CAT HEALTH & MEDICINE

Digestive system disorders are among the most frequently observed health problems in cats. Many of these disorders may be directly associated with organs such as the liver, pancreas and gall bladder, all of which play a crucial role in the digestive process. Many others, however, may arise in the alimentary canal, the long tube leading from a cats mouth and extending the full length of the animals body. A signal that something has gone wrong somewhere within this passageway often takes the form of a process scientifically termed emesis - but most commonly referred to as vomiting.

Theres an abundance of kittens right now. Go visit the local shelter and have a look. Or peruse Craigslist or other Internet sites and see how many unwanted litters are out there.

A reader expresses her concerns about adopting an FIV-positive cat

Like every veterinarian, I evaluate the mouth and gums of my patient whenever Im performing a physical examination. I expect to find nice pink gums, and most of the time, I do. Occasionally, however, Ill note with dismay that the gums are pale, or even white. This finding immediately sets off alarm bells in my head: This cat is anemic. The task of making a diagnosis now begins.

When removing a malignant tumor, a surgeon cant see a single cancer cell left behind with the naked eye - or even 10,000 cancer cells. Thats a microscopic amount, which is why excised tumors currently get sent to pathologists. They can look at a few small sections of an excised tumor under the microscope and get an idea of whether the cancer was removed in its entirety. But what if a method was developed that allowed cancer surgeons to see right in the operating room, before the patient was closed back up, whether any cancer cells remained?

You sit anxiously in the waiting room while your cat undergoes surgery to remove a cancerous mass. Finally, after what seems like forever, the doctor comes out in his scrubs and tells you he was able to excise the malignant tumor and that he believes he got it all. Relieved but not yet out of the woods, you wait for the pathology report.

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, millions of feral and unwanted domestic kittens are born each year in the United States. For the most part, these animals are either abandoned or relegated to shelters - and a cycle that often ends in euthanasia.

Evidence of health benefits of pets is strong, plentiful and consistent based on many studies. People of all ages - children, adults and seniors - bond with their pet companions and reap the health benefits. As a result of continuing research, pets are becoming active participants in patients treatment plans. Some people have such a strong bond with their pets that they forego medical treatment, refuse hospitalization or shorten a hospital stay because they do not want to be away from their pets.

Morris Animal Foundation-funded researchers from the University of Sydney have found a previously undiscovered hepadnavirus in an immunocompromised cat, and subsequently in banked feline blood samples. The research team published their results today in the journal Viruses.

I trapped two stray kittens last year and had them treated for ringworm. They were neutered and given two rounds of kitten vaccinations. They also had bad breath so my veterinarian cleaned their teeth and needed to extract some teeth. She informed me that one cats dental problems had migrated into the root.

We live in a rural community, and have a couple of indoor-only cats, in addition to a few barn cats out back (we tried to bring them inside when they were kittens, but they were very unhappy with that lifestyle).

While opioids are destroying peoples lives and the lives of their family members throughout all strata of society - rich, poor, urban, suburban, rural - they are also in short supply in hospitals around the country. This is true both for hospitals that serve people and those that serve their pets. Reports are coming in that in some hospitals, elective surgeries for people - gall bladder removal, hernia repair - are being postponed, while some people in post-operative recovery are said to be receiving less potent medication than they need.