When Worms Make a Home Out of Your Cat’s Lungs
[From Tufts May 2012 Issue]
"It's a little bit creepy," says Catnip Editorial Board member Elizabeth Rozanski, DVM. "Larvae migrate from the intestine into the bloodstream and, from there, to the lungs, where they set up housekeeping. They get bigger, maturing into adult worms, and then lay more eggs, or larvae." In the meantime, the worms can cause asthma-like symptoms — difficulty breathing, coughing, and, if things become severe enough, even emphysema, fluid in the lungs, or pneumonia.
Lungworm disease usually occurs in kittens, particularly kittens "from sketchy backgrounds," says Dr. Rozanski — those who live almost entirely outdoors and eat …
An Infection Takes a Trip Across a Cats Body
[From Tufts June 2012 Issue]
Annabelle, a 5-year-old Ragdoll, had been lethargic with little appetite. She was hiding under the bed - unusual behavior for her. The intact cat also had vaginal discharge. Her owner, Ragdoll breeder Denise Celona of Rutland, Massachusetts, took her to the local veterinarian, thinking the cat had developed a uterine infection called pyometra. An x-ray was inconclusive on that score, but it did show that the heart was enlarged and ovoid, or egg-shaped, which is not normal for cats. At that, Annabelle and her owner were referred to the Foster Hospital for Small Animals at Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine.
By the time emergency and critical care specialist Sean Majoy, DVM, saw Annabelle, she was having difficulty breathing. Her respiratory rate was up significantly. On examination, her,…