viernes, 28 de abril de 2017

The Cat Area 4: Rare Cat breeds

Good day colleagues and friends, today we will talk a little bit about rare cat breeds, and some general facts about them.
The first one we have in our list is:

Lykoi
Also called the Werewolf cat, is a natural mutation from a domestic short-haired cat that has the appearance of a werewolf


Peterbald
Original from Russia, their average body temperature hovers over 105 degrees, which helps them maintain a speedy metabolism to combat illness and disease.



Burmilla
Developed in England, unplanned mating of a British Chinchilla Longhair (Persian) to a Burmese in 1981. Resulted in the breed, which is popular in Great Britain but is still relatively rare in the States.



LaPerm
Original from The USA. Often bald at birth, LaPerm kittens quickly grow a rippled coat. is a small cat, weighing five to eight pounds. He reaches maturity when he is two to three years old 



Napoleon
These cats are known for being vertically challenged. A combination between a Persian and a Munchkin, they are fluffy, small, and very soft to the touch.



Cornish Rex
Original from the UK,  they’re known for their nearly perfect hearing.



Savannah
The result of crossing a domestic cat with a serval, which is a wild species of cat from Africa, so it actually has a wildcat's blood in it's veins.



Pallas / Manul Cat
Found in eastern Europe, this is believed to be the oldest species of cat, having evolved about 12 million years ago. they have round pupils instead of slits. 



Andean Mountain Cat
Native to the Andes mountains in South America, Scientists estimate there are only about 2,500 of them left.



Sand Cat
Original from Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and western Asia. They have fur that grows between their toes, a feature that’s usually reserved for arctic cats, that insulates their paws against the hot sand.



Margay Cat
 They are excellent climbers and inhabit a region that stretches from Central to Southern America. They live in rain forests and hunt at night, like many other cat species.



African Golden Cat
Native to the rainforests of west and central Africa. It prefers moist, dense forests and is commonly found near rivers. It mainly hunts at night and like most other cats is a solitary creature.



Bornean Bay Cat
Is native to the island of Borneo. This wild cat is nocturnal and secretive.



Caracal
The name “caracal” comes from the Turkish word “karakulak,” meaning “black ears.” They hunt at night and often attack animals two or three times their size, such as antelope.



Flat Headed Cat
These nocturnal cats are native to the Thai-Malay Peninsula, Borneo, and Sumatra. They feed mainly on fish.



Jaguarundi
These small cats are comfortable in trees but prefer to hunt on the ground of their Central and South American homes. 



KodKod
The Kodkod is the smallest cat in the Americas and primarily is found in central and southern Chile. The tiny animal weighs between 4.4 and 5.5 lbs as an adult, and is listed as vulnerable. They are excellent climbers who feed on rodents, birds, and lizards.



Rusty Spotted Cat
This cat is only found in India and Sri Lanka and is pretty tiny. It typically only weighs about 2 to 3 and half pounds – yeah, that’s tiny. They spend a large amount of their day in trees but do their hunting on the ground.



Pampas Cat
The pampas cat is found in a variety of terrains, such as grasslands, shrublands, and dry forests at elevations up to 16,000 feet.











And this is it, by now, did you know them all? is there any breed that you didn't know? Do you know any other not mentioned here?



MVZ Carolina Pruneda


martes, 25 de abril de 2017

DOG BREEDS (B)


BELGIAN TERVUREN

Origin: Belgium
Group: Herding
Weight: 55 to 75 LBS
Life expecancy: 12-14 years
It is a medium size dog, therefore it requires a big space to live, it's an obedient dog and it loves to excercise.
It's somewhat a shedding, depending on the season. It is recognized by it's thick double coat, with a big black mask, a small patch on the chest, generally mahogany with varying degrees of black coat, may also be sable or grey.
Tervurens are highly energetic, intelligent dogs that require a job to keep them occupied, if they are not kept sufficiently busy they can become hyperactive or destructive.
Theese dogs are usually loyal and form strong bonds with their family, leading some to be shy around strangers. They are good watchdogs, being very observant and attentive to the slightest change in their enviroment. Some can be nervous, depending on breeding and early experiences, so care must be taken to adequately socialize Tervuren puppies to a wide variety of people and situations.

They are also known as:
Belgian shepherd Tervuren, Chien de Berger Belge, Tervuren, Belgian Shepherd Dog Tervuren.

Now let's review the list of the most common health issues of the Belgian Tervuren, is not too long, however we must advice the owners that some of theese issues are very dangerous and need proper care.
-Hypothyroidism
-Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD)
-Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)
-Allergies (mostly skin pyoderma, but can also be food allergies)
-Elbow Dysplasia
-Seizures/Epilepsy (occurs in a 17% of the pure breed samples)
-Hemangiosarcoma
-Persistent Pupillary Membranes (PPM)
-Catarac
-Pannus
-Vitiligo (this one is rare, however it has been reported)

We as Veterinarians must recommend the patient's owners to bring the patient for regular check ups, maybe an X-ray every 2-3 years just to check on ocurrencies for CHD, which can also be avoided by having a good dietary management, because obesity can also increase the incidents of CHD or even Hypothyroidism, so if we have a good management on the patients diet, we can avoid theese major problems. Also as the patient ages we can recommend to complement the patient's diet with vitamins or suplements like calcium and glucosmine and even hyaluronic acid to protect the patients joints and bones.

Another breed that you probably might have heard of this:


BERGER BLANC SUISSE

Origin: Switzerland
Group: Herding
Weight: 55 - 88 LBS / 25-40 kg
Life Expectancy: 11-14 years
This is a big dog, or at least I think so since I'm short...is a well balanced and muscular dog. It has become one of the most versatile working dogs serving mankind, due to its high intelligence and sense of loyalty.
It has all the physical standards as the German Shepherd, except for the color, since this dog is recognized for its pure white color, however, it can be light cream and light biscuit tan.
This dog is super alert, super intelligent, attentive and the best part...super loyal! It's also very friendly with kids, it can be easily trained, and easily adjusted to other dogs and/or pets (yes, even cats!). It is suited for all kinds of sports activities, since it requires a lot of exercise and challenges. It's super confident, very playful, in other words, an excellent companion!
Despite all of this awesomenes, the berger blanc suisse has a tinny thing.. it sheds heavily, like a lot, however, they are easy to groom.

This dog is also known as:
White Swiss Shepherd, Snowy Shepherd, White Suisse Shepherd Dog.

They sure have Health issues, such as:
-Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD)
-Elbow Dysplasia
-Dental diseases (loss of some teeth)
-Bloating/Stomach Torsion
-Megaesophagus
-Degenerative Joint Disease (including Osteochondritis)
-Malabsorbtion Syndrome
-Skin Allergies
-Lens Luxation
-Von Willebrande Disease (*VWD: bleeding disorder)

As for the Belgian Tervuren, we also should recomend owner to bring the patient for regular check ups, and have a good weight control, but also, for the Berger Blanc Suisse, we must recomend the owner to care for the dog not to be jumping around, because jumping, or being in activities that involve a total movement of the patients abdomen can cause the stomach torsion, and as we know, it is very dangerous for the patient, with only a few hours to treat, and very frequently it ends in a very delicate surgery.

And speaking of bergers...


BERGER PICARD

Origin: France

Group: Herding
Weight: 50-70 Lbs / 23-31 kg
Life Expectancy: 12-14 years
This dog is thought to be the oldest of the french sheepdogs. This dogs are easy to care and mellow, yet mischievous, temperamnt have started the breed back on the road to recovery. Their coat is wheatherproof and harsh and crisp to the touch, the colors fall into two colors, fawn and gray with a range of shad variations.
The Berger Picard's attributes include a lively, intelligent personality and a sensitive and assertive disoisition that responds quickly to obedience training, they are known for having astubborn streak and being reserved towards strangers. They are also energetic and hard working, alert, loyal and sweet-tempered with children. They have a protective nature, which makes them good guard dogs. However, they are not excessive barkers. Some Picards are notoriously picky eaters, and it may be difficult to decide on a diet that yiu and the dog agree on.
Berger Picards need exercise, otherwise boredom will give away to destructive doggie behavior and rowdy play.

They can also be known as: Picardy Shepherd, Bacardi Shepherd, Berger de Picardi.

Their most common health issues are:
-Progresive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)
-Retinal Dysplasia
-Cataracs
-Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD)
-Hemangiosarcoma
-Lymphosarcoma
-Canine Multifocal Retinopathy (CMR)

If the Berger Picard is not kept active will be in high risk of develop obesity which can lead to to joint issues, digestive issues, and heart issues. Also we must remember that this breed is sensitive to anesthesia, therefore we as veterinarians must be super careful with the type of medication and the dosage.

And the last breed for today's post:


BORZOI


Origin: Russia
Group: Sight Hounds
Weight: 60-105 Lbs / 27-48 kg
Life Expectancy: 10-13 years
The Borzoi is a breed of domestic dog descended from dogs brought to Russia from central Asian countries. It is similar in shape to a Greyhound, and it's also a member of the sighthound family. Borzoi dogs can come in almost any color or a combination of colors.
Their soft undercoat thickens in winter or cold climates, but is shed in hot weather to prevent overheating. 
Borzois are active outdoors, quiet indoors, they are intelligent, sensitive, and reserved around strangers. generally they tend to be good with kids, but precaution should be taken, as they can react to the tease. They can be affectionate with their family, but stubborn and independent. they have a high prey drive and will seize and kill small animals due to its hunting nature.

Also called: Russian Wolfhound, Russkaya Psovaya Borzaya, Psovoi, Psowata Barsaya.

And of course as we have noticed, no breed is zero disease, so let's see now Borzoi's most common health issues:
-Cancer (Lymphosarcoma, osteosarcoma)
-Bloat
-Cardiomyopathy
-Tricuspid Valve Dysplasia
-Hypothyroidism (up to 17% of the Borzoi population)
-Catarcs
-Progresive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)

-Retinal Dysplasia
-Osteochondritis
-Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy
-Wobbler's Syndrom (compression of the spinal cord and/or nerve roots)
-Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD)
-Allergies (Pyoderma)
-Elbow Hygroma
-Epilepsy (not so common but has been reported)
-Von Willebrande Disease (*VWD: bleeding disorder)

As mentioned before, we must have the owner bring our patients for regular check ups, as soon we can detect and diagnose theese type of diseases, the easier will be for us to treat them.

Hope you might've enjoyed this post, and perhaps if you are searching for a dog, this could be helpful in any way, cheers!


MVZ Carolina Pruneda

viernes, 21 de abril de 2017

PERROS: Ingesta de hierba



La ingesta de hierba en un gran número de perros provoca el vómito, por lo que se ha extendido la idea de que es un método “para purgarse”. Existen diversas teorías al respecto de la ingesta de hierba por los perros.

Una de estas teorías se basa en que la ingesta de hierba es una forma de equilibrar la dieta. Esta teoría es absolutamente falsa, puest
o que la mayoría de nuestras mascotas tienen una dieta equilibrada gracias al consumo de una alimentación comercial.

Otra teoría se basa en que es una costumbre de sus antecesores salvajes, si bien no es lógico pensar que dicha costumbre desemboque habitualmente en el vómito. Por último, existe una teoría, que relaciona la ingesta de hierba con patologías digestivas. 

Esta última es la que actualmente está más aceptada. Los perros que padecen enfermedades digestivas (fundamentalmente enfermedades gástricas y enfermedades duodenales) presentan habitualmente este fenómeno de la ingesta de hierba y su posterior vómito.

La ingesta de hierba no tiene como finalidad realizar ningún tipo de purgación, sino que dichos perros presentan molestias gástricas o duodenales y con la ingesta de hierba y su posterior vómito aparentemente disminuye su molestia.

Esta
mejoría es transitoria, ya que la ingesta de hierba desarrolla una gastritis aguda que puede empeorar la enfermedad gástrica o duodenal ya existente. Estos pacientes, una vez diagnosticada su enfermedad digestiva y puestos en tratamiento, dejan de “comer hierba para purgarse” y lógicamente también dejan de vomitar.

En conclusión, los perros no comen hierba para purgarse, y aquellos que lo hacen, deberían ser correctamente diagnosticados de su patología digestiva y puestos en tratamiento.
 

Fuente: Bayvet, 2007