Disease

Your cats kidneys play a central role in almost all of its bodily processes. They help to control the blood pressure and regulate the amount and chemical consistency of fluid in the bloodstream. They produce a variety of vitally needed hormones and enzymes, and they contribute to the production of red blood cells. They also remove metabolic waste, such as urea, mineral salts and poisonous substances, from its blood. This is accomplished by kidney (renal) tissue containing hundreds of thousands of tiny filtration units called nephrons. When waste-laden blood enters the kidneys through the renal artery, it moves through progressively smaller vessels until it reaches these nephrons, where it is filtered through microscopically minute structures called glomeruli. The cleansed blood - about 95 percent of the total fluid volume that originally entered the kidneys - then circulates back to the heart for yet another voyage through the body. Meanwhile, the remaining fluid, containing the waste products, is passed along as urine from the kidneys to the bladder and eventually excreted.

Making the decision to humanely end the life of your terminally ill or disabled cat can be very difficult. Here's some help.

When vomiting lasts more than a week, it's considered chronic, and the culprit needs to be discovered. Here's why.

A wide variety of hepatic diseases can put your cats life in danger.

Fortunately, vaccines are available that may serve to reduce their lethal threat. Heres what the cat owner needs to know.

Runny nose, teary eyes, sneezing and open-mouthed breathing are the signs to look for.

Some abnormalities are apparent at birth. Others become evident later in life. Heres how best to help your kitten or cat.

Serious health problems - such as heart, lung and kidney disease - can stem from dental neglect. Heres some expert advice.

Why has feline health research fallen behind? Heres the scoop.

Events in the world of infectious diseases have been hitting the headlines recently, and because they involve cats, Id like to discuss them in this column rather than answering questions from CatWatch readers (just this once, I promise). Superbugs: Is there a human/cat connection?Staphylococcus aureus is a common bacterium that lives on the skin and in the noses of people and other animals, usually without much consequence. But human infection with a certain form of…

Early diagnosis can sometimes reduce the impact of this widespread disease. Heres what you should know to protect your cat.

A veterinary exam at least once a year for your cat is the best defense against cardiac illness.