Pet Health

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Basics

• Summary
• Prevention and Risk Factors
• Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

• Related Issues
• Specifics

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Research

• Journal Articles

Resources

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Summary

Pets can add fun, companionship and a feeling of safety to your life. Before getting a pet, think carefully about which animal is best for your family. What is each family member looking for in a pet? Who will take care of it? Does anyone have pet allergies? What type of animal suits your lifestyle and budget?

Once you own a pet, keep it healthy. Know the signs of medical problems. Take your pet to the veterinarian if you notice:

• Loss of appetite
• Drinking a lot of water
• Gaining or losing a lot of weight quickly
• Strange behavior
• Being sluggish and tired
• Trouble getting up or down
• Strange lumps

Prevention and Risk Factors

• About Cleaning and Disinfecting Pet Supplies (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Household Hazards (To Pets) (American Veterinary Medical Association) Also in Spanish
• How to Report Problems with Flea and Tick Products (Food and Drug Administration)
• Keep Your Dogs and Cats Safe from Holiday Hazards (Food and Drug Administration)
• Ounce of Prevention Is Worth a Pound of Cure: Protect Your Pet from Heartworms Year-Round (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
• Potentially Dangerous Items for Your Pet (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
• Preventing Ticks on Pets (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
• Read the Label First! Protect Your Pets (Environmental Protection Agency) - PDF
• Vaccinating Your Pet (American Veterinary Medical Association)

Treatments and Therapies

• Animal Product Safety Information (Food and Drug Administration)
• Get the Facts about Pain Relievers for Pets (Food and Drug Administration)
• Treating Cushing's Disease in Dogs (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

• Be Prepared: Pet Safety in Emergencies (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Finding a Veterinarian (American Veterinary Medical Association) Also in Spanish
• Pet Travel Safety (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Preventing Dog Bites (American Veterinary Medical Association)
• Safe Handling of Pet Food and Pet Treats (American Veterinary Medical Association)
• Ticks and Lyme Disease: Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
• Walking or Running with Your Dog (American Veterinary Medical Association)
• Ways to Stay Healthy around Animals (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Specifics

• About Dog Flu (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• About Dog or Cat Tapeworm Infection (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Birds (Pets) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Canine Distemper (American Veterinary Medical Association) Also in Spanish
• Canine Parvovirus (American Veterinary Medical Association)
• Fluorouracil and Pet Safety (Food and Drug Administration)
• Healthy Small Animals (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Horses (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• How to Keep Ferrets Healthy (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• How to Keep Fish Healthy (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• How to Keep Pet Reptiles and Amphibians Healthy (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Keep the Worms Out of Your Pet's Heart! The Facts about Heartworm Disease (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
• Medication Errors Happen to Pets, Too (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
• Medicines for Your Pet: What's the Difference Between FDA-Approved and Pharmacy-Compounded Drugs? (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
• My Dog Has Cancer: What Do I Need to Know? (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
• Paws Off Xylitol: It's Dangerous for Dogs (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
• What You Should Know about COVID-19 and Pets (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Iodine and Its Impact on the Immune System of Humans and...
• Article: Regulation of ovarian function in domestic animals: translational insights into human...
• Article: Molecular characterization of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli among children and farm...
• Pet Health -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Also in Spanish