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Adopting A Dog
There are lots of ways that people choose a new family dog. Some may search the newspaper for advertisements from breeders who are selling new puppies; others find breeders via listings on the internet, while still more may simply purchase a puppy...
Does Your Cat Need A Collar And Leash?
A leash can help you keep control of your cat when you don't
want her to stray too far away, but still get some exercise.
Even if you never plan to take your cat for regular walks like
you would a dog, you still need to insure that your cat...
Dog Training: The Other Ways To Reward And Keep Your Dog Motivated Other Than Food And How To Keep Your Dog To Stay Focus
Keeping the attention of a dog while training is not always
easy. Dogs can be easily distracted, and it is important to not
allow the training sessions to be sabotaged by boredom. Making
training fun for the dog and the human alike is vital...
Feeding Prepared Dog Food and Puppy Food
If you have decided that you will feed your dog or puppy
prepared dog food or prepared puppy food, then your next
decision is what type of food should you be feeding your puppy?
You will need to do some research on the prepared puppy...
Frosty, The Wandering Vagabond Cat
FROSTY, THE WANDERING VAGABOND CAT Copyright 2004, Michael LaRocca For a long time, we had a four-pet home. Daisy the border collie mix and Bebe the dachshund/doberman mix. Witchie and Taz, the Siamese couple. Pumpkin wandered into this mess for a...
How to Find a Sitter for your Dog
Whether your dog is old or a just a puppy, there will come a
time when you have to out of town for business or a vacation
where dogs aren't allowed. Therefore, you will need to leave
your prized pet in the care of a pet sitter. Where can you...
"Hybrid" dog - Isn't that just another word for Mutt?
Every day we hear more about the new "hybrid" dogs, or
"designer" dogs. Each feature is accompanied by pictures of
adorable puppies that are examples of this new "breed."
Of course they're cute! All puppies are! Should you pay
hundreds, and...
Is Your Aquarium Balanced?
The world as we know it is in balance. Animals breathe in oxygen and give off carbon dioxide. Plant absorbs carbon dioxide and give off oxygen as part of there process of photosynthesis. Animals eat plants and animals wastes, feed plants. Water...
"Make Your Home Cat-Safe - How To Keep Your Cat Happy and Healthy"
* Lock things up that could cause harm * Keep the washer/dryer door closed at all times * Honk the car horn before starting it up * Use fire carefully * Keep all upstairs windows closed or screened * Store string away tidily * Keep floors...
Planning for a Pet Friendly Holiday
These days many holiday venues will happily allow you to bring your pet along - a move that has been welcomed by many loving pet owners and their four-legged charges. In Australia these venues tend to be Bed and Breakfasts, self-contained cottages...
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Diagnosing pancreatic disease in Pets
The laboratory diagnosis of pancreatic disease in dogs and cats has taken has made some significant progress in the last few years. Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) is now recognised in both dogs and cats and while most affected animals are young there are a number of older animals that are affected. The canine Trypsin-Like Immunoreactivity (TLI) test is both sensitive and specific for EPI and is assayed as part of the canine intestinal profile together with folate and cobalamin. Feline TLI has been shown similarly to be an excellent assay for EPI in cats, however this test is currently available only in the USA. As a result, we do not routinely include this test in the feline intestinal profile but we would recommend adding it for all cats with steathorreic faeces and for cats that are thin despite eating well where other causes have been ruled out.
The laboratory diagnosis of canine pancreatitis is complicated by the fact that amylase and lipase quickly return to normal following the onset of clinical signs – so normal results need not exclude pancreatitis. In addition, mild increases in amylase and lipase can be seen with intestinal and hepatic disease and both are affected by reduced renal function. As a result these tests are neither completely sensitive nor specific.
In cats with
pancreatitis amylase and lipase are only occasionally abnormal and they are considered of little diagnostic value in this species.
Pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity (PLI) however, holds out considerably more promise for the diagnosis of pancreatitis in the dog and cat. In dogs, PLI elevations appear to persist for longer than other tests and this is now considered the best test for chronic pancreatitis. In cats with pancreatitis, PLI has been reported to be more sensitive than TLI (70% vs. 30%). This is particularly useful in cats as the clinical signs in this species are often non-specific (lethargy, anorexia, dehydration) with only 35% showing vomiting and 25% showing abdominal pain.
Currently the PLI assay is only available in the USA so the turnaround is about 10 days. It is likely however that we will be able to offer this assay more directly in future. To request PLI for dogs or cats simply indicate this on the request form (B33) and ensure that an additional 0.75 ml non-lipaemic serum is submitted.
About the Author
Nick graduated from Edinburgh Veterinary School in 1980 with an
Honours degree in Pathological Sciences and in 1982 as a Bachelor
of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery. In 2003 Nick became a diplomate
of the Royal college of Pathologists in veterinary clinical pathology.
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