Articles

We would like to congratulate you on the acquisition of your new kitten. Owning a cat can be an extremely rewarding experience, but it also carries with it quite a bit of responsibility.

In its simplest terms, pyometra is an infection in the uterus. However, most cases of pyometra are much more difficult to manage than a routine infection. 

Icterus is also known as jaundice or yellow jaundice, meaning that a yellow pigment is found in the blood and in the tissues. It is most easily seen in the gums, the sclerae (white part of the eyes), and the pinnae (ear flaps).

What is megacolon?  The gastrointestinal tract terminates in a tubular organ called the colon. The colon serves as a site for absorption of water and storage of fecal material. It is continuous with the rectum.

Pyothorax is an infection that occurs in the pleural space. The pleural space is located between the lungs and the chest wall. In the normal cat this space is almost non-existent because the lungs lie against the chest wall.

What is “inappropriate elimination”?  This is a term that means that a cat is urinating and/or defecating in the house but not in the litter box. 

What is inflammatory bowel disease?  Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is not a specific disease. Rather, it is a specific reaction that the stomach or intestines have to chronic irritation. 

Hookworms are intestinal parasites of the cat (and dog). Their name is derived from the hook-like mouthparts they use to anchor to the lining of the intestinal wall. They are only about 1/8" (2-3 mm) long and so small in diameter that they are barely visible to the naked eye.

Heartworms are 9-11” long worms that live in a cat’s heart or in the arteries going to the lungs (pulmonary arteries). Although they occur commonly in dogs, most people do not consider them a problem for the cat.

Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure.