Bright Eyes & Bushy Tails Housecall and Full-Service Veterinary Clinic 3005 Highway 1 NE Iowa City, IA 52240 (319) 351-4256 June 1, 2001 Newsletter Jennifer Berger, DVM Allan Berger DVM, PhD Dear friends and clients, We missed sending out our newsletter a few months ago, and we are sorry that our newsletter schedule slipped. But we have a unique excuse. As a few of you know, the State Department of Transportation (DOT) is planning to widen Highway 1 between Iowa City and Solon. In front of our clinic, in addition to widening the road to four lanes they also want to move it. The center line of the new improved highway will cross our front porch, and southbound traffic will pass through space that we currently use for surgery and radiology rooms. When the State tells you that they will take your house and business, it is very distracting (trust us on this). Instead of writing newsletters, we have spent the last several months figuring out what to do and where we can move to. Rumors that we are going out of business are untrue! Negotiations with the State DOT progress very slowly, but right now we are trying to find a place to move to that is inside the City of Iowa City limits. We think we have about a year before we will be uprooted, but the State only guarantees 90 days notice. We hope to have a solid plan in a few months, and perhaps that will be our next newsletter. In the meantime, below is a newsletter of slightly narrower focus than usual. If anyone has connections with the Governor or high ranking officials in the DOT, we can offer steep discounts on veterinary care in exchange for access. The good news: 1) We think we can move into Iowa City, which is closer to most of our clients.
2) We get to model a new clinic. Hopefully we can learn from our experiences with our current clinic and build a nicer one. 3) The construction and remodeling in our present location is officially over. We have an excuse so we don't have to finish the dropped ceiling in our present clinic, ever!! 4) We still have a sense of humor (at least for the moment). 5) This spring we have been busier than ever, and we look forward to continuing for a long, long time. Feline vaccines demystified In our last newsletter, we discussed canine vaccines. If you missed it, you can either download it from our web site or telephone us and we can mail you a copy. One aspect we did not cover last time was the issue of over-vaccination. Vaccines do have a low risk of side effects. Choosing high quality vaccines can minimize this; name brand vaccine manufacturers often use better adjutants and carriers. Also, being certain that vaccines were correctly handled prior to administration is important. Most vaccines require refrigeration, and routine care to prevent contamination can reduce both adverse reactions and infections. Over the past five years, veterinarians have noticed rare cases of sarcoma cancer caused by vaccines in cats. This is very uncommon, and it has not altered our vaccine recommendations (the risk of the diseases the vaccines protect against is higher than the risk of vaccine-induced cancer). However, some owners choose to avoid potential over-vaccination while confirming that pets are adequately protected by checking titers. Titers check resistance to specific diseases (feline panleukopenia virus, leukemia virus, etc.). Checking titers requires a blood sample, and it costs more than vaccinating. For most pets, we think the added expense and blood sampling outweighs the small risk of vaccine reaction in most pets. Also, the interpretation of titers is complex (recommendations are inconsistent). We are watching the literature carefully, and if we change this recommendation we will announce it. But in pets that are prone to bad vaccination reactions, checking titers can limit repeated boosters. Please contact us if you d like more information on this topic. This newsletter, it s the cat s turn for vaccine info FVRCP: Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, and Panleukopenia Virus R= Rhinotracheitis (Feline Herpes Virus 1) Feline Herpes Virus 1 is a virus that causes rhinotracheitis (inflammation of the nose, trachea, and airways). Upper respiratory infections (URIs) are common in cats, and Feline Herpes Virus 1 (rhinotracheitis virus) is commonly implicated along with other viruses, bacteria, or mycoplasma that can also contribute (usually as secondary pathogens that infect after the Feline Herpes Virus). Cats can become infected through several different routes. The most common source is contact with other actively infected cats, however they can get it from contact with contaminated objects and from carrier cats. Cats that have been previously infected can become carrier cats. A carrier is not sick, but sheds the virus. The length of time a carrier cat sheds virus can last from just a few weeks to years.
Regardless of cause, upper respiratory infections can present in several different ways. They can be acute, chronic and intermittent, or chronic and persistent. Most commonly seen is the acute URI which includes sneezing, nasal discharge, fever, conjunctivitis, and inappetance. Some cats will have occasional recurrence of the acute signs after stress. Cats with chronic nasal discharge can have persistence of the active viral infection, but sometimes the illness persists without the virus because there is so much damage to the nose that the cat is prone to bacterial infections. In addition to URIs, Feline Herpes Virus 1 can cause abortion and stillbirth in cats and death in young kittens. C=Calicivirus Feline Calicivirus causes URIs very similar in appearance to rhinotracheitis caused by Feline Herpes Virus 1. Oral ulcerations, arthritis of multiple joints, and pneumonia can also be seen with Calicivirus. Almost... If you can start the day without caffeine, if you can get along without pep pills, if you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains, if you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles, if you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it, if you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time, if you can overlook it when those you love take it out on you when, though no fault of yours, something goes wrong, if you can take criticism and blame without resentment, if you can ignore a friend s limited education and never correct him/her, if you can resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend, if you can face the world without lies and deceit, if you can conquer tension without medical help, if you can relax without liquor, if you can sleep without the aid of drugs, if you can honestly say that deep in your heart you have no prejudice against creed, color, religion or politics, Then, my friend, you are ALMOST as good as your dog. Treatment for cats with acute URIs: In general, a recently acquired (acute) URI in a cat goes away by itself after a few days. Supportive care (e.g. maintaining hydration and nutrition) should be provided if needed. In severe cases we often prescribe antibiotics to limit secondary bacterial infections and also recommend a topical decongestant. Cats with chronic disease (signs that last a long time) are another story. If your cat has this, call me! Untreated chronic URI signs can become very difficult to cure. P=Panleukopenia This is a tricky one to explain. The panleukopenia virus vaccine actually protects against feline parvoviral enteritis. This is also called distemper, even though the disease has nothing to do with canine distemper. The panleukopenia virus is a member of the parvovirus family and causes very similar symptoms in cats as Canine Parvovirus causes in dogs. In fact, an old theory on the origin of Canine Parvovirus is that it evolved from the Feline Panleukopenia virus. The virus destroys microscopic parts of the small intestine which are necessary for absorbing fluid, resulting in diarrhea, vomiting, intestinal bleeding, and secondary bacterial infection. In addition to the confusion between parvovirus and distemper, the other reason I called this one tricky is because the definition of panleukopenia is total white blood cell suppression (regardless of cause). There are many causes of this in cats, and most cases of white blood cell suppression are not related to Feline Panleukopenia Virus infection. Treatment is similar to the dogs with Parvovirus. We provide supportive care and let the virus run its course. It is much more pleasant to vaccinate and prevent this disease than to treat it!
Feline Leukemia Virus Feline Leukemia virus can cause many different disease processes. Infection comes from bite wounds, transplacental transfer to kittens during pregnancy, and prolonged contact with an infected cat s saliva or nasal secretions. This organism does not survive in the environment, so it usually comes directly from another infected cat. Common signs include weight loss, anorexia, and just not feeling well. There is a chance of feline leukemia virus induced cancer. The feline leukemia virus can potentially affect just about every body system. Although the virus can attack many organs, some cats live a long healthy life even though they are infected by feline leukemia virus. These cats are carriers that can help spread the disease. It is important to test a new pet to make sure he or she isn t infected. Positive cats should be kept indoors. This lets them live happy lives, but stops them from spreading the disease to other cats. Similarly, cats that test negative for the disease that are kept indoors are protected from contact with other cats, and are at a much lower risk of contracting the feline leukemia virus than a cat that goes outside. Although the percentage is very small, the feline leukemia virus vaccine has been associated with vaccineinduced cancer more than any other vaccine. Currently, we recommend vaccination for cats that go outdoors. The risks associated from vaccination are much lower than the risk of contracting the disease. For indoor-only cats, the risk of vaccination isn t worth it, since the cat should not be exposed to the virus! I feel that cats that go out on a leash with their person attached probably don t need to be vaccinated either. The chance of a carefully supervised cat getting attacked by another cat is low. FIP= Feline Infectious Peritonitis Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) is caused by a coronavirus that is very closely related to a feline intestinal (enteric) coronavirus. The intestinal form causes mild disease, but FIP is usually fatal. There are multiple different strains of both the FIP and intestinal types, and there is no blood test that can distinguish them. Currently, we aren t exactly sure how FIP is transmitted. The two predominant theories are that either the feline enteric coronavirus mutates and causes FIP, or a cat catches FIP from another cat and the FIP is completely separate from the intestinal strain. There are many different disease syndromes associated with FIP. Cats under 5 years of age are most commonly affected, with younger cats being at greatest risk. In non-cattery situations it is usually seen in kittens just after weaning. Clinical signs can be quite varied and often kittens just ain t doin right. Not eating, general malaise, weight loss or lack of gaining weight, fever, abdominal distention, jaundice, eye problems, and difficulty breathing are all relatively common for FIP virus infection. It can also cause kidney problems as well neurologic disease in a small percentage. A presumptive diagnosis of FIP is usually based on a combination of clinical signs as well as blood tests that go along with the virus. It is very hard to definitively diagnose since diagnosis requires a biopsy. One can check antibody titers, but because the intestinal form of the virus is so closely related, the antibody test for FIP is not reliable. The intestinal form is also quite common, so a high antibody titer for the virus usually means the cat has been exposed to the enteric virus and not FIP.
Unfortunately, treatment is often futile for cats with FIP that have multiple system involvement. A vaccine is available, but it is of questionable value. It may provide some protection in some cats, but it is probably not effective in cats that have been exposed to the intestinal form. The vaccine may be helpful in certain situations such as catteries with documented FIP problems, but I do not recommend this vaccine for the average cat. Humor? Several people thought what was intended to be a joke in our last newsletter was a political stance ( The Top 8 Differences if the Election Were Run by Dogs ). That time was unintended. Pet Photographer! The Portrait Shop in Coralville takes pet portraits! If you want a professional photo of Your Favorite Pet(s), give them a call at 351-5555. Next Newsletter: We are aiming to get back to our quarterly schedule, with the next newsletter near September 1, 2001. Ideas for topics for the next newsletter are welcome! Gratefully yours, Jennifer and Allan Berger