Feline acromegaly

Acromegaly, or hypersomatotropism, results from chronic, excessive secretion of growth hormone in the adult animal. The anabolic effects of growth hormone are exerted through the intermediary hormone, insulin-like growth factor 1, which is produced in the liver under the influence of growth hormone. Feline acromegaly is caused by a pituitary adenoma that secretes excessive amounts of growth hormone. Characteristic effects of excessive growth hormone secretion include the development of diabetes mellitus and growth of the acral segments of the body (jaw, extremities, skull, etc.). Acromegaly occurs in older, predominately male cats and is often associated with diabetes mellitus. Other clinical signs include stridor, enlargement of the jaw and extremities, lean weight gain, and organomegaly (heart, liver, kidney, etc.). Diagnosis is made by documentation of increased levels of growth hormone or insulin-like growth factor (or both) and demonstration of a pituitary mass via magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography. The most effective treatment to date has been radiation therapy. Prognosis is fair to good with proper treatment.     

Feline giardiasis: a review

Giardia is a widespread and common protozoan parasite of domestic cats, with reported prevalences of infection ranging from 1 to 11 per cent. Chronic diarrhoea, either intermittent or continuous, which does not respond to routine antidiarrhoeal treatments is characteristic of giardiasis; although illness does not necessarily result from infection. Giardia cysts or trophozoites may be detected in the faeces of infected cats; however, the small size of the cysts (relative to helminth ova), their transparency, and their discontinuous excretion by cats may frustrate diagnosis. Zinc sulphate centrifugal flotation is the method of choice for detection of faecal Giardia cysts. Clinically affected cats respond well to oral metronidazole or furazolidone treatments. The relationship of G. felis to the Giardia spp. of other mammals (including man) remains controversial.     

Feline retroviruses: a brief review

Representatives of all three retrovirus subfamilies are recognized in the cat: feline leukaemia virus (an Oncovirus), feline syncytium-forming virus (a Spumavirus) and feline immunodeficiency virus (a Lentivirus). Each of these is briefly reviewed.     

Feline dysautonomia (the Key-Gaskell or dilated pupil syndrome): a preliminary review

Features of 46 cases of feline dysautonomia are described and the current state of knowledge of this syndrome reviewed with emphasis on practical aspects of diagnosis and management of such cases.     

Feline heartworm disease: a clinical review

Feline heartworm disease is caused by the filarial nematode Dirofilaria immitis, and is transmitted by mosquitoes in heartworm-endemic areas worldwide. While dogs are the definitive hosts for this parasite, cats can also be infected, and the overall prevalence in cats is between 5% and 10% of that in dogs in any given area. The spectrum of feline presentations varies from asymptomatic infections to chronic respiratory signs, sometimes accompanied by chronic vomiting to acute death with no premonitory signs. Ante-mortem diagnosis can be challenging and relies on a combination of tests, including antigen and antibody serology, thoracic radiography and echocardiography. As treatment with heartworm adulticidal drugs can be life-threatening and heartworm infection in cats is often self-limiting, infected cats are frequently managed with supportive treatment (corticosteroids, bronchodilators, and anti-emetics). Surgical removal of filariae using extraction devices may be considered in some acute cases where immediate curative treatment is necessary, but filarial breakage during the procedure may result in an acute fatal shock-like reaction. Necropsy findings are mainly pulmonary and include muscular hypertrophy of the pulmonary arteries and arterioles on histopathology. A number of safe and effective macrocytic lactone drugs are available for prophylaxis in cats. These drugs can kill a range of larval and adult life-cycle stage heartworms, which may be advantageous in cases of owner compliance failure or when heartworm infection status is undetermined at the time prophylaxis is commenced. An index of suspicion for feline heartworm disease is warranted in unprotected cats with respiratory signs, and perhaps chronic vomiting, in areas where canine heartworm disease is endemic. Many cats, once diagnosed and with appropriate supportive care and monitoring, will resolve their infection and be free of clinical signs.     

Feline inflammatory bowel disease: a review

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), while a popular diagnosis, may not occur as commonly as it is diagnosed. It is a diagnosis of exclusion, meaning that it is important to eliminate diseases that mimick it. Dietary intolerance or allergy in particular, can have the same clinical and histologic appearance as IBD. Likewise, well-differentiated alimentary lymphosarcoma can also be confused with it. Intestinal biopsies are useful, but must be taken carefully and then evaluated by someone with interest and expertise in alimentary tract pathology. Therefore, it behoves the clinician to carefully consider the diagnosis instead of starting multiple drug therapy in a cavalier fashion. Well constructed dietary therapy can often be beneficial for both dietary problems and IBD.     

Feline immunodeficiency virus: a brief review.

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), previously known as feline T-lymphotropic lentivirus (FTLV), was first described by Pedersen et al. (1987) who isolated the virus from cats with a variety of clinical signs suggestive of immunodeficiency. Since then FIV has become one of the most studied feline viruses, not least because of its similarity to human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) which cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in man.     

Feline cryptococcosis: a review and seven case reports

Systemic infection of the cat with the yeast-like fungus, Cryptococcus neoformans , is reviewed. Seven cases of the disease are reported, two of which were treated unsuccessfully with the anti-fungal agent, amphotericin B.     

Feline cytauxzoonosis: a case report and literature review

A 5.5-year-old Siamese presented for evaluation of a three-day history of anorexia and lethargy. Upon physical examination, the cat was depressed, dehydrated, pyrexic, had injected conjunctiva and sclera, pale mucous membranes, and a grade II/VI systolic heart murmur. Thoracic radiographs revealed moderate to severe, diffuse, bronchointerstitial pulmonary changes with enlarged and tortuous pulmonary vessels. With continued hospitalization, the cat became dyspneic and died. The postmortem cytopathological examination of the liver, spleen, and lung impressions revealed reticuloendothelial cell infection with Cytauxzoon felis.     

Feline gastrointestinal adenocarcinoma: a review and retrospective study

Feline gastrointestinal adenocarcinomas are the most common nonhematopoietic gastrointestinal tumors in cats. They are highly malignant tumors causing intestinal obstruction due to the annular, stenosing nature to their growth. Current literature is largely based on surveys of pathology records. Therefore, a retrospective study was conducted to evaluate clinical course and prognosis with surgical excision of the tumor. In published reports feline gastrointestinal adenocarcinoma represented 20-35% of gastrointestinal neoplasia in the cat; the average age was greater than ten years; and there was a greater incidence in Siamese. The small intestine accounted for 70% of cases. In this retrospective study, cats usually had a long history of non-specific gastrointestinal disease; weight loss and vomiting were the most common signs. Abdominal radiographs demonstrate intestinal obstruction, and an abdominal mass is often palpable. With intestinal resection and anastomosis, median survival time was 2.5 months (range: 0-24 months). Tubular adenocarcinomas may have a better prognosis than other histological types, especially if metastasis is not present at the time of surgery. A significant disease-free interval is possible in some cases.     

Feline leukaemia virus: a review of immunity and vaccination

The availability of feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) vaccines has added a new and important dimension to the control of this infectious agent. FeLV vaccination is a controversial issue, however, partly because of differences in the formulation between the current products, partly because of conflicting claims by vaccine manufacturers and partly because experimental trials have shown that none of the vaccines provides 100 per cent protection against infection. This paper reviews the role of the immune response in determining the outcome following exposure to FeLV and describes the importance of FeLV subgroups. The five commercial FeLV vaccines currently available in the USA and Europe are described and the published literature on efficacy studies is summarised. However, these efficacy studies are often difficult to interpret for various reasons, including the small numbers of animals used; differences in challenge methods, vaccine strains and vaccine dose employed; and differences in postchallenge monitoring protocols.     

Feline urological syndrome

CASE HISTORY: Torsion of the descending colon was diagnosed by barium enema radiography in an adult Irish Water Spaniel which had presented with tenesmus of 24 h duration. Treatment involved exploratory laparotomy, repositioning of the colon, colopexy and repair of a mesenteric rent. No definitive cause of the torsion could be established. The dog made an uneventful recovery from surgery.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Animals presenting with constipation of undetermined cause should have large intestinal obstruction ruled out prior to administering bowel cleansing solutions per os and/or colonic enemas. Colonic obstruction by torsion should be considered as a possible differential diagnosis in all cases of tenesmus.     

Feline relapsing polychondritis: two cases and a review of the literature

Only 11 reports of cats with relapsing polychondritis (RPC) were found in the literature. We describe two additional cases and provide a review of the literature. Predominantly young to middle aged cats are affected (range 1.5 to 14.5 years, median 3 years). There is no sex predilection for feline RPC. In all cats with feline RPC, the ears were affected. The findings in one of our cases and one case in the literature raise the question if other organs such as the joints, the eyes or the heart may be involved in feline RPC. The histological lesions observed in biopsy samples of the ears were similar in all cats. Glucocorticoids were not effective in the treatment of RPC. Dapsone appeared to result in some clinical improvement but side effects were observed in one of four cats. Some cats improved without treatment.     

Feline glaucoma--a comprehensive review

Cats with glaucoma typically present late in the course of disease. It is likely that glaucoma in cats is under-diagnosed due to its insidious onset and gradual progression, as well as limitations of some commonly used tonometers in this species. Treatment of glaucoma in feline patients presents a clinical challenge, particularly as glaucoma is often secondary to other disease processes in cats. In this review, we consider the clinical features, pathophysiology, and classification of the feline glaucomas and provide current evidence to direct selection of appropriate treatment strategies for feline glaucoma patients.