Disease

Researchers at the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition in the U.K. have, for the first time, identified the bacteria associated with feline periodontitis. This condition, characterized by inflammation of the gums and other tissues, is estimated to affect two-thirds of cats over 3 years of age, causing pain, difficulty eating and tooth loss.

All cats face the risk of heart disease, from domestic shorthairs to prized rare breeds, but the signs can remain undetected for years before resulting in diminished or total loss of cardiac function. The challenge for owners is to be alert to subtle changes in their cats.

Come spring and fall, animal shelters across the country are flooded with newborn kittens often in need of round-the-clock care to help them survive, thrive and eventually be adopted. As adorable as shelter kittens may appear, how can you tell if theyre healthy?

Two different disorders in cats - inflammatory bowel disease and a cancer of the gastrointestinal tract called alimentary lymphoma - have similar signs, including lack of appetite, weight loss, vomiting and diarrhea.

At the end of a long workday, you look forward to uninterrupted slumber, but your cat has other plans. In two hours, he jars you awake by leaping on the bed - knocking the air out of you. An hour later, he swats a book off your nightstand. And 30 minutes before your alarm sounds, he begins loud, demanding meows.

Over the past decade, veterinarians have dramatically increased their use of laser therapy for wound healing and inflammatory conditions in the elbow, knee and lower back. Unlike surgical lasers that cut and vaporize tissue, their low-level lasers painlessly penetrate below the skin to help in healing deep tissue and joint problems.

Your cat has always sported a shiny coat, soft to the touch. You marvel at the time he dedicates to grooming. But lately when you pet him, his coat feels greasy and you detect an odor. His grooming clearly is off, and its a worry.

I have six adult cats and I am keeping them all separated from one another for fear of coronavirus infection and the development of feline infectious peritonitis (FIP). I have had multiple cats tested for coronavirus, and some are positive. Should I be keeping those who have tested positive isolated from the others, and how should I manage this group of cats?

Amyloidosis is found in Oriental shorthair, domestic shorthair, Siamese, Burmese and Abyssinian breeds. The disease develops when the abnormal protein amyloid, a fibrous substance, collects for unknown reasons in tissues and organs. The disease can become fatal if amyloid is deposited in the tissue of critical organs, such as the kidneys, liver or heart. The disease also affects humans.

As the cat population ages, with some living into their 20s, the number of cats diagnosed with arthritis is growing as well. Advances in veterinary medicine and better reporting may have contributed to what Banfield Pet Hospitals 2015 State of Pet Health report found was a 31 percent increase in feline arthritis in the last five years. Whatever the reason, this much is certain: early detection and owner management of their cats pain can provide a better life for cats with this incurable disease.

When your cat suddenly becomes ill or injured, how do you determine if he needs to go to the veterinarian or emergency hospital - STAT? Its not always easy to tell. Hiding illness is a natural instinct for cats because of their evolution as both prey and predator. Theyre hard-wired to cloak weakness and may exhibit only subtle signs that theyre seriously sick.

A survey of more than 10,000 pet owners in 11 countries - 3,100 of them in the U.S. - has found that U.S. owners are the most passionate about their cats. In addition to the U.S., the renovation and design firm Houzz asked owners about pets in the home in Canada, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, Russia, Germany, Australia and Japan. Veterinarians frequently prescribe therapeutic diets and daily medication for cats with chronic enteropathy, a condition characterized by excessive loss of plasma proteins into the gastrointestinal tract. However, the regimen can have side effects, and some owners have difficulty complying with it.