Short Takes

Dwight Bowman, PhD, a parasitology professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, is conducting a study on ticks that have been removed from cats. Ticks can carry disease-causing pathogens, such as Lyme disease.

Bobcat fever, caused by a protozoa called Cytauxzoon felis, is appearing in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and other southern states, reports KFSM-TV (Fort Smith, Ark).

Dwight Bowman, PhD, a parasitology professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, is conducting a study on ticks that have been removed from cats. Ticks can carry disease-causing pathogens, such as Lyme disease.

Weve opened a Facebook page for CatWatch to share timely information about product recalls, illnesses, outbreaks, studies, and just-for-fun finds and events. Please, take a peek and, if you enjoy what you see, give us a Like!

Did you know that what you type into that search-engine box can make a world of difference when it comes to veterinary information? A 2010 study proved what most of us already knew: The quality of Internet information varies widely.

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.

According to Fox 8 in Cleveland, Ohio, Squad 51 was started by Yalanda Medina after a life-and-death health scare with her dog. Her 24-hour emergency response and transport company provides emergency triage-like veterinary paramedics-and transportation to the nearest veterinary emergency clinic.

We may now start classifying seizures in cats based on the canine system of the International Veterinary Epilepsy Task Force (IVETF).

Bony or osteo arthritis can be painful. While cats often hide pain well, with the use of pain medications owners often see a dramatic improvement in their cats mobility and quality of life. Many pain medications, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), are not metabolized well by cats and can even be deadly.

A study from Queens University, Belfast, says cats exhibit clear paw preference, much as humans do. Researchers recruited 24 neutered male and 20 spayed female cats and asked the cat owners to collect data on which paw cats used when they stepped down the stairs or over objects, whether they slept on the left or right side of their body, and which paw the cat used to reach for food inside a three-tier food tower.

A recent study took blood glucose readings from a variety of cats 8 years old and older as they entered the veterinary clinic, after they had been hanging out for a few hours, and again after fasting. One challenge of measuring blood glucose in cats is that their levels tend to skyrocket temporarily when they are stressed, such as at the clinic.

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.