Blood platelets are minute, disc shaped cell fragments in the blood that are responsible for clotting the blood. Too many active platelets, or too few active platelets, can result in severe health disorders. One of these disorders, hypercoagulability (hyper-clotting), has several causes, but in essence it reflects a greater amount of procoagulants than anticoagulants in the blood. This means that the blood coagulates (clots) abnormally more than usual. One of the possible causes of hypercoagulability is when there are too many active platelets in the blood. The end result of hypercoagulability is an episode of thrombosis, where clots will get trapped in arteries, veins, or in the heart, causing a loss of blood to the areas these arteries feed. Hypercoagulability is usually secondary to an underlying disease.

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Flea bite hypersensitivity or flea allergic dermatitis is very common in cats. In fact, it is the most common skin disease to be diagnosed in pets. Flea allergies usually develop when cats are young (less than one and up to five years of age), but can begin at any age. Flea saliva is actually believed to be the cause for the allergy or sensitivity.

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Feather Mites are a skin problem outside aviaries birds suffer from. And although this parasitic infestation seldom occurs in the pet birds staying inside, if left untreated, it can lead to the bird’s death and be contagious to other birds.

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Lice infestation, also called pediculosis, is a common ectoparasitic health issue in guinea pigs. Guinea pigs infested with lice infestation often only show symptoms of illness when they are under stress. When the guinea pig is stressed, the infestation can flare up, causing distress and discomfort to the guinea pig.

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Sometimes referred to as bloat, tympany in chinchillas is a condition in which there is a sudden build up of gas in the stomach. This usually occurs following a diet change or due to overeating. Both of these causes result in constipation and gas production from the bacterial flora in unmoving bowels and quickly build up within two to four hours, eventually leading to bloat. Bloat can also occur in nursing females two to three weeks after giving birth and may be related to hypocalcemia, a life-threatening imbalance of calcium metabolism.

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The adrenal gland is an endocrine gland in the belly that sits atop the kidney and several large blood vessels (aorta and vena cava). The adrenal gland is responsible for the regulation and distribution of several hormones, chief amongst them, cortisol and adrenaline, hormones that control the stress response and activate the fight or flight response when an animal is in danger. These hormones in turn help to control the heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate. Other hormones produced in the adrenal glands include testosterone, and aldosterone, a steroid hormone that regulates electrolyte concentrations.

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Thrombocytopenia is a medical condition where blood platelets become too low in animals. Platelets are produced in the bone marrow and then released into the blood stream. They also serve the important function of maintaining hemostasis. Low platelet counts can be found in any breed of dog, and at any age. Treatment options do exist and unless the cause of the condition is serious, prognosis for the dog is positive.

Thrombocytopenia affects both dogs and cats. If you would like to learn how this disease affects cats, please visit this page in the PetMD health library.

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In medical terms, a penetrating injury is a wound, or a foreign object that enters the eye but does not completely pass through the cornea or sclera. A perforating injury, on the other hand, is a wound or foreign body that completely passes through the cornea or the sclera. Needless to say, the latter injury is a greater risk to vision. The cornea is the transparent outer layer at the front (anterior) of the eye. The sclera, the white of the eye, is composed of a tough covering that protects the eyeball.

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