Chronic Conditions in Dogs & Cats

Addison's Disease

Underactive adrenal glands producing too little cortisol. Known as the great pretender because the signs — lethargy, gut upset, weakness — are vague and can flare into a crisis.

Cushing's Disease

Overproduction of cortisol causing excessive thirst, hunger, urination, and a pot-bellied appearance.

Diabetes Mellitus

Inability to regulate blood sugar levels, requiring daily insulin injections and careful diet management.

Hyperthyroidism

Over-active thyroid gland producing excess thyroid hormone. The most common endocrine disorder of older cats, typically causing weight loss despite a hearty appetite, restlessness, increased thirst and a poor coat.

Hypothyroidism

Underactive thyroid gland causing weight gain, lethargy, and skin problems.

1 pet tracked

Obesity

Excess body weight increasing risk of diabetes, arthritis, and reduced lifespan.

1 pet tracked

Aggression

Threatening or harmful behaviour such as growling, snapping or biting, towards people or other dogs. Aggression is communication driven by fear, pain, resource-guarding or frustration, not character. A veterinary and pain check and qualified behaviour help are essential, and safety comes first.

Compulsive Behaviour

Repetitive behaviours that become hard to interrupt and start to interfere with normal life, such as tail-chasing, spinning, flank-sucking, light or shadow chasing, persistent licking, or over-grooming. A medical and pain check comes first, since many cases have an underlying cause. Managed with enrichment, reducing stress and frustration, and sometimes medication.

Fear & Anxiety

General fearfulness and anxiety, from specific fears such as the vet, strangers, handling or new places, to a broadly anxious temperament. Signs include hiding, trembling, cowering, freezing, avoidance, clinginess or sudden defensiveness. Managed with a safe and predictable routine, gradual desensitisation and counter-conditioning, calming support and sometimes medication.

Feline House Soiling

A cat urinating or defecating outside the litter tray, or spraying to mark. The first step is always to rule out illness, since cystitis, stones and especially a blocked bladder in a male cat can be behind it, and a straining cat passing little or no urine is an emergency. Once medical causes are addressed, managed by optimising the litter trays, reducing stress and easing any tension between cats.

Lead Reactivity

Over-reacting to triggers while on the lead, lunging, barking or spinning at other dogs, people or vehicles. Usually rooted in fear or frustration rather than true aggression. Managed by keeping under threshold with distance, building focus and engagement, and counter-conditioning to the trigger.

Noise Phobia

An intense fear response to loud or sudden noises such as fireworks, thunderstorms or traffic. Pets may tremble, hide, pace, drool or try to escape. Managed with a safe retreat, sound desensitisation, calming aids and event medication.

Separation Anxiety

Distress when left alone or apart from a person the pet is bonded to. Signs include vocalising, destruction, toileting, pacing or drooling, usually within the first half hour alone. Managed with gradual departure training, enrichment, a settled routine and sometimes medication.

Anal Sac Disease

Trouble with the scent sacs either side of the bottom: impaction (full and uncomfortable), infection or a painful abscess. Shows as scooting, licking the rear, a strong fishy smell or discomfort sitting. Often linked to soft stool, weight or allergies, so persistent cases are worth investigating rather than just emptying.

Chronic Enteropathy (IBD)

Long-lasting or recurring inflammation of the gut causing vomiting, diarrhoea or weight loss. Now understood as chronic enteropathy and classified by what treatment works: most pets respond to a diet change and never need steroids. Formerly called inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Chronic Pancreatitis

Ongoing or recurring inflammation of the pancreas causing pain, nausea and appetite changes. Often low-grade and grumbling, with flare-ups.

Constipation & Megacolon

Difficulty passing faeces, from an occasional bout to a permanently stretched, sluggish colon (megacolon). Common and distressing in cats especially, driven by dehydration, pain, stress or an idiopathic colon. A pet that cannot pass faeces, is in pain or is repeatedly vomiting needs the vet.

Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI)

The pancreas no longer makes enough digestive enzymes, so food passes through poorly digested. Managed for life with enzyme supplements and diet.

Atopic Dermatitis

Chronic allergic skin disease causing itching, redness, and recurrent skin infections.

1 pet tracked

Fleas, Mites & Mange

The parasitic causes of an itchy pet: fleas (and flea-allergy dermatitis, where a single bite drives weeks of itching), mites and mange (demodex, the intensely itchy and contagious sarcoptic mange, ear and harvest mites). The cheapest, most-missed rule-out — "I never see fleas" does not rule out flea allergy. Treat every in-contact pet and the home, year round.

Food Allergy

An allergic reaction to one or more ingredients in the diet, causing itchy skin, recurrent ear trouble and sometimes tummy upset. Diagnosed and managed with a strict elimination diet trial and long-term avoidance.

Skin & Ear Infections

Bacterial skin infection (pyoderma) and yeast (Malassezia) overgrowth, and the ear infections (otitis) that so often come with them — the smell, the goo and the extra scratching. Nearly always secondary to something else (allergy, parasites, a skin-fold or a foreign body), so recurrent infections, and recurrent ears especially, are usually an allergy problem, not just an ear problem.

Bladder Stones (Uroliths)

Mineral stones in the bladder, causing straining, blood and frequent urination, and able to lodge in the urethra and cause a blockage. The type decides everything: struvite stones can often be dissolved with a special diet, while calcium oxalate stones cannot be dissolved and must be removed or prevented.

Chronic Kidney Disease

Progressive loss of kidney function over months to years.

1 pet tracked

Feline Idiopathic Cystitis (FLUTD)

The most common cause of lower urinary tract signs in cats — straining, blood and frequent toileting, often stress-related. A cat unable to pass urine is an emergency.

Urethral Obstruction

A blockage of the urethra so urine cannot get out, most often in male cats. It is a life-threatening emergency: a fully blocked pet can become critically ill within a day. The block is usually a gritty plug or a small stone, often on a background of feline idiopathic cystitis. A cat or dog straining and passing little or nothing needs a vet now.

Urinary Incontinence

Leaking urine without meaning to, most often a weak bladder-neck muscle (urethral sphincter mechanism incompetence) in spayed female dogs. Classically leaks while resting or asleep, and is usually very treatable with a once-daily medicine. Other causes (infection, stones, an ectopic ureter) are ruled out first.

Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome (BOAS)

Breathing difficulty in flat-faced breeds (French Bulldogs, Pugs, Bulldogs) caused by narrowed airways. Worse with heat, exercise and excitement.

1 pet tracked

Collapsing Trachea

A weakening of the windpipe cartilage, common in small and toy breeds, causing a dry, honking cough that worsens with excitement, heat or pressure on the throat. Usually managed well with weight control, a harness instead of a collar, and medication.

Feline Asthma

Inflammation and narrowing of the lower airways in cats, causing coughing, wheezing and breathing difficulty. Open-mouth breathing is an emergency.

Kennel Cough

A contagious infection of the airways (canine infectious respiratory disease) causing a sudden honking or hacking cough, often after boarding, daycare or the park. Usually clears in one to three weeks in an otherwise-well dog, but a cough with fever, lethargy, poor appetite or laboured breathing needs a vet.

Laryngeal Paralysis

A weakening of the muscles that open the voice box, most often in older large-breed dogs, causing a changed bark, noisy breathing on the in-breath and difficulty in heat or on exercise. Often the first sign of the wider nerve condition GOLPP. A hot or over-exerted dog can tip into a breathing crisis, which is an emergency.

Cancer (General)

Various types of cancer. Track symptoms, treatment side effects, and quality of life.

1 pet tracked

Canine Cognitive Dysfunction (CCD)

Age-related decline in memory, awareness and sleep — often called dog dementia. Recognised through the DISHA signs (disorientation, interaction changes, sleep-wake disruption, house-soiling, activity changes). Cats can be affected too.

Epilepsy

Recurrent seizures with no identifiable underlying cause.

Cataract

Clouding of the lens that scatters or blocks light, causing sight loss that ranges from mild to total. Can be inherited, age-related or diabetic (common and fast in diabetic dogs). Surgery (phacoemulsification) is the only way to restore vision; an untreated cataract is watched for painful complications.

Glaucoma

A painful rise in pressure inside the eye that damages the retina and optic nerve, causing irreversible sight loss if not treated fast. Acute glaucoma is a sight-saving emergency. Managed with pressure-lowering drops; protecting the second eye matters, and a blind painful eye is often kindest removed.

Progressive Retinal Atrophy

An inherited, painless degeneration of the retina that slowly takes sight, usually night vision first, over months to years. More common in dogs, with breed predispositions and DNA tests. There is no treatment, but because it is gradual most pets adapt beautifully, and a known diagnosis is time to prepare.

Sudden Blindness

Sight lost over hours to days. In dogs often SARDS (sudden, painless, irreversible); in cats most often a detached retina from high blood pressure (kidney or thyroid driven), which can sometimes be reversed if treated fast. The eyes can look normal, so it is a same-day vet visit to find the cause.

Vision Loss

Reduced or lost eyesight — from gradual conditions like cataracts, glaucoma or progressive retinal atrophy, or from sudden sight loss. The underlying cause varies, but the day-to-day support is shared: a safe, predictable home and helping a pet navigate by scent and sound. Dogs and cats both adapt remarkably well with time.

Cholangitis

Inflammation of the bile ducts and liver in cats, which often comes together with pancreatitis and intestinal disease (triaditis). It can be acute and bacterial or chronic and immune-mediated, and a cat that goes off food during a flare is at real risk of fatty liver. It is managed over time by treating the type and protecting the appetite.

Chronic Hepatitis

Ongoing inflammation and, over time, scarring (fibrosis) of the liver in dogs. Much of the UK picture is idiopathic or immune-mediated and breed-linked rather than copper-driven, and it is diagnosed properly only on a liver biopsy. Treatment aims to slow progression and preserve function, watched through serial bloods.

Copper-Associated Hepatopathy

A form of canine liver disease where copper builds up in the liver and drives damage, in some breeds and with some diets. It is confirmed by measuring copper on a biopsy, not from enzymes or breed alone, and managed with a copper-appropriate diet and, when confirmed, chelation. The UK picture genuinely differs from the North American headlines.

Gallbladder Mucocoele

A build-up of thick, immobile bile that fills the gallbladder of (usually senior) dogs and can obstruct bile flow or, at worst, rupture. It is often found incidentally on an ultrasound and is strongly linked to Cushing's and other hormone conditions. The decision is elective surgery versus careful monitoring.

Hepatic Lipidosis

Fatty liver in cats: a cat that stops eating can, within days, mobilise fat faster than the liver can process it, especially if overweight. Jaundice is the hallmark, but the time to act is on the not-eating, before the yellow appears. With aggressive assisted feeding, often through a feeding tube, most cats recover; it is frequently fatal without.

Portosystemic Shunt

An abnormal blood vessel that bypasses the liver so toxins are not cleared, usually congenital in a young, often small-breed dog. The signs are frequently neurological and food-related (hepatic encephalopathy), and the big decision is surgical correction versus lifelong medical management. Congenital cases are commonly excluded by UK pet insurance.

Congestive Heart Failure

The shared end-stage of heart disease: when a failing heart lets fluid back up into or around the lungs. Whatever the underlying disease (mitral valve disease, DCM, HCM), the management converges on the same toolkit — diuretics, other heart medicines, a low-salt diet, and watching the resting breathing rate at home to catch fluid early.

Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM)

Enlarged, weakened heart muscle reducing the heart's ability to pump blood.

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM)

Thickening of the heart muscle that reduces how well the heart fills and pumps. The most common heart disease in cats, and a cause of sudden decline or clots.

Mitral Valve Disease

Degeneration of the heart's mitral valve, the most common heart disease in dogs.

Cruciate Ligament Disease

Partial or complete rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament in the knee.

1 pet tracked

Hip Dysplasia

Abnormal formation of the hip socket causing lameness and arthritis.

Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD)

Disc degeneration in the spine causing pain, nerve damage, and potential paralysis.

2 pets tracked

Osteoarthritis

Degenerative joint disease causing pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility. The most common chronic condition in dogs.

3 pets tracked

FIV & FeLV

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) are lifelong retroviruses that weaken a cat’s immune system. Many positive cats live well for years with good monitoring, watching for weight loss, mouth disease and secondary infections.

Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP)

A once almost-always-fatal viral disease of cats that is now usually treatable. FIP develops when the common feline coronavirus mutates inside an individual cat, most often a kitten or young cat, driving intense inflammation in the abdomen, chest, eyes or nervous system. In the UK it is treated legally through your own vet with antiviral medicines over a course of around 84 days, followed by an observation window; this check-in helps you track temperature, appetite, weight and daily dosing between visits.

Immune-Mediated Haemolytic Anaemia (IMHA)

The immune system destroys red blood cells faster than they can be produced.

Feline Stomatitis (FCGS)

Feline chronic gingivostomatitis: a severe, immune-mediated inflammation where the cat overreacts to plaque, leaving the whole mouth, including the tissue at the back, red, ulcerated and very painful. Full-mouth or near-full-mouth extraction is the most effective first-line treatment; a minority need ongoing medical management. This check-in mirrors the owner half of the SDAI so you can track comfort at home between visits.

Periodontal (Gum) Disease

The most common dental disease in dogs and cats: plaque and tartar drive gum inflammation that, untreated, destroys the bone and ligament holding the teeth in place. Much of it lives below the gumline and is silent until advanced, which is why grading, dental x-rays and a proper clean under anaesthetic matter, and why daily home care is the real prevention.

Tooth Resorption

A painful process, most common in cats, where the tooth's own cells break down and dissolve its structure from within. It cannot be prevented and often hides below the gumline, so it is frequently found only on dental x-rays. Affected teeth are treated by extraction (or, for the right lesion, crown amputation); good day-to-day mouth care and regular checks still matter.