Vet Blog
11/19/09
Breaking news.
This morning I received another H1N1 influenza (swine flu) action alert from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).
H1N1 update: Cat death in Oregon from presumed 2009 H1N1
November 18, 2009 – The Oregon state public health veterinarian has reported that a pet cat has died from presumed 2009 H1N1 influenza virus infection. The cat was one of 4 cats in the household and became ill approximately one week after a child in the household had a flu-like illness. It developed labored breathing and was presented to a veterinarian on November 4. The cat was not coughing or sneezing but had pneumonia. The cat’s condition deteriorated over the next 3 days, and it died on November 7. Samples were obtained and tested (PCR) positive for the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus. Additional samples were sent to the National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) for confirmation and are still pending. At this time this is a presumed, not confirmed, case of 2009 H1N1 influenza infection.
The three other cats in the household also became ill with different degrees of sneezing and coughing, but recovered from their illnesses. Samples collected from these cats were negative for the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus.
We continue to update our 2009 H1N1 influenza resources as soon as we receive and verify information. These resources are available at http://www.avma.org/public_health/influenza/new_virus/default.asp. We are also in the process of updating our “Frequently Asked Questions” document for veterinarians to include additional information about sampling and testing procedures, and anticipate the updated document will be posted within the next 24 hours. The document is linked from the H1N1 page or at http://www.avma.org/public_health/influenza/new_virus/new_flu_virus_faq_veterinarians.asp.
The messages to pet owners remain the same.
This is not cause for panic, but underscores the importance of taking pets to a veterinarian if they are showing signs of illness. This is especially important if someone in the household has recently been ill with flu-like symptoms.
Ferret and cat owners should remain vigilant.
To date, all of the sick pets became ill after a person in the household was ill with flu-like symptoms. There is no evidence to suggest that pets have or will spread the virus to humans or other animals.
Proper hygiene and sanitation measures should be followed to limit the spread of the influenza virus.
The web page mentioned in the action alert is a great resource for breaking developments in the matter of swine flu in pets. I recommend that you check it regularly if you are interested in the subject.
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11/19/09
 Microchips are brilliant in theory. Pets can be lost in countless ways. A microchip provides a permanent link between pet and owner. In theory.
In practice, microchips have not yet lived up to the hype. Much of the gulf between expectations and experience is attributable to a lack of standards in the microchip industry. In short, it appears that economic considerations and attempts to corner the market by different microchip manufacturers have interfered with the purported goal of the devices: returning lost pets to their owners.
Proprietary technologies initially played a role in the problem. Each brand of microchip could be read only by scanners made by the same company. For instance, in 2001 a commonly available microchip scanner (manufactured by Home Again) could not read chips made by the company’s main competitor, Avid. When scanned, Avid chips would not display the unique code that was supposed to identify the pet. Instead, the scanner display would simply read “AVID”. I had to refer lost pets with Avid chips to a nearby facility with an Avid scanner.
This problem came to a head when a large chain of corporate veterinary practices decided to start using an entirely new type of microchip. This chip would not even register on most commercially available scanners. In other words, pets with the new chip would appear not to be microchipped when scanned with many devices.
A furore erupted. What if a lost pet with a family desperately searching for it were euthanized because an animal shelter’s scanner could not read its microchip?
This concern lead to the development of universal microchip scanners. These devices read all brands of microchips.
That’s a good start. But after a microchip has been scanned successfully, the chip must be matched to the person who registered it. There are several microchip registries.
For instance, when I scan my pal Buster’s microchip, the following information appears on the device’s screen:
473***1O43
(I have redacted a few digits from the code to protect my privacy)
This sequence of numbers and letters can be plugged into the appropriate database to reunite Buster with the people who would be frantically searching for him if he were lost. But there are several databases out there. Where to start?
Enter the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). The Association has launched a new web site, www.petmicrochiplookup.org, which will track the registry of a microchip and direct a good samaritan to the proper database. In theory.
I entered Buster’s microchip information into the site and retrieved the following:
[WebException: The operation has timed out]
System.Net.HttpWebRequest.GetResponse() +5314029
_Default.ImageButton1_Click1(Object sender, ImageClickEventArgs e) +1819
System.Web.UI.ImageClickEventHandler.Invoke(Object sender, ImageClickEventArgs e) +0
System.Web.UI.WebControls.ImageButton.OnClick(ImageClickEventArgs e) +108
System.Web.UI.WebControls.ImageButton.RaisePostBackEvent(String eventArgument) +118
System.Web.UI.WebControls.ImageButton.System.Web.UI.IPostBackEventHandler.RaisePostBackEvent(String eventArgument) +10
System.Web.UI.Page.RaisePostBackEvent(IPostBackEventHandler sourceControl, String eventArgument) +13
System.Web.UI.Page.RaisePostBackEvent(NameValueCollection postData) +36
System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequestMain(Boolean includeStagesBeforeAsyncPoint, Boolean includeStagesAfterAsyncPoint) +1565
Some day perhaps microchips will live up to their potential. I hope that day comes soon.
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11/17/09
 Wrapping cats in duct tape is, for reasons I cannot fathom, a relatively common practice among deranged lunatics. In the last year I have treated two cats who suffered this form of abuse.
Therefore, when Dr. Jennifer Schori (who earned a bit of notoriety on the Vet Blog when she discussed unauthorized autopsies on pets) wrote about a news story involving a cat wrapped in duct tape, I wasn’t that surprised.
However, as I read the post on her blog, I came to an alarming statistic: 8% of the people who responded to an online poll about the story thought the incident was funny.
The link between animal abuse and violence against people (progressing all the way to serial killing) is well established. With 8% of the population responding to the story in that manner, it may be time to buy an additional lock for the front door.
Photo: Myk Dowling
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11/16/09
 DVM Newsmagazine reports on rabies in the United States:
National report — The number of rabies-infected cats was almost four times that of rabies-infected dogs in the United States in 2008, according to a new report from the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Cats may be more prone to rabies because they’re vaccinated less and roam outdoors unsupervised more often than dogs, the report suggests.
The data, collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, appears in a new AVMA rabies backgrounder published online in advance of World Rabies Day, Sept. 28. The report also covers the history of rabies and its prevalence around the world as well as clinical signs, diagnosis, treatment and euthanasia protocols for infected and possibly infected animals.
Most rabies infections — 93 percent — are seen in wild animals, according to the report, but most post-exposure rabies prophylaxis (PEP) in humans is administered because of exposure to rabid or possibly rabid cats and dogs.
Researchers also warn that imported dogs carry the threat of a resurgence of canine rabies variants in this country. They point to a rabid puppy that arrived from India in 2007, and a rabid dog from Iraq imported into New Jersey in 2008.
The complete study, “Rabies surveillance in the United States during 2008” appears in the Sept. 15 issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
A quick visit to the American Veterinary Medical Association’s website provided hard numbers. In 2008, 49 states (Hawaii is rabies free) and Puerto Rico reported 294 rabid cats, 75 rabid dogs, and two people with rabies. Both human cases appeared to spread by bats. Both people died.
Bear in mind that these numbers are relatively small. Rabies is not common in developed countries. However, it is a major threat to humans and animals in some parts of the world. In these areas, dogs are the leading source of human rabies.
Chart: American Veterinary Medical Association.
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11/13/09
I took my cat to the vet yesterday because he had not eaten for three days. His activity levels, thirst, urine etc are all normal. No vomiting, and no BMs since he stopped eating. He seems normal but he doesn’t want to eat.
Yesterday the vet did a bunch of blood tests and today she called to say they were all normal. She wants to put a feeding tube in my cat to prevent liver problems from developing. What are your thoughts?
Shauna
Falls Church, VA
Cats who go several days without eating are prone to a problem called hepatic lipidosis, or fatty liver. This condition develops through a feline metabolic quirk. It can be fatal. Overweight cats are especially at risk.
Placing a feeding tube and using it to support nutrition may help to stave off hepatic lipidosis. However, it should not be used as a substitute for further diagnostics.
You need to find out why your cat isn’t eating. There has to be a reason, and you need to determine what’s wrong in order to treat it properly.
Blood and urine tests are a good way to start. When these do not yield an answer, I recommend diagnostic imaging (X-rays and ultrasound) to search the abdomen for a possible cause. Consultation with a specialist in internal medicine (there should be plenty of them in the D.C. area) also could be valuable.
Supporting your cat’s food intake with a feeding tube may be beneficial. But don’t use a feeding tube as a substitute for finding an answer.
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11/12/09
 The other day a client balked when I recommended he feed his cat a special diet.
The cat had been diagnosed with feline lower urinary tract disease, or FLUTD. The syndrome causes pain and inappropriate urination. In male cats it can lead to a serious complication called urinary obstruction. Cats with this syndrome are unable to urinate. If cats with urinary obstructions don’t receive prompt treatment they die in agonizing fashion.
The special diet I recommended is designed to reduce the symptoms of FLUTD and to decrease the risk of urinary obstruction.
The cat’s owner, however, thought I had ulterior motives for recommending the food. He accused me of wanting him to buy an expensive food for no reason, so that I would make more money.
The accusation would be risible if it weren’t so offensive. I was terribly bothered that the man thought I would put money above my patient’s well being. The man also evidently thought that I am stupid. That offended me too.
I were interested in nothing but money, and if I didn’t care about my patient’s well being, and if I were at peace with the idea of going to hell, then the intelligent thing would be to recommend against a special diet.
That way the cat would suffer with the syndrome until he developed urinary obstruction. Treating urinary obstruction is a big deal. After blood tests, IV fluids, anesthesia for urinary catheter placement, and intensive inpatient care for 2 – 5 days the cat probably would be ready to leave the hospital. The bill would be well over a thousand dollars–perhaps much more.
There is plenty of profit in urinary obstruction. Selling cat food is chump change. When I recommend a special diet for a patient with FLUTD, I am putting the cat’s well being above my own profits.
If I truly cared about money I would have become a consultant or a CEO. Because it is not possible to be money grubbing, intelligent, and a veterinarian at the same time.
Photo: Pennies, folks. Not twenties. Not hundreds. Pennies.
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11/11/09
Can Cats have bulimia? My cat Snickers throws up all the time. When he’s mad at you, especially. I give him foods with hairball control but, it seems he does it to try to control his people. If he gets upset about something, he will get right beside you and puke. What can I do to stop this?
Dana
Montgomery, AL
Many folks joke about “kitty bulimia”. Cats with this syndrome eat large meals and then promptly vomit. They may then be hungry again.
The syndrome looks just like bulimia in humans. But it isn’t actually bulimia. True bulimia has not been documented in cats.
Cats who vomit frequently almost always have a medical condition that causes vomiting. Such medical conditions include inflammatory (aka infiltrative) bowel disease, food intolerance, infestation with parasites, liver problems, kidney problems, glandular conditions such as thyroid disease, intestinal conditions, and tumors in the abdomen.
Stress can cause predisposed cats (and humans) to vomit. This is probably why Snickers vomits when he is upset. I doubt that Snickers vomits purposefully in order to punish you. Vomiting is very unpleasant, and the activity punishes the individual who vomits more than the individual who has to clean it up.
A change in diet to something easily digestible (a so-called sensitive stomach formula) may help with the problem. But the best thing would be a trip to the vet for tests that may give insight into why Snickers is so predisposed to throwing up.
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11/07/09
 My indoor cat MidgeyGirl was diagnosed three years ago with a heart murmur, she’s six now. Should I be concerned? I haven’t had her checked in some time, since I’ve moved to another state. Does this murmur ever correct itself, is there medication for this? Thank you!
Lee
Stuart, FL
A heart murmur is a description of how the heart sounds when a veterinarian listens to it. The presence or absence of a heart murmur does not always correlate with the presence or absence of heart disease.
A heart murmur signifies turbulent flow of blood through the heart. Under normal circumstances blood flows through the heart smoothly and soundlessly. In animals with heart murmurs the blood does not flow as smoothly, and this causes a shushing noise that is called a heart murmur.
Blood flowing through the heart is similar to water flowing through a hose. A kink or irregularity in the hose can lead to a shushing noise as the water flows through. Any irregularity in the structure of the heart or the flow of blood through the heart causes a similar shushing noise.
Heart murmurs come in two broad categories: non-pathological and pathological. Non-pathological heart murmurs are caused by benign hereditary or developmental anomalies and other harmless irregularities in the structure (but not the function) of the heart.
Pathological heart murmurs are caused by leaky valves, irregularities in heart muscle structure, or anatomical irregularities that compromise heart function.
Animals like MidgeyGirl that develop heart murmurs at a young age often have non-pathological murmurs. Animals that develop heart murmurs late in life most often have pathological heart conditions.
However, there is absolutely no way to tell whether a murmur is pathological or non-pathological simply by listening to it. Diagnostic tests are needed to determine whether disease exists and whether medications are necessary.
A combination of chest X-rays and ultrasound of the heart (known as echocardiography) almost always reveals whether heart pathology is present. Basic blood tests (and a special blood test called pro-BNP) also are useful.
I recommend that your vet perform these tests on MidgeyGirl. Hopefully the results will put your mind at ease.
Go to my website for more information on heart disease in pets.
Cats: http://drbarchas.com/feline_heart_disease
Dogs: http://drbarchas.com/canine_heart_disease
Photo: Lola’s heart looks good!
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11/05/09
Just a week after DVM Newsmagazine (and the Vet Blog) reported that cats and dogs do not appear capable of contracting swine flu (also known as H1N1 influenza), a cat in Iowa has proved the opposite.
Today I received the following action alert from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).
2009 H1N1 influenza virus confirmed in Iowa cat
November 4, 2009 – A 13-year old cat in Iowa developed signs of a respiratory infection after several people in the household were ill. Preliminary testing was positive for 2009 H1N1 on October 29, and the results were confirmed on November 2. This is the first report of a cat infected with H1N1. The cat has recovered from its illness.
To date, this is the first cat confirmed infected with the 2009 H1N1 virus. Two ferrets, one in Oregon and one in Nebraska, have also recently been confirmed infected with the 2009 H1N1 virus. The Nebraska ferret died, but the Oregon ferret has recovered. To date, there is no evidence that the ferrets or the cat passed the virus to people.
The American Veterinary Medical Association and American Association of Feline Practitioners are reminding pet owners that many viruses can pass between people and animals, so this was not an altogether unexpected event. We are advising pet owners to monitor their pets’ health very closely, no matter what type of animal, and visit a veterinarian if there are any signs of illness.
The good news, of course, is that the cat recovered and that animals have not yet been shown to pass the virus to humans.
I will continue to relay to my readers all of the information I receive on feline or canine H1N1 influenza.
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11/04/09
 In my practice as a veterinarian I must constantly battle fleas. Worse, and much more frustrating, I also must do daily battle against human ignorance regarding the vile, pestilence-spreading blood sucking parasites.
People’s knowledge of history is poor. Very few of my clients are aware that merely six hundred and fifty years ago fleas spread a disease (bubonic plague, also known as black death) that wiped out a third of Europe and changed the nature of society forever. Only in the last 80 years has the plague receded as the preeminent threat to human existence.
Now that in the United States plague isn’t the imminent threat it once was, many people view fleas as merely pests.
Indeed, fleas are pests. But they are much more than pests. They are vectors for many diseases other than plague in cats and humans.
A page published recently on the NAVC Clinician’s Brief website discussed some of the vague, creepy diseases that fleas can spread to your cat–and to you.
I suggest you check it out. Also, don’t forget to read what I have written about the parasites on my website:
http://drbarchas.com/fleas
Image: The little fella almost looks cute. Don’t be fooled: he’s deadly!
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