Lifestyle

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.

Cats have a reputation for being fearless and lethal predators, but theres a flip side to this characterization: While domestic cats who live with us still retain their hunting skills, they themselves are also prey - to dogs, urban coyotes, even birds such as hawks and owls. Cats, then, have a well-developed sense of fear. They are often cautious in the presence of strangers, loud or unexpected noises startle them, and they dislike changes in their…

Unlike dogs who typically develop discrete hot spots in response to irritation, insects and allergies, hot spots in cats are less common for one surprising reason: Although they can have an identifiable trigger event, they can pop up for no apparent reason, says dermatologist William H. Miller, VMD, a medical director of the Cornell University Companion Animal Hospital. …

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. …

Food Allergies Can Mimic Skin Conditions Incidence figures on food hypersensitivity in cats are hard to find, since cats often wont eat the special diets needed to either diagnose or treat food hypersensitivity, says dermatologist William H. Miller, VMD, at Cornell. Cats with a suspected food allergy usually visit either the gastroenterologist or the dermatologist, but not both. Animals with vomiting and diarrhea rarely have skin issues associated with their diets and those with itchy skin rarely…

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…

Asthma affects nearly 5 percent of cats and can be difficult to diagnose. The gold standard has been to sample airways, but this requires anesthesia, posing some risk to patients and delaying therapy in some cases.

Feline Injection Site Sarcomas (FISS) - which can grow in connective tissue months or years after an injection - continue to concern owners despite reports of low incidence. The reason for their development is the million dollar question, says oncologist Kelly Hume, DVM, ACVIM, at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. We dont know the exact mechanism of the trigger and how it progresses in FISS.

You also dont know if that cat belongs to another neighbor and is an indoor-outdoor cat who is a moocher who makes his rounds getting breakfast at one house and lunch at another, says Katherine A. Houpt, VMD, Ph.D., former president of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists and professor emeritus at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. This cat may be lost, abandoned or born in the streets to a feral cat. Thats why it is important to be patient, keep yourself safe and look for signs that this cat needs and wants a home.

With the arrival of warm weather, your cats curiosity and need to tap his inner hunter could land him on the losing end in a confrontation with bees, wasps, skunks and other critters making their way onto your property or inside your home.