Compulsive Behavior in CatsThe word “compulsive” describes the repetitive, irresistible urge to perform a behavior. Most compulsive behaviors are normal activities, such as eating, grooming, moving around or sexual behaviors, but they occur in the wrong contexts and to such an extent that they interfere with normal functioning. The most common compulsive behaviors in cats are wool sucking or fabric eating (a form of pica) and excessive licking, hair chewing or hair pulling (called psychogenic... Read Full Story
What is feline leukemia virus?Feline leukemia virus (FeLV), a retrovirus, so named because of the way it behaves within infected cells. All retroviruses, including feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), produce an enzyme, reverse transcriptase, which permits them to insert copies of their own genetic material into that of the cells they have infected. Although related, FeLV and FIV differ in many ways, including their shape: FeLV is more circular while FIV... Read Full Story
What is Feline Immunodeficiency Virus? Virologists classify feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) as a lentivirus (or "slow virus"). FIV is in the same retrovirus family as feline leukemia virus (FeLV), but the viruses differ in many ways including their shape. FIV is elongated, while FeLV is more circular. The two viruses are also quite different genetically, and the proteins that compose them are dissimilar in size and composition. The specific ways in which they cause disease diffe... Read Full Story
Hepatic Lipidosis (Fatty Liver)This information was developed to assist cat owners whose pets have been diagnosed with fatty liver, or for whom fatty liver is being considered as a possible complication of another problem. Briefly, lipidosis is considered as a cause or contributing cause of liver failure when a cat that was once overweight loses weight too quickly. Often the owner is not aware that such a thing is dangerous and is pleased to see the obese cat trimming down. By the time the ca... Read Full Story
Go nose-to-nose with your sleeping cat and give her a loving sniff. If it's not sweet kitty breath that you know and love, but a stench that makes you wince, something may not be right. Just as the eyes may be windows into the soul, a kitty's breath may hint to her health. "A healthy cat's breath should not be offensive," says Eric Davis, DVM, a fellow of the Academy of Veterinary Dentistry and director of the Dental Referral Service at Cornell University's College o... Read Full Story
Feline Inflammatory Bowel Disease By Margaret Muns, DVMIn cats, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is the most common cause of chronic vomiting and diarrhea. The term actually refers to a group of diseases that are characterized by the invasion of inflammatory cells into the cat's intestinal wall. Symptoms of IBDOne or many of the following symptoms can be found in a cat with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD): VomitingDiarrheaWeight lossNormal/increased appetiteStomach rumblingBelchingBlack,... Read Full Story
High blood pressure (hypertension) in catsHypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure, which is a common problem in people. More recently, it has been recognised as an important medical condition of cats. Feline hypertension is commonly found as a complication of other underlying medical conditions (so-called ‘secondary hypertension'), although primary hypertension (hypertension without any underlying disease) may also be seen in cats. In contrast to people, where primary hyp... Read Full Story
High blood pressure (hypertension) in catsHypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure, which is a common problem in people. More recently, it has been recognised as an important medical condition of cats. Feline hypertension is commonly found as a complication of other underlying medical conditions (so-called ‘secondary hypertension'), although primary hypertension (hypertension without any underlying disease) may also be seen in cats. In contrast to people, where primary hyp... Read Full Story
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