In preparation for the approaching holiday season, The Meowing Vet sends out 2018 with a bang in our December newsletter with a summary of our pet health articles from November.
Toxoplasmosis Gives “Pregnancy Brain” a Whole New Meaning
November 2, 2018
- For One Health Day, The Meowing Vet tackled the zoonotic disease, Toxoplasmosis, a parasitic infection of cats caused by the protozoal agent Toxoplasma gondii.
- While cats are the main host of this disease, shedding the parasite in fecal matter, other animals can also become infected, including wild mammals (especially rodents), birds, farm animals, dogs, and even humans. The parasite cannot complete its life cycle and reproduce outside of a feline host, so it forms dormant cysts within the tissues of non-cat species (mainly in muscle and neural tissue).
- In most healthy humans, Toxoplasmosis only causes mild flu-like symptoms or no symptoms at all. However, infection can be especially dangerous to children, the elderly, and immunocompromised people. Severe eye and brain disease can arise in these individuals, so prompt diagnosis (typically via serologic blood testing) and treatment with antiprotozoal drugs is imperative.
- Toxoplasmosis is also dangerous to pregnant women, especially those who acquire a new infection during pregnancy or shortly before becoming pregnant. Toxoplasma can be passed to the unborn fetus, causing miscarriage or birth defects involving the eyes and brain. Pregnant women should know their status by being tested for Toxoplasmosis and take extra precautions during pregnancy to avoid infection, such as asking a friend or family member to clean their cats’ litterboxes.
- Toxoplamosis can be transmitted to humans via a variety of ways, including consuming contaminated meat that contains Toxoplasma cysts or inadvertently swallowing an object contaminated with infected cat feces. Congenital infections can occur when the parasite is passed through the placenta of a newly infected pregnant woman to her unborn fetus.
- Methods to reduce Toxoplasmosis transmission include cooking meat thoroughly as well as washing one’s hands after cleaning a cat’s litterbox or after gardening in soil in which a cat may have defecated.
- Most cats (or dogs who become infected) with Toxoplasmosis do not become ill. However, pets with a suppressed immune system due to concurrent disease or immunosuppressant medication use may develop brain or eye disease as well as signs of other organ impairment, such as liver disease. The kittens or puppies born to pregnant cats or dogs who become infected with Toxoplasmosis during gestation often die before birth or shortly thereafter.
- Pet owners can reduce the risk of Toxoplasmosis in cats and dogs by keeping their pets healthy otherwise with good nutrition and vaccination as well as preventing them from consuming raw meat or preying upon wildlife, such as rodents.
“The Big C” in Pets: The Basics of Cancer in Dogs and Cats
November 12, 2018
- What’s the difference between a mass, a tumor, and a neoplasm? Are neoplasia and cancer the same thing? What does it mean when a tumor is benign vs. malignant? What exactly is metastasis? Check out our latest article on the basics of cancer in pets to better understand terminology used in the world of veterinary oncology.
- Take note of the top 12 signs that may mean that your dog or cat has cancer.
- Learn the common ways in which cancer is diagnosed and treated, including surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and newer targeted biotherapy protocols. Unlike human cancer patients, dogs and cats undergoing treatment for cancer experience minimal to no side effects.
- Discover what cancer types are more common in dogs and which tend to appear more often in cats. Did you know that certain dog breeds may be predisposed to developing certain cancers?
Preview of The Meowing Vet’s upcoming article topics for the month of December: (topics or order subject to change)
- December 7: The Meowing Vet’s 2018 Holiday Gift Guide for Pets & Pet Lovers
Happy Holidays from The Meowing Vet! We shall be on holiday hiatus from December 15, 2018 – January 13, 2019. See you in the New Year with our upcoming article on Travel Safety & Car Sickness, out January 14th! In the meantime, check out our 2018 Holiday Gift Guide at www.themeowingvet.com
For more information, visit www.themeowingvet.com. And Don’t forget to subscribe to our e-mail notification list!
xoxo
Maranda Elswick, DVM
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