Feline Top 20 Diseases - Part 2

Question 1

what is the classic case presentation of an injection site sarcoma?

Answer 1

mass at or near the site of a previous vaccination with adjuvant-based vaccine up to 3 years prior (usually rabies or FeLV)

Question 2

how is feline injection site sarcoma diagnosed?

Answer 2

any mass that persists for more than 3 months after vaccination, is greater than 2cm diameter, increases in size more than 1 month post injection, incisional biopsy, & staging with histopath, thx rads, CBC, chem, CT, +/- MRI

Question 3

how is feline injection site sarcoma treated?

Answer 3

radiotherapy at site prior to resection, surgery with 3-5 cm wide & 1 fascial plane deep margins

Question 4

what is the prognosis of feline injection site sarcoma?

Answer 4

mets most commonly to the lungs, median survival after surgery is 274 days vs 66 days at a primary care center

Question 5

what are the recommended vaccination sites for cats?

Answer 5

rabies SQ distal right pelvic limb, FeLV SQ distal left pelvic limb, & give others SQ on the right scapula

Question 6

what is the classic case presentation of panleuk?

Answer 6

dehydration, depression, fever, hypothermia, vomiting, diarrhea, thick intestinal loops, intention tremors with a wide base stance due to cerebellar hypoplasia from in utero infection

Question 7

how is panleuk diagnosed?

Answer 7

profound leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, hypoalbuminemia - can use a canine parvovirus snap test, may be accurate in cats 24-48 hours post-infection (will be positive up to 2 weeks post FVRCP vaccine)

Question 8

what treatment is used for panleuk?

Answer 8

fluids, plasma/whole blood if low total protein, parenteral b complex to prevent thiamine deficiency, antibiotics with gram negative coverage (ampicillin), & treatment of persistent vomiting (metoclopramide, maropitant, ondansetron)

Question 9

what clinical aspects of panleuk parallel clinical disease & prognosis?

Answer 9

degree of neutropenia & thrombocytopenia

Question 10

how is panleuk prevented?

Answer 10

vaccination

Question 11

what is the classic case presentation of toxoplasmosis?

Answer 11

outdoor cat with access to rodents, indoor cats at risk from insects, clinical signs can occur months to years after initial infection if immunosuppressed - chorioretinitis, neuro signs, gi signs, coughing, icterus, & muscle pain

Question 12

how is toxoplasmosis diagnosed?

Answer 12

IgM or IgG paired titers (4 fold increase, 2-4 weeks apart) - if a positive IgG titer indicates prior exposure, if IgM titer is greater than 1:64 indicates an active infection

Question 13

how is toxoplasmosis treated?

Answer 13

clindamycin for 2-4 weeks or 2 weeks beyond the clinical resolution of signs

Question 14

what is the zoonotic concern of toxoplasmosis?

Answer 14

can cause birth defects in a developing fetus if a mother is infected for the first time in her life while pregnant - don’t let them clean cat boxes

Question 15

how is toxoplasmosis prevented?

Answer 15

keep cats indoors & prevent access to rodents/raw meat

Question 16

what drug is contraindicated when treating toxoplasmosis?

Answer 16

steroids

Question 17

what is the classic case presentation of FLUTD?

Answer 17

male cat that is unable to urinate, straining, often obese, large turgid bladder, hypothermia, bradycardia, comatose

Question 18

how is FLUTD diagnosed?

Answer 18

urinalysis via catheterization, hematuria with leukocytes/crystalluria, analysis of urethral plug, azotemia, hyperkalemia, rads to look for stones, & an ecg with tall t waves if hyperkalemia is severe

Question 19

how is FLUTD treated?

Answer 19

retrograde urohydropulsion, avoid cystocentesis/manual expression, treat bradycardia, urinary catheterization with a closed system, PU surgery as a salvage procedure

Question 20

what is the recurrence rate of FLUTD?

Answer 20

15-40%

Question 21

what is the classic case presentation of a cat with diabetes mellitus?

Answer 21

overweight/obese middle aged cat, usually neutered male, pu/pd/pp, weight loss, may be very sick with DKA

Question 22

what neuropathy may be seen in a diabetic cat?

Answer 22

plantigrade stance due to diabetic neuropathy

Question 23

how is diabetes mellitus diagnosed in a cat?

Answer 23

fasting hypergycemia, urinalysis - glucosuria, ketonuria, active sediment fructosamine - elevated with persistent weeks of hyperglycemia

Question 24

how is diabetes mellitus treated in a cat?

Answer 24

insulin twice daily with either glargine or PZI, diet modification is very important (canned, low carb under 7%) & avoid a high fiber diet

Question 25

how should glucose curves be done for diabetic cats?

Answer 25

done at home because in clinic curves will be altered by stress