Category Diseases conditions of cats

Feline Maggots Infection Myiasis is a the term used to describe a maggot infestation. Maggots are fly larva that feed on necrotic and dying tissue. Especially prone are those pets confined to the outdoors with situations in which their skin remains moist. This includes pets with draining wounds, urine or fecal stained hair coats, or bacterial skin infections.

The Warning Signs of Cancer in Cats Not too long ago, when a cat owner learned that a pet had cancer, it meant a death sentence for the animal. But, thanks to advances in feline cancer research, things have changed. Cancer is an uncontrolled growth of cells on or within the body. It may be localized, or it may invade adjacent tissue and spread throughout the body.

Dealing with Bad News About Your Cat You may have noticed small changes occurring for some time now, or perhaps it came quickly - in an instant, an illness or trauma. As you wait anxiously in your veterinarian's hospital, you have just been given the news that your beloved cat is very ill. What do you do when the news is bad?

Some cat owners turn to antibiotics as the treatment of choice to treat a variety of problems. After all, it's a scary world out there with all those superbugs, antibiotic resistance issues and drug reactions. Treating infections is a perennially confounding and controversial topic in both human and animal medicine.

Over the past decade, low-cost spay and neuter clinics for dogs and cats have dramatically increased in number; they have even placed some heat on private practice veterinarians for the local vet's inability to compete with spay/neuters clinics' rock bottom prices. Both sides have their strong (and loud) advocates, but what is all the fuss about?

Understanding Ebola Virus in Cats Can cats get or transmit the Ebola virus? One can scarcely turn on the news today without hearing the latest frightening statistics about the 2014 African Ebola epidemic. WHO (World Health Organization) predicts that before it is contained, 20,000 people will have been infected and it will cost 600 million dollars to fight this outbreak.

What You Should Know About Feline Herpesvirus Herpesvirus is very common in cats but it is not quite the same as the herpesvirus that people can get. In cats, the herpesvirus typically results in eye problems, though it can trigger upper respiratory signs as well (sneezing, conjunctivitis, etc.) unlike herpes infections in people.

Osteoarthritis in Cats If you have an older, overweight, or large-breed kitty, please read on. In fact, if you have a cat of any age, weight, and size, you should take the time to become familiarized with a topic that's too often ignored in cats: osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis (aka “arthritis”) may be slowing your cat down or worse.

Most Common Conditions in Cats The most common medical conditions on cats include the following: 1. Renal Disease - Kidney failure is a problem that affects all breeds and ages of cat, although older pets are more frequently diagnosed with the condition. Common signs include weight loss, increase in water intake and urination, and vomiting.

What to Do When Your Cat Gets Stuck in a Tree Your cat may be chasing a bird or a squirrel or simply trying to escape the neighbor's dog but before you know, the cat has scaled the tree. His heart-breaking crying alerts you to his predicament. Your poor kitty, scared and stuck in a tree. What can you do?

Update on Feline Urinary Problems Urinary problems can be caused by a variety of disorders including bladder stones, infections, urethral obstructions as well as a condition called feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC). FIC literally means an inflammation of the urinary bladder in cats of unknown origin. FIC is also called feline idiopathic lower urinary tract disease (FiLUTD) or feline urologic syndrome (FUS).

Understanding the Dangers of Ticks in Cats If you have a cat, you may be familiar with ticks. And you're probably familiar with the many commercials and advertisements that encourage you to purchase products to get rid of ticks or prevent them from feeding on your cat. We place a lot of importance in preventing ticks in our pets because ticks are more than just blood-sucking arachnid parasites; along with mosquitoes, ticks are responsible for transmitting many diseases in cats.

Strange Things Cats do During a Full Moon For years - (and even now) - veterinarians and emergency room doctors will tell you stories of weird cat calls and cat cases they see during full moons. I know staffs that dread working nights with full moons. To read the full story about how the moon affects pets - go to How will the Big Moon Days Affect your Dog or Cat?

Understanding Feline Breast Cancer Breast cancer awareness month, self breast exams, mammograms, pink ribbons, fund-raising 5Ks…there is much media, education, and research surrounding human breast cancer. Have you ever wondered if this deadly disease can also affect your pet? Should you be checking your dog or cat for lumps in the breast?

Is your cat acting sick or having a problem? Cats are very good at hiding their illness. That's why it's so important to watch for any symptoms and to take action as soon as possible. Symptoms are generally a sign of disease. For example, vomiting is a common symptom. It can be caused by many different diseases including diabetes, kidney failure or just an upset stomach.

Understanding Feline Glaucoma Like their human companions, dogs and cats can lose their vision to glaucoma, but veterinary medicine now offers treatments that preserve an animal's sight. It is important for pet owners to be aware of the symptoms of glaucoma and to act on them quickly because the disease can quickly devastate the eye.

Overview of Feline Anthrax Though anthrax has recently been brought to the public's attention, it is actually one of the oldest recorded infectious diseases. When an outbreak occurs, concerned cat owners ask about the risk of Anthrax to cats which we will discuss in this article. Anthrax is caused by the bacteria Bacillus anthracis , anthrax outbreaks periodically occur throughout the United States, but since it usually affects horses, cattle, sheep and goats, there is little media coverage.

Tips for Living with a Cat that is Blind Blindness is the loss of vision in both eyes and can be caused by several things such as glaucoma, corneal problems, cancer, trauma, retinal diseases and cataracts. If your cat becomes blind, she may require extra care, but it is likely that she will continue to live a long and happy life.

Dealing with Cats that Won't Eat The way your little tiger gulps his food when you put his dish down, you would never imagine that a cat could suffer from anorexia, a disorder in which a person or animal stops eating. We normally associate anorexia with teenage girls who have distorted images of themselves or other psychological problems.

Understanding Feline Injection Site Sarcomas Ten years ago, Colleen Hahn saved the life of a kitten that had been placed with her littermates in a bag and tossed into a canal near West Palm Beach, Fla. Today, she is struggling again to keep the cat alive - this time against a medical problem that strikes fear and uncertainty into the hearts of cat owners.