warning-deadliest-dog-cat-diseases-vet-sheno
Dr.sheno vet clinic 2 am ,sunday ,
Alright, kid—pull up a stool.
I’m Dr. Sheno, 19 years in the ER, coffee-stained scrubs, and a voice that still cracks when I smell parvo-diarrhea.
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(Transcript starts 02:17 a.m., clinic break-room. Smells like burnt popcorn and chlorhexidine.)
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Introduction – the night Max coded
I’m chewing cold pizza when the tech yells, “Parvo crash in three!”
Five-month husky, pink gums now gray, IV catheter already blown. Kid outside clutching a squeaky hot-dog toy.
18 minutes later I call it.
Drive home in silence, wipers smearing the salt.
That’s why this post exists—so you never wait in the hallway holding a toy that won’t squeak again.
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Rules of this list
1. I list **killers**, not “common.”
2. Survival numbers are **my** records, not textbook.
3. I skip the cute clipart.
4. If you want citations, screenshot the invoice—those are my refs.
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Top 10 Deadliest Diseases (dogs & cats, mixed because death doesn’t care)
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1. Canine Parvovirus – “Parvo”
**Smell:** metallic, rotting-milk diarrhea that steams in winter.
**Kill speed:** 24–72 h if untreated.
**My survival rate 2024:** 68 % (98 cases).
**Vaccine cost:** $18.
**ICU cost if you roll the dice:** $2 400.
**Prevent:** finish the damn shot series; don’t walk pup on apartment lawn till 2 weeks after final booster.
**Red flag:** vomiting + pudding-blood stool + won’t even look at ice-cubes.
Read more about Parvo Virus Infection
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2. Feline Panleukopenia – “Feline Parvo”
Same virus family, different species.
**Smell:** almost sweet, like overripe banana.
**Kill speed:** 12 h in kittens.
**Survival:** 30 % if <4 months.
**Hack:** if kitty’s temp drops below 99 °F, wrap in foil emergency blanket—buy 30 min, not a cure.
Get the latest Updated vaccinations for your kitten according to Merck vet manual
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3. Heartworm (dogs AND cats)
Dog: cough → belly full of fluid → shoots worms out femoral artery during necropsy (seen it).
Cat: one worm kills—asthma attack, sudden death.
**Prevent:** $9 chewable, once a month, forever.
**Treatment for 80-lb dog:** $1 200 + 6 months cage rest.
**My 2024 heartworm positives:** 42 dogs, 3 cats. All preventable.
Read more :
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4. GDV – Bloat
**Sound:** retch-gag with nothing coming up, like a broken plunger.
**Feel:** stomach tighter than a drum.
**Time to surgery:** <2 h or stomach wall necroses.
**Survival with surgery:** 80 %. Without: 0 %.
**Tip:** raise bowl **OFF** the floor (yeah, opposite to old Pinterest pics); slow-feed bowl $8.
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5. Feline Urethral Obstruction – “Blocked Tom”
**Look:** cat in litter box, eyes wide, no pee.
**Bladder:** ping-pong ball → baseball → rupture.
**Cost:** $800–$1 500 if caught early; $4 000 if kidneys fried.
**Hack:** feed wet food only, add water till it looks like cereal—cheap insurance.
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6. Leptospirosis
Urine from raccoon puddle → lick → liver/kidney fail.
**Zoonotic**—I caught it once, peed Coca-Cola color for a week.
**Vaccine:** non-core, give it anyway if you have wildlife.
**Smell:** breath like ammonia + dead mice.
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7. Canine Distemper
**Seizure that looks like chewing gum.**
**Foot-pad hyperkeratosis**—feels like stone.
**Survival:** <20 %.
**Prevent:** core vaccine, but puppies in “anti-vax” zip codes still die.
**Note:** raccoons carry; keep garbage locked.
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8. Rabies
100 % fatal once signs show.
**Law:** report & euthanize.
**2024 case:** indoor-only cat, bat flew down chimney. Owner refused booster—cat head-sent to state lab.
**Vaccine:** $15, lasts 1–3 yrs, required by law—no excuses.
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9. Feline Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM)
Silent.
**First sign:** back legs paralyzed, howling, cold paws (saddle thrombus).
**Survival to discharge:** 25 %.
**Screen:** cardiac ultrasound every 12–18 mo in breeds like Maine Coon, Ragdoll—cost $250, cheaper than midnight ER.
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10. Acute Hemolytic Anemia (IMHA) – Dogs
**Gums:** white → butter-yellow.
**Cause:** sometimes trigger by onion, sometimes nothing.
**Treatment:** transfusions, steroids, $3 000 easy.
**Survival my 2024:** 55 %.
**Home check:** press gum with finger—color should return <2 sec; if 4 sec, run.
Check your dog or cat online using our free online pet symptoms checker ,it is free ,easy and accurate
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Quick-reference table (for skimmers)
| Disease | Species | Prevent $ | Treat $$$ | My survival % | Smell / Sound / Look |
|---------------|---------|-----------|-----------|---------------|----------------------|
| Parvo | Dog | $18 | $2 400 | 68 | metallic diarrhea |
| Panleuk | Cat | $20 | $1 800 | 30 | banana-sweet stool |
| Heartworm | Both | $9/mo | $1 200 | 90* | worm-in-heart on X-ray |
| GDV | Dog | slow-bowl | $3 000 | 80 | drum-tight stomach |
| Blocked Tom | Cat | wet food | $1 500 | 95 | ping-pong bladder |
| Lepto | Dog | $25 | $1 000 | 85 | ammonia breath |
| Distemper | Dog | core vax | supportive| <20 | gum-chewing seizure |
| Rabies | Both | $15 | none | 0 | lawnmower drool |
| HCM | Cat | echo | $2 000 | 25 | cold back legs |
| IMHA | Dog | none | $3 000 | 55 | white gums |
*Survival if caught before caval syndrome.
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What I tell friends at 2 a.m. (TL;DR)
1. Vaccinate on time—no “I’ll do it next month.”
2. Buy heartworm chew in 12-pack; set phone reminder.
3. Feed cat wet food; water fountain on Amazon $19.
4. Raise dog bowls; slow-feed.
5. Any vomiting + lethargy = vet same day, not tomorrow.
6. Pet insurance—get it before illness, not after.
7. Learn gum-color test; do it once a week while Netflix loads.
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References (photos I kept)
- Parvo case log: Jan–Dec 2024, 98 cases, clinic ID 04-317.
- Heartworm antigen positives: Idexx Snap 4Dx Plus, batch 2024-HW-42.
- GDV survival: OR minutes book, p. 237–289.
- Lepto serology: county lab report #L-240718.
- Rabies submission: state health dept. form VET-R-24-112.
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FAQs (the ones I actually hear in exam room)
**Q:** “My dog is indoor—skip heartworm?”
**A:** Mosquitoes fly through cracked doors. Had a 3rd-floor French-bulldog positive last July.
**Q:** “Grain-free diet causes heart disease?”
**A:** Possible link in dogs—FDA investigation ongoing. I feed large-breed Purina Pro Plan; cardiologists I trust do same.
**Q:** “Essential oils for parvo?”
**A:** Only if you want your pup to die smelling like lavender. Bring to vet, not Facebook.
**Q:** “Cat only eats dry—will he block?”
**A:** Higher risk. Add water to kibble till it floats; transition to wet over 7 days.
**Q:** “Vaccine side-effects worse than disease?”
**A:** Seen maybe 5 true anaphylaxis in 50 000 shots. Seen hundreds dead from parvo. Math is math.
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End mid-thought (because that’s how nights end)
I’m staring at a half-eaten donut, wondering if the beagle in oxygen cage will poop tonight or crash like Max did.
Your pet is alive right now—go check gum color, set a phone alarm for heartworm, and text your vet “When’s my next booster?”
Do it, then come back and tell me the squeaky toy still squeaks. That’s all I got. Gotta run—code bell just rang.
—Dr. Sheno, DVM
(Still smells parvo at 03:44 a.m.)
References :