Category — cat health library

Bordetellosis in Cats

Bordetellosis is a contagious bacterial disease of cats that primarily causes upper respiratory tract abnormalities. Easily spread in kennels, bordetellosis is most severe in young kittens (less than six weeks old) and in kittens living in less than ideal hygienic conditions. However, any cat with a pre-existing airway disease (e.g., feline herpesvirus and calicivirus infections) is susceptible to Bordetellosis, no matter how old it is.

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Actinomycosis in Cats

This infectious disease is caused by a gram positive, pleomorphic (can change shape somewhat between a rod and coccus), rod-shaped bacteria of the genus Actinomyces, most commonly the A. viscosus species. Able to survive with little (microaerophilic) or no oxygen (anaerobic), Actinomyces is rarely found as the single bacterial agent in a lesion. It more often a component of a polymicrobial infection with several bacteria present. In fact, there may even be synergism between Actinomyces and other organisms.

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Babesiosis

Babesiosis is the diseased state caused by the protozoal (single celled) parasites of the genus Babesia. The most common mode of transmission is by tick bite, as the Babesia parasite uses the tick as a reservoir to reach host mammals. Infection in a cat may occur by tick transmission, direct transmission via blood transfer from dog or cat bites, blood transfusions, or transplacental transmission. The incubation period averages about two weeks, but symptoms may remain mild and some cases are not diagnosed for months to years. Piroplasms infect and replicate in the red blood cells, resulting in both direct and immune-mediated hemolytic anemia, where the red blood cells (RBCs) are broken down through hemolysis (destruction) and hemoglobin is released into the body. This release of hemoglobin can lead to jaundice, and to anemia when the body cannot produce enough new red blood cells to replace the ones being destroyed. Immune-mediated hemolytic anemia is likely to be more clinically important than parasite-induced RBC destruction, since the severity of the condition does not depend on the degree of parasitemia.

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Myocardial Infarction in Cats

Much like in humans, a blockage of blood flow to the myocardium (the heart’s muscular wall), is medically referred to as a heart attack, or myocardial infarction. This is generally due to the formation of a blood clot (or thrombus) within the blood vessels or heart, causing the premature death of a portion of the myocardium.

Heart attacks are rare in both cats and dogs.

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Diaphragmatic Hernia in Cats

Diaphragmatic hernias occur when an abdominal organ (such as the stomach, liver, intestine, etc.) moves into an abnormal opening in the cat’s diaphragm, the sheet of muscle separating the abdomen from the rib cage area. This can occur because of an acquired injury from a forceful blow, such as a car accident, or because of a defect at birth (congenital).

The condition or disease described in this medical article can affect both dogs and cats. If you would like to learn more about how this disease affects dogs please visit this page in the PetMD health library.

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Entropion

Entropion is a genetic condition in which a portion of the eyelid is inverted or folded inward against the eyeball. This results in irritation and scratches to the cornea — the front surface of the eye — leading to corneal ulceration, or corneal perforation. It can also leave dark-colored scar tissue to build up over the wound (pigmentary keratitis). These factors may cause a loss or decrease in vision.

Generally, only brachycephalic breeds of cats, such as Persians, are at risk. Entropion is almost always diagnosed around the time a cat reaches its second year of age.

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Paraproteinemia in Cats

Gamma globulins, or immunoglobulins, are part of the body’s antibody response to fighting infections. They are a class of blood protein produced by a plasma cell - a type of white blood cell (WBC); their purpose is to identify and neutralize invading bacteria and viruses. Their production is a continual process, much like the rest of the blood cells.

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Ectopic Ureter

An ectopic (displaced) ureter is a congenital abnormality in which one or both ureters open into the urethra or vagina. Bilateral ectopia affects both ureters, and unilateral ectopia affects one ureter. In cats affected with ectopic ureter, the ureter completely bypasses the bladder and enters the urethra from outside of the bladder walls (extramural type).

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Renomegaly in Cats

Renomegaly is a condition in which one or both kidneys are abnormally large, confirmed by abdominal palpation, ultrasounds, or X-rays. The cat’s respiratory, nervous, hormonal, urinary and digestive systems are all affected by this condition.

In addition, renomegaly is not exclusive to cats, dogs can suffer from it, too. If you would like to learn more about how this condition affects dogs, please visit this page in the PetMD health library.

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Pneumothorax in Cats

Pneumothorax is the medical term for an accumulation of air in the area between the cat’s chest wall and lungs (the pleural space). It may be categorized as traumatic or spontaneous, and closed or open.

Both dogs and cats are susceptible to pneumothorax. If you would like to learn more about how this disease affects dogs please visit this page in the PetMD health library.

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