The public thinks of cowboys, Quarter Horses, rattlesnakes, Brahma bulls, and Longhorn carts when you think of the livestock and pets commonly found in the Lone Star State. When they think of pets they probably think of the Australian, the Heinz fifty-seven mixes, barn cats, and other working animals related to the farm. What you may not think of is the English Cocker Spaniels. You must. Texas A&M University School of Veterinary Medicine recently announced that it has a new genetic test for Familial Nephropathy in English Cocker Spaniels.
Familial Nephropathy is a recurrent genetic kidney disease. The breeders of the English Cocker Spaniels have been familiar with Family Nephropathy for over 50 years. The most common symptoms of Familial Nephropathy are excessive drinking, excessive urination, and the dog suddenly loses weight because he does not like food, vomiting and diarrhea. Many symptoms of Familial Nephropathy first appear when the dog is between six and twenty-four months old.
Dogs that will have Familial Nephropathy are difficult to predict because they are born with two completely normal kidneys. As the dog grows and develops, the kidneys begin to deteriorate due to a lack of certain types of collagen.
Familial Nephropathy is usually fatal. Because it is a genetic disease, many pet health insurance programs will not cover the cost of any treatment dog owners wish to pursue. In addition to researching Familial Nephropathy, Texas A&M University sees more than 11,500 small animals per year. That is 11,500 pet owners who could save money by purchasing a pet health care policy.
Some pet owners in the state of Texas love snakes, where snakes are less common than the pet owner is happy. As with all pets, there is a need for health care, snakes that have other pets that do not. Common problems in snake health care can be respiratory infections, eye infections, mosquitoes, arthritis, abscesses, stomach ulcers, and parasites. The problem with domestic snakes and other reptiles is that the symptoms of health care problems are not as easy to see as they are in mammals.
A big part of maintaining the health and well-being of your pet is finding a veterinarian. One of the first things you need to do when choosing your veterinarian is to make sure they are comfortable near snakes. The reality in the world is that everyone has a phobia, and many people are afraid of snakes. If your veterinarian is not comfortable handling your precious snake, it will not be able to accurately diagnose any health problems it may have.
In addition to normal dogs, cats and horses, many Texans also have outdoor pets such as ferrets, wallabies and glider squirrels. People who buy rare pets should be aware that the less common a pet is, the more difficult it is to get proper animal care and the more expensive animal care it will be. Before buying an unfamiliar pet, you may want to research how much money you can spend on pet care during the life of your pet and find out if it is possible to purchase a pet health insurance plan.
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