Library
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Cholangitis/cholangiohepatitis in cats refers to inflammation of the bile duct or a combination of inflammation of the bile duct, gallbladder, and surrounding liver tissue. The clinical signs, diagnosis, treatments, and prognosis of the conditions are outlined in this handout.
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Chronic bronchitis is a long-term inflammatory condition that affects the pulmonary or respiratory system. This condition is irreversible and is slowly progressive.
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This handout summarizes the normal function of the dog heart, and outlines the abnormalities and changes associated with degeneration of the four different valves found in the heart. An explanation is provided of clinical signs associated with valve disease, as well as the recommended tests and treatments for this condition. Staging of heart disease is also discussed.
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Chronic egg-laying occurs when a female bird lays one egg after another or lays repeated clutches of eggs. Chronic egg-laying may lead to malnutrition and egg binding. There are both behavioral and medical interventions to stop chronic egg-laying.
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Chronic kidney disease (once called chronic kidney failure) is mainly a problem in mature and senior cats (seven years and older). Unfortunately, once the kidneys are damaged, they have minimal ability to recover. However, with proper management, most CKD cases progress very slowly. This handout describes the clinical signs of the condition, along with causes, diagnosis, treatment, and nutritional management.
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The kidneys have many functions. They principally act to remove waste products from the blood stream, regulate the levels of certain essential minerals such potassium and sodium, conserve water and produce urine. The kidneys have a large amount of spare capacity to perform their various functions so at least two-thirds of the kidneys must be dysfunctional before any clinical signs are seen.
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Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is a slowly progressing cancer of a type of white blood cell called a lymphocyte. It can develop at any age but is more typically detected in middle-aged to senior dogs. It also seems to be more prevalent in German Shepherds and Golden Retrievers. This disease is often asymptomatic and detected on routine lab screening. Further diagnostic procedures, as well as treatments and prognoses, are described in this handout.
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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or chronic bronchitis is a slowly progressing inflammatory condition of the lower airways. It most often affects small or toy breeds from middle-aged and senior dogs. The most common sign is a chronic dry cough. Exercise intolerance, collapsing, wheezing, or noisy breathing may develop as the condition worsens. Airborne irritants/allergens, chronic respiratory infections, obesity and dental disease are implicated in triggering the disease. Diagnosis can be made by ruling out other causes of cough through a minimum diagnostic database, radiographs, bronchoscopy, and cytology and culture of lung material obtained through tracheal wash or bronchoalveolar lavage. Treatment aims to minimize inducing factors including weight loss and avoidance of environmental irritants, as well as employing medications such as corticosteroids and bronchodilators. If using long-term, these medications are most often given using metered dose inhalers to manage the disease successfully.
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Chronic upper respiratory tract disease in cats results from inflammation of any part of the upper respiratory tract. Many conditions contribute to this. Treatment is based on the underlying cause.
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Chylothorax is a life-threatening condition caused by chyle leaking out of the thoracic duct into the chest cavity, causing lung compression and the inability of the lungs to fill with air. This occurs more commonly in purebred cats. The causes, diagnostics, treatments, and prognosis are explained in this handout.
