Animals - page 7

Cystitis

in Animals & Pets

How serious it is?

Cystitis is inflammation of the bladder wall; it is multi-factorial in origin, it can be caused by a simple bacterial infection, bladder stones, tumours, polyps. 

Cystitis is inflammation of the bladder wall; it is multi-factorial in origin, it can be caused by a simple bacterial infection, bladder stones, tumours, polyps. The cause of the problem very much decides its prognosis, I shall try to go through the symptoms and its treatment bearing in mind that it can be a medical emergency in certain cases.

The most common symptom that patients present with is increased straining and frequency of urination. The animal in question has the urge to go to the toilet more frequently because of the bladder irritation, therefore clients notice behaviour changes, often these animals are very clean animals that have never had an accident in the house, but as a consequence of the cystitis they cannot control the urge to urinate. It is important that they are not told off when this happens, they cannot control the need to urinate, and scolding the pet could actually compound the problem. Often there is blood in the urine and the animal may spend excessive time licking their genital areas.

In the more elderly animal a bacterial cystitis is more common, usually as a result of an ascending infection; therefore a short course of anti-inflammatories and antibiotics is usually sufficient to treat the condition. However if the problem starts to recur then it is important that the condition is worked up properly as one of the other causes might be a factor.

Another common cause of cystitis in dogs and cats are urinary calculi, these are crystals that are formed in the urine that often coalesce to form larger stones. These crystals can be formed as a result of a metabolic anomaly in the patient or secondary to a primary infection. In the male dog and the tom cat this can lead to a medical emergency, the male urethra is narrower than in the females therefore as a direct result of this a urinary stone can cause an obstruction. If this obstruction is not removed then the animal will deteriorate rapidly, develop kidney failure and die a slow agonising death. This problem is seen more commonly in cats, so if your cat is spending excessive amount of time on the litter tray then it is important that you get him to a vet immediately.

The most common cause of cystitis and urethral obstruction in cats is stress related, so if there are any changes in the cat’s environment then be aware that this may set off a bout of cystitis and often a urethral obstruction too.

Polyps are seen infrequently, but bladder tumours in dogs are seen more commonly, transitional cell carcinoma is seen relatively frequently and unfortunately carries a very poor prognosis, it tends to affect most of the bladder wall so surgical excision is not an option, they can only be managed medically.

If you have your dog or cat presenting with symptoms of cystitis then get it treated promptly. Personally I ultrasound all of my patients, an ultrasound tends to be used as the first diagnostic tool, it is better at picking up stones,(some stones do not show up on x-ray). The ultrasound is also better at accessing the bladder lining, therefore polyps and tumours can be picked up earlier   and treatment can be implemented and therefore the prognosis will be improved.

In summary cystitis in your pet can be treated easily in the majority of cases but can become complicated if ignored and may carry a poor prognosis if the underlying cause is serious or the condition is not treated promptly and efficiently.

For more information please phone Gibraltar Vetinary Clinic on 200 77334

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These beauties are ready for love and a forever home.

Does your cat have high blood pressure?

in Animals & Pets

High blood pressure/ hypertension is a condition that is often undiagnosed in cats, unfortunately, if not diagnosed early it can have devastating effects on the afflicted feline.

Hypertension in cats can be primary hypertension, where the cause is not known or secondary hypertension; in cats the most common ailments implicated in secondary hypertension are renal failure and hyperthyroidism. However this might be an oversimplication as hypertension can result in renal damage, often when the cat is presented for examination the cat has renal insufficiency and hypertension, so what came first, the chicken or the egg?

In my experience the most common presenting sign is sudden onset blindness or reduced vision. So generally a client will bring in a geriatric cat that has gone blind over a short period of time. On examination these cats will have acute ocular changes, generally retinal haemorrhages and/or retinal detachment. These patients respond well to treatment, so if you have an old cat that has gone blind, don’t attribute it to old age, get it to your veterinary surgeon fast( make sure they have the equipment to measure blood pressure). The sooner your pet is treated the better the prognosis and the greater the chance of it recovering its vision.

However these are not the only presenting signs, in summary if your cat presents with any of the following symptoms make sure you get its blood pressure checked:

One of the most common ailments of the geriatric feline is renal disease, if your cat is suffering from this or is diagnosed with this then it is important that its blood pressure is measured too to make sure that this is not a complicating factor.

Measuring your cat’s blood pressure is a non-invasive procedure normally done during a standard consultation. However if your cat is very agitated or nervous you must take this into account when taking a reading and take this into consideration.

  • 150/95 – at this reading or below, there is minimal risk and treatment is not recommended
  • 150/99 to 159/95 — intervention is routinely not recommended at these readings
  • 160/119 to 179/100 — treatment should be sought to limit the risk of organ damage
  • 180/120 — immediate treatment should be sought to limit the degree of other more severe complications

Another very useful tool frequently used is the measuring of urine protein, when blood pressure is high proteins are ‘pushed through’ the kidney filter system , so high protein in the urine can be a great aid in the diagnosis of hypertension and also useful as a prognostic indicator.

Early diagnosis is ideal, if caught early before any further organ damage then simply dosing your cat once a day with medication can be enough to prevent any further deterioration and will extend your cat’s life substantially.

High blood pressure is not a condition to be ignored, if you have an aging cat, from the age of 10 + then ask your vet to take its blood pressure and ideally provide the vet with a urine sample. Managed well hypertension is easily controlled and your cat will lead a normal life, left untreated and it will eventually cause irreversible organ damage and will shorten your pet’s life.

For more information please phone Gibraltar Vetinary Clinic on 200 77334

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Heat Stroke

in Animals & Pets

Upper airway constriction & death

For the first time in all of my 30 years of practice I have had several direct heat related deaths in one summer. I just want to reiterate this point as there is nothing more distressing and excruciating for an animal to die in this way and if this article reaches one person then it will be worth it.

In one of the incidents it involved a dog being exercised in the middle of the day. A healthy young male that was over-exercised in the midday sun. Dogs cannot sweat like we do to drop their body temperature; they are covered in a thick coat and their ability to thermo-regulate is far inferior to ours. The pet dog is descended from the wolf, which are found in cold regions and have a thick coat to protect them from the cold, so not an ideal scenario for those living in hot climates. Their main means to drop body temperature is by panting and they also have some sweat glands on their paws. 

In the hot weather we have been having this summer with temperatures regularly in the high 30s our dogs are particularly susceptible to heat stroke. When the body temperature rises to an excess level the body starts to ‘cook’ from the inside. If the internal body temperature is sustained for a prolonged period of time then the organs are irreversibly damaged, as all the proteins and enzymes are denatured. The vet’s primary objective when confronted with such a clinical case is to try and drop the core temperature as rapidly as possible before the condition is irreversible. Cold external compresses, internal cold water enemas and cold intravenous fluid infusions are the only tools available to do this. If by accident your pet overheats hose it down or dump it immediately in a cold bath , or the sea; if caught early enough there will be no need for enemas etc. 

The other scenario where your pet can die from heat without having heat stroke is when there is narrowing of the upper airway, the latter is particularly prevalent in the brachycephalic breeds; those animals with very short muzzles. As previously mentioned a primary way a dog drops its body temperature is by panting. Brachycephalic breeds have narrow airways, so when they pant there is more stress in the upper airways. This can lead to further narrowing of the airways; tracheal collapse, soft palate entrapment etc. This will lead to inspiratory stridor (difficulty breathing in), and can potentially have catastrophic effects on the circulatory system and the lack of oxygen can lead to the dog asphyxiating. If you have one of these breeds keep a very close eye on the colour of your pet’s tongue. If it is slightly cyanotic, bluish and not a normal pink colour, then get it quickly to a cooler place; an air-conditioned room is ideal but a fan will work well. The main aim is to make the animal cooler so that it stops panting. 

I personally have never seen a cat with heat stroke, this is for several reasons. The main reason behind this is that cats are cleverer than dogs, if they feel the heat they will seek a cooler environment but a dog will happily carry on chasing a ball! Secondly domestic cats are descended from desert cats whose physiology is more geared up to live in hot climates, also are smaller and therefore it is easier to thermo-regulate too as a result of their surface area to weight ratio. 

We are blessed to be living in the climate that we do but just because we enjoy the heat doesn’t mean it is safe for our pets. Use your common sense and if any doubt then always err on the side of caution and leave your pet at home. 

For more information please phone Gibraltar
Vetinary Clinic on 200 77334

Does Your Cat have High Blood Pressure?

in Community Insight/Regular feature

High blood pressure/ hypertension is a condition that is often undiagnosed in cats, unfortunately, if not diagnosed early it can have devastating effects on the afflicted feline.

Hypertension in cats can be primary hypertension, where the cause is not known or secondary hypertension; in cats the most common ailments implicated in secondary hypertension are renal failure and hyperthyroidism. However this might be an oversimplification as hypertension can result in renal damage, often when the cat is presented for examination the cat has renal insufficiency and hypertension, so what came first, the chicken or the egg?

In my experience the most common presenting sign is sudden onset blindness or reduced vision. So generally a client will bring in a geriatric cat that has gone blind over a short period of time. On examination these cats will have acute ocular changes, generally retinal haemorrhages and/or retinal detachment. These patients respond well to treatment, so if you have an old cat that has gone blind, don’t attribute it to old age, get it to your veterinary surgeon fast( make sure they have the equipment to measure blood pressure). The sooner your pet is treated the better the prognosis and the greater the chance of it recovering its vision.

However these are not the only presenting signs, in summary if your cat presents with any of the following symptoms make sure you get its blood pressure checked:

  • Weight loss
  • Increased drinking/urination
  • lameness(hind limbs)
  • Blood in urine
  • Protein in urine
  • Heart murmurs
  • Blindness
  • Circling
  • Seizure
  • Haemorrhage in eye
  • Dilated pupils
  • Disorientation
  • Enlarged thyroid glands.

One of the most common ailments of the geriatric feline is renal disease, if your cat is suffering from this or is diagnosed with this then it is important that its blood pressure is measured too to make sure that this is not a complicating factor.

Measuring your cat’s blood pressure is a non-invasive procedure normally done during a standard consultation. However if your cat is very agitated or nervous you must take this into account when taking a reading and take this into consideration.

150/95 – at this reading or below, there is minimal risk and treatment is not recommended

150/99 to 159/95 — intervention is routinely not recommended at these readings

160/119 to 179/100 — treatment should be sought to limit the risk of organ damage

180/120 — immediate treatment should be sought to limit the degree of other more severe complications

Another very useful tool frequently used is the measuring of urine protein, when blood pressure is high

proteins are ‘pushed through’ the kidney filter system , so high protein in the urine can be a great aid in the diagnosis of hypertension and also useful as a prognostic indicator.

Early diagnosis is ideal, if caught early before any further organ damage then simply dosing your cat once a day with medication can be enough to prevent any further deterioration and will extend your cat’s life substantially.

High blood pressure is not a condition to be ignored, if you have an aging cat, from the age of 10 + then ask your vet to take its blood pressure and ideally provide the vet with a urine sample. Managed well hypertension is easily controlled and your cat will lead a normal life, left untreated and it will eventually cause irreversible organ damage and will shorten your pet’s life.

If you feel your pet is suffering from the above please phone the clinic on 20077334 and make an appointment to discuss your case.

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