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Diagnosis

  • Cat scratch disease, or cat scratch fever, is a disease of humans, not of cats. A cat scratch is often associated with the disease, however this is not believed to be the means by which infection occurs. Recent evidence suggests that the major route of infection is by flea bite. The disease is caused by a bacterium-like organism called Bartonella henselae. Bartonella henselae is sensitive to a number of antibiotics.

  • Aggression can be a serious and dangerous behaviour problem for cat owners. There are many different motivations for aggression and making a diagnosis, determining the prognosis (the chances of safe and effective correction) and developing an appropriate treatment plan are usually best handled by a veterinary behaviourist.

  • Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is formed within the brain. It circulates through the spaces both within and surrounding the brain.

  • Cherry eye is the popular, and very apt, name given to a condition that can affect the third eyelids of many breeds of young dogs.

  • There are many different diseases that can affect the kidneys in the cat. Chronic renal failure (CRF) is the end point of a number of different disease processes. Signs can be non-specific and diffucult to distinguish from general signs of ageing. Treatments will vary with each specific disease and situation.

  • By definition, kidney failure is the inability of the kidneys to remove waste products from the blood.

  • Coccidiosis describes Infection with a protozoan (one-celled) organism known as a coccidian. These are microscopic parasites living within cells of the intestinal lining.

  • Common conditions of pet ferrets include diarrhoea, intestinal foreign bodies, parasites, heart disease, and various kinds of cancer.

  • Common conditions of pet rodents include respiratory diseases, anorexia and lethargy, overgrown teeth, and tumours.

  • Common conditions of pet snakes include stomatitis (mouth rot), parasites, respiratory disease, difficulty shedding, and septicaemia.