It’s vaccine season. In a previous post, I reviewed the most recent recommendations for feline immunizations. Cat parents are getting emails and postcards from their primary care veterinarians reminding to schedule preventative healthcare visits. One of the most common vaccines is abbreviated FVRCP, an acronym for feline viral rhinotracheitis, calici virus, and panleukopenia (aka distemper). … [Read more…]
I love diseases of the blood and immune system. I find them fascinating. I love helping patients living with them. One common infection of the blood in cats is hemotropic mycoplasmosis. Specific bacteria called Mycoplasma parasitize red blood cells to destroy them and to trigger a powerful (and potentially deadly) response by the immune system. … [Read more…]
If you live in the United States, you probably know about the ongoing epidemic of canine influenza (sometimes called dog flu) in the Midwest. Veterinarians at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Veterinary Medicine have reported the virus has affected more than 1,000 dogs in Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio and Indiana, and has resulted in the … [Read more…]