Prevalence of ectoparasites in a population of feral cats from north central Florida during the summer

Ectoparasites are a common and important cause of skin disorders in cats. Ectoparasites are capable of disease transmission and can cause life-threatening anemia in young or debilitated animals. The objective of this study was to determine the potential feline ectoparasites in domestic cats by using a cohort of feral cats from north central Florida that have not received veterinary care and have no known exposure to insecticide application. A total of 200 feral cats were randomly selected for this study. Four monthly sessions were scheduled for feral cat ectoparasite examination and sample collection. Five minutes flea combing revealed that 185/200 (92.5%) of the cats were infested with fleas. The cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis was the most common flea infesting 92.5% feral cats (mean = 13.6; standard deviation +/- 16.4 fleas per cat). Pulex simulans was identified on 9/200 (4.5%) (mean = 1 +/- 0.50 fleas per cat). Echidnophaga gallinacea was found on 11/200 (5.5%) of cats (mean = 14.8 +/- 9.63 fleas per cat). There was a significant difference (P = 0.0005) in the average number of C. felis counted per cat between months. Mean counts in June (18.3 +/- 2.4) and July (16.6 +/- 2.1) were significantly (P < 0.01) higher than in August (8.4 +/- 2.5) and September (7.7 +/- 2.0). Only 15/200 cats had skin disease. Flea infestation may potentially be the underlying cause in 10/15. Otoscopic examination of both ears revealed mite movement and black ceruminous exudate typically indicative of the presence of Otodectes cynotis in 45/200 (22.5%) cats. Examination of a swab specimen from both ear canals of all cats revealed O. cynotis in 74/200 (37%) cats. Of 74 cats positive on ear swab, 8 (10.8%) showed a normal ear canal appearance (no or mild ceruminous exudate) in both ears upon otoscopic examination. A total of nine ticks were recovered from five cats. The number and species of ticks recovered were: one adult female Rhipicephalus sanguineus; one adult female Amblyomma americanum; one adult male A. americanum; five adult female Dermacentor variabilis; and one adult female Ixodes scapularis. All superficial skin scrapes were negative. Hair clippings from the abdomen of all cats revealed 2/200 (1%) of the cats were infested with Felicola subrostratus.     

Further investigations on Pasteurella multocida infections in feral birds injured by cats.

A total of 64 Pasteurella multocida strains (46 out of 11 different feral bird species, partly injured by cat bites, and 18 strains originating from clinically healthy cats) were biochemically differentiated. As a result, 67.4% of the strains from feral birds and 61.1% from the cats were classified as the subspecies multocida, whilst 21.7% and 27.8% were identified as the subspecies septica. The percentage of frequency for both the subspecies was of a comparable order of magnitude from the birds injured by cat bites and from cats (58.6% and 61.1%, 24.1% and 27.8% resp.), whereas the frequency from other feral birds differed considerably (82.4% and 17.6%). Maltose-positive strains were only demonstrable in birds with wounds inflicted by cats. To date, maltose-positive strains have only been obtained from one cat and one human being with an injury caused by a cat. The results of this investigation confirm the possibility of the direct transmission of Pasteurella multocida via cat bites. 19 strains from feral birds and 15 strains from cats were tested for their capability to produce toxins. The results of these tests were negative. The present paper also describes the pathologic-anatomical and histopathological lesions caused by the infection in feral birds.     

Primary hyperparathyroidism in cats: seven cases (1984-1989).

The medical records of 7 hypercalcemic cats with primary hyperparathyroidism were evaluated. Mean age was 12.9 years, with ages ranging from 8 to 15 years; 5 were female; 5 were Siamese, and 2 were of mixed breed. The most common clinical signs detected by owners were anorexia and lethargy. A cervical mass was palpable in 4 cats. Serum calcium concentrations were 11.1 to 22.8 mg/dl, with a mean of 15.8 mg/dl calculated from each cat's highest preoperative value. The serum phosphorus concentration was low in 2 cats, within reference limits in 4, and slightly high in 1 cat. The BUN concentration was greater than 60 mg/dl in 2 cats, 31 to 35 mg/dl in 2 cats, and less than 30 mg/dl in 3 cats. Abnormalities were detected in serum alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, and alkaline phosphatase activities from 2 or 3 cats. Parathormone (PTH) concentrations were measured in 2 cats before and after surgery. The preoperative PTH concentration was within reference limits in 1 cat and was high in 1 cat. The PTH concentrations were lower after surgery in both cats tested. A solitary parathyroid adenoma was surgically removed from 5 cats, bilateral parathyroid cystadenomas were surgically resected in 1 cat, and a parathyroid carcinoma was diagnosed at necropsy in 1 cat. None of the cats had clinical problems with hypocalcemia after surgery, although 2 cats developed hypocalcemia without tetany, one of which was controlled with oral administration of dihydrotachysterol and the other with oral administration of 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D. All 5 of the cta that underwent removal of an adenoma were alive at least 240 days after surgery.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Lethal outbreak of disease associated with feline calicivirus infection in cats

Recently, in the USA, virulent mutants of feline calicivirus (FCV) have been identified as the cause of a severe and acute virulent systemic disease, characterised by jaundice, oedema and high mortality in groups of cats. This severe manifestation of FCV disease has so far only been reported in the USA. However, in 2003, an outbreak of disease affected a household of four adult cats and an adult cat from a neighbouring household in the UK. Three of the adult cats in the household and the neighbouring cat developed clinical signs including pyrexia (39.5 to 40.5 degrees C), lameness, voice loss, inappetence and jaundice. One cat was euthanased in extremis, two died and one recovered. A postmortem examination of one of the cats revealed focal cellulitis around the right hock and right elbow joints. The principal finding of histopathological examinations of selected organs from two of the cats was disseminated hepatocellular necrosis with mild inflammatory infiltration. Immunohistology identified FCV antigen in parenchymal and Kupffer cells in the liver of both animals and in alveolar macrophages of one of them. In addition, calicivirus-like particles were observed by electron microscopy within the hepatocytes of one cat. FCV was isolated from two of the dead cats and from the two surviving cats. Sequence analysis showed that they were all infected with the same strain of virus, but that it was different from strains of FCV associated with the virulent systemic disease in cats in the USA. The outbreak was successfully controlled by quarantine in the owner's house.     

Prevalence of Bordetella bronchiseptica in cats attended by a veterinary practice in the Manawatu region

AIMS: To determine the prevalence by isolation of Bordetella bronchiseptica infection in healthy cats and in cats showing signs of upper respiratory tract (URT) disease attended by a veterinary practice in the Manawatu region. METHODS: The nasal cavity and oropharynx of 100 cats of mixed sex and age were swabbed and the swabs cultured for B. bronchiseptica. The population of cats surveyed was that attended by the Massey University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, and included healthy cats, cats with clinical signs of URT disease, cats with a recent history of URT disease, cats from single cat households, cats from multiple-cat households, and cats from a colony. RESULTS: Bordetella bronchiseptica was recovered from 7 cats (5 from pharyngeal samples and 2 from nasal samples). Five of the 7 cats appeared to be healthy at the time of sampling, whilst 2 showed clinical signs of URT disease. Six of the 7 culture-positive cats were from a cat colony. The prevalence of B. bronchiseptica in healthy cats sampled was 7% and in cats with URT disease was 8%. CONCLUSION: This study confirms that B. bronchiseptica infection is present, but the prevalence of infection is low, in both healthy cats and in cats with URT disease attended by the Massey University Veterinary Teaching Hospital. It is unlikely that B. bronchiseptica infection is a frequent cause of feline URT disease of cats in this region.     

Clinical and pathologic features of oligodendrogliomas in two cats

Two oligodendrogliomas in two domestic cats involved mainly the rostral brain stem, midbrain, fourth ventricle, and cerebellum. Both cats were aged neutered males presenting with clinical neurologic deficits suggestive of a brain stem lesion. Magnetic resonance imaging of both tumors demonstrated lesions with a pattern of heterogeneous contrast enhancement and multifocal lesions in one cat. Routine cerebrospinal fluid analysis was normal in one cat and suggestive of an inflammatory disease in the other. Oligodendroglioma cells were seen in cytospin preparations of cerebrospinal fluid from both cats. In each cat, the tumors occurred intraventricularly in the midbrain and fourth ventricle with aggressive intraparenchymal infiltration. There was extensive growth into the basilar subarachnoid space of the midbrain and brain stem in one cat. One tumor was well differentiated, and the other was an anaplastic subtype. Immunostaining for several myelin- and oligodendroglia-specific antigens was negative with formalin-fixed tumors and with unfixed frozen samples from one cat. In both tumors, component cells of the intratumoral vascular proliferations were positive for human von Willebrand factor VIII antigen or smooth muscle actin. Immunocytochemical reactivity for glial fibrillary acidic protein identified both reactive astrocytes and a subpopulation of minigemistocytes in both tumors. Ultrastructurally, the tumor cells were unremarkable except for their prominent desmosomal junctions and paucity of microtubules.     

Hypercalcemia in two cats with squamous cell carcinomas

Hypercalcemia was identified in 2 cats with squamous cell carcinomas. One cat was referred because of multiple cutaneous tumors; the second cat had metastatic disease from an oral squamous cell carcinoma. In both cats, serum immunoreactive midmolecule parathyroid hormone concentration was within the range determined for clinically normal cats. The high serum calcium concentration in these cats may have resulted from the neoplastic disease, as evidenced by the reduction in serum calcium concentration after decrease in tumor size in response to treatment, and by failure to identify other known causes of hypercalcemia.     

Review of thymic pathology in 30 cats and 36 dogs

Data are presented from 30 cats and 36 dogs in which thymic disease was recognised clinically or on postmortem examination. The diagnoses included thymic lymphoma (19 cats, l 2 dogs), thymoma (five cats, 18 dogs), thymic branchial cyst formation or cystic change (one cat, four dogs), thymic hyperplasia (two cats), congenital hypoplasia (one cat, one dog), thymic haemorrhage (one cat, one dog) and thymic amyloidosis (one cat). Thymic lymphoma occurred in younger dogs and cats, and was recorded equally among domestic shorthaired and purebred (especially Siamese) cats. Eight cats with thymic lymphoma were tested for feline leukaemia virus and four were positive. Thymoma occurred more frequently in older cats and dogs, and in Labradors and German shepherd dogs. Thymic tumours were associated with paraneoplastic hypercalcaemia (six dogs), megaoesophagus (two dogs) or interface dermatitis with basement membrane immune complex deposition (one cat). Non-neoplastic thymic diseases were associated with myasthenia gravis (one cat), pemphigus foliaceus (one cat) and superficial necrolytic dermatitis (one cat).     

Prevalence of feline leukaemia virus and antibodies to feline immunodeficiency virus in cats in the United Kingdom

A representative sample of the pet cat population of the United Kingdom was surveyed. Blood samples from 1204 sick and 1007 healthy cats of known breed, age and sex were tested for antibodies to feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukaemia virus (FeLV). The prevalence of FIV was 19 per cent in sick cats and 6 per cent in healthy cats, and the prevalence of FeLV was 18 per cent in sick cats and 5 per cent in healthy cats; both infections were more common in domestic cats than in pedigree cats. Feline immunodeficiency virus was more prevalent in older cats but FeLV was more prevalent in younger cats. There was no difference between the prevalence of FeLV in male and female cats but male cats were more likely to be infected with FIV than female cats. No interaction was demonstrated between FIV and FeLV infections. Of the cats which were in contact with FIV in households with more than one cat, 21 per cent had seroconverted. The prevalence of FeLV viraemia in cats in contact with FeLV was 14 per cent. The clinical signs associated with FIV were pyrexia, gingivitis/stomatitis and respiratory signs, and with FeLV, pyrexia and anaemia. It was concluded that both viruses were significant causes of disease, and that the cats most likely to be infected with FIV were older, free-roaming male cats and for FeLV, younger, free-roaming cats.     

Osteochondrodysplasia in Scottish Fold cross-breed cats

Two Scottish Fold mixed cats are described in this report. Case 1 is a mixed Scottish Fold and Munchkin cat. Extremities of this cat resembled the Munchkin cat, while the ear pinna were folded forward like the Scottish Fold cat. Case 2 is a mixed Scottish Fold and American Curl cat. The ear pinna were curled caudally like the American Curl. Severe exostosis in the hind leg was observed in radiographs taken around one year of age in both cats. Both cats were dominant homozygous for c.1024G>T of the transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 gene, responsible for osteochondrodysplasia in the Scottish Fold cat. Cross breeding with Scottish Fold cats could produce unknown phenotypes, and should be avoided.     

Dermatophytic pseudomycetomas in four cats

The aim of this retrospective study was to describe the clinical characteristics and treatment of four cats with dermatophytic pseudomycetoma. Four Persian cats, one female and three males, with age ranging from 1.4 to 5 years, were diagnosed with dermatophytic pseudomycetoma by histological examination and fungal culture. Wood's lamp examination revealed positive fluorescence of hairs in all four cats. Characteristic skin lesions consisted of multifocal, raised, firm and nodular to dome-shaped lesions varying in size from 1 to 8 cm in diameter, with ulcers or fistulas in some of the lesions. One cat was treated and cured with 3 months of oral itraconazole; lesions completely regressed, and at the time of writing there has been no recurrence. One cat was treated with surgical excision alone, and recurrence of lesions occurred after a disease-free interval of 15 months. Two cats were treated with surgical excision and systemic itraconazole therapy. Itraconazole therapy was started 1-2 months before surgery and continued for 3 months after surgery. Surgical margins were wide in both cats, and underlying adipose tissue and/or deeper fascia was removed. One cat relapsed, but had a disease-free interval of 18 months. The other cat has been disease free for 32 months. This case series suggests that aggressive, wide surgical excision and concurrent oral itraconazole are highly beneficial in treating dermatophytic pseudomycetoma in cats.     

Myasthenia gravis in two cats

A case of the autoimmune form of myasthenia gravis and a case of what is probably a congenital form of myasthenia gravis were diagnosed in 2 unrelated cats. Neuromuscular weakness exacerbated by exercise was a prominent feature in both cats. Weakness was eliminated temporarily by administration of anticholinesterase drugs. Serum autoantibodies to acetylcholine receptors of skeletal muscle were present in the 1st cat and were not detected in the 2nd cat. A characteristic decrement in the amplitude of the compound muscle action potential during repetitive stimulation of the motor nerve was elicited in the 2nd cat. There was marked electromyographic improvement in response to anticholinesterase drugs. Electromyography was not performed in the 1st cat.     

Role of computed tomography angiography in the differentiation of feline truncus arteriosus communis from pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect

Two domestic shorthair cats, a 6-month-old castrated male and a 7-month-old intact female, were diagnosed with complex congenital heart disease. Transthoracic echocardiography in both cats revealed a dilated arterial trunk overriding the interventricular septum with a large ventricular septal defect. The pulmonary trunk and branch pulmonary arteries were not visible using standard echocardiographic views in either cat. The differential diagnosis for both cats included truncus arteriosus communis vs. pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect. Each cat underwent computed tomography angiography to determine the origin and extent of the pulmonary blood supply and to better define extra-cardiac anatomy. Computed tomography angiography led to a diagnosis of truncus arteriosus communis with unrestricted pulmonary blood flow in one cat, whereas the other cat was diagnosed with pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect and major aortopulmonary collaterals serving as the primary source of pulmonary blood flow. Computed tomography angiography allowed for the ante mortem differentiation of truncus arteriosus communis from pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect in these two cats, leading to an accurate diagnosis and providing valuable information to therapeutic decision-making for each case.     

Prevalence of Bordetella bronchiseptica in cats attended by a veterinary practice in the Manawatu region

dAims:To determine the prevalence by isolation of Bordetella bronchiseptica infection in healthy cats and in cats showing signs of upper respiratory tract (URT) disease attended by a veterinary practice in the Manawatu region.

dMethods: The nasal cavity and oropharynx of 100 cats of mixed sex and age were swabbed and the swabs cultured for B. bronchiseptica. The population of cats surveyed was that attended by the Massey University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, and included healthy cats, cats with clinical signs of URT disease, cats with a recent history of URT disease, cats from single cat households, cats from multiple-cat households, and cats from a colony.

dResults: Bordetella bronchiseptica was recovered from 7 cats (5 from pharyngeal samples and 2 from nasal samples). Five of the 7 cats appeared to be healthy at the time of sampling, whilst 2 showed clinical signs of URT disease. Six of the 7 culture-positive cats were from a cat colony.The prevalence of B. bronchiseptica in healthy cats sampled was 7% and in cats with URT disease was 8%.

dConclusion: This study confirms that B. bronchiseptica infection is present, but the prevalence of infection is low, in both healthy cats and in cats with URT disease attended by the Massey University Veterinary Teaching Hospital. It is unlikely that B. bronchiseptica infection is a frequent cause of feline URT disease of cats in this region.     

Mutations in the 3c and 7b genes of feline coronavirus in spontaneously affected FIP cats

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is the most frequent lethal infectious disease in cats. However, understanding of FIP pathogenesis is still incomplete. Mutations in the ORF 3c/ORF 7b genes are proposed to play a role in the occurrence of the fatal FIPV biotype. Here, we investigated 282 tissue specimens from 28 cats that succumbed to FIP. Within one cat, viral sequences from different organs were similar or identical, whereas greater discrepancies were found comparing sequences from various cats. Eleven of the cats exhibited deletions in the 3c gene, resulting in truncated amino acid sequences. The 7b gene was affected by deletions only in one cat. In three of the FIP cats, coronavirus isolates with both intact 3c genes as well as 7b genes of full length could also be detected. Thus, deletions or stop codons in the 3c sequence seem to be a frequent but not compelling feature of FIPVs.     

Gastrointestinal parasites of domestic cats in Perth, Western Australia

A study was conducted to determine the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in a sample of domestic cats in Perth and the knowledge of their owners about the control and potential for zoonotic transmission of these parasites. Faecal samples (418), collected from cats originating from five sources, were examined by microscopy and questionnaires administered to cat owners. Forty randomly selected samples were also screened using PCR in order to detect cysts of Giardia and oocysts of Cryptosporidium that may have been present in a faecal sample at very low levels. The overall prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in domestic cats by microscopy was 8.6%. Pet shop kittens had the highest parasite prevalence (34.3%), followed by cats and kittens from breeding establishments (15.8%), refuge cats and kittens (8.3%), privately owned cats (2.3%), and boarding cats and kittens (1.6%). Surprisingly, 80% of the 40 cats tested by PCR were positive for Giardia duodenalis and 10% for Cryptosporidium. None of these cats were positive on microscopy. After adjusting for other factors with multiple logistic regression, kittens less than 6 months of age, and cats living in households with more than one cat or with a dog were significantly more likely to be parasitised. In the logistic regression model, the presence of parasitism was also significantly influenced by the number of anthelmintic doses administered in the 12 month period prior to the study. The majority (64.5%) of cat owners were aware that feline parasites could be transmitted to humans, however less than half (42.8%) were aware of the modes of transmission to humans.     

Detection of feline calicivirus antigens in the joints of infected cats

Twelve specific pathogen free cats were used to investigate the role of calicivirus in causing lameness. These were divided into two groups each of six cats; one group of cats had previously been vaccinated, the other had not. Three cats in each group were given live vaccine virus (F9 related) by the subcutaneous route and two in each group were challenged intranasally with field virus (A4), either four or seven days before euthanasia. The other two cats were controls. Virus was isolated from the oropharynx of five cats and the conjunctiva of a single cat. Four of these cats had been given the field virus and two the vaccine strain; the latter two cats had been previously immunised and had high circulating neutralising antibodies to calicivirus. No virus was isolated from the joints of any cat but immunofluorescence examination revealed viral antigens within the synovial macrophages of 14 joints from five cats, three having been given the field virus and two the vaccine virus seven days before euthanasia. Immunofluorescence also demonstrated the presence of immunoglobulin and complement within synovial macrophages suggesting that the virus was in the form of an immune complex. No lameness was reported in any cat and the synovial histological changes were minimal.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Itraconazole for the Treatment of Cryptococcosis in Cats

Itraconazole was used in 35 cats with cryptococcosis. Treatment response was determined by comparing clinical signs before, during, and after treatment. It could not be evaluated in 7 cats because they died during treatment from causes unrelated to cryptococcosis. Of the remaining 28 cats, treatment response was classified as success in 16 cats (57%), as improvement in 8 cats (29%), and as a failure in 4 (14%). The failures were due to death or euthanasia from drug toxicity (1 cat), progressive fungal disease (2 cats), and relapse 1 year after treatment (1 cat). The cats that improved did not undergo a 1 -year posttreatment evaluation because they were lost to follow-up (3 cats), died or were euthanatized for other reasons (4 cats), or had a noncompliant owner (1 cat). For the 16 cats in which treatment was successful, the median itraconazole dose was 13.8 mg/kg body weight daily (range, 10.9 to 26.7 mg/kg/d), and the median duration of treatment was 8.5 months (range, 4 to 16 months). Five of these cats had previously been treated unsuccessfully with ketoconazole.     

Metronidazole neurotoxicosis in two cats

Two cats were presented for neurological dysfunction from suspected metronidazole toxicity. One cat was receiving 111 mg/kg body weight per day of metronidazole for 9 weeks. After 9 weeks, the dose was increased to 222 mg/kg body weight per day, and 2 days later the cat began to experience progressive neurological signs that culminated in generalized seizures. The second cat was receiving metronidazole at a total dose of 58 mg/kg body weight per day for 6 months. This cat experienced acute onset of ataxia and alteration in mentation. Laboratory evaluations in both cases were without significant findings. The neurological signs in both cats resolved within days of initiating supportive therapy and withdrawal of the drug. This report describes the two cases and discusses the etiology of metronidazole neurotoxicosis.     

Appendicular arterial tumor embolization in two cats with pulmonary carcinoma

A 13-year-old neutered male Persian cat and an 11-year-old neutered female Persian cat were examined because of an acute onset of lameness. In both cats, conscious proprioception and reflexes were diminished in the affected limb. In 1 cat, no blood flow was detected in the left brachial artery with a Doppler ultrasonic flow detector, whereas blood flow in the right brachial artery was easily documented. In the other cat, the right femoral pulse was not palpable. Neither cat had any echocardiographic evidence of cardiac disease. In both cats, treatment was primarily supportive. One cat died, and the other was euthanatized. At necropsy, lung lobe consolidation was seen. Microscopically, there was multifocal infiltration of the lung parenchyma with cuboidal to columnar neoplastic epithelial cells. Neoplastic epithelial cells of similar morphology were identified in nodular masses in sections of muscle, and intravascular tumor emboli were identified obliterating small and large arterioles. Immunohistochemical staining of pulmonary and muscular tissue for pan-cytokeratin antigen revealed intense cytoplasmic staining of neoplastic cells. Staining for factor VIII-related antigen confirmed that clusters of neoplastic cells represented intravascular emboli. Clinical signs in the cats were attributed to arterial occlusion by tumor emboli.