Category — Cat Health Article

Low Body Temperature

Much like in humans, prolonged exposure to cold results in a lowering of the cat’s body temperature and eventually hypothermia. This most likely occurs when the cat is wet, but it can also be due to malnutrition, shock, extreme cold environmental temperatures, or after prolonged doses of anesthesia.

If hypothermia persists for a long time, the animal tries to burn up the body reserves to increase heat production, which, in turn, leads to low blood glucose levels (or hypoglycemia).

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Reovirus Infections in Cats

The reovirus is generally found in the cat’s intestinal walls, destroying any cells in its surrounding area. Caused by a group of viruses that contain double-stranded RNA (ribonucleic acid), a reovirus infection limits the absorption of nutrients from the intestines and results in diarrhea and dehydration.

The virus is transmitted through contact with infected feces, or by inhalation of airborne virus particles. These viruses can suppress the immune system, causing the affected animal to develop various infections. The cat’s outward conditions, meanwhile, will vary and depend on the type of reovirus.

Reovirus infections can affect both dogs and cats. If you would like to learn how this intestinal virus affects dogs, please visit this page in the PetMD health library.

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Anemia in Cats

When the body is deficient in iron, red cells do not develop as they should. The lack of iron causes the cells that are produced by the bone marrow to be too small, and too low in oxygen-carrying features. In adult pets, this condition is usually caused by some kind of blood loss. It is important to recognize iron-deficiency anemia, because the underlying disease can be life-threatening.

The most common site of the blood loss is the gastrointestinal tract. About 50 percent of kittens from five to ten weeks of age will have transient iron-deficiency anemia. They will undergo spontaneous recovery and iron repletion beginning at five to six weeks of age, coinciding with intake of solid food. The incidence of this condition lessens with age, becoming increasingly rare.

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Hyperlipidemia in Cats

Hyperlipidemia is characterized by abnormally excessive amounts of fat, and/or fatty substances in the blood. Chylomicrons are micro particles of liquid fat, in the class of lipids, which include both triglycerides and cholesterol, and which are formed during the digestion of fats from food. After eating a meal, the nutrients in an animal’s body pass into the small intestine, from which chylomicrons are absorbed 30-60 minutes later. Normally, the absorption of chylomicrons increases serum triglycerides for 3-10 hours, but some animals will have high cholesterol and high triglyceride levels for more than twelve hours after a meal – one of the main indications of hyperlipidemia. The clear part of the blood, the serum, is referred to as being lipemic when it has levels of triglycerides measuring over 200 mg/dL. Sometimes, levels of triglycerides in an animal’s serum can be even greater than 1000 mg/dL, giving the serum a milky, opaque appearance. This is medically referred to as lactescence (literally, being milky).

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Patellar Luxation in Cats

Patellar luxation occurs when the cat’s kneecap (patella) is dislocated from its normal anatomic position in the groove of the thigh bone (femur). When the kneecap is dislocated from the groove of the thigh bone, it can only be returned to its normal position once the quadriceps muscles in the cat’s hind legs relax and lengthen. Cats feel pain as the kneecap slides out of the thigh bone ridges, but do not feel any pain or discomfort once the kneecap has come to a rest out of the normal position.

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Pulmonary Thromboembolism in Cats

A pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) occurs when a blood clot blocks the flow of blood to an important artery that feeds into the cat’s lungs. Slow-flowing blood and blood vessel damage, in addition to blood which clots too easily, can predispose a cat to thrombus formation. Most of the time, PTE is caused by another underlying disease.

Pulmonary thromboemboli (blood clots) can originate in the right atrium of the heart, or in many of the major veins throughout the body. As the cat’s body makes oxygenated blood to deliver to the heart and lungs, this clump of blood cells is carried through the bloodstream toward the lungs, where it gets caught in a narrow portion of one of the passages of the arterial network that feeds oxygenated blood to the lungs. In this way, the blood flow through that artery is halted, and oxygenated blood is not able to reach the lung. The severity of the condition is, to a degree, dependent on the size of the blood clot.

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Aspirin Toxicity

Aspirin, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication, has been found to have beneficial effects for some animals. It has been used for conditions related to blood clotting, inflammation, and for its analgesic properties. However, it can also be toxic to the body. Once ingested, aspirin forms salicylic acid, which is then distributed throughout the body. Aspirin toxicity is a particular concern in cats because they lack the enzyme critical for metabolizing salicylic acid properly. Cat owners must follow their veterinarian’s orders strictly if aspirin is prescribed for any reason.

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Odontoclastic Resorption

In cats, the odontoclast, a type of cell, can cause the tooth structures to disintegrate. Initially, the odontoclast cells attach to natural cavities in oral tissue, with the purpose of reabsorbing the non-permanent, or deciduous teeth. As resorption continues, complications may develop, as bone-like tissue covers the problem area. Over time, ligaments and bones that hold teeth in are affected as well.

Feline odontoclastic tooth destruction (resorption) is extremely common. Roughly half of all cats over five years of age have at least one instance of it, and those numbers increase with age. Certain breeds seem to have a tendency towards the condition, including Abyssinians, Asian shorthairs, Persians, and Siamese.

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Chlamydiosis

Chylamydiosis in cats refers to a bacteria based chronic respiratory infection. Animals that have developed this infection will often exhibit traditional signs of an upper respiratory infection, such as watery eyes, runny nose, and sneezing. With treatment, the prognosis is positive.

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Peritonitis in Cats

The abdominal cavity is lined with a thin, watery membrane, called the peritoneum. When the cat’s abdominal cavity, also called the peritoneal cavity, is injured, the peritoneum becomes inflamed. The severity of the inflammation depends on the type of injury the peritoneal cavity has undergone. Peritonitis is frequently a painful condition, and the cat will respond when it is touched on its abdomen.

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