THE FELINE HEALTH CENTER. CORNELL COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE @THISJUST IN Anal Sac Cancer Catnip Crazy Yes, Virginia, there is high-quality catnip Surgery is first treatment , atnip, technically Nepeta ca taria, is he first sign of anal sac cancer in cats a member of the mint family with a ( is usually ulceration and discharge reputation for attracting cats. It is a Tfrom the perineal area (tiss ue fast-growing, tall plant with heart-shaped around the anus), according to a study leaves and blossoms that are white, in JAVMA that looked at apocrine gland lavender, or pink. Most cats love it! Cats anal sac adenocarcinomas (anal sac in the wild, even big cats, often seek out cancer). Surgery is usually the treatment, patches of catnip and return repeatedly. although work has been done with chemotherapy andlor radiation. Get Quality catnip This is a tricky area for surgery. Not all catnip is the same, however. When With any cancer, surgeons want choosing catnip, look for mostly leaves There's nothing better than fresh! Our kitty has "clean margins;' meaning the tissue and flowe rs-the most potent parts­ catnip flowers in her paw. surrounding the cancer is free of with few stems. And quality catnip isn't cancer cells after surgery. There is not cheap, selling for $3 to $4 an ounce. brain. TIle result is a sense of euphoria a lot of extra tissue in the recta! area to Dried catnip products should only or mild hallucination that lasts 10 to 15 begin with and surgeons want to avoid contain catnip-check the ingredients minutes. During this time, the cat may damaging nerves and muscles involved label for any fillers or other ingredients. purr, roll, rub, drool, run around, andlor with bowel control. It may take some experimentation to sniff, lick, or eat the catnip. Cats seem to Still, removal of part of the rectal wall determine how your cat reacts to di fferent enjoy these sensations, and it's fun for us led to dear margins in at least three of brands. Ifyou find one product he really to watch too! the cats, The entire anal sac was removed likes, write down the manufactu rer name. Catnip is not addictive, and a study in all of the cats. For cats whose tumors Hint: Prefilled catnip toys can be difficult that evaluated long-term use by cats were not completely resected l local to evaluate, but sometimes use low­ showed no ill effects. In rare cases, cats recurrence was common. Of the 30 cats, quality catnip. may show aggressive behaviors after 11 had local recurrence and some others The quality of the plant is affected by being exposed to catnip, but that usually had metastatic disease. the soil and climate where it is grown. stops once the cat is no longer under the It appears that aggressive surgery Pesticides can linger and pose a risk to influence. After a eat's response to catnip is the first line of treatment your cat. For this reason, you should has worn ott: it will usua.lly take an hour fot this cancer. FolJow up nev:er give catnip that YOll find outside to or two before he will reacLto it alliaiD..-­ with chemotherapy andlor your cat unless you are certain th at the radiation needs to be more area was not sprayed. fully explored before it is You can grow your own catnip using Insider Info used in the clinics .• commercial kits. Give th e leaves and ~ Genetics. Catnip love may be /AVMA 311512019 Vo1 254 #6 blossoms to your cat fresh, or dry them inherited, with 50 to 80 percent of by hanging the plant upside down until it cats possessing the gene. II/SIDE THIS ISSUE crumbles when touched. Catnip left out in the air loses its ~ Age matters. Kittens under 6 potency over time (anecdotal reports say Yes, They Know Their Names ...............•......2 months of age rarely respond and in about six months). Catnip in a sealed may be repelied; old guys often Canned Mouse, Anyone7.. ..........................2 container, however, can still make your don't care. Catnip best ~ts adult cats eat's day years later. You can also freeze it Ureteral Obstruction Tedmique Study ........2 in the prime of life. Diarrhea:Worry or Walt? ......... ..................3 to prolong its shelf life. ~ Crush it. Rub or crush dried Your Role as Flea Flghter•............•...•.•........ 4 Natural High catnip in your hands to release the Catnip contains the volatile oil Are Titers the Answer? ...............................5 nepetalactone for maximum effect. nepetalactone. When a cat inhales Heads Up on Chronic Coughs ......................7 this chemical, it is processed by the ~ A little dab. A half teaspoon of The DIabetes Battle ..•........•...............•.......8 vomeronasal organ in his nasal passages, dried loose catnip is plenty. Use it as resulting in the stimulation of sensory Happening Now ........................................8 a treat, so that it remains special. neurons that send Signals to the eat's ....... ~--------------------~~------- Yes, They Know Their Names CatWatch They're just not going to let you know , EDITOR IN CHIEF Bruce G. Kornreich, DVM. stud published in April in 9 and done at the ,­ Y Scientific Reports Ph.D.. Dipl ACVIM University ofTokyo (Saito, A et all reports what we've all suspected: ACats recognize their names, but they don't bother to respond. The EXECUTIVE EDITOR researchers determined that the cats indicated re cognition of their name by moving Cynthia Foley their ears or turning their heads. Only rarely did they move their feet. The cats could discriminate their own names from general nouns, even when an unfamiliar person TECHNICAL EDITOR Debra M. Eldredge, DVM was speaking . • ADVISORY BOARD James A. Flanders, DVM, Dlpl ACVS, Canned Mouse, Anyone? Associate Professor, Cl inical SCIences Cultured mouse meat may be on its way to our cats Margaret C. McEntee, DVM, Dipl ACVIM, DACVR. Profc<;sor of Oncology any veterinary nutritionists say the idea! feline diet would be "mouse in a can:' While mouse farming has not caught on, it looks like cats may get their ideal William H. Miller, Jr.• VMD. Dipl ACVO, Mdiet via a laboratory. The Pet Food Industry reports that the company Because Profe'lSOI, Clinical Sciences Animals is working on this development. "Currently, cultured meat is expensive, including cultured mouse:' Because Pamela J. Perry, DVM, Ph.D. Animals CEO Sharon Falconer says. "But one of our biggest assets is that we're Lectu rer, ClinICal SCieOl;es. ACV8 BehaVior ReSident working with tissue from a species where a lot is already known in terms of biochemistry." CatWatch is an independent newsletter produced in collaboration The project involves growing a thin layer of mouse ~ meat tissue that is then incorporated into feline treats. with the Cornel! College ofVelerin ary Medicine Feline Health Center The first step toward production is to achieve USDA I FDA approval of cultured mouse meat as GRAS Cornell University (generally regarded as safe). ., Co1lege of Veterinary Medicine There are advantages to culture ~ grown meat. "Cell~ f Feline Hea lth Center cultured meat will be the highest quality meat On the I For information on your eat's health, visit \ market-fully traceable. antibiotic· and hormone·free. the Cornell Uni...ersity College of Veterinary and absolutely clear of pathogenic bacteria such as Medicine, Cornell Feline Health Center website at www.... et.comell.edu/fhe/. Listeria and Salmonella;' Falconer says. • i _ AJk £lIuboth quOltI.... and louenlo the edItor: CatWateh' Ureteral Obstrudion Technique Study 535 Conne<ticut A...e. Norwalk, CT 06S54~ 1713 The results are promisingfor reducing trauma in cats ca twate [email protected] retrospective study published in JAVMA by a veterinary specialty hospital in SubscrIptIon.: 539 per year (u.s.) , 549 coHaboration with University of Pennsylvania selected 71 cats (mostly domestic per year (Canada). For subscription and customer service information, visit shorthairs) to help determine whether using ultrasonography could show there A www.eatwatchnewsietter.com/cs was a ureteral obstruction and help determine the cause and location of the problem. or write to; CatWatch, P.O. Box 8535, The results showed that ultrasonography was quite good for identifying Big Sandy, TX 75755-8535. 800-829-8893 ureteroliths (stones in the ureter causing blockage). It was less helpful for cats with ureteral strictures. such as a blood clot partiaUy blocking a ureter. CatWatch' (tSSN: 1095 -9092) is Currently, x·rays and contrast dyes are used. Radiologists try to evaluate cats _ published monthly for $39 per year by Belvoir Media Group, l lC, wi.thout any sedation, but that can mean studies are sensitive to movement of the cat :]... 53S Connecticut Ave~ Norwal k. while being evaluated. Fat in the abdomen along with intestinal loops can all interfere CT 06854-1713. Robert Englander, Bel vo ir Chairman and CEO; Timothy H. Cole, with a clear look at the ureters, plus feline ureters are quite small to Executi... e Vice President, Editorial begin with. In many cases, though, the ultrasound results were able Director; Philip l. Penny, Chief Operating Officer; to help veterinary surgeons develop their treatment plan. Greg King, Executive Vice President, Marketing Dire<tor; Ron Goldberg, Chief Financial OffICer; The researchers noted that these ultrasounds were done by Tom Canfield, Vice President. Circulation. experienced board~certified veterinary radiologists and had many Cl 2019 Selvoir Media Group, l lC. cases available to them via the referral nature of the hospitals. In Postm as ter: Send address corrections 10 I routine practice, a veterinarian may not get much experience doing CalWatch, p.o. Sox B535, Big Sandy, TX 75755-S535. these studies. Still, more research into this area could lead to faster, Express written permiSSion is required to i safer ways to diagnose ureteroliths in cats and to differentiate them reproduce.