Hilliard
Hilliard, previously known as Hillbilly, recently came to our clinic for an overall check-up. He had been abandoned by his previous owners when they moved. He was left to fend for himself. His new owners saw him and went above and beyond to adopt him and provide him a loving home and great medical care. He was covered with many external as well as internal parasites. He had fleas and ticks and a lot of hair loss throughout his coat. He was treated with a 3-month chewable flea/tick prevention called Bravecto which also treats demodex (a mite of the skin). We expect his coat to grow back fully and make him even more handsome. A test of his feces (poop) revealed he had hookworms, which is a zoonotic (contagious to pets and people) parasite. He was treated with Panacur. Hilliard was positive for heartworm disease which is transmitted by a mosquito. Most of the time there are no symptoms initially with heart worm disease. You may notice a cough, especially when excited. This is diagnosed though a blood test. Heartworm prevention is available in many forms including a chewable tablet, topical application or injection. Hilliard was started on treatment for his heartworms and we hope to clear the infection over the next 6 months. He was rechecked recently and already looks so much better. He is happy and on his way to a full recovery! Hilliard started out on a rough road, but things are looking much brighter for our canine Pet of the Month!FELINE
The Powell Kitties were a stray litter of about 6-week- old kittens
when they presented recently. All the kittens were thin with dull
haircoats, thick discharge from their eyes and nose and most notably,
ulcers on their tongues. The clinical signs and, especially, the ulcers
on their tonguesmade Calicivirus the most likely cause. Calicivirus is a
highly contagious virus found most commonly in kittens. It is a very
stable virus, and it is resistant to most disinfectants. It frequently
leads to secondary bacterial infections and occasionally, pneumonia. The
ulcers on the tongue can be quite painful and can lead to anorexia and
weight loss. While Calicivirus is rarely fatal, it can cause severe
illness. Vaccination greatly decreases the likelihood of contracting
this disease. The kittens were treated with oral antibiotics and
antibiotic ointment for the eyes. Pain management could also be used if
the mouths were too uncomfortable. Their internal and external parasites
were treated, as well. Within a couple of days, the kittens were
eating, gaining weight and had become the fun, playful kitties they
should be. For this reason, they are AHS’s Feline Pets of the Month.
FELINE
Tag
Tag is a sweet outdoor kitty that became lethargic and had a
decreased appetite. Tag had very pale gums and blood work indicated
marked anemia or a low red blood cell count. Tag had many immature red
blood cells which indicated his bone marrow was trying to replace the
blood missing from his body. Other than a regenerative anemia, Tag’s
blood work was unremarkable.
Tag tested negative for Feline Leukemia and Feline Immunodeficiency virus. Both of these are incurable retroviruses that outdoor cats are at higher risk of contracting from contact with other infected cats. Anemia and infections often result as the immune system is destroyed.
Tag’s condition was such that he was close to needing a blood transfusion. Immune mediated hemolytic anemia was suspected. This is a syndrome in which the immune system destroys its own red blood cells. It is often stimulated by other conditions such
as infections or cancer. We ruled out as many underlying causes as possible and Tag’s owner consented to hospitalization. Tag was started on prednisolone - a corticosteroid to suppress the immune system, vitamin b and iron supplementation and doxycycline – an antibiotic that treats many bacteria that are transmitted by tick bites or are carried by an individual cat. Tag was eating and feeling much better after 12 hours. Within 10 days his red cell count was normal. Tag is currently doing great and being slowly weaned off medications to prevent relapse. Tag will be closely monitored in the future as the underlying cause of the anemia was uncertain. Tag is a remarkable cat and that is why he is our feline Pet of the Month.