Pursuing Drugs for Mammary Cancer So You Want to Add One More Caot?
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® Expert information on medicine, behavior and health from a world leader in veterinary medicine 'Tail Vaccinations Save Lives' 2 Pursuing Drugs for Mammary Cancer New research finds that they make it easier to deal with sarcomas. Cornell researchers identify an inhibitor that seems to The Power ofTouch 2 Stroking anxious shelter cats can kill cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unaffected ease their stress and increase immunity. How to Handle a Fainting Episode 3 n esearchers studying feline Baker Institute for Animal Health, An immediate veterinary visit is a ftmammary cancer at Cornell have identified a promising chemical, must to uncover the underlying cause. University College of Veterinary BB-CI-amidine, that seems to kill off Should Their (at Drink Milk? 8 Medicine have set an ambitious feline mammary cancer cells while They may love it, but it offers few agenda. They hope that their leaving healthy cells unaffected. benefits and some potential harm. ongoing work will lead to better diagnosis. treatment and preven Malignant Tumors. The chemi IN THE NEWS ••• tion of breast tumors in cats and cal inhibits certain enzymes, Raising Awareness About humans. Much of their interest called peptidylarginine deimi Obesity's Risks and Solutions lies in how a novel class of drugs nase (PAD), which tend to be Despite the potential con affects breast cell tumors. over expressed (increased) in sequences of obesity, up to 59 In a study funded by the Cor feline mammary tumors. The percent of cats are overweight, nell Feline Health Center. As ~- majority 0 f t hese tumors are .2> according to the American sistant Professor Gerlinde Van '" malignant, and they're the Anima l Hospital Association. It lists de Walle. DVM, Ph.D .• and As Siamese have twice the most frequently diagnosed can- risk of mammary cancer a, some of the effects in "Weight sociate Professor Scott Coon other breeds. cer in female cats greater than Management Guidelines for Dogs rod, Ph.D., both working at the 10 years ofage. The cancer can and Cats," published in the Journal (continued O~l page 4) of the AAHA: chronic inAamma tion caused by fat tissue releasing hormones and proteins called So You Want to Add One More CaOt? cytokines, skin and respiratory disorders, renal dysfunction, dia Consider expense, time and the real determinant; betes and orthopedic disease. The association acknowledges the impact on your household's current pet population that weight management is achal lenge, made more difficult because f you're debating whether to bring home that a new kitten could enliven an old cat. but it must be individualized and I a new cat, you may stop and wonder: Do Dr. Houpt cautions, "If you have a cat, there lifelong. The guidelines offer practi I dare add one more? We love animals, but are lots of things you can do to improve the cal advice, such as solutions for the point comes when we should stop adding quality of his life but getting another cat is cats' night-time vocalizing for food: them to our households and hearts, whether not one of them." Set automatic feeders for night. due to our current pet population, expense, Provide toys with hidden food. time involved in caring for multiple pets or Her Reason: If you look at natural feral cat Aging is a significant factor in this basic point about feline nature: populations. it's the mothers and their daugh obesity, affecting metabolism "Cats are mostly happy as only cats," ters who live more or less in harmony. They and activity level, the guidelines says animal behaviorist Katherine A. Houpt, drive away anyone else. Females usually don't say, adding that adult cats "may VMD, Ph.D., emeritus professor at Cornell have friendly relationships with non-Siblings. benefit from increased vigilance University College of Veterinary Medicine. They will fight. So if you dearly want more and perhaps a diet change to a It may seem that a second cat could pro than one cat, Dr. Houpt suggests getting lit less calorie-dense food ." .:. vide companionship for your lone feline or termates. Most likely they'll get along until (continued on page 6) CatWatch SHORT TAKES Tail Vaccinations (an develops near the tip, the cancer can be EDITOR IN CHIEF completely removed with surgery If a cancer Bruce G. Kornreich, DVM , Ph .D., Save Lives, aStudy Says develops at the base of the tail close to the Dipl ACVI Vaccinations administered at the tip of body, complete removal may not be possible." EDITOR cats' tails seem to be as effective as those Betty Liddick given at traditional sites, according to a University of Florida study. What's more, ART DIRECTOR Mar y Francis McGavic researchers say, it can save lives. More owners would be encouraged to ADVISORY BOARD treat cats' injection-site sarcomas when they James A. Flanders, DVM. Dipl ACVS, As~oclo e ProfessO!, occur because surgical intervention would Cl,nicel Sdf.'nces be easier and less invasive, researchers say. Margaret C. McEntee, DVM, Veterinarians usually vaccinate cats DI I ACVIM. DACVR, below the elbow or knee joint in the leg. If Plolessor of Oncology cancer develops in those areas, it can force William H. Miller, Jr., VMD, D,pl A VD, Professor, Clinical Scien es owners into making difi lLult decisions about subjecting their pet to surgery or amputation Pamela J. Perry, DVM, PhD Researchers found that gentling, the process Lecturer, Clinical Sciences, of a limb, says researcher Julie Levy, DVM, of s raking and vocalizing, increased imrnunlty In ACVA Behavior Residen t PhD, Maddie's Professor of Shelter Medicine shelter ca s. at tne UF College of Veterinary Medicine. Cornell University "Many owners elect not to pursue The Power of Touch =:= College of the most effective treatment - radical I) Veterinary Medicine The benefits of gentling - the use of surgical excision of the tumor - because stroking and vocalization - have been to! information on your cat's health, excision of tumors in the limbs and torso ViSit the Cornell University College of documented in several species, but studies is often disfiguring, painful and expensive," Veterinary Medicine, Cornell Feline on cats have emerged only recently. The Health Cenrer website at Or. Lev y says. www.ver.comell.edulfhcl. latest is from the University of Queensland, No definitive cause for this relatively Australia, funded by the Morris Animal rare cancer, which affects between 1 and Foundation and published by Isevier. 10 cats of every 10,000 cats vaccinated, "Emotional stress can compromise the has been identified. health of cats in shelters, leading to immune UF researchers surveyed oncologists suppression and upper respiratory infections about preferred injection sites, considering the (orWarLh' (ISSN 1095-9092) (URis)," the foundation says, adding that URI is a _ is published mOfl\hly surgical treatment of sarcomas. The tail was a common cause for euthanasia in shelter cats. fOl $,39 per year by :]_ Bel VOir Media Grouo, favored site, and the team studied 60 cats in a Queensland researchers iden ifi ed 139 LLC 535 Connecticut UF trap-neuter-return program. Results show Ik I \ l)ir Ave, Norwalk CT 06854 cats as anxious when admitted to a shelter 1713 Robert [nglander, that the cats accepted tail vaccinations, and and divided them into a control group and Ch~j[ an and CCO; Timothy H. Cole, Execu ive VIce President, Editorial they effectively provided immunity. a group to receive gentling. The second Dlre( or; Philip L Penny, (I"ef Dr. Levy and national experts in infectious Oper"!1 g Officer; Greg K,ng, Execurive group was stroked on the head and neck V'ce PreSident, Marke In9 Di,eclO r' Ron disea se and v ccinology co llaborated for 10 m inutes fou r rimes a day for 10 days. Goldberg, Chlel FinanCial Ofker;T no em leld,Vice Presldenl, Clfcula!lon. on tne study, published in the Journal of The results: Gentled cats w ere less likely to Q2 015 Beivoir Media Group, LLC. Feline Medicine and Surgery. Among them be anxious. They also had increased levels Postmaster Send address COrreCtions was Edward Dubovi, PhD, Director of the of secretory immunoglobulin A (S-lg A), to latWatch PO. Box 8535, Bi Sandy, 1 X 75 755·8 35. Virology Laboratory at Cornell's Animal Health which plays a vital role in immunity. In For Customer Service Diagnostic Center, who tested serum samples other species, emotional stress has been or Subscription information, visit collected for feline parvovirus antibodies. shown to inhibit S-lgA production. www.catwatchnewslener.com/cs vi (011 toll free 800-829-8893. Cheryl Balkman, DVM, ACVIM, Chief of Cats in the control group were more Express WI i!len permiSSion .s Oncology at Cornell, says tail vaccinations are than two times more likely to develop required 0 reproduce, In any a great idea that owners should discuss with URI, while gentled cats had lower rates. mann-=r, the contents of thi~ Issue, ellher In full 0 in pa.l. For more their eat's veterinarian. "The key is to vaccinate A number of hostile and aggreSSive cats Informalion, wri te to Permissions, (atW~tch, 535 ConnectIcut Ave., toward the tip of the tail and not the base responded so well to gentling that they Norwalk, C nnectlcu t 06854· 17l J where it meets the body because, if a cancer were adopted in less than a week. .) 2 CatWlltch MAY 2015 MEDICINE How to Handle a Fainting Episode An immediate veterinary visit is a must to uncover the underlying cause ofthe loss ofconsciousness ne minute your cat seems fine. The in insufficient pressure to pump blood 24-hour electro Onext he's passed out on the floor.