General Medicine

The literal meaning of dehydration is the loss of water from the body. It is also defined as a fluid and electrolyte imbalance or loss of fluid and electrolytes.

Abnormal elevation of body temperature especially when the inflammation is accompanied with infection is called Fever or pyrexia. It is also defined as abnormal elevation of body temperature resulting due to circulating toxins and exogenous pyrogens.

Heat stroke is also known as heat stress, heat prostration, malignant hyperthermia. It is a special state of acute hyperthermia resulting from defects in the heat regulatory mechanism against extreme environmental heat.

Hyperthermia results due to retention of excess heat as a consequence of disturbed thermo regulation and impeded heat elimination into the surrounding environment.

Hypothermia is a general systemic condition in which there is a decrease in body temperature below a critical level. Hypothermia results when heat loss exceeds heat production.

General and systemic states of animals are involving multiple causative factors like temperature, shock, dehydration, etc.

General terms for disease are latent period (incubation period), prodromal period, period of manifestation, outcome of the disease, recovery, relapse, complications, convalescence, sequele, and death.

Treatment means the knowledge of pharmacology or adopting remedial measure for treatment of disease. The aim of the treatment is to attain the sick animal and to bring it back to its normal state of health. General care and nursing are very much important for rapid recovery of a diseased animal.

Prognosis is the forecast of the probable duration and outcome of the disease. Prognosis may be graded as favorable, doubtful, poor, guarded and grave.

Symptoms of various diseases in animals are described here. Animals like dogs, cats, large animals, etc. exhibit various symptoms in disease conditions, and these are used to reach a confirmative diagnosis and treatment.