Educational Articles
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Your veterinarian wants to keep your pet healthy and the fact is that people who are better informed take better care of their pets. Do not be overwhelmed by “medicalese”. Try your best to understand this foreign language and if you cannot quite decipher it, ask your veterinarian to speak more plainly.
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Deslorelin (brand name Suprelorin-F®) is a synthetic hormonal agent used to manage adrenocortical disease in ferrets. Deslorelin has also been used as a temporary contraceptive in intact male dogs or ferrets, to suppress estrus in small mammals, to decrease reproductive behavior in pet birds, and to induce ovulation in horses. Caution when handling if pregnant or child-bearing age.
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Dexamethasone ophthalmic is a topical steroid medication used to treat inflammatory eye conditions in cats, dogs, rabbits, avian species, and other animals. Dexamethasone ophthalmic may be used alone or in combination with an antimicrobial. Dexamethasone ophthalmic comes in ointment and liquid drop form. Avoid use in animals with corneal ulcerations or corneal infections.
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Dexmedetomidine is a sedative/tranquilizer used primarily in cats and dogs as a pre-medication injection for anesthesia or for chemical restraint. It is also used orally in dogs for short-term anxiety management. The most common side effect is a low heart rate. Dexmedetomidine should not be used in patients with severe heart liver or kidney disease. It should be used cautiously in young, old, or weak animals. Consult your veterinary office immediately if you suspect a negative reaction or overdose.
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Diclofenac ophthalmic is a topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication used to treat inflammatory eye conditions in cats, dogs, rabbits, avian species, and other animals. Diclofenac ophthalmic comes in liquid drop form.
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Egg binding is not uncommon in birds and may be resolved easily if treated early; if not, the bird may become critically ill. Egg binding occurs when the female bird is unable to expel the egg from her body. Egg-bound birds are usually weak, not perching, often sitting low on the perch or on the bottom of the cage and are straining as if trying to defecate or to lay an egg. Treatment varies depending upon how sick the bird is, as well as the location of the egg and the length of time the bird has been egg bound.
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Egg yolk peritonitis or coelomitis occurs when yolk from a developing egg, an incompletely shelled egg, or a ruptured egg is deposited within the body cavity, referred to as the abdominal coelom. The yolk material that is released into the coelomic cavity causes inflammation and fluid within the coelom. Affected birds often stop laying, become less active, have distended abdomens, and have difficulty breathing.
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Elizabethan collars are designed to help prevent self-mutilation and as a supplementary therapy for feather-destructive birds. Collars may be designed and made by the staff at the veterinary hospital/clinic or commercially made. Collars should only be used when prescribed by an avian veterinarian. Collars are not always safe for every bird.
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Erythromycin ophthalmic is an antimicrobial medication used to treat certain types of eye infections. It may be used “off label” or “extra label” to treat other eye conditions. Erythromycin ophthalmic comes in ointment form. Caution when using this medication in pocket pets as fatal diarrhea may occur if ingested orally.
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Erythromycin is given by mouth or injection and is used off label to treat bacterial infections and gastrointestinal motility problems in many animal species. Do not use in pets that are allergic to it, have liver disease or dysfunction, or in pets such as rabbits, gerbils, guinea pigs, or hamsters.