CAT HEALTH & MEDICINE

The history of veterinary radiology - the use of photograph-like images to diagnose an internal physical abnormality that is otherwise invisible to a practitioners eye - can be traced back to a specific day in 1895. While working in his laboratory, a German physicist named Wilhelm Roentgen wit-nessed a phenomenon that until then had never been observed by him or anyone else.

Among all of the viruses that pose a significant threat to feline health, none is more potentially devastating than the feline leukemia virus (FeLV), a submicroscopic organism associated with the illness and death of more cats worldwide than any other infectious agent. The most frequently diagnosed disease caused by this deadly virus is feline leukemia, a disorder marked chiefly by the excessive production of certain white blood cells (leukocytes) in a cats bone marrow.

Upper respiratory infections are very common in cats, especially in kittens. Most of these infections are caused by viruses. In fact, roughly 90 percent of all upper airway infections in cats are caused by two common viruses: feline herpesvirus and feline calicivirus. Some affected cats develop secondary bacterial infections, which can make treatment and recovery longer and more difficult.

[From Tufts January 2012 Issue]

Diarrhea is one of the most common health problems seen in cats and can present a diagnostic and treatment challenge because of its wide variety of possible causes. Infectious diseases, toxins, dietary changes and even emotional upset can result in diarrhea, and determining the cause is often a process of elimination.

The most likely causes of diarrhea in a given cat depend on his age and lifestyle, says Michael Stone, DVM, DACVIM, an internal medicine specialist and clinical assistant professor at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. Intestinal parasites such as roundworms typically cause diarrhea in kittens. …

A few years ago, my housemate (who was an internal medicine resident fascinated by vomit and diarrhea and such) asked me if I ever did blood work and x-rays to find out why Seamus was a chronic vomiter ("What are you talking about? Once a month is totally normal for a cat. Whatever!"). After my housemate made me feel guilty, I've pondered why we cat owners are so tolerant of cat vomit. I mean, if you vomited once a week for years, wouldn't you go to a medical doctor? If your dog vomited once a week all his life, chances are you'd take him to a veterinarian sooner or later. So why is it that we cat owners tolerate cat puke so much more? Maybe we're blaming frequent vomiting on hair balls, but if your cat is puking that often and there isn't any hair in the puke, think again. There may actually be a medical cause for all that vomit.

In general, if your cat is indoor only and doesn't have exposure to other cats, he or she should have gone through a full kitten series (one vaccine every three to four weeks from six weeks of age until sixteen weeks of age) and then an annual feline distemper and rabies vaccine for three to five more years. After that, your cat should have an annual exam, but vaccines could be reduced to every two…

Due to the backward-facing barbs on the cat's tongue, the hair he grooms must be swallowed. Some of this swallowed hair passes through the digestive system without a problem. If he swallows too much hair, the cat may vomit up a tubular-shaped glob of wet hair know to those of us who end uup stepping on them as hair balls. Not all hair balls get vomited up or passed with the stool, though. Some swallowed hair ends up trapped in the intestines, causing a blockage.

Your cat depends on you for his health and comfort. Cats don't really have nine lives, so it's up to you and your veterinarian to be responsible for his health and welfare.

Become familiar with your cat's normal routine. Notice how much water he usually drinks. This will be important information because an increase or decrease in water consumption can be a symptom of certain diseases. Are you familar with your cat's litter box habits? If so, you may be able to detect diarrhea, constipation, and potential urinary tract problems early. Become familar with his usual volume of urine or feces, as well as its color.

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. Sure enough, it confirms the surgeons belief that he excised the cancer…

When removing a malignant tumor, a surgeon can't see a single cancer cell left behind with the naked eye — or even 10,000 cancer...

Cats are masters at hiding pain and illness, which can make it difficult for their owners to recognize that something is amiss. However, owners should become concerned when they observe persistent subtle changes in their cats behavior such as eating less, sleeping or hiding more than usual or reduced interest in playing ...

Like stoic warriors, our cats conceal pain for the same reason - pain equals weakness and vulnerability to attack from enemies. Hiding pain is an instinctual survival strategy for cats, and because they are so masterful at concealing pain, it can sometimes take owners a long time to realize that something is amiss.