Disease

Your cat has a ravenous appetite but never gains weight and might even be losing weight. In addition, you may notice the litter box has more deposits than ever before-often soft and slimy with a worse odor than usual. Your cat may be suffering from a malabsorption/maldigestion disorder. Malabsorption means the cat cant absorb the nutrients. Maldigestion occurs when your cat is not producing the enzymes needed to digest her food. Digestion Gone Awry …

A team led by Cornell dermatologist William H. Miller, VMD, Medical Director of the Companion Animal Hospital at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, researched the medical records of 1,407 cats with dermatologic diagnoses and noted that Himalayan cats are much more likely than other cats to be diagnosed with a skin disease. Why is not clear, but it may be due to breeding practices that can increase the frequency of genetically-influenced diseases like allergies.

While studies have looked at the connection between periodontal disease and kidney failure in dogs, it is only recently that such a connection has been evaluated for cats. In the March 2018 issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, a cooperative study between the Banfield Pet Hospitals centered in Vancouver, Washington, and the University of Minnesota looked at associations of these two health problems in cats.

When the topic of intestinal parasites comes up, people immediately think of worms, such as roundworms (ascarids) and tapeworms. However, other parasites may be more common and equally debilitating for your cat.

A study in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery looked at using Chinese herbs to treat cats with urinary-tract problems. As we wrote in our September 2017 issue (go to catwatchnewsletter.com archives to read the article), lower urinary-tract problems are common in cats. The cause might be infection, crystal formations, or may be without known cause-the infamous idiopathic cystitis.

The section of Oncology at the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine needs cats for a clinical trial on injection-site sarcomas (also known as a fibrosarcoma), a tumor that can arise following injections. Although the cause is unknown, treatments are available, such as the anti-cancer drug carboplatin.

The first fungal infection that comes to mind when we think of cats is ringworm. As you likely know, it doesnt involve a worm, but rather the fungus Microsporum canis. This is a skin infection that often has round, ring-like lesions. It is not life-threatening, although it does require exquisite hygiene and weeks of topical and/or oral medication to cure.

All too often, a sick older cat is brought to the veterinarian only to be diagnosed with late-stage kidney failure. Chronic kidney failure is one of the most prevalent illnesses in geriatric cats, but early detection and treatment greatly improves the prognosis for these cats. Unfortunately, cats tend to stay quiet when theyre ill and not all owners are aware of the initial subtle symptoms. Kidney disease can develop for months or years before it is detected.

A study published in the November 2017 Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine looked at cats admitted to a teaching hospital with gastrointestinal signs and low blood cobalamin (vitamin B12) levels. Twenty cats completed the study.

Cancer is a leading cause of death in cats, with tumors in the mammary gland, mouth, and skin being the most common. Currently, we rely on surgical removal of the tumor or a biopsy for diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment options. Since this procedure often requires anesthesia, we would like to find a way to use a simple blood sample to provide these answers.

Your kitten is now a young cat of eight to 12 months of age and the days of fighting kitten upper-respiratory infections are over. No more sneezing, no more runny eyes, you think. You thought you were out of the woods, but then one morning you notice your young adult cat has some trouble swallowing, maybe gagging, and a slight voice change along with some labored breathing at moments.

A truly incontinent cat isnt able to control when and where he leaks, says Leni K. Kaplan, DVM, MS, a lecturer in the Community Practice Service at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. The best way to tell is to observe your cat. If he is posturing to urinate intentionally, then he is not incontinent.