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More than 4.5 million people in the U.S. are bitten by dogs each year. Nearly 1 in 5 of those bitten will require medical attention, with children being the most common victims. Any dog, no matter the breed, size, age, or sex, can bite. In fact, it’s very common for young children to be bitten by a dog that they are familiar with. The good news, however, is that most dog bites are preventable.

Ear infections are a relatively common condition in dogs and cats and occur in all age groups. In a study drawing information from nearly 1 million dogs in the UK, 7% of dogs experienced an ear infection annually. The typical ear infection causes inflammation of the ear canal, the tube that carries sound to the eardrum. This inflammation is known as otitis externa because it affects the outer ear. Otitis media and otitis interna affect the middle and inner ear respectively. Middle and inner ear infections are much more serious conditions that can ultimately lead to neurologic signs such as a head tilt or dizziness and loss of hearing. Otitis externa can have multiple causes, including allergies, bacteria, yeast, parasites (such as ear mites), or foreign bodies.

Keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS), also known as dry eye, is a common eye problem in dogs. It is typically the result of inadequate tear production or a deficiency in the quality of tears produced. Two tear glands, the lacrimal gland and nictitans gland (also called the gland of the third eyelid) are responsible for tear production and play a huge role in maintaining the health of your dog’s eyes. Tears supply nutrition to the cornea, keep the surface of the eye lubricated, and wash away debris from the eye. Inadequate tear production can lead to painful, red eyes and thick ocular discharge. KCS can affect one or both eyes. Some dogs may even develop corneal ulcers and a bacterial infection of the white of the eye secondary to KCS. A dog’s eye with the third eyelid exposed

Feline upper respiratory infections (URIs) are similar to the common cold in humans as they include signs such as sinus congestion, sneezing, fever, and runny eyes, but may be caused by several different viruses and bacteria. The two most common causes of a feline URI are feline herpesvirus type 1 (FHV-1) and feline calicivirus (FCV). While it can be difficult to distinguish between the two viruses in an infected cat, FHV-1 causes cats to be quite ill and tends to cause inflammation and ulceration of the eyes and nose. FCV tends to affect the mouth and lungs and is more commonly associated with mouth sores. When a cat becomes infected with FHV-1 or FCV, they are also susceptible to infection with other bacteria such as Staph and Strep. Aside from viral infections, feline URIs can have bacterial causes as well, the most common of which include Chlamydia, Mycoplasma, and Bordetella. Bordetella is an organism implicated in canine kennel cough. Feline URIs spread through close contact with an infected cat. Environmental contamination by secretions from the nose, eyes, or mouth become important modes of transmission in crowded environments such as shelters and catteries, especially with FCV. Cats recovering from such an infection can also shed the virus for months afterwards. Feline URIs are incredibly common – they are the leading disease concern in shelters with incidence rates as high as 30%. Cats infected with FHV-1 in particular, like all herpes viruses, will carry the disease for life. The virus will lay dormant until triggered by stress, causing a flare up.

Canine distemper, sometimes referred to as hardpad disease, is a highly contagious and potentially lethal disease caused by a virus (canine distemper virus, or CDV) that attacks multiple systems within the body, including the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and nervous systems. This widespread infection throughout the body can make treatment difficult, which can be further complicated by subsequent bacterial infections as a result of the dog’s weakened immune system. Some dogs which appear to recover from canine distemper can develop neurologic signs months to years after initial infection. Young puppies develop CDV brain inflammation quite soon after infection. If CDV persists in the brain after the infection is cleared elsewhere in the body, progressive inflammation occurs in the brain and results in neurologic abnormalities. This syndrome is called old dog encephalitis and the damage to the nervous system is permanent. Dogs are not the only species that can contract distemper – wild animals such as raccoons, skunks, foxes, wolves, coyotes, mink, ferrets, and some wild felids such as cheetahs, lions, and jaguars are all possible hosts to the virus. While humans are not at risk for contracting this disease, the canine distemper virus is closely related to the virus that causes measles in humans. CDV spreads through air droplets which are expelled when an animal sneezes or coughs. Dogs become infected either through direct contact with an infected animal or through airborne exposure. Mother dogs with the virus can also pass it along through the placenta to their puppies. Dogs with canine distemper can shed the virus for weeks to months after infection.