Does your pet scratch, bite or lick compulsively? It could be something serious

Anyone who has a pet knows that they require special care, even more so if you are one of those people who smile just to see them arrive with their tail that moves so much that it looks like a helicopter propeller.

Loving animals goes beyond the concern for feeding or walking them, but also the attention we need to have with some signs that, at first seem harmless, but can mean physical and even psychological health problems. Have you noticed if your doggo or kitten has been scratching a lot, licking its paws until it creates wounds or having some obsessive behavior?

Yeah, it could be a sign that something isn’t going well. To better understand what our little friends are trying to communicate to us, we talked to the veterinarian Mariana Silva to help us interpret these annoyances for the animals – and also for the tutors, who are very worried.

Psychological and mental disorders

It’s not just human beings who go through psychological problems, no! Some animals do not get used to changing homes so easily, for example, while others have suffered from abandonment and acquired traumas that are difficult to deal with. Just as human treatment is complex, identifying the causes of actions that affect pets also requires patience and dedication to make them feel better.

Known as stereotypes, the sudden actions that lead the animal to make repetitive movements may be related to the stress experienced by them in situations of mistreatment and even anxiety. The animal can develop the condition at any stage of life, as they can also indicate mental disorders aggravated by difficult times they have witnessed.

If your pet has changed its behavior and spends more time isolated, not wanting to play, lying in a specific corner and also with changes in food, it is very important to investigate all these symptoms. Some treatments can take a while to show the first effects and others can last a lifetime.

allergies

Some dogs and cats tend to scratch their ears and other parts of their bodies daily. This can cause the animal’s skin to be damaged and the healing process not to happen as expected. One of the reasons for this impulsive action may be some dermatological problem that the animal has and that has not yet been diagnosed.

Have you ever seen a pet with red spots on the skin and lost hair in the affected region? One of the causes may be the acute moist dermatitis, frequent on the hips, head and chest of pets. With the insistence on passing the tongue and scratching the same region several times a day, the reddish spots in the irritated area can get bigger and become sores quickly.

Allergies in domesticated animals are common and can occur due to irritation to certain types of foods or agents present in the environment, such as pollution and dust🇧🇷 A veterinary doctor usually asks for laboratory tests to rule out or indicate allergy in pets. The administration of human medications to pets is not recommended, as the formulation is different and the amount of medication can cause intoxication.

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fleas and ticks

With walks on the street and environments outside the house, animals are more vulnerable to such biological agents found in this big world. The paws that come into direct contact with the ground and the fur make it easier for parasites to stick and no longer want to leave, as is the case with fleas and ticks.

Commonly found in pet stores, oral medications, hair spray and direct contact solutions with the dermis help eliminate parasites, but that doesn’t mean everything is ok. It is necessary to observe the animal’s reaction for a few days, as some pets may be allergic to the medicine. There are also cases of tick diseasewhich can lead to the death of the host.

signs of pain

When realizing that your animal expresses pain when moving in a certain region of the body, check that there is nothing stuck in its skin. They are often in agony when a thorn or splinter enters their paws. But attention, be careful when handling objects to try to remove small fragments from their body, you can introduce even more what is trapped, which can cause infections and more pain to the pet.

A correct analysis is important to rule out more serious problems, such as the presence of a tumor or local infection in the affected area. some pets they bite their nails, causing them to break and lose their natural protection. This can happen due to improper cutting of them and even stress. Saliva contact can transmit bacteria and cause an even bigger problem, so it’s good to keep an eye out to see if this behavior is obsessive or something passing.

Hormonal and inflammatory problems

As well as allergies, red spots and other signs can also suggest hormonal imbalance and processes inflammation, identified by clinical examinations. Insufficiency in thyroid production, excessive elimination of cortisol by the body and pancreatitis are common diagnoses (and considered serious if there is no specific care), which can be treated with routine examinations and medications. A treatment needs to be followed, usually given during meals.

It is worth remembering that it is very important take our animals to the vet often, either for the usual reasons, such as vaccinations and routine exams, but also when you see that something is different with him. A specialist will be able to analyze with the help of exams and other procedures what the symptoms really mean.