Feline Leukemia & Feline
Immunodeficiency Virus |
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 FeLV and FIV are
both caused by retroviruses that are similar to, but not the same as,
the virus that causes human AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome).
There is no indication that cats can spread this disease to people or be
infected by the human version. These viruses are species-specific. They
can, however, transmit it to other cats.
Both viruses depress the immune system opening the door to secondary
infections and diseases. The most common contagious infection is
upper-respiratory. The most common noncontagious disease is cancer. An
individual cat can contract both FeLV and FIV.
Contracting FeLV is spread through close and prolonged cat-to-cat
contact through bodily fluids (saliva, blood, urine and feces). Mother
cats can give it to their kittens when they are pregnant or when they
are nursing. Companion cats can spread it through shared food and water
dishes and through mutual grooming. FeLV can be spread when there are
many cats in close quarters such as multiple cat households and
catteries. It is not transmitted through humans and is not airborne.
FIV is spread when an infected cat bites another cat. This can happen
when cats fight so unneutered male cats that are allowed outside have
the highest risk of infection.
Progression and Symptoms FeLV can be caused by one of several types of
viruses which have slightly different symptoms. There are recognizable
stages that are similar:
(1) infection of the tissues of the mouth.
(2) the virus spreads to the blood
(3) the virus infects to the lymph glands.
(4) the virus infects the bone marrow.
(5) the infection spreads further into the blood
(6) the virus infects the tear glands, salivary glands and bladder. The
cat is now infectious and can spread the virus to other cats.
In the early stages, common symptoms include weight loss, dehydration
and fever. Other symptoms can include kidney problems, ulcers,
inflammatory bowel disease, cystitis (urinary tract infection), etc. The
symptoms are wide ranging and can also include skin diseases, nerve
damage and cancerous growths.
FIV also has a wide ranging group of symptoms. Since the immune system
is depressed, upper respiratory infections can become chronic. The mouth
can become inflamed there can be loss of weight due to chronic diarrhea,
fevers, enlargement of the lymph glands, chronic abscesses and cystitis
(urinary tract infection). Younger, healthier cats can live for years
with the disease in remission.
Vaccination There is a vaccine for FeLV although it may not be 100%
effective. There are indications that some cats can develop tumors at
the vaccination site although such incidences are rare. Your personal
veterinarian will be able to discuss the pros and cons of vaccinating
individual animals. There is a school of thought that cats can be
bolstered by giving vaccinations to infected cats. However, this is
controversial since some vaccines are weakened forms of the live virus
and the cat already has a weakened immune system. There is no vaccine
for FIV.
FeLV Vaccination schedule (check with your veterinarian for specifics)
First vaccination: 10 weeks
Second vaccination: 12 and 24 weeks depending on the type of vaccine
Repeat at approximately 1 year intervals depending on the type of
vaccine
Treatment There is no cure for either FeLV or FIV. Some cats can live
long and healthy lives while others contract diseases immediately. Blood
tests can show the presence of both viruses. Your veterinarian should
always be notified if your cat has been infected since this could affect
his administration of vaccines and other treatments.
An infected cat should be kept away from uninfected cats and, therefore,
must be kept indoors. A healthy, balanced and nutritious diet and good
general care is the best way to maintain your cat's health for as long
as possible. Minimizing stress and change is also helpful.
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| Hypothyroidism & Dogs |
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 You may have
noticed your dog is putting on a few pounds lately although you haven’t
changed its diet. After taking your pet to your veterinarian, it has
been discovered that your pet has an under active thyroid gland. Just
what is hypothyroidism?
Hypothyroidism is a disorder in which the thyroid gland (two small lobes
located in the neck ) secretes insufficient thyroid hormone.
Hypothyroidism isn’t life threatening, but it does diminish quality of
life. Once diagnosed, however, the disorder is relatively easy to treat.
The thyroid gland produces the thyroid hormones that are critical to
maintaining your dog’s normal metabolic rate. This is the speed at which
the body converts nutrient energy into energy fueling the body. If the
thyroid gland degenerates or becomes inflamed, it can no longer produce
sufficient quantities of hormones. As a result, cells don’t convert the
nutritional energy it needs into biologically usable fuel as fast as
usual.
This decreased cell function causes a number of physical changes in a
hypothyroid dog. Nearly half of such dogs gain weight (with no change in
diet). Over a third become lethargic and mentally dull, and just under a
third show hair or skin abnormalities. Hair-producing cells slow down,
so there is less hair growth and more hair loss. Skin-producing cells
slow down, so there is more wrinkling and seborrhea (dandruff) . Also,
hypothyroid pets may suffer an increased propensity to joint disease,
especially ligament damage.
Some veterinarians also suspect a link between behavior problems and
hypothyroidism. Increased aggression is the most commonly suspected
behavior change, but some veterinarians speculate that a few hypothyroid
dogs may develop anxiety- related or compulsive behaviors. If your pet
develops a sudden behavioral change, have your dogs thyroid status
examined.
Since the physical signs of hypothyroidism develop gradually and vary
from dog to dog, the disorder often goes undiagnosed. But veterinarians
have found that hypothyroidism typically develops after 2 years of age
and is more common in certain breeds such as golden retrievers and
Doberman pinschers. While all owners should be on the lookout for
changes in their dog’s appearance or behavior that suggest
hypothyroidism, owners of middle-aged dogs or genetically predisposed
dogs should be especially watchful. If you notice any signs, consult
your veterinarian. By simply taking a sample of your dog’s blood, it can
be determined if the dog has hypothyroidism. At Columbia Veterinary
Associates, we are recommending testing as part of our senior health
examinations.
Diagnosing hypothyroidism would seem to be as simple as measuring
thyroid-hormone levels in the blood. However, this simple technique can
give an inaccurate diagnosis because some illness such as Cushings
disease- overactive adrenal glands-- and medications, such as cortisone
suppress the level of circulating thyroid hormones. The most accurate
test is the - thyroid stimulating hormone -TSH- response test. In this
test, the veterinarian measures thyroid-hormone levels in the dog’s
blood, administers TSH (a chemical that stimulates thyroid-hormone
secretion), then remeasures hormone levels to determine whether the
thyroid gland responded by producing additional thyroid hormones. While
the TSH response test is reasonably accurate, it is expensive to
administer. Also, this hormone is now difficult to find because of
decreased production by the manufacturers.
Newer tests are available, that are as accurate (although not 100
percent) and less expensive than the TSH response test. With these tests
the a combination of the levels of thyroid hormone -T4- and a specific
thyroid hormone-Free T4 - as well as the level of TSH in a dog’s blood
are measured. Hypothyroid dogs have both a high TSH level and a low
free-T4 level.
Veterinarians treat hypothyroidism by prescribing supplemental thyroid
hormone, which the owner must administer to the dog orally once or twice
a day. These medications are initially prescribed according to your
pet’s weight. Your veterinarian will closely monitor your dog in the
initial stage of treatment by retesting the thyroid level- T4- to make
sure the animal is getting the appropriate dosage. Too little hormone
won’t alleviate the signs, while too much can cause a dog to develop
hyperthyroidism (excessive thyroid hormone causing agitated and
overactive behavior, weight loss, excessive drinking, and excessive
urination). Once thyroid- hormone levels have stabilized within a normal
range, your veterinarian will likely check the levels every six months
to every year. The dose levels of medication used to treat this disease
in dogs is much higher than the rate use to treat hypothyroidism in
people.
Once treatment begins, most hypothyroid dogs are increasingly active and
show fewer behavior problems within a week. Hair growth typically
accelerates in about a week, too, although bare spots may take months to
fully grow in. Most dogs begin to lose excess weight within 2 to 4 weeks
of starting treatment.
If you suspect hypothyroidism, consult your veterinarian. The treatment
for hypothyroidism is straightforward, and the medication is relatively
inexpensive.
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Ehrlichiosis - A Tick Disease |
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Affected Animals: Dogs, cats, and in rare instances, humans.
German shepherds and Doberman pinschers tend to be affected more
severely by the disease.
Overview:
Dogs get ehrlichiosis from the brown dog tick, which passes an Ehrlichia
organism into the bloodstream when it bites. There are three stages of
ehrlichiosis, each varying in severity. The acute stage, occurring
several weeks after infection and lasting for up to a month, can lead to
fever and disorders of the blood. The second stage, called the
subclinical phase, has no outward signs and can last for up to five
years. If the infected dog’s immune system is unable to eliminate the
Ehrlichia organism, the third and most serious stage of infection, the
chronic phase, will commence. Lameness, neurological and ophthalmic
disorders, kidney disease, and anemia and other blood disorders can
result.  Chronic
ehrlichiosis can be fatal.
Antibiotics, administered for an extended period of time, are effective
at eliminating the infection. Dogs with severe cases of chronic
ehrlichiosis cannot be cured, but supportive care and treatment of
diseases secondary to the infection, such as anemia, can help stabilize
the dog.Clinical Signs:
The acute stage of the disease, occurring most often in the spring and
summer, begins one to three weeks after infection and lasts for two to
four weeks. Clinical signs include a fever, petechiae, bleeding
disorders, and vasculitis. There are no outward signs of the subclinical
phase, which can last for up to five years. Clinical signs of the
chronic phase include pale gums due to anemia, thrombocytopenia,
vasculitis, lymphadenopathy, respiratory dyspnea, coughing, polyuria,
polydipsia, lameness, ophthalmic diseases such as retinal hemorrhage and
anterior uveitis, and neurological disease.
Symptoms:
Symptoms of the acute
stage of disease include a fever, lesions within the mucous membrane,
bleeding disorders, and inflammation of the blood vessels. The
subclinical phase has no outward signs of disease. Signs of the chronic
stage of the disease can include pale gums due to anemia, inflammation
of the blood vessels, swollen lymph nodes, difficulty breathing,
coughing, kidney symptoms such as increased urination and increased
drinking, lameness, eye disorders, and neurological disease.
Description:
Ehrlichiosis is a tick-borne disease of dogs that is caused by an
organism called Ehrlichia. There are several species of Ehrlichia, but
the one that most commonly affects dogs and causes the most severe
clinical signs is Ehrlichia canis. The brown dog tick, or Rhipicephalus
sanguineous, that passes the Ehrlichia to the dog is prevalent
throughout most of the United States, but most cases tend to occur in
the Southwest and Gulf Coast regions where there is a high concentration
of the tick.
There are three stages of the Ehrlichia canis infection: acute,
subclinical, and chronic. Approximately one to three weeks following the
infection, clinical signs of the acute phase begin and typically last
for two to four weeks. The subclinical phase, which does not produce
outward clinical signs, lasts for up to five years. If the dog’s immune
system is unable to eliminate the organism during this stage, the
chronic phase will occur and may last for years, depending on the
severity of the infection. Dogs that are severely affected can die from
this disease.
Although people can get ehrlichiosis, dogs do not transmit the bacteria
to humans; rather, ticks pass on the Ehrlichia organism. Clinical signs
of human ehrlichiosis include fever, headache, eye pain, and
gastrointestinal upset.
Diagnosis:
Diagnosis is achieved most commonly by serologic testing of the blood
for the presence of antibodies against the Ehrlichia organism. During
the acute phase of infection, however, the test can be falsely negative
because the body will not have had time to make antibodies to the
infection. Thus, the test will need to be repeated if the first result
is negative. In addition, blood tests will show abnormalities in the
numbers of red cells, white cells, and platelets. Uncommonly, a
diagnosis can be made by looking under a microscope at a blood smear for
the presence of the Ehrlichia organism, which sometimes can be seen
within a white blood cell.
Prognosis:
The prognosis is good for dogs with acute ehrlichiosis. For dogs that
have reached the chronic stage of the disease, the prognosis is guarded.
When bone marrow suppression occurs and there are low levels of blood
cells, the animal may not respond to treatment.
Transmission or Cause:
The Ehrlichia organism is passed to the dog through the saliva of a tick
called Rhipicephalus sanguineous. These ticks are prevalent throughout
most of the United States, but most cases of infection tend to occur in
the Southwest and Gulf Coast regions.
Treatment:
Supportive care must be provided to animals that have clinical signs.
Subcutaneous or intravenous fluids are given to dehydrated animals, and
severely anemic dogs may require a blood transfusion. Treatment for
ehrlichiosis involves the use of antibiotics such as doxycycline for a
period of at least six to eight weeks; response to the drugs may take
one month. In addition, steroids may be indicated in severe cases in
which the level of platelets is so low that the condition is life
threatening.
Prevention:
Prevent tick infestation by avoiding tick-infested areas. In addition,
there are many methods for controlling fleas, including medicated
shampoos, dips, sprays, the Preventic® collar, or Frontline®. If tick
control is not feasible, tetracycline at a lower dose can be given daily
for 200 days during the tick season in endemic regions.
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 You
know You're a Dog Person When...
- You can't see out the passenger side
of the windshield because there are nose prints all over the inside.
- You like people who like your dog. You
despise people who don't.
- You are the only idiot walking in the
pouring rain because your dog needs its walk.
- You keep an extra water dish in your
second-floor bedroom, in case your dog gets thirsty at night.
- You never completely finish a piece of
steak or chicken (so your dog gets a taste, too).
- You shovel a zig-zag path in the back
yard snow so your dog can reach all its favorite spots.
- You avoid vacuuming the house as long
as possible because your dog is afraid of the vacuum cleaner.
- You make popcorn just to play catch
with your dog.
- You carry pictures of your dog in your
wallet instead of pictures of your parents, siblings, significant
other, or anyone else remotely human.
- Your dog is the star of your World
Wide Web site.
- You have 32 different names for your
dog. Most make no sense, but she understands.
- Your dog eats cat poop, but you still
let her kiss you (but not immediately afterward, of course).
- You like people who like your dog. You
despise people who don't.
- You carry dog biscuits in your purse
or pocket at all times.
- You talk about your dog the way other
people talk about their kid.
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