Cuterebra: bot fly larvae or warbles. I’ve seen one warble removed from the nose of a young kitten. The kitten was bloody pleased to have the operation done. They are normally passive and accepting as if they know that what … continue reading…
Amyloidosis describes the build-up of an abnormal protein called amyloid in organs and tissues throughout the body. It can affect people and cats; wild and domestic. There is a distinct overlap between domestic and wild cats here which I find … continue reading…
The first preventative step is to consider diet. Some veterinarians believe that feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) is caused or exacerbated by dry cat food. There are differences of opinion which is apparent because some veterinarians recommend Hill’s Prescription … continue reading…
I’m referring to domestic cats. If a domestic cat persistently falls over, they must have a balance problem. And the most obvious, off-paper diagnosis would be otitis interna which is an inner ear infection because it is the inner ear … continue reading…
We are told that veterinarians divide a domestic cat’s lifespan into six life stages. They do this to be able to provide better health care. I’ll guess and presume that at a certain life stage it is sensible and more … continue reading…
Flystrike in cats is particularly relevant right now, in the middle of the summer 2022, when there is the possibility of a record high temperature of 40°C in the UK (today) and across Europe there are very high temperatures specifically … continue reading…
Cat detectivism is a phrase coined by Jackson Galaxy to describe figuring out what is behind cat behavior problems such as peeing in the wrong place. You have to approach it in a business-like manner without emotion by relying on … continue reading…
A study from Italy published in 2013 found a very high prevalence of otitis externa in stray cats. What is this? “Otitis” refers to inflammation of the ear. “Externa” refers to the external apparatus of the ear which means the … continue reading…
Idiopathic hypercalcaemia is the most frequently diagnosed cause of this disease in cats. “Hypercalcaemia” describes high blood calcium. “Idiopathic” means of an unknown cause. That does not sound very helpful. But it can be caused by many diseases including cancer, … continue reading…
FARS is an acronym for ‘feline audiogenic reflex seizures‘. In the past I have used a slightly different terminology namely “audio reflex seizures“. That’s because it was only in about 2015 that the scientists and vets became involved in this … continue reading…
The source of this article on the prevalence of feline infectious peritonitis in specific cat breeds is a research paper of the same title from Science Direct, available online since 1 July 2005 and prepared and written by Loretta D. … continue reading…
You will need to be aware of your domestic cat’s toilet habits to assess whether they are constipated or not. Most cats have one or two stools a day but some cats have a bowel movement every two or three … continue reading…
A recent story in online news media about a female Sphynx cat that was bred to exhaustion in giving birth to around 90 kittens and making their owner about £140,000, drew me into doing research about kidney disease in Sphynx … continue reading…
This is a reminder that passive smoking affects pets as much as it does people. I find that this is rarely discussed but it is a form of animal abuse that goes on silently, almost invisibly, in the background. The … continue reading…
It is probably fair to say that the experts don’t know why CKD is so common in domestic cats. And it is worrying. We know the causes of chronic kidney failure but I think that’s a different topic than knowing … continue reading…
