Fleas are no longer a summertime problem – they can bother your pet all year round, thanks to our cosy, centrally-heated homes that allow flea eggs to incubate and hatch, even in the winter.

I’ve written some articles for the HappyTails Canine Spa, so if you want to control fleas, make it a two-sided attack on the animal as well as his environment.

 

 

There are many varieties of flea control products available for cats and dogs now – your veterinarian can advise you on which is best for your pet (especially if he has developed problems such as secondary pyoderma due to flea allergy dermatitis). But if you have a dog and love trying natural products, check out the online store while you’re over at HappyTails they have some wonderful products!

 

 

 

 

A third of us are infected with Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite that can be transmitted to us by animals. Cats represent a major source of this organism, and are therefore a common route of infection for us since they continually shed the parasite. Consequently we can become infected with Toxoplasma gondii if we come into contact with anything that is contaminated with the organism as a result of a cat’s shedding. Some ways include:

  • Contaminated soil  (when gardening in an area where cats have defecated)
  • Cleaning the cat litter box
  • Contaminated water
  • Undercooked meat (lamb, pork, and venison especially – these animals are infected by cats in the same way as we are)
  • Cooking utensils coming into contact with undercooked, infected meats

Although many people are infected with this parasite, most are unaffected by it, and show no clinical symptoms since the immune system effectively prevents it from causing disease; however, clinical toxoplasmosis can be a real problem for people with weakened immune systems, such as:

  • HIV infected patients
  • Chemotherapy patients
  • Organ-transplant recipients

Additionally, it poses a particular risk for unborn babies. A  woman who comes into contact with the organism for the first time during her pregnancy may transmit it to the fetus in utero, resulting in birth defects or even infant fatalities. Transmission of the parasite to an unborn baby, however, is less likely if the woman has previously come into contact with the organism at least six months or more, prior to becoming pregnant.

Links With Brain Cancer?

Interestingly, a recent study reports a correlation between rates of infection of Toxoplasma gondii, and the incidence of brain cancer. Global data on brain cancer in people from 37 countries was collected and compared with the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in those regions. The research group reported that brain cancer rates increased in countries where the parasite was more prevalent.

This ecological study, however, merely points to a correlation between the two events – it does not imply that the parasite actually causes brain cancer in people. And certainly the opposite could be true – it’s not impossible that brain cancer could be the driving factor behind Toxoplasma gondii infection.

So as it stands, this report does not prove cause and association, but is predominantly hypothesis-generating, and does provoke scientific curiosity. In the words of one of the authors:“These were the best data available and we felt they were sufficient to take the first step. Working with actual brain cancer patients is an obvious next step, but it would be an expensive proposition.  It is a lot easier to justify the second, expensive step when you have some evidence for the hypothesis. We are hoping that our results motivate others in the field to do further studies.”

Thomas, Lafferty, Brodeur, Elguero, Gauthier-Clerc & Misse. 2011. Incidence of adult brain cancers is higher in countries where the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii is common. Biology Letters

 

Since I’m a veterinary pathologist by training, I thought you might like me to share some aspects of this side of my work with you. 

Some of my daily routine involves microscopic evaluation of sections of tissue from animals, often for diagnostic purposes. So I’ll try and share some interesting cases with you from time to time.

I’ll start off today by sharing information about a case of herpesvirus infection in a cat.

 

History: A two week old kitten died following four days of respiratory distress, with pronounced sneezing and coughing.

Diagnosis: A diagnosis of pneumonia due to FHV-1 (feline herpesvirus-1) infection was made after microscopic evaluation of tissues taken at postmortem examination. 

FHV-1 IN CATS: This is a common feline virus that is transmitted between cats by direct contact and exchange of nasal and ocular fluids. “Feline rhinotracheitis” is the classic condition associated with this virus, and typically manifests as upper respiratory disease and conjunctivitis in kittens, similar to this case. Systemic illness with interstitial pneumonia has also been reported in kittens, and such cases of systemic disease can arise as a result of immunosuppression. Additionally, the virus can cause conjunctivitis as well as facial and nasal dermatitis or stomatitis in adult cats.

The usually clear air spaces in the lung are
filled with inflammatory cells & debris
Higher magnification view showing intense inflammation 
with necrotic tissue and debris, along with the characteristic 
diagnostic finding of viral inclusion bodies in cells. 
The arrow points to a syncitial cell containing multiple nuclei.
These nuclei contain characteristic viral inclusion bodies


Although this is a devastating disease, the good news is that cats can be vaccinated against the causative virus, thus reducing the incidence or severity of disease.

Cats can be carriers of FHV-1 though – in such cases, if a female cat carrying the virus is infected before she is vaccinated, the vaccination will not be effective in eliminating the latent infection. Subsequently, any stress, such as that associated with pregnancy, will result in viral recrudescence and shedding. Following birth, the mother cat will transmit the virus to her kittens in her milk, or through grooming, direct contact or nasal secretions.

So if your cat or kitten has any signs of respiratory disease – be sure to have him or her examined by your veterinarian so as to ensure the correct diagnosis can be made, and appropriate treatment can follow.