Pet Health Library

Guides to pet symptoms and conditions, cited to the veterinary literature — what's normal, what's not, and when to see a vet.

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Showing 265–288 of 1179 articles

🐁Mouse HealthAug 4, 2026

🌿Skin & Coat

Mouse Fighting and Bite Wounds: Why It Happens and What to Do

Male pet mice fight over territory and hierarchy, and the bites land on the rump, lower back and tail. How to tell a fresh bite from a forming abscess, separate fighters safely, and stop it happening again.

🐭Gerbil HealthAug 4, 2026

🤮Digestive

Why Does My Gerbil Have Diarrhea? Causes and What to Do

A healthy gerbil leaves small, dry pellets. Smearing, a stained rear end or watery stool means something is wrong, and at this body size it can escalate within a day. Here are the real causes, from diet slips to Tyzzer's disease, and the signs that make it urgent.

🐭Degu HealthAug 4, 2026

🐾Behavior & Training

Degu Fur Chewing: Why It Happens and How to Fix It

A degu chewing its own fur, or a cage-mate's, is usually a stress or enrichment problem. But mites, ringworm and pain look almost identical. How to tell them apart, and what to change at home.

🐸Amphibian HealthAug 2, 2026

Metabolic Bone Disease in Tree Frogs: Causes, Signs, and Prevention

Metabolic bone disease (MBD) is one of the most common and most preventable illnesses in captive tree frogs — caused by too little calcium, vitamin D3, and UVB. Learn to spot it early, prevent it with better husbandry, and know when to see a vet.

🐕Dog HealthAug 2, 2026

🍽️Eating & Drinking

The Overweight Dog: How to Tell and Help Them Slim Down Safely

Extra weight is one of the most common — and most fixable — health issues dogs face. Here's how to honestly assess your dog's body condition, understand why those extra pounds matter, and follow a safe, vet-guided plan to help them reach a healthy weight without the guilt.

🐁Mouse HealthAug 2, 2026

🦷Dental

Overgrown Teeth in Pet Mice: Signs, Causes & Treatment

A mouse's front teeth never stop growing, and when the top and bottom incisors stop meeting, they overgrow and make eating painful. Learn why mouse malocclusion happens, the signs to watch for, and why overgrown incisors need a vet's dental burr, never nail clippers.

🐟Fish HealthAug 2, 2026

🍽️Eating & Drinking

Goldfish Not Eating: Causes, Fixes, and When to Worry

When your goldfish stops eating, the water is usually the real story. Here's how to find the cause, water quality first, then temperature, stress, diet, and disease, with a simple step-by-step plan and the red flags that mean it's time to call an aquatic vet.

🐈Cat HealthAug 2, 2026

🦷Dental

How to Brush Your Cat's Teeth: A Gentle Step-by-Step Guide

Brushing your cat's teeth sounds impossible — until you have a plan. This gentle, vet-informed guide covers the right cat toothpaste, a slow week-by-week training routine, proper technique, how often to brush, and the warning signs that mean it's time to call your vet.

🐈Cat HealthJul 31, 2026

🍽️Eating & Drinking

Overweight Cat: How to Tell and Help Them Lose Weight Safely

Most pet cats carry extra weight, and it's easy to miss. Learn how to check your cat's body condition, why extra pounds raise real health risks, and how to help your cat lose weight slowly and safely, without the dangers of crash dieting.

🐁Mouse HealthJul 31, 2026

🐛Parasites

Skin Mites (Mange) in Pet Mice: Signs, Treatment & Care

Skin mites, often called mange, are a common cause of itchy, scabby fur loss in pet mice. Learn the signs, how a vet diagnoses and treats fur mites with prescription ivermectin or selamectin, and how mites differ from harmless barbering.

🐁Mouse HealthJul 31, 2026

🩺Chronic & Systemic

Mammary Tumors in Pet Mice: Signs, Causes, and Kind Choices

Finding a lump on your pet mouse is scary — and in mice, mammary tumors are usually malignant and can appear almost anywhere under the skin. Here's how to spot one, what your treatment options are, and how to make kind, loving decisions about your mouse's comfort and quality of life.

🐁Mouse HealthJul 31, 2026

Barbering in Pet Mice: Bald Patches With Healthy Skin

Noticed a smooth bald patch on your mouse, but the skin looks perfectly healthy? That is often barbering — fur or whisker trimming done by a cage-mate or the mouse itself, not a skin disease. Here is how to spot it, tell it apart from mites, and help your mice.

🐕Dog HealthJul 31, 2026

🦷Dental

How to Brush Your Dog's Teeth: A Step-by-Step Guide

Brushing your dog's teeth is the single most effective way to protect their mouth between vet visits. Here's a gentle, step-by-step routine, the right tools, and the warning signs that mean it's time to call your vet.

🐁Mouse HealthJul 30, 2026

💨Respiratory

Mouse Respiratory Infection: Signs, Causes, and When to See a Vet

Clicking, sneezing, or labored breathing in a pet mouse usually points to a respiratory infection — the most common serious illness mice face. Learn the causes, the warning signs, what an exotic vet can do, and how to prevent flare-ups.

🐭Gerbil HealthJul 30, 2026

Gerbil Nasal Dermatitis (Sore Nose): Causes, Signs, and Treatment

That red, crusty patch around your gerbil's nose is nasal dermatitis, the most common gerbil skin problem. It starts with a stress-driven surge of Harderian gland porphyrin, then a secondary Staph infection. Learn the causes, the treatment, and the simple husbandry fixes that prevent it.

🐕Dog HealthJul 30, 2026

Dog Door Dashing: Why Your Dog Bolts Out the Door and How to Stop It

Door dashing — when your dog bolts through an open door — is a self-rewarding habit, not defiance. Learn why dogs do it, how it differs from panic-driven escape like separation anxiety, and the management plus training steps that keep your dog safely inside.

🐭Degu HealthJul 30, 2026

🤮Digestive

Degu Bloat and GI Stasis: Why It's a Life-Threatening Emergency

If your degu has stopped eating and the droppings have dried up, don't wait. GI stasis and gas bloat can turn fatal within hours in these tiny herbivores. Learn the red flags, why it's a same-day emergency, and how your vet treats and prevents it.

🐈Cat HealthJul 30, 2026

🐾Behavior & Training

Cat Petting-Induced Aggression: Why Your Cat Bites During Petting (and How to Stop It)

Your cat rolls over for a cuddle, then suddenly bites your hand and stalks off. That's petting-induced aggression, or overstimulation, and it isn't spite. Here's how to read the warning signs, pet your cat the way it prefers, and know when a sudden change means pain.

🐕Dog HealthJul 29, 2026

🐾Behavior & Training

Dog Marking in the House: Why Dogs Urine-Mark Indoors and How to Stop It

Housebroken dog suddenly peeing indoors? It may be urine marking - a form of communication, not a potty accident. Learn how marking differs from house-training gaps and medical accidents, why dogs mark, and the vet-backed, punishment-free way to stop it, starting with ruling out a medical cause.

🐭Degu HealthJul 29, 2026

Degu Bumblefoot: Spotting, Treating, and Preventing Sore Footpads

Bumblefoot is a painful pressure sore on a degu's footpads — and it's largely preventable. Here's how to spot it early, why solid floors and wheels matter most, and when your degu needs an exotics vet.

🐈Cat HealthJul 29, 2026

Why Cats Knock Things Off Tables (and How to Stop It)

Your cat sweeps a pen off the desk while staring you down, but it isn't spite. Here's the real mix of hunting instinct, curiosity, and attention-seeking behind it, plus how to redirect the behavior and when knocking things over is worth a vet visit.

🐈Cat HealthJul 29, 2026

🐾Behavior & Training

Cat Aggression Toward Other Cats: Why They Fight and How to Help

Cats aren't natural roommates. Learn why housemates fight — territorial, fear, redirected, and play aggression — how to tell real tension from rough play, and a patient, vet-backed plan of separated resources and slow re-introduction to help them coexist.

🐟Fish HealthJul 29, 2026

Velvet Disease in Betta Fish: Spotting and Treating the Gold-Dust Killer

Velvet is a fine gold-dust parasite that attacks a betta's gills first and spreads fast. Learn to spot it with a flashlight, tell it apart from ich, and treat it in the dark.

🐕Dog HealthJul 28, 2026

🐾Behavior & Training

Dog Leash Reactivity: Why Your Dog Barks and Lunges on Walks (and How to Help)

Leash reactivity is when a dog barks, lunges, or growls at other dogs, people, or bikes while on the leash. It is an emotional reaction rooted in fear, frustration, or over-arousal, not defiance or true aggression. Here is what really drives it, the reward-based training that helps, why harsh tools backfire, and when to loop in your vet.