Health
Found [447] Articles :: Page 21 of 30
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The three main types of Neuromuscular Degenerative Disorders are those that involves the muscles (myopathies) Those that involve the junction of the muscles (junctionopathies) and those that involve the nerves of the muscles (neuronopathies).
[h]Neuronopathies[/h]
There are several neuron motor conditions and the ones cited here are just a few.
[h]Motor Neuron Disease[/h] affects the motor neurons in the cat and usually occurs only when the cat is an adult. The disease destroys the motor neurons responsible for voluntary motor actions such as walking, speaking, and breathing. Cats will suffer from muscular problems and have weak muscles and difficulty in walking. [...]
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Perhaps the most important concern in helping a Chinese Crested puppy to develop into a physically healthy adult dog would be dental health. As is sometimes the case with toy breeds, the Chinese Crested is especially prone to irregular bite patterns, missing teeth and gum disease. Missing teeth, in particular, are so commonly found in the Chinese Crested dog that they are not even penalized in show. For these reasons, it is absolutely imperative that the Chinese Crested be fed with small, regular meals and given food with a softer, flakier consistency than most breeds demand. Hard, dry dog food might lead to broken teeth, if the dog even proves capable of chewing it in the first place. [...]
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Vestibular disease is responsible for the altering of the cat's understanding of its physical surroundings. The vestibular apparatus is the neurological parts of the body that guide the cat through this process. It directs the cat's motions and activities in relation to the earth, for example, whether you are standing up, sitting down, turning in one direction, spinning around, walking, running etc. This system uses the eyes and legs to help a cat get its bearings and to determine what action it needs to execute the appropriate move; walk, run, jump and more. In the vestibular system the eyes are used to see moving objects (peripheral vision) without having to succumb to dizziness.
Nystagmus in particular impairs the cat's ability to roll the eyes back and forth or provide a rotational movement. What generally happens is that the eye movement is slower in one direction that it should be. [...]
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Physically, the Chinese Crested dog is a breed of a somewhat sensitive disposition. They are especially prone to such as digestive problems and, with the Hairless variety especially, unfortunate skin conditions. The following will address the most common skin problems Chinese Cresteds suffer from and how to combat and prevent these ailments. [...]
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Osteochondrodysplasia is a bone disease, which causes lameness and is unique to the Scottish Fold Cat breed. When two Scottish Folded ear cats are breed together the Kittens develop malformations in the legs, tail, spine, and growth plates (the end regions of the femur (thighbone). So serious is this disease that the Governing Council of The Cat Fancy (GCCF) has banned the breed. The cat breed continued in the USA as the American breeders felt that a folded ear cat and normal ear cat could breed and the disease causing arthritis and lameness would not replicate. With this particular breeding, the offspring would now only have one copy (heterozygous) of the gene and not two (one from each parent - homozygous). However new research out of Australia indicates that any Scottish Fold cat with folded ears bred to any other cat will still pass the gene onto their offspring. The only difference is that the arthritis is slower to manifest in the litter than if two folded ear cats were breed together. Nevertheless American breeders have been breeding out the gene for generations. [...]
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Persian and exotic shorthaired cats are especially susceptible to a genetic kidney disorder known as Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD). The same dominant gene occurs in dogs, other animals, and humans. Research began in the 1990s using female Persians as the test subject.
[h]Causes[/h]
Even though kittens are born with cysts, the disease is slow to manifest and causes enlarged kidneys and kidney dysfunction in older Persians of seven years of age and older.
In the beginning of the cyst formation, they are small, no larger than a centimeter or so. The cysts at this point do not seem to pose a problem in kittens but as the cats age, the cysts become much larger. The kidneys enlarge as the cysts enlarge. The cysts also grow in numbers as well as size. The kidneys are taxed to the point that they can no longer function normally and shut down which ultimately causes renal failure. [...]
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Progressive Retinal Atrophy, also known as retinal pigment epithelial dystrophy (RPED), is part of a group of genetic degenerative eye diseases that affect the retina. Although it is more common in dogs it is also found in cats especially Persians, Abyssinian, some shorthairs and Siamese cats.
[h]Causes[/h]
The disease causes vision impairment, which eventually leads to blindness. Progressive Retinal Atrophy appears in both male and female cats and is either a dominant or recessive trait (autosomal trait). This disease is similar in nature to Retina Pigmentosa in humans.
In Abyssinian cats there are two forms of the disease, if it is present at birth or shortly thereafter it is a genetic autosomal dominant gene. If it occurs in middle age it is genetic autosomal recessive gene. [...]
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There are several feline respiratory viruses, which tend to resemble one and another. They belong to a group of viruses called Feline viral rhinotracheitis (FVR) also known as feline influenza. Feline viral rhinotracheitis (FVR) is a primary viral infection of the upper respiratory system. The herpes virus causes it. It is a contagious virus spread through contact with the secretions of a diseased cat and through the air.
The virus will embed itself in the nasal cavity; nose, nasopharynx (the structure found directly behind the nose and before the palate) and the tonsils. The virus spreads through nasal, saliva and eye secretions. The virus can also be spread through the sharing of eating bowls, litter boxes, cat beds, anything that the cat will come in contact with. The virus will appear after two to five days from the time it entered the body. The Feline viral rhinotracheitis (FVR) will then last up to three weeks before it disappears. [...]
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Feline Upper Respiratory Infection (URI) is cat flu and is caused by a virus or bacterial infection, which is very similar to the common cold in humans. It infects the oral and nasal passages. The virus is very infectious and prevalent in areas where multiple cats are housed. Kittens are very susceptible as their immune systems are weaker than that of an adult cat. The virus or bacterium is not serious and clears up in about three weeks. However in rare causes the virus or bacterium can develop into pneumonia and then become more serious with the possibility of death. Infected cats that are very sick at the time of the disease may not eat or drink, and will require intravenous injections and or hospital care. [...]
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Urinary Tract infections are more common in cats than in dogs, they are very painful for your pet to have to suffer through. They can be caused by stones in the urinary tract, bladder stones, or a bacterial infection. The sites of the bacteria are usually in the bladder or urethra, which is the passageway to outside of the cat's body. Urinary problems should never be taken lightly, if left untreated they can develop into more serious conditions such as kidney failure.
Feline Urological Syndrome or Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD) is basically an inflamed bladder. It is important to note that there could be several reasons why the disease occurs and many doctors over simplify the disease calling it Bladder infection and treating only the symptoms without looking any further for an underlying cause. [...]
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Very few people can resist a cute and cuddly kitten, only very few people want to keep that kitten after it has grown into a full grown cat. Cats and kittens end up in animal shelters or are discarded on roads, or simply left to become feral cats outdoors. Therefore one could say that the first birth difficulty is actually finding suitable permanent homes for cats before you cat actually gets pregnant.
Felines are very fertile creatures, with the average cat having five or six kittens in each litter. Some breeds are inclined to have bigger litters. From the time your cat is five months old, she will be in and out of heat from January to October with a reprieve in November and December for pet owners living in Europe and North America. [...]
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Feline bite wounds are usually associated with feral cats which fight to protect their territory from other strange cats. The teeth will penetrate the skins causing a lesion or wound that will heal over. The problem occurs because bacteria grow under the surface of the skin either from debris that got into it when it was an open wound or from the attacking cat's saliva.
[h]Causes[/h]
[-]The particular type of bacteria found in a cat's mouth is Pasteurella multocida and Streptococcus; both of which require very little oxygen. Once the wound closes the oxygen from the environment is cut off and the bacteria begin to grow and multiply.[/-]
[-]The process of infection begins with the wound that becomes inflamed, swells, and is painful. If the wound bite is on the leg there will be swelling, abscess and possibly lameness. Other common bite wounds sites are found on the face, the back, the rump, and the tail.[/-] [...]
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The feline eyelid is very different from human eyelids. First of all cats do not have cilia, which we know as eyelashes, though they do have a thin layer of lashes that are somewhat like eyelashes, simply because they are different from any other kind of hair. The cat's eyelids are also more tightly fit against the cornea than humans.
The conjunctiva is a thin membrane that covers the eyeball. The conjunctiva and eyelid touch. Felines have less of a conjunctival sac than humans. Because the eyelid is so close to the conjunctiva it can be subject to several kinds of infections such as conjunctivitis (reddening of the eye). Persian and Himalayan cats suffer from various glandular cysts in the eyelids. [...]
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The two reasons for the inability to hear or deafness in cats is conduction and neurological problems.
Conduction anomalies are associated with the structures of the ear. The outer ear is known as the Pinna, then there is the Tympanic membrane which is the eardrum, the ear canal, and the middle ear which is also called the auditory ossicles.
Neurological problems can occur in the brain, inner ear, or the auditory nerve.
There is unilateral deafness implying that one ear is involved or bilateral deafness involving both ears. [...]
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Feline diarrhea is a problem of loose or messy stools and originates in the small or large intestine. Diarrhea is also one of the most common reasons for a cat owner to visit a veterinarian. More often then not diarrhea is a symptom of another underlying problem.
[h]Types of Diarrhea and Location[/h]
[-]Sudden diarrhea originating in the small intestine gives the cat an urgency to defecate. It usually lasts for about 48 hours and then clears up on its own. Often when the cat has bouts of diarrhea it will lose its appetite as well.[/-]
[-]Chronic diarrhea in the small intestine is a large amount of watery stool that is a brownish color. Sometimes it takes on a blackish color if there is blood in the stool. It usually last for about a week at a time.[/-] [...]
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