Science and Medicine advance rapidly. If fact, the American Dental Association, describes the advancement of dentistry in humans now as "daily." I graduated from veterinary college almost twenty five years ago, in 1985. I thought medical science was really advanced then! Fortunately for us and our pets though, advancements continue to come.Axioms that described some of the lack of veterinary medical knowledge three decades ago included, "Sick Sheep Seldom Survive," and "a yellow cat is a dead cat." I can honestly say that four word axiom encompasses my entire knowledge of medicine in sheep. (Good thing they were never a part of my patient base.) Sheep and farm animals are their own specialty now and each veterinarian has knowledge that mostly encompasses their personal interests.
My interest has always been cat specialty practice, so I know the most about cats. I do know a great deal about horses and birds too, but those animals did not gather my interest the way cats do. I have also had people wonder how I ever kept busy just seeing cats. We were overwhelmed with business and I had five veterinary hospitals devoted to just seeing cats.
So, I learned that a "yellow cat," that is a jaundiced cat, can survive and do well, and I am glad many people came to me for a second opinion when they were otherwise given a hopeless prognosis. My first really close experience with jaundice and liver disease was actually with one of my veterinary college roommates. He got jaundice after getting an infection in his liver. He looked ghoulish with glowing yellowish green eyes and yellow skin. It made me realize where many of the spooky stories came from in antiquity.
My roommate survived, so I figured cats must be able to survive liver disease too. I learned that three diseases dominate liver disease in cats, but that many other toxins and parasites can induce liver disease too. They are Cholangiohepatits, or infection or inflammation in the liver, Hepatic Lipidosis, or fatty infiltration of the liver, and Cancers of the liver, usually a lymphoma or lymphosarcoma type of cancer in the liver tissues.
The liver also can have shunts that cause Hepatic Encephalopathy, a brain affect that follows after eating a meal. This condition is treated by surgical ligation of the shunts, or feeding a restricted protein diet. The other liver diseases are treated with fluid therapy, hand feeding, antibiotics and anti-inflamatory drugs, like prednisilone. With a few days of therapy, the cats with cholangiohepatitis or hepatic lipidosis can often times be sent home. If they have liver cancer though, their chances of making it are slim.
I'm glad to be a part of an advancing era of medical science. It sure beats the old days when an entire species of animals, like sheep, where written off as goners before ever being given a chance to survive.
Dr. Doug Ikeler http://www.drdougikeler.com/
Thank you Yvonne Ashmore for the cat photos.
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