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Informed consent
The landscape of health care in the United States provides an influential backdrop for consumers of both human and veterinary medical care. Consumers need only to turn on the television, read the newspaper, or search the Internet to find headline stories that reflect an increasingly litigious climate, problems with health care access and affordability for many Americans, […]
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Conflict
Conflict is an intimate facet of life, borne out of a clash between an internal and external reality, and an attempt, either psychologically or physically, to obviate or deny that reality. All conflict hinges on language for its resolution. As Ludwig Wittgenstein once remarked, ‘You cannot enter into any world for which you do not […]
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Antiemetic agents
Vomiting is defined as the ejection of food and/or fluid from the digestive tract (mouth, oesophagus, or stomach) and is a common clinical sign in cats. Vomiting in cats is of concern if it occurs more frequently than once every three or four days, contains blood (hematemesis), hair or parasites (esp Ollulanus tricuspis). See Physiology of vomiting Table 1. Antiemetic […]
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Atovaquone
Atovaquone is a naphthalene compound with proven efficacy against Pneumocystis spp fungi and certain protozoa such as Toxoplasma and haemoplasmas. This drug appears effective against Toxoplasma-induce choroidoretinitis[1]. Recommended doses in cats is 13.3 mg/kg with fatty meal orally every 8 hours for 21 days[2]. It appears superior to imidocarb against haemoplasma parasites. Agaisnt haemoplasmas, it is best used in combination – atovaquone […]
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Melatonin
Melatonin, N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine, is a hormone that is naturally produced by the pineal gland in the brain of the cat. Both melatonin and its synthetic analogue Ramelteon (TAK-375)[1] augment smooth functioning and regulation of the circadian rhythm (the 24 hour cycle) of various bodily functions. Melatonin also have proven antiinflammatory, antioxidant, antineoplastic and hepatoprotective effects[2]. Melatonin receptors […]
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Heartworm disease
Dirofilaria spp are parasitic spirurid nematodes which causes vascular disease in cats throughout temperate and tropical countries worldwide. D. immitis is the primary worm of this genus which causes heartworm disease in cats[2]. Infection is a relatively rare disease of cats (rates of infection at 5-20 of that of dogs[3]), but is increasingly diagnosed parasite […]
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Wolbachia spp
Research on Wolbachia has caused a paradigm shift in the understanding of etiology, pathogenicity and treatment for feline heartworm disease. Wolbachia are a Gram-negative proteobacteria (haemoplasmas) commonly found in the reproductive tract of insects and worms. Closely related to Ehrlichia spp and Anaplasma spp, they are mainly known for disrupting the reproductive biology of their […]
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Chronic renal disease
Chronic renal disease (CRD) is one of the most common diseases seen in older cats, reportedly affecting one in three cats over the age of 12 years[1][2]. Chronic renal disease can appear as acute renal failure or as an insidious chronic renal insufficiency, which is more common. Many cases are associated with age-related chronic interstitial […]
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Pyometra
Pyometra, where the uterus becomes engorged with pus, is a common disease of breeding queens. In breeding Queens, pyometra is commonly cause by retrograde migration of vaginally-acquired E. coli and Streptococcus spp infections[1]. Pyometra appears to be triggered by hormonal changes post-coitus, when failure to conceive results in excessive progesterone levels, resulting in cystic endometrial […]
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Streptococcal infection
Streptococcus spp bacteria are a common commensal bacteria of mucous membranes of cats. Important clinical pathogens in cats include: Streptococcus canis Streptococcus equi sub zooepidemicus Streptococcus suis Most Streptococci are non-pathogenic, but a few species can cause significant morbidity and mortality ranging from death in young kittens, to pyometra and respiratory disease such as pneumonia[1]. […]