® Expert information on medicine, behavior and health from a world leader in veterinary medicine Kittens and the Aging Are Vulnerable Short Takes 2 Paralyzed therapy cat; top Finding a simple blood test for feline infectious peritonitis 10 breeds; arthritis pain. could improve its diagnosis and prevent shelter outbreaks Canned vs. Dry Food 3 They're equal on several points, "{ A Then a kitten or is not generally recom­ but canned has the edge for cats. V V elderly cat shows mended by the American little interest in food, Association of Feline No Worms In Ringworm 4 loses weight, develops a Practitioners. And there The fungus is easily transmitted persistent fever and suc­ is no known cure or effec­ from cats to other animals and you. cumbs to an untimely tive treatment. Ask Elizabeth 8 death, too many heart­ broken owners are left to Promising Research. Their 6-year-old cat had no signs wonder: What was the If Dr. Whittaker and his of this common heart disease. cause ofdeath? team researching FIP are One possible cul­ successful, however, their IN THE NEWS ••• prit is feline infectious ~ promising work could lead peritonitis (FIP). The g to discoveries to make a Do beta blockers improve often-fatal disease usu­ simple, reliable diagnostic the lives of heart patients? ally goes undiagnosed, says Cornell University blood test for FIP a reality - perhaps in as virologist Gary Whittaker, Ph.D. "The idea soon as five years, with government approval to Beta blockers have proven that FIP is a rare disease is not true. It can follow. Ideally, the test will identify a mutation effective in treating some people actually be quite common, and it's currently that sets the deadly FIP infection into action. with hypertrophic cardiomyopa­ the leading infectious cause of death in cats If that happens, it would bring the pos­ thy, but their effectiveness in cats under 2 years ofage." What's more, there is no sibility of intervention or at least a drug for with asymptomatic HCM has simple test for it. The only available vaccine (continued on page 6) not been established. However, researchers at North Carolina State University are now studying cats being treated with the beta­ They Jump, Paw, Cry, Stare and Meow blocker atenolol to better de­ termine if early medical therapy The goals oftheir extensive repertoire ofbegging behavior: improves their quality of life. HCM, the most common food or your attention - you're the mother cat feline heart disease, causes thickening of the heart muscle, onSidering that kittens vocalize to their says. "Adult cats almost never meow at reducing blood flow and, in Cmothers for everything they want, it's one another." more advanced cases, oxygen not unusual for cats to meow or beg for food levels throughout the body. and attention from their owners. In cat-own­ They Train Us. Cats use a range of vocal­ The disease most commonly ing households, humans are the mother cats. izations and behaviors to get what they want occurs in middle age, with males, "There may be an underlying genetic from people. They quickly learn that we re­ Maine Coons and American component because the kitten who demands ward meowing, crying, staring, jumping up Shorthairs especially predisposed. things survives," says Katherine A. Houpt, or pawing. Although this training is often The cause is not known. VMD, Ph.D., former preSident of the Ameri­ unintentional, cats beg because their owners Beta blockers slow the heart can College of Veterinary Behaviorists and have responded by feeding them or talking rate, allowing more time for emeritus James Law Professor of Animal back when they meowed. bl ood flow to the heart muscle, Behavior at the Cornell University College of "The cat probably became trained to beg and red uce the amount of Veterinary Medicine. because every time he meowed. you gave oxygen the heart uses. In so me Another predisposing factor in begging: him a treat because it was cute," Dr. Houpt cases, the incidence of arrhyth­ Cats have been bred to remain dependent says. "Later you decided it was not so cute mia s, or irregular heartbeats, is and kitten-like. "If owners reward vocal­ and. in fact, was a nuisance. so you rewarded al so lessened . •:. izing, their cats learn this works," Dr. Houpt (continued on page 5) CatWatch Atherapy cat on wheels EDITOR IN CHIEF A Husky found t he kitten Bruce G. Kornreich, DVM, Ph.D., Dipl ACVIM lying in the street and gently carried him in his mouth home EDITOR Betty Liddick to his owner. Scooter had a broken spine and his back legs ART DIRECTOR Mary Francis McGavic were paralyzed, Euthanasia would have been the likely fate ADVISORY BOARD James A. Flanders, DVM, Dipl for a kitten in simil ar shape. But ACVS, Associate Professor, Betsy Kennon, VMD, at Harts Cli nical Sciences Run Veterinary Hospital in Fox Marc S. Kraus, DVM, Dipl ACVIM, Senior Lec turer, Clinical Sciences Chapel, Pa, was determined to sa ve his life - and she did. Scooter provides cheer and inspiration to nursing home and Margaret C. McEntee, DVM, Dipl ACVIM, DACVR, Hospital clients chipped in to rehabilitation patients, Professor of Oncology buy Scooter a custom -made William H. Miller, Jr.,VMD, ACVD, wheeled cart to get around, Professo r, Cl ininical Sciences Toda y, he regularly visits a nursing Heading the li st: the chatty, cu ri ous Siamese. Ilona Rodan, DVM, Dipl ABVP home and a rehabilitation hospital as a The other breeds in ord er Wisconsin Cat Care Cli nic, Madison, WI therapy cat. He se rves as an "i nspiration 2. Persian 7. America n to the elderly and to patients who lack 3. Maine Coon Shorthair mobility due to injuries and strokes," says 4. Ragdoll 8. Manx the ASPCA. During one of Scooter's first S. Bengal 9. Russian Blue Cornell University hospital vi sits, a stroke victim who doctors 6. Himalayan 10. Sphynx == College of (fi). Veterinary Medicine said would never open her eyes or speak suddenly did open her eyes and began Gauging arthritis pain For information on your ca t's health, chatting away like they were old friends, Researchers at the University of Montreal visit the Cornell University Col lege of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell Felin e Her first word: kitty, The staff was in tears, are developing scales for identifying and Health Center website at The AS PCA honored Scooter as the Cat quantifying pain caused by osteoarthritis, www.vet.comell.edu/fhcl. of the Year at its annual Humane Awards Drs. Mary Klinck and Eric Troncy are working Luncheon in New York City, along with on two scales: one designed for use by other special anima ls and individuals who owners and another by veterinarians, So far, have made a significant impact on the their work shows promise, and next steps li ves of animals, include laboratory trials to increase the tests' Dr. Kennon, who is now w ith the VCA sensitivity and improve their ability to detect CotWorcH (ISSN: 1095-9092) Northview An imal Hospital in Pittsburgh, pain, says the Morri s Animal Foundation _ is pu blished month ly Pa , went on to adopt Scooter, who joined Fellows hip, one of the sponsors of the study. for 539 per yea r by :]_ Belvoir Media Group, her four dogs, three cats, a lovebird and a Osteoarthritis is common in ol der LLC, 800 Connecticu t tank of fish She's had to discourage him cats w ho su ffer the same painfu l joint Belvoir Ave., Norwalk, CT 06854­ \631. Robert Englander, from getting at the fish but has noted degeneration that humans do. However, Chairman and CEO; Timothy H. Cole, that, unlike her other cats, he's cats excel at masking pain, Executive Vice President, Editorial Director; Phili p L. Penn y, Chief caught five mice, making the disease di fficu lt to Operating Office r; Greg King, Ex ecuti ve diagnose if observab le signs such Vice President, Marketing Director; Ron Goldberg, Chief Financial Officer; Tom The top 10 breeds as lamen ess aren't present. Canfield, Vice President, Circulation. The website Vetstreet Chronic pa in limits function ©20 12 Belvoi r Media Group, LLC. examined purebred cats' birth and may also contribute to Pos tmas ter: Se nd address corrections records in 2011 and came behavior probl ems that can to CatWa tch, P.O. Box 8535, Big Sandy, TX 75 755-853 5. up with its top 10 list of damag e the human-animal bond, the most popular resul ting, experts say, in euthanasia For Customer Service or Subscription information, visit cat breeds in or the surrender of th e pet to an www.catwatchnewsletter.com!cs the U,S. an imal shel ter. Ve terinary medicine or call toll free: 800-829-8893. has sca les to measure sudden or Exp res s written permiSSion is req ui red to repro duce, in any surgical pain in cats, but those conditions manner, the contents of this issue, differ from chronic pain . •:. eith er in fu ll or in pa rt. For more infor mation, write to Permissions, CatWatch, 800 Con necticut Ave ., The Siamese is the most popular cat in the U.s., Norwal k, Connecticut 06854-163 1 according to a survey. CatWatch JANUARY 2013 The Great Debate: Canned vs. Dry They're fairly equal in dietary soundness and go through similar manufacturing, but canned has the edge for cats ith all the marketing claims They can handle glucose well, but they W about the virtues of canned and absorb carbohydrates slower than dogs dry food, it can be daunting to choose in general, yet they are assimilated into between them.