fever. According to the veterinarian, if an animal has caught a cold, it should first be spared and protected from frost, moisture and drafts.
Even sick dogs must go for a walk
The veterinary practitioner Patricia Lösche explains in the agency message that viruses, bacteria, foreign bodies, parasites and fungi or allergies can be causes of a snuff nose in the dog. If the dog has a barking-sounding cough, he may suffer according to Schmitz on the so-called kennel cough. This dog cough requires a medical examination. Although there is a vaccine against it, but there is never a 100 percent protection. Of course, sick animals must go for a walk. "However, the walks should be shorter," says Steidl. It is important to walk fast and not to stop constantly in bad weather. In addition, dogs should be dried after rain or snow walks. "Dogs with a thick coat are understandably better protected than greyhounds or nude dogs - they are well-served in cold weather with a coat," explains Lösche.
When cats can not smell anymore
While the symptoms of cat flu are similar to a common cold in humans, "colds are more dramatic for cats than they are for us, because the loss of their smelling ability leads them to refuse to feed," says Lösche. This is because cats test the quality of food with their nose - what they can not smell, they do not eat. Other signs were mucous membrane changes or corneal inflammation. "The animals retire increasingly in severe disease," says Schmitz. You can also infect other cats. "The animals should therefore be separated from each other," advises Steidl. Against the disease is a vaccine available.
Do not ride on sick horses
When horses become ill with the airways, "they do not sneeze, they snort," explains Lösche. Diseased animals can get a fever and suffer from shortness of breath in severe infections. "If the horse is not treated, the respiratory disease can become chronic." Although sick animals should remain in motion when they are in the pasture, they should not be ridden. Otherwise, the horses are in good hands in a draft-free shelter. "When it's cold, owners can protect their animals with a blanket," says Steidl. Although the horses can infect each other, they should not be separated from each other. "That would put extra stress on the animal, weakening the immune system even further."
Small pets refuse food and hide
Keepers of rabbits, guinea pigs or hamsters must be careful: Small pet animals often only express a general malaise by refusing food or crawling, explains Schmitz. In rats, a reddish ocular discharge may be an indication of so-called Mycoplasma infections. "The infection can spread to other organs, so rats also show other symptoms such as balance disorders." When rabbits have a cold, sneezing, ophthalmic discharge, sticky nostrils, mouth breathing and inflammation of the bronchi or lungs may be signs. "The disease can be chronic and is favored by stress." Steidl advises in the dpa message: "Sick rodents should be separated from other animals and keep in bad weather in the apartment." Exempted are rabbits, who live outside anyway. (Ad)