Do you need a health care solution for your pets that comes to your door at your disposal? You are at the very right place where you can find all your pet health care solutions at one stop. We at Bluebird pharmacy connect with our clients to treat their pet's illnesses and provide health care tips to resolve the challenges of wellbeing.

We are aware of the common issues of pet owners and provide practical solutions in terms of compound medication to let your pet live a healthy life. We always advise our clients to take preventive care until the treatment becomes inevitable. That is why we are here to advise you with health care tips to keep your pet's life safe and healthy. In this article, you will find common health issues in pets, the health care responsibilities of a pet owner, and the solutions we provide at Bluebird pharmacy.

Common pet issues

The health life of a pet is no more different than human health life. Pets are subject to most of the same health problems humans are prone to. In the same way, they need the same health care needs. Their every health care problem should be addressed by a veterinarian. Pets are prone to several health problems, but most of them are very common.

Here we will discuss some of the most common health problems. Knowing these health problems will help you know if there is something wrong happening with your pet. You will be able to differentiate between your pet's normal and disease state. Among the most common pet problems, allergies are the most common.

Allergies 

Unfortunately, allergies are very common in dogs and cats. An allergy means the hypersensitivity or hyperactivity of the immune system. If your pet is suffering from an allergy, his or her immune system is responding to potentially harmless agents. The agent that triggers an allergic response in the body is called an allergen. The most common allergens of pets are proteins from plants, i.e., pollens, mold spores, dust particles, shed skin cells, insects, or food particles.

The immune system is the defender of the body, but when it starts responding to allergens, it becomes harmful for the body. That is why it becomes important to deal with allergies as soon as possible. The common signs and symptoms of allergies are as follows.

• Localized or generalized itching
• Coughing
• Sneezing
• Wheezing
• Nasal discharge
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea

Dental problems 

Dental problems are very common among dogs, and most of the time, they are not expressed by dogs with obvious signs and symptoms. The Pet owner and the family need to uncover the painful condition and let a veterinarian treat the dog. The term used to describe dental problems is the periodontal disease which signifies the infection and inflammation of the periodontium, the tissue surrounding the tooth surface.

Teeth are the home for many bacteria. Bacteria live and multiply there freely and form a plaque layer on teeth. If the plaque is left untreated, it mineralizes and thickens to tartar. Veterinarians often deal with cases of dental tartar. These situations can be prevented by regular brushing of teeth. However, if developed, the veterinarian will perform a thorough examination and cleaning, maybe with antibiotics.

Arthritis 

Arthritis is a commonly developing joint problem of pets in which there is inflammation of joints of the body. Arthritis can have multiple causes and forms. The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis which can be due to the damage of joints because of overuse, old age, injury, malnutrition, or any medical problem such as rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament.

In most cases, arthritis develops because of a chronic problem known as degenerative joint disease. Data shows that dogs older than one year have twenty percent chances of degenerative joint disease, and cats older than 12 years have ninety percent chances. Among the causes of arthritis, there are fungal and bacterial infections. Other than infections, the autoimmune disease also results in arthritis.

Cancer

Cancer can be simply defined by the uncontrolled cell division or the growth of the cell. No cell is prevented from being a cancerous cell. Any type of body cell can become cancerous once it grows out of control. Cancerous cells take over the area occupied by normal cells and make a tumor. These tumors are sometimes localized (benign tumors), and sometimes they travel to other tissues of the body via blood (malignant tumors).

Many pieces of research have been conducted to find out the cause of cancer; however, the cause of cancer is still unknown. Many pieces of research were good enough to find out the associated factors of cancer. However, we can classify many factors that can influence the growth of cancerous cells, i.e., type of cell, genetics, location, etc. Physical examination, medical history, and laboratory testing are the key factors of diagnosing cancer.

Diabetes mellitus

Dogs and cats are affected with diabetes mellitus. It is a lifelong disease in which the pancreas stops producing insulin. Insulin is necessary to transport glucose from the blood to body cells. In diabetes mellites, blood glucose rises, which results in the damage of body tissues, especially kidneys, and generalized body weakness.

Obesity

Obesity results from more than required food with minimal or no exercise. Obesity can result in many health problems, mainly heart disease, diabetes mellites, arthritis, skin and hair coat diseases. These problems can be prevented by preventing your pet from becoming overweight.

Canine parvovirus

Canine parvovirus is a worldwide known disease that mainly affects dogs. The virus strain that causes feline parvo is feline parvovirus, and it is different from canine parvovirus. Most dogs and cats don't have the immunity to fight off the virus. The virus spreads from an affected individual when there is bowel movement. Affected individuals show lethargy, anorexia, fever, vomiting, and bloody diarrhea.

Leptospirosis

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease where people and pets express the same symptoms. The spread of Leptospira occurs when pets or people come in contact with a bite wound, contaminated soil, urine, or water. A moist environment can favor the growth of bacteria. The symptoms that occur in leptospira are joint pain, fever, and general body weakness.

Parasite and worms

Parasitic infestation is common among pets. Heartworms, roundworms, hookworms, and tapeworms affect dogs and cats. Parasites are prevalent throughout the world and are among the top causes of pet illnesses.

Salmonella

Salmonella infections are commonly seen in pets; the most obvious signs of salmonella infection are vomiting and diarrhea. However, in extreme cases, septicemia can occur. The source of salmonella is contaminated food or water. It is practically impossible to eliminate salmonella from the environment completely; however, we can apply prevention strategies.

Responsibilities of a pet owner

As a pet owner,  you need to be extra vigilant for your pet's health and wellbeing. In that cases, you will have to perform regular tasks, everyday exercise, grooming, and some others, as mentioned below, to keep your pet healthy and happy. Here are seven responsibilities of a pet owner that he must perform.

Veterinarian visits

Veterinarian visits start from the ownership of a pet and continue throughout the life of your pet. Pets have a shorter lifespan, and therefore they need to be visited almost once or twice a year. The number of visits may depend on your pet's vaccination schedule or illness. However, it is essential to perform regular visits to your vet for the better health wellbeing of your pet.

Vaccinations

Vaccinations are an integral part of your pet's life. Vaccinations prevent severe or, most of the time, deadly illnesses. Vaccinations start from the day you bring a puppy into your home. Upon your first visit, your veterinarian will set up a vaccination schedule for your pet. You need to perform further visits for the completion of the vaccination schedule.

Proper identification

When your pet crosses your house boundary and gets lost in the town, it often happens. If your pet bears an identification tag, it becomes easy for the spotter to take your pet back to your home. as a pet owner, it is your responsibility to give a name to your pet and proper identification. Your pet's name and contact information should be listed on the identification.

Spaying/neutering

Spaying and neutering prevent your pet from many health problems. If you have spayed your cat, she is protected from cervical or uterine cancer, going on heat, becoming aggressive, and being lost searching for a mating partner. Neutering your dog or tom prevents him from getting testicular cancer, being aggressive, and roaming in the neighborhood. So, you may let your pet neutered or spayed for his own good.

Healthy food

The provision of healthy food is among the first and foremost freedoms of animals. You must ensure the availability of fresh, clean, and nutritious food and water all the time. While choosing the best food for your cat and dog, you need to look at the ingredients list. The food must contain all the essential nutrients in a balanced amount.

At-home care

The provision of safe and comfy shelter also comes in the five freedoms of animals. Your job is to provide your pet with a good hygienic environment at home. Additionally, you need to take care of your pet. You should regularly brush your teeth, comb the coat, perform regular exercise, and provide your pet healthy food and clean water.

Training and socialization

After providing basic necessities, here comes the most important step of training and socialization of your pet. It becomes impossible for you to survive with an untrained and unsocialized dog at your home. Therefore, you need your pet to learn basic training such as toilet training and obeying commands. Then, your dog needs to learn socialization to bond with other pets and family members.

What we offer

We at Bluebird pharmacy offer you the best medication solution for your pets. Along with traditional pharmacy services, we offer modern-day solutions for your pets, such as compounding and multi-dose medications.

Compounding–flavored medicines

Drug compounding is a modern-day solution meeting the demands of today's patients. We at Bluebird pharmacy try to combine, mix or alter the ingredients to create a medication that meets the specific demands of an individual patient. There is no harm in doing that because compounding is FDA approved procedure.

If you wonder why there is a need for compounding medication, here is your answer. Compounding is done for patients who can't be treated with an FDA-approved medication because of allergy or adverse effects of certain dye. The patient needs a drug made without that specific ingredient, or sometimes your pet cannot swallow a medication and needs to take it in liquid form. All such kinds of problems are solved because of compounding.

Especially for pets, we make medicine more palatable by adding their most favorite flavors, i.e., fish, beef, chicken, vanilla, salmon, tuna, bacon, liver. We at Bluebird perform customized compounding for our clients. Federal laws allow a pharmacist to perform compounding at our local pharmacy.

We offer medicine in a lot of different forms mentioned below.

• Treats
• Liquid
• Tablets
• Capsules
• Oral paste
• Transdermal cream/gel
• Topical cream/gel
• Ear gel/ointment