Disease

If you own a white cat, you most likely love his striking snowy coat and bright eyes. But you might also know that these brilliant features have implications that go deeper than appearance.

We know our pets can have many of the same medical conditions we have, but can they have high cholesterol? Yes! Hypercholesterolemia, more commonly known as high cholesterol, means theres an elevated level of cholesterol in the blood.

If your cat has difficulty swallowing, shakes his head, sneezes and breathes noisily as if hacking or snoring, you could dismiss the behavior as fleeting. But while you might think the cause will clear up on its own, the problem may be a nasopharyngeal polyp - an uncommon, noncancerous bump at the very back of the throat or in the ear canal that must be removed through a fairly simple surgery. …

Q We live in Maryland and have a 6-year-old indoor/outdoor cat who is in apparently good health. I was recently talking with a friend of mine whose dog was infected with heartworms, and this made me worry about my kitty. Is this something I should be worried about? AI certainly understand why you are worried. The first thing I should say is that you should ideally be keeping your kitty indoors, although this would not preclude…

At least two cat breeds - Scottish Folds and American Curls - have atypical ears. Scottish Folds ears fold forward, while American Curls fold backward. Only the ear cartilage is malformed in American Curls, while Scottish Folds can suffer additional bone malformations and crippling osteoarthritis. The Morris Animal Foundation is supporting research at the University of Sydney in Australia to identify genes in both breeds that may be responsible for these traits. The possible outcome could…

A Push to Screen for EarlierDiagnosis of HypertensionCatWatch has previously reported that hypertension in humans can damage the heart and arteries, and cause stroke, kidney damage and vision loss. The Lancet journal predicted that the risk of becoming hypertensive during a lifetime exceeds 90 percent for people in developed countries. Even more alarming, it cautioned that Screening is not done systematically, and the diagnosis is often made at a late stage when target organ damage…

The debate over whether dry cat foods high carbohydate count causes diabetes continues. In the latest development, a study at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences found an increased risk of diabetes mellitus (Type 2) - which resembles the same type found in people - in normal-weight cats on dry food.

If you think your cat cant get ticks or the diseases that they spread, emerging evidence indicates otherwise. While cats, unlike dogs, are fairly resistant to tick-borne diseases, they can be affected, says Meredith L. Miller, DVM, ACVIM, a lecturer in small animal medicine at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Sometimes a cats bout of vomiting simply needs to run its course, similar to food poisoning or a viral GI bug in people. However, vomiting could indicate a significant medical problem, and if youre concerned, it is always better to err on the side of caution and check with the veterinarian. Vomiting can be due to factors that directly affect the gastrointestinal tract or to indirect effects from other conditions, says Meredith L. Miller, DVM, ACVIM, a lecturer in small animal medicine at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Imagine returning home from work to see your cat lying motionless on the living room floor. You call his name, but he doesnt respond, and you quickly realize hes not breathing and fear his heart has stopped. The nearest veterinary clinic is 15 minutes away. Youre panicked, but for your cats sake, you realize you need to immediately begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to save his life.

Corticosteroids have proven effective in treating a variety of conditions from allergic reactions to brain disease, but they present a balancing act for both owners and veterinarians. Owners, faced with their cats experiencing any one of a long list of health problems, must weigh if long-term use is worth the risk of steroids side effects. At the same time, veterinarians must determine the lowest dose of medication to control the condition.

Hand-wrestling your kitten or newly adopted cat may seem like harmless play, but if either would happen to scratch you, you could develop an infection requiring treatment for cat scratch disease (CSD). This rare but potentially serious condition is estimated to affect about 12,500 people annually in the U.S., including 500 hospitalized for treatment. The incidence is higher than medical experts anticipated, according to a new study released by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).