Category — cats

Anemia in Cats

When the body is deficient in iron, red cells do not develop as they should. The lack of iron causes the cells that are produced by the bone marrow to be too small, and too low in oxygen-carrying features. In adult pets, this condition is usually caused by some kind of blood loss. It is important to recognize iron-deficiency anemia, because the underlying disease can be life-threatening.

• Symptoms and Types
• Causes
• Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Living and Management

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Rodenticide Toxicity

An anticoagulant is any agent that prevents coagulation, or clotting, of the blood. Anticoagulants are commonly used in rat and mouse poisons, and are one of the most commonly used household poisons, accounting for a large number of accidental poisoning in cats. When ingested by an animal, anticoagulants block the synthesis of vitamin K, an essential component for normal blood clotting. The result is spontaneous and uncontrolled bleeding.

• Symptoms and Types
• Causes
• Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Living and Management
• Prevention

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Feline Cutaneous Asthenia

Feline cutaneous asthenia (FCA), also known as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, is a disease characterized by deficient levels of collagen, the protein molecule necessary for providing strength and elasticity to the skin and ligaments, along with much of the rest of the body. The condition is part of a group of hereditary disorders characterized by skin that is unusually stretchy and droopy. It is caused by a genetic mutation that is passed from parent to offspring, and while more than one genetic disorder is suspected, this condition cannot be determined by skin and tissue samples, it is diagnosed through observation.

• Symptoms and Types
• Causes
• Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Living and Management

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Contact Dermatitis

Dermatitis due to allergy is rare in young animals, and is extremely rare in cats unless they are exposed to insecticides that contain oil extracted from a citrus rind, a common allergen. Contact dermatitis may be caused by an allergy, or it may simply mean that your cat has touched something that has irritated its skin, such as the sap in poison ivy, or salt on a road. It is usually limited to one area; an overall reaction, as from shampoo, is uncommon. It can be difficult to distinguish one cause from another because the symptoms usually appear the same. If it seems to occur at certain seasons, it may indicate that the offending source is a plant or outdoor compound.

• Symptoms and Types
• Causes
• Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Living and Management

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Splenic Torsion

The spleen exists as a main support to the immune system, as a filter to destroy excess red blood cells, and as a reservoir for blood. Splenic torsion, or twisting of the spleen, may occur by itself, or in association with gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) syndrome, when a dog’s air-filled stomach expands and twists on itself.

• Symptoms and Types
• Causes
• Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Living and Management

[Twisting of the Spleen in Cats and Dogs: Read more ->]

Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome

Feline hyperesthesia syndrome (FHS), also known as “twitch-skin syndrome” and “psychomotor epilepsy,” is an obscure cat disorder resulting in intense biting or licking of the back, tail, and pelvic limbs. The nervous and neuromuscular systems, along with the skin, are affected. Symptoms may occr any age and can develop in any breed of cat. Purebreds – especially Siamese, Abyssinians, Burmese, and Himalayans – seem to be predisposed to develop the syndrome.

• Symptoms and Types
• Causes
• Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Living and Management
• Prevention

[Twitch-Skin Syndrome in Cats: Read more ->]

Anisocoria

The pupil is the circular opening in the center of the eye that allows light to pass through. The pupil expands when there is little light present, and contracts when there is a greater amount of light present.

• Symptoms and Types
• Diagnosis
• Living and Management

[Unequal Pupil Size: Read more ->]

Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome

Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome is the medical term related to various upper airway problems found in short-nosed, flat-faced cats and dog breeds, such as Himalayans and Pekingese, respectively.

• Symptoms and Types
• Causes
• Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Living and Management
• Prevention

[Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome: Read more ->]

Chlamydiosis

Chylamydiosis in cats refers to a bacteria based chronic respiratory infection. Animals that have developed this infection will often exhibit traditional signs of an upper respiratory infection, such as watery eyes, runny nose, and sneezing. With treatment, the prognosis is positive.

• Symptoms and Types
• Causes
• Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Living and Management
• Prevention

[Upper Respiratory Infection in Cats: Read more ->]

Urethral prolapse is a condition where the urethra’s mucosal lining (the mucus producing lining of the canal that carries urine out of the bladder) falls out of place, often moving to the outer portion of the urethra, vaginal, or penile opening – making it visible.

• Symptoms and Types
• Causes
• Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Living and Management
• Prevention

[Urethral Prolapse in Cats and Dogs: Read more ->]