Posts Tagged ‘Veterinarian’

3 Crucial Facts About Feline Renal Failure

Comments: 0December 14th, 2011 by admin



Have you heard of feline renal failure? If you have a cat, then it’s something that you should definitely be aware of, as it could have important impact his well being. Here are some valuable facts that you should know about Chronic Renal Insufficiency (CRF):

1. CRF is about nephrons.

No, nephrons aren’t green creatures from a Star Trek episode. They’re actually teeny-tiny objects in the kidneys, numbering roughly 200,000. It’s important to know about nephrons in terms of feline renal failure. The main functions of these structures are to remove waste and control electrolytes (yes, the same ones mentioned in sports drink commercials).

CRF occurs when nephrons start to die, resulting in the body being unable to process electrolytes and waste products efficiently. Since the cat can’t eliminate the waste that builds up in the body, CRF occurs. As the kidneys start to fail, blood pressure difficulties and anemia are other results.

2. Chronic and acute feline renal failure can occur.

Chronic Renal Failure, or CRF, happens when the kidneys’ malfunctioning progresses and is permanent. Since cats tend to withhold their sicknesses and CRF’s early symptoms are minor, often felines reach a 70% ‘deterioration level’ before the illness becomes recognizable. At that time, symptoms become more striking.

On the other hand, Acute Renal Failure (ARF) is a distinctive type of feline renal failure. The kidney quickly stops operating, and often results in less production of urine. Causes of ARF include trauma, the intake of toxins, and infectious sicknesses. It’s important to realize that ARF can become deadly quickly. So you must contact a veterinarian immediately if your pet suffers from ARF.

3. CRF can have various causes.

The most common factors include genetics, age, disease, and environment. Recently, research has focused on a variety of possible factors in developing CRF, including dental disease, low potassium levels, high blood pressure, and, and high acid levels in food. Researchers have also learned that certain breeds of felines are more common to acquire CRF than other breeds.

The two main causes of CRF, which can lead to feline renal failure are congenital and acquired. Congenital causes are diseases of the kidneys, which can become CRF in both kittens and young felines. Since CRF can result from various sources, its prevention is varied.

CRF is a major issue that can greatly impact the health of your furry friend. Thus, it’s important to understand the causes and types. That will help to both recognize and treat the destruction of cat kidneys.

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Protecting Your Pets From Ticks

Comments: 0August 2nd, 2011 by admin



Spring is typically a favorite time of the year, because it opens the door for a lot more outdoor activities. Unfortunately, it is also the worst time of the year due to human’s least favorite blood sucking parasite: ticks! For the most part, ticks just suck blood and when they are done they fall off and spawn more ticks. But, about one out of every one hundred can carry some pretty serious diseases that can affect both human and pet health.

There are four stages in a tick’s life cycle: egg, larva, nymph, and adult. Ticks in three of the four life stages are capable of sucking blood from a host. When they are done they fall off and molt into the next stage unless they are an adult, then they fall off and lay eggs. What is amazing is that the life cycle can be completed in less than two months time. Ticks use heat sensors to know when a meal is close by. They tend to stay on the tip of the bottom of leaves, usually about knee-high or below. When we or our pets walk through the woods and brush past the low leaves, the ticks sense us and just hop right on. Ticks have pincers on each side of the mandible that they bury under the skin to hold on then begin sucking blood from the host. There are five main diseases that we see with ticks that can affect pet health. Most commonly seen is a disease called Ehrlichiosis which only affects dogs. This disease causes lethargy, depression, on-again and off-again fever, small bruises all over the skin, swollen glands, and possibly spontaneous bleeding. A bacteria is the causative agent with Ehrlichiosis which causes a drop in platelets. This leads to the bleeding and bruising potentially leading to death of the host.

The next disease veterinarian’s see is Lyme’s Disease, named for a small town in which it was found, Lyme, Conn. Lyme’s Disease affects quite a few species including having devastating affects on human and pet health. The most common symptom is lameness with swollen joints that are warm to the touch. The dogs can have a fever and have lethargy because of the joint pain. Sometimes the bacteria that causes this disease can also affect the heart, nervous system and kidneys.

Whereas the top two diseases are found frequently in the eastern U.S. the third disease is not as common. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is much like Ehrlichiosis in that it can also cause bleeding with the small areas of bruising but this infection is much faster. Unlike Ehrlichiosis though, humans can also get this bacteria through tick bites. The fevers that go with this disease can be quite high, over 104. Even though this is generally rare to see this disease affecting pet health, veterinarians have cases walk into their office just about every season.

The final disease to affect pet heath, which is very rare, is Babesiosis. It is a parasite that once bitten lives in the red blood cells of dogs. It causes the cells to rupture and eventually leads to severe anemia. If untreated the dog could die from internal damage to the red blood cells. Most people notice lethargy and a general yellow appearance to the skin, eyes, and mouth of the dogs. This yellowing is actually a by-product of ruptured red blood cells called hemoglobin.

Overall, all four diseases are very treatable if caught early. Usually blood tests have to be done to determine what the causative agent is before treatment can start. There is also an interesting phenomenon which is still poorly understood with ticks. Tick Paralysis, can affect both human and pet health. It is caused by the saliva of the tick disrupting the electric signals of our nerves. The saliva leads to an ascending paralysis starting in the rear end. Removal of the tick is all that is needed to stop the paralysis but it may take a few days for full function to return. Consult your vet about different medications that can be used to prevent tick bites. There are many good products both veterinary sold and over the counter that can properly protect our pets. Never use dog tick products on cats because severe toxicity and death can likely occur. If you notice a tick on your pet use a pair of tweezers and grasp the tick by the head and pull it off the skin. If you have any additional questions consult your local veterinarian.

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What is Cat Renal Failure? How Do You Treat it?

Comments: 0July 27th, 2009 by admin

Cat renal failure is most commonly known as kidney failure in our furry little friends. It is a very common condition that affects older cats. To give you an idea of how common it is, one out of every five cats over the age of fifteen will suffer from it.

Cat renal failure is characterized by the decrease in the kidney’s ability to purify blood in order to remove waste products from it. It is often a slow going, and gradually degenerating problem which is often irreversible.

Some of the symptoms you should look for are weight loss, depression, loss of energy or appetite, excessive thirst and urination, elevated blood pressure, poor coat and anemia. The diagnosis can be reached by visiting a veterinarian to have blood analysis done, as well as a urine test.

The first treatment often used is to give the cat fluids intravenously in order to balance their electrolytes. Sometimes this is just a hydration packet inserted under your cat’s skin. Other times it is a full blown IV drip. In some cases, cat parents learn how to give an IV to their cat. Then they do the IV treatment at home.

Cat renal failure can be controlled through diet. You should decrease the amount of protein in your cat’s diet, because protein is most responsible for the accumulation of waste products in the blood once the kidneys have stopped working properly. However, it is important that the diet is regulated with care because if you feed your pet too little protein, the condition can actually get much worse.

Additionally, lowering the phosphate content in the food appears to help prevent further damage to the kidneys. It is highly recommended that you purchase a special diet food that has been designed specifically for cat renal failure. To help your cat adjust, you can start by mixing it in with their old foods.

Ensuring your cat gets adequate intake of water is important, because cats who suffer from this disease often become dehydrated. If you find your cat is not drinking the water on its own, you can try flavoring it with tuna or chicken to make it more appetizing.

Visiting your veterinarian is the first step to diagnosing and treating cat renal failure. It is important that you get treatment started right away, as it will help prolong the life of your precious pet. We all want what is best for our furry little friends. A kidney transplant is another option, but this can easily cost anywhere from five to eight thousand dollars.

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