Food intolerance in dogs and cats

Food intolerance refers to any abnormal physiological response to a food or food additive believed not to be immunological in nature. Mechanisms include food toxicity, pharmacological reactions, metabolic reactions, dysmotility, dysbiosis, physical effects and non‐specific dietary sensitivity. Food intolerance reactions are variable, typically dose‐dependent, and can occur at any age. Signs may arise at any time, sometimes several hours or days after consumption of the offending food item, and can last for hours or days. Dietary indiscretion and non‐immunological food intolerance are probably more common in dogs than true dietary hypersensitivity. Hopefully, with a greater knowledge of the different pathophysiological mechanisms involved, we will become better at recognising, preventing and managing adverse food reactions.     

Diagnosis and management of compulsive disorders in dogs and cats.

This article discusses the presenting signs, diagnosis, and differential diagnosis of compulsive disorder. Problems with the diagnosis and heterogeneity of the condition are discussed. Likely causes, development, and pathophysiology of the condition form the basis for the clinical approach to the treatment of the condition. Treatment includes environmental and management changes, behavioral modification, and drugs.     

犬猫食物性有机氟化物中毒的诊治

近年来，犬猫有机氟化物中毒较多，原临床治疗多以对症急救法：即先注射“阿托品”，解除平滑肌痉挛，抑制腺体分泌；再注射“解氟灵”，配合“胃复安”或“艾茂尔”缓解呕吐。此治疗办法往往使病情恢复很慢。笔者近年来，在宠物门诊治疗工作中，通过对犬猫中毒原因的全面分析，和对各种相对药物治疗原理的探讨后，采用“解氟灵”配合“樟脑磺酸钠”治疗犬猫氟化物中毒症，均取得见效快，无后遗症的效果。     

Diagnosis of rickettsial diseases in dogs and cats

Rickettsial agents, including those in the genera Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Neorickettsia, and Rickettsia, are important and common vector‐borne pathogens of dogs and cats. Disease induced by these organisms ranges from clinically inapparent to severe and potentially fatal. However, laboratory confirmation of a rickettsial etiology can be complicated by a number of factors, including the wide spectrum of disease induced by these organisms, an often low and widely fluctuating level of organism present in infected animals, cross‐reactions on serologic and molecular assays, and the presence of co‐infections. Correct diagnosis is most likely to be reached when multiple diagnostic strategies, including careful microscopic examination of stained blood films or tissues, both specific and broad serologic tests, and a suite of molecular detection assays, are used in concert. Accurate interpretation of diagnostic tests requires awareness of the likelihood for multiple agents, including novel organisms, to be responsible for the results seen in a given patient. This review provides an overview of current strategies used to diagnose rickettsial infections in dogs and cats.     

Food allergy and dietary intolerance in dogs: A report of 25 cases

Food allergy or dietary intolerance was diagnosed in 25 dogs. A screening diet of home-cooked chicken and rice was used in all cases except in those dogs which were regularly fed chicken. If an improvement was noted, dogs were then challenged with their original diet and, if relapse occurred, they were suspected of having a diet-related dermatosis. After remission was achieved by again feeding the home-cooked screening diet the animals were provocatively challenged with dietary components. The offending component was a single constituent of the original in 13 of the animals. The age of onset of clinical signs ranged from three months to 10 years and the median age at onset of clinical signs was significantly different from the median age at the hospital. All animals responded to the screening diet within three weeks and none required a period of more than two weeks to respond to provocative challenge. The duration of time between challenge and the onset of clinical signs was significantly different between dogs with intolerance to cereal and those intolerant to dairy products.     

Practical management of obesity in dogs and cats

Obesity is the most common form of malnutrition encountered in small animal practice in the western world. In a survey of cats presented to the author's clinic, 40 per cent were overweight or obese; the incidence of obesity was highlighted in neutered cats, those that were kept indoors and those over 36 months of age. A number of clinical conditions of dogs and cats can be associated with obesity, therefore its prevention and control represents an important challenge for the small animal veterinarian and its success is largely dependent on effective client education. Treatment of obesity involves a suitable diet formulation and continual patient monitoring to maintain the owner's enthusiasm and cooperation. Commercial low calorie diets provide an effective and convenient means of weight loss in obese dogs and cats.     

Diagnosis of diabetes mellitus in cats and dogs.

This article describes the clinical presentation of diabetes mellitus in cats and dogs, including the types of diabetes, signalment, history, physical examination findings, and laboratory diagnosis. Newer diagnostic tests such as serum fructosamine concentrations and arginine response rate are also briefly discussed.     

Therapy, control and prevention of flea allergy dermatitis in dogs and cats

This article reviews contemporary concepts underlying the design of control strategies for the management of flea allergy dermatitis in dogs and cats. The limitations of palliative symptomatic approaches are noted, as is the fundamental requirement to differentiate simple pulicosis from true hypersensitivity. In the latter case, eradication of fleas from the affected animal and its surroundings has to be an essential aim. The different biological properties offered by modern chemotherapy are defined and the range of techniques for applying active compounds to the animal and its environment described. Factors for consideration when formulating control strategies and selecting chemotherapeutic agents are discussed in the context of the complexities of the flea life-cycle, the host-parasite relationship and client concerns.     

The management of oral tumours in dogs and cats

Successful management of oral tumours must achieve the dual needs of continued oral function and total destruction of often massive tumours. The most effective treatments currently available are radiation therapy and radical surgical excision involving partial mandibulectomy or maxillectomy, but the size of a tumour, its location, biological behaviour and the availability of treatment facilities will influence the mode of therapy chosen.     

Diagnosis and medical treatment of otitis externa in dogs and cats

A review of otitis externa in dogs and cats is presented. Aetiology, includes primary causes: ectoparasitoses, allergic diseases, endocrine disorders, pyodermas, trauma and irritation, contact dermatitis, auto-immune skin diseases, drug eruption, keratoseborrhoeic skin disease, tumours and pseudoneoplastic lesions, as well as secondary causes: bacteria and yeasts. Clinical aspects are variable but a practical classification distinguishes two forms: erythematoceruminous otitis externa and suppurative otitis externa. Diagnosis is made in five steps which are clinical examination, direct examination of cerumen (erythematoceruminous otitis externa) or bacterial culture and sensitivity testing (suppurative otitis externa), direct impression smears, cleaning and otoscopy, and diagnosis of underlying skin disease. Medical therapy includes cleaning of the external ear canal and local therapy (acaricides, antifungal agents, antibiotics, corticosteroids, other topical agents, the appropriate selection of an optic preparation being essential). Treatment of underlying skin disease is always necessary. Otitis externa is in fact a dermatological disease complex (like pododermatitis). Although local secondary infections (bacterial and fungal) must be managed in every case, there are grounds for including otitis externa in a larger frame.     

Diagnosis and treatment of otitis media in dogs and cats.

Otitis externa/media is commonly found in dogs with chronic ear diseases and in cats with upper respiratory disease and polyps. Diagnosis of otitis media requires attention to history and clinical signs, but it also requires other methods of determining disease within the bulla. If the integrity of the eardrum cannot be determined, assume that there is middle ear disease and proceed accordingly. It is prudent to take necessary precautions to avoid the use of potentially ototoxic ear cleaners or topical medications in suspected otitis media cases. Therapeutic success is possible using systemic and topical treatment within the cleaned bulla. Referral to a dermatology specialist or a radiologist for a CT scan may be indicated in some refractory cases. Surgical intervention may be required to cure these difficult cases.     

Diagnosis and management of malabsorption in dogs

Malabsorption can result from interference with either the degradation or absorption phases in the handling of dietary constituents and represents an important cause of weight loss and diarrhoea in dogs. Effective treatment depends on identification and understanding of the underlying disease which could affect the functional capacity of the exocrine pancreas or small intestine. Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) can be identified by a low concentration of trypsin-like immunoreactivity in serum and results in serious malabsorption due to interference with degradation of carbohydrate, protein and fat. Treatment with oral pancreatic extract complemented by a low fat, high quality protein diet, is effective in many cases. Refractory cases may need additional treatment with an oral antibiotic for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), and H₂-receptor blockers to help prevent denaturation of the pancreatic extract by stomach acid. The pancreas plays a key role in the normal absorption of cobalamin (vitamin B₁₂) in dogs and malabsorption of cobalamin in EPI may not resolve with treatment so that cobalamin may need to be given parenterally. Small intestinal disease may result in interference with the number or functioning of individual enterocytes, in some cases accompanied by cellular infiltration of the mucosa. Diagnosis depends on indirect assessment of intestinal damage, for example by assay of serum vitamins and determination of intestinal absorption and permeability, and in selected cases followed by endoscopic examination, intestinal biopsy and culture of duodenal juice. Treatment depends on the disease and may include oral antibiotic for SIBO and immunosuppressive drugs for infiltrative disease. Dietary management is also important, for example with a restricted fat diet containing highly digestible carbohydrate and high quality protein, and when a dietary sensitivity is suspected a restriction diet of a selected protein source may be needed.     

Nitrite poisoning in cats and dogs fed a commercial pet food

The death of three cats, from two separate households, was linked to toxic concentrations of sodium nitrite used as a preservative in a commercial pet food. Post-mortem examination of the three cats revealed a brownish discoloration of the blood suggestive of methaemoglobinaemia. Analysis of two samples of the pet food fed to the cats revealed a mean concentration of 2850 mg of total nitrite per kg of food (as fed). In a further incident, ataxia and weakness was noticed in two of four dogs after they were fed the same brand of pet food. One dog was successfully treated for methaemoglobinaemia with intravenous methylene blue.