Feline Focus

Screening

Genetic test available for Burmese hypokalaemia

A genetic test to identify the presence of the mutation responsible for Burmese hypokalaemia is now being offered by veterinary genetic laboratories including the Universities of Bristol (UK) and Davis (USA). The clinical presentation of the genetic disease, also known as familial episodic hypokalaemic polymyopathy, is skeletal muscle weakness, which is episodic in nature and can affect the whole animal or may be localised to the neck or limb muscles. As a result affected cats tend to have problems walking and holding their head correctly. Clinical signs in cats affected by the disease can usually be managed by adding potassium supplements to their diet. In some affected cats clinical signs disappear when they get to one to two years old without the need for further treatment.

As Burmese hypokalaemia is an autosomal recessive condition, carrier cats do not show signs of disease. Genetic testing and selective breeding now offers the prospect of eradicating the disease in the Burmese breed.

For more information, email [e-mail] or visit www.langfordvets.co.uk/lab_pcr_hypokalaemia.htm or www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/services/cat/CatGM2.php

Awards

ABCD presents two young scientist awards

The European Advisory Board on Cat Diseases (ABCD)/Merial Young Scientist Awards 2012 were presented during the ISFM Congress in Budapest in June. The recipients were (from left): Céline Robert-Tissot (research award) and Bianca Stützer (clinical award). Dr Robert-Tissot measured innate immune responses to feline viruses and demonstrated the potential of the nucelotide ODN2216 for restricting viral transmission in shelters. Dr Stützer, who received the inaugural clinical award, looked at the role of regressive feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) infection in cats with aregenerative bone marrow suppression or lymphoma. She found that the prevalence of regressive FeLV infections is lower than expected in cats with disorders that are, in general, commonly caused by FeLV infection.

• Dr Stützer is co-author of a review article on bartonellosis on pages 612–621 of this issue of JFMS.

Research

UK FeLV and FIV prevalence study

The University of Glasgow, with funding from the PetPlan Charitable Trust, is determining the prevalence and risk factors for feline leukaemia virus and feline immunodeficiency virus infection in the UK in order to devise accurate testing guidelines. Working in conjunction with Idexx Laboratories, the study, which is running until November 30, aims to identify cat populations most at risk, to determine regional differences and examine the sensitivity and specificity of in-clinic test devices. The project is seeking to recruit 500 practices from across the UK and aims to collect data from 10,000 cats. For more information go to www.glasgow.ac.uk/vds

Research

Dual antimicrobial role for manuka honey

Manuka honey could help clear chronic wound infections and even prevent them from developing in the first place, according to a recent study published in the journal Microbiology.

Streptococcus pyogenes, a normal human skin bacterium, is frequently associated with non-healing wounds. Bacteria that infect wounds can clump together forming ‘biofilms’, which form a barrier to drugs, promoting chronic infection.

Researchers at Cardiff Metropolitan University have shown that manuka honey can not only destroy fully formed S pyogenes biofilms in vitro but also prevent the bacteria initially binding to components of wound tissue. The results of the study showed that very small concentrations of honey prevented the start of biofilm development and that treating established biofilms grown in Petri dishes with honey for two hours killed up to 85% of bacteria within them.

Award

ISFM and Hill’s salute Professor Hans Lutz

(from left) Professor Hans Lutz, recipient of the ISFM/Hill’s International Award 2012 for outstanding contributions to feline medicine, Dr Andy Sparkes (ISFM Veterinary Director), Claire Bessant (ISFM Chief Executive) and Dr Eva Ramalho (Technical and Scientific Affairs Manager, Hill’s Pet Nutrition). Presenting the award at the ISFM’s European Congress in Budapest on June 16, Dr Sparkes referred to Professor Lutz as being ‘among the gods of feline virology’. Immediately afterwards, Professor Lutz, director of the clinical laboratory at the Veterinary Faculty in Zurich from 1981 until his retirement in 2011, delivered a state-of-the-art lecture looking ‘over the horizon’ at feline leukaemia virus

AAFP

Size is no barrier to gaining cat friendly status

Don’t just assume that you cannot be a Cat Friendly Practice because your waiting room is too small! There are numerous creative ways to incorporate cat friendly ideas into your current practice model.

While the ideal is to have a separate cat-only waiting room, many practices do not have the space to accommodate this. When the cat initially enters the practice it will attempt to assess the safety of this new environment. The waiting area should be a place that minimizes the threats cats may feel (visual, aural, olfactory, etc).

Below are some suggestions for modifying the waiting areas and/or routines to reduce stress before the examination:

• Provide physical separation in the waiting room so as to create two separate spaces for dogs and cats in one room.

  Examples: Create seating that is back-to-back with tall plants in between, so dogs and cats face opposite walls. Bookshelves, half walls or counters can be used to separate the spaces and avoid visual contact. Instruct clients to cover the carrier with a large towel to avoid visual contact. Display clear notices asking clients with dogs to keep them away from the cat areas.

• Create a separate doorway into the hospital or examination room so cats can enter without having to risk an encounter with a dog.

• Schedule routine cat-only appointment times to avoid contact with dogs and create a less stressful environment for cats and owners.

• Take cats directly to an examination room so they do not need to wait in the reception area. This situation requires two or more examination rooms to cater for an appointment running late or a patient arriving early. Again, instruct owners with anxious cats to cover the carrier with a towel upon entrance to the practice, and ask them to call before they enter the building.

As part of the Cat Friendly Practice program in the USA, the AAFP will also be developing additional resources for veterinary teams including practical how-to videos, practice marketing tips, educational materials, and staff training. To become an AAFP Cat Friendly Practice, download the checklist and manual from http://catfriendlypractice.catvets.com.

ISFM

First practices gain cat friendly status

At the time of going to press, 10 UK practices have already gained their cat friendly status in the shape of five gold and five silver ISFM Cat Friendly Clinic awards. Purina has distributed 700 application packs in the UK. Successful practices will be listed on the Cat Friendly Clinic, ISFM and FAB websites.

In Spain, 570 clinics applied for information packs and nine have been submitted for evaluation. Information on other countries will follow – watch this space!

To take part, download a pack from www.wellcat.org.

Books

Bite-sized reviews

Veterinary hematology. A diagnostic guide and color atlas

JW Harvey St Louis, Elsevier Saunders, 2012. Softback, 360 pages. Price £51.99. ISBN 9781437701739

Positives Many. The change in title from Harvey’s previous Color Atlas to include ‘Diagnostic Guide’ reflects an expansion in the scope and remit of this classic to cover all aspects of veterinary haematology. In addition to exhaustive and clear colour photographs of normal and abnormal cell types, electron microsopy and histopathology pictures are used to clarify the pathophysiology of disease. New sections, including quality control and haemostasis, sit alongside logical guides to the approach to diagnosis of clinical haematological disease to give a comprehensive guide to all aspects of blood and bone marrow. The structure and approach is logical and easy to use.

Negatives Very few. Although all species are covered, this is a thorough and accessible text for the diagnosis of feline haematological abnormalities, particularly for those doing their own laboratory work. A very few of the colour plates have been expanded in size such that some crispness is lost, but these are rare and the majority are of outstanding quality.

Target audience A necessity for laboratories, both in-house and reference; an excellent ‘one-stop’ haematology book for the practice and an accessible resource for those seeing many feline medicine cases. The introduction of approaches to the clinical presentations widens the appeal to what was previously an almost exclusively laboratory-based book.

Comment This is a readable, well organised and well thought out book. Treatment is not covered. The large references sections allow further reading where needed and keep the book user friendly by not overloading the text.

Kathleen Tennant

BVetMed CertSAM CertVC FRCPath MRCVS, Clinical Fellow in Veterinary Clinical Pathology

Blackwell’s five-minute veterinary consult: canine and feline

5th ed. LP Tilley and FWK Smith Jr, eds. Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford, 2012. Hardback, 1538 pages. Price £58.99. ISBN 9780813807638

Positives This book is an excellent reference guide, providing information on a broad range of topics from abortion to zinc toxicity and including information on disciplines from behaviour through to ophthalmology to musculoskeletal disorders. Information is given in a standard format with pathophysiology, signalment, signs, differentials, diagnostic approach and an overview of treatment provided for each topic.

Suggested reading and a few references are given in most sections for obtaining further depth of information. Access to a website provides additional information, including client handouts that can be customised to suit the practice.

Negatives Topics are covered fairly briefly; this book tries to cover every disease entity, but not in great depth. There are few diagrams and no illustrations. It is also a massive tome; its main usefulness lies as a reference guide on the practice shelf rather than as a portable manual! Although feline subjects are covered, the main bias is towards dogs.

Target audience General practitioners.

Comment This book is an excellent starting point for creating a list of differentials for a given clinical sign, or for gaining an overview of approach to a clinical syndrome. It makes an excellent revision or reference text, but overall depth is not provided.

Philippa Welsh

BVSc GPCertFelP MRCVS Pfizer Feline Scholar, University of Bristol

Clinical canine and feline respiratory medicine

1st ed. LR Johnson. Wiley-Blackwell, Ames, Iowa, 2010. Paperback, 202 pages. Price £61.99. ISBN 9780813816715.

Positives The single-author approach lends consistency to the layout of each chapter. The text is clear and well illustrated with diagrams and clinical images, while tables are used to summarise important information. This text provides a concise but complete discussion of the diagnosis and treatment of respiratory disease for the busy practitioner.

Negatives Few. Readers interested in learning about respiratory medicine in more detail may require a greater depth of information. For these readers lists of references are provided at the end of each chapter.

Target audience Practitioners and veterinary students.

Comment This would be a valuable addition to the bookshelf of any small animal practice. The layout and concisely written style make it easy to use as a quick reference.

Melanie J Hezzell

MA VetMB CertVDI CertVC MRCVS