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Cancer
Category:
Pet Health, Chronic Conditions
Cancer, by definition, is the uncontrolled growth of cells. Any type of cells in the body can become cancerous. Once these cells grow out of control, they take over areas previously occupied by normal cells; sometimes these tumor cells break off and travel to other areas of the body. Wherever these cells
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Cancer in Cats
Category:
Feline, Pet Health, Chronic Conditions
The term “cancer” describes a whole class of diseases. If your cat gets a cancer diagnosis, it means that undesirable cells are growing uncontrollably, invading nearby tissue and possibly spreading through your cat’s body. Some types are more serious than others. As with people, early detection
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Common Feline Skin Conditions: Protect Your Feline
Category:
Feline, Pet Health, Chronic Conditions
Cats can suffer from a variety of different skin disorders, including feline acne, allergic dermatitis, mites and ringworm. If your cat is frequently itching, scratching, licking his skin beyond normal grooming, or suffering unexplained hair loss, a skin condition may be the cause.
The first step to
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Diabetes Mellitus
Category:
Pet Health, Chronic Conditions
Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a life long disorder of dogs and cats that results when the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin to meet the animal's needs. Insulin is a hormone needed to transport glucose (blood sugar) into the body's cells. When there is a lack of insulin in the body, blood glucose rises
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Epilepsy
Category:
Pet Health, Chronic Conditions
Epilepsy (often referred to as a seizure disorder) is a chronic neurological condition characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures. It is commonly controlled with medication, although surgical methods are used as well. Epileptic seizures are classified both by their patterns of activity in the brain
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Eye Problems
Category:
Feline, Pet Health, Chronic Conditions
Cats normally have excellent vision—their eyes are about six times more sensitive to light than a human’s eyes. However, injuries and a variety of diseases can impair a cat’s vision and even cause blindness.
You can help your cat keep its eyes healthy by making sure it has regular check-ups and
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Feline Anemia
Category:
Feline, Pet Health, Chronic Conditions
A diagnosis of anemia means your cat does not have enough red blood cells and/or hemoglobin to carry sufficient oxygen to all of his or her tissues. Each red blood cell lives only 70 to 80 days, so your cat’s body must constantly replenish these. Anemia itself is not a disease; it indicates that some
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Feline Diabetes
Category:
Feline, Pet Health, Chronic Conditions
Diabetes mellitus is a common disease in which a cat’s body does not make enough insulin or has difficulty using it. This hormone is produced in the pancreas. Its job is to help move glucose from the bloodstream into the body’s cells to provide them with a source of energy.
Many cats with diabetes
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Feline Ear Issues
Category:
Feline, Pet Health, Chronic Conditions
Most cats will never have a serious problem with their hearing during their lives. However, several ear issues can affect cats. Many of these can cause discomfort or pain, but some may even lead to a partial loss of hearing or deafness.
Ear issues in cats can have a variety of causes, including infections,
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Heart Problems
Category:
Feline, Pet Health, Chronic Conditions
A cat’s apricot-sized heart is susceptible to several problems. Some develop in young kittens while others may strike at any age.
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy results from a structural abnormality of the tissue around one or more of the heart’s chambers. It disrupts the heart’s normal
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Hypertension
Category:
Feline, Pet Health, Chronic Conditions
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is fairly common in cats. Although it can occur on its own, it is usually a sign of other serious health problems. High blood pressure can also cause problems with other parts of the body, including the eyes, kidneys and heart.
Cats are more likely to develop high
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Hyperthyroidism in Cats
Category:
Feline, Pet Health, Chronic Conditions
Hyperthyroidism is a condition that causes a cat’s thyroid gland to produce too much thyroid hormone. This disease most often shows up in middle-aged and older cats.
The thyroid gland is located in the neck. Thyroid hormones affect most organs in the body, so hyperthyroidism can lead to other problems
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Hypothyroidism
Category:
Pet Health, Chronic Conditions, Pet Health
Hypothyroidism is the natural deficiency of thyroid hormone and is the most common hormone imbalance of dogs. This deficiency is produced by several different mechanisms. The most common cause (at least 95% of cases) is immune destruction of the thyroid gland. It can also be caused by natural atrophy
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Kidney Issues
Category:
Feline, Pet Health, Chronic Conditions
The kidneys have two important roles in a cat’s body. First, they filter wastes and toxins from the blood, which then exit the body in the urine. The kidneys also help regulate the volume of fluids in the body and important hormones and other chemicals.
Cats can develop several kinds of kidney issues,
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Liver
Category:
Feline, Pet Health, Chronic Conditions
The liver is a very important organ. It is involved in digestion and removing harmful toxins from the blood. Cats can develop several conditions that affect how well their liver works.
Cholangiohepatitis
One of the most common causes of liver disease in cats is cholangiohepatitis. In this condition,
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Liver Shunt
Category:
Pet Health, Chronic Conditions
A liver shunt is also named a PSS, portosystemic shunt, portacaval shunt or portosystemic vascular anomaly. This abnormality occurs when a pet's venous blood from the intestine bypasses the liver. In the normal pet, blood vessels pick up nutrients from ingested material in the intestine and carry it
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