Useful Pet Care and Pet Health Articles at USPetHealth.com

Mycotoxicosis-Deoxynivalenol in Cats

Deoxynivalenol (DON), also known as vomitoxin for its effect on the digestive system, is a mycotoxin produced by the fungus Fusarium graminearum in grains such as corn, wheat, oats, and barley. Mycotoxicosis is the medical term used to describe a diseased state that is brought on by a mycotoxin, a toxic chemical that is produced by a fungal organism, such as molds and yeasts. Mycotoxicosis-deoxynivalenol refers to the toxic reaction that results when a cat ingests pet food that was made with DON-contaminated grain.

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Kidney Disease in Dogs

Fanconi syndrome is a collection of abnormalities arising from the defective transport of water, sodium, potassium, glucose, phosphate, bicarbonate, and amino acids from the kidneys; impaired tubular reabsorption, the process by which solutes and water are removed from the tubular fluid and transported into the blood, causes excessive urinary excretion of these solutes. Approximately 75 percent of the reported cases have occurred in the Basenji breed; estimates of the prevalence within the Basenji breed in North America range from 10–30 percent. It is presumed to be an inherited trait in this breed, but the mode of inheritance is unknown.

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The term pancytopenia does not refer to a disease itself, but rather to the simultaneous development of a number of blood-related deficiencies: non-regenerative anemia, leucopenia, and thrombocytopenia. The root word pan refers to all or whole, and cytopenia refers to a lack of cells circulating in the blood.

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Tooth Root (Apical) Abscess in Cats

Much like humans, cats experience apical abscesses, or pus formations that form under or in the tissues surrounding the cat’s tooth.

Abscesses occur for a variety of reasons, cause extreme pain, and can be treated with much success. If left untreated, however, bacteria can spead into other areas of the mouth, causing serious medical conditions.

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Blood is made up a cellular portion, and a liquid portion called plasma. This cellular makeup of blood includes the red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body, platelets, which make it possible for blood to clot, and white blood cells, the cells responsible for fighting disease and infection. When there are not enough red blood cells, the body is said to be anemic. Anemia is generally caused by an underlying disease.

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Heart Valve Malformation in Cats

Atrioventricular valve dysplasia (AVD) is a condition in which the mitral or tricuspid valves are malformed. This condition can result in the valves not closing sufficiently to stop blood flow when it supposed to, or to blood outflow obstruction due to a narrowing of the valves. The result of the malformation will depend on the size and location of the anatomic abnormality that is present.

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Cobalamin Malabsorption

Cobalamin malabsorption refers to a genetic abnormality by which the vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, fails to be absorbed from the intestine. This condition occurs secondary to the absence of a specific binding receptor in the lower intestine (the ileum) for intrinsic factor-cobalamin complex (IF-cbl). This is a rare disease that tends to affect Giant Schnauzers, Border Collies, and Beagles. In the Giant Schnauzer, it is inherited as a simple autosomal recessive trait. Symptoms generally appear at 6 to 12 weeks of age in Giant Schnauzers, and around four to six months in Border Collies.

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Loss of Stomach Motility in Dogs

The spontaneous peristaltic (involuntary, wavelike) movements of the stomach muscles are essential for proper digestion, moving food through the stomach and out into the duodenum — the first portion of the small intestine.

Excessive gastric motility, with muscular contractions occurring too frequently, causes pain, whereas below normal motility causes delayed gastric emptying, abnormal gastric retention, gastric distention/bloating, and other related signs. Symptoms may occur at any age but it is less common in young dogs than in aging dogs.

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Chronic Progressive Nephrosis

Sometimes referred to as glomerulonephrosis, chronic progressive nephrosis is a common kidney disease in older rats that causes inflammation of the renal blood vessels. Obesity and a high-protein diet are some other factors which can lead to glomerulonephrosis. Male rats are most susceptible to the disease than females, and contract it at a younger age. And unfortunately, this kidney disease can not be treated and is fatal in rats.

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Shock Lung in Dogs

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) refers to a condition of sudden respiratory failure due to fluid accumulation and severe inflammation in the lungs. ARDS is a life-threatening problem, with current mortality rates in dogs at almost 100 percent. This condition is also medically referred to as shock lung, as it occurs following an episode which leads to a state of shock, such as traumatic injury. As typified by a syndrome, ARDS is indicative of an underlying medical condition, usually an injurious event that has allowed blood, fluid and tissue to cross over the barrier and into the alveoli, the air cells in the lungs, causing them to collapse. Once the alveoli have been compromised in this way, breathing becomes labored, and eventually impossible if not treated with haste.

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