Animals Unfolded

Of all the topics that make a pet guardian's stomach drop, few compare to hearing the word "dementia." It's not hard to understand why. We bring our own history into that conversation — what we've seen online, what a friend went through, what we watched happen to someone we loved. Nearly all of us know someone whose journey with dementia was frightening and disorienting to witness. So when a guardian raises the possibility of cognitive decline in their pet — or a member of the veterinary team does — I do a lot more listening than talking. That fear deserves space before it gets information. Here's a place to start: if your dog or cat is 12, 13, 14 or older, some degree of cognitive change is a reasonable thing to expect. It's often a feature of aging on its own. But just as often, it's tied to an underlying diagnosis — and more specifically, to  unmanaged or under-managed  effects of that diagnosis, like pain or nausea. Addressing those medical pieces ...

Being observant of a pet's behavior and their habits is essential, no matter if you're family or their occasional caregiver.  Understanding what's normal for them and noting any changes, regardless of how subtle can speak volumes that something is going on. Cats can be especially challenging to read; they are masters of hiding any illness or pain and yes, of course they don't often openly display if they are not feeling well. To mine for the right information, there are times you need to look no further than the litter box--or in this case, in and around it. This morning, I arrived to care for a senior kitty that I've been tending to for years. She has some health issues, including renal insufficiency — more commonly referred to as chronic kidney disease — something that isn't uncommon in cats her age. It is a progressive disease, with four stages unfolding over a period of years. So far, hers has been well-managed by providing bowls of fresh water througho...

We know so much less about cats than their canine counterparts when it comes to their behavior, habits — and in some respects, their health. There's been a lot of interest garnered in knowing more. Perhaps because of the strides that have been made in the area of genetic sequencing of dogs and other mammals, the goal of one project getting underway at UC Davis, in Davis, Calif., called the 99 Lives Cat Whole Genome Sequencing Initiative, is to put together a genetic portrait of felines. Leslie Lyons , a former professor at UC Davis (now with the University of Missouri), knows that as technology grows to help foster a better understanding of disease and how to treat it in cats, getting to the root of things by way of mapping out the feline genome could be helpful. Nine cats were originally slated for the study, however Lyon and her colleagues decided that  number was too small to build a comprehensive genetic portrait. So instead, they went with ninety-nine. Mapping out the over 20,...