Cat Medical News

News and updates about feline diseases and treatments for diseases

FDA approves first human insulin for veterinary use

Nov 20, 2009: The Food and Drug Administration recently approved Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica's PROZINC™ (protamine zinc recombinant human insulin) for veterinary use for cats with diabetes mellitus. PROZINC was created specifically with cats in mind. PROZINC™ is an aqueous protamine zinc (PZI) suspension of recombinant human insulin that is used to reduce hyperglycemia in cats. It is the first recombinant human PZI insulin available for the management of feline diabetes mellitus.

More information: http://www.prozinc.us/how.aspx

Three more cities approve declaw bans

Nov 18, 2009: Berkeley, Beverly Hills and Los Angeles have officially banned declawing, making a total of six cities making some kind of move against the practice. Declawing (Onychectomy) is amputating not just the claws, but the whole toe (phalanx) up to the joint, including bones, ligaments, and tendons
More information: http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/dvm/Veterinary+news/Three-more-cities-approve-declaw-bans/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/642790?contextCategoryId=378&ref=25

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-declaw-cats7-2009nov07,0,4016163.story?track=rss

Information on declawing: http://www.declawing.com/htmls/declawing.htm

Cat in Oregon, US, died from H1N1 virus (swine flu)

Nov. 2009: A cat in Oregon, US, caught the H1N1 virus (swine flu) from a human. The cat died four days after having been brought to the veterinarian. The cat, Buddy Lou, had heavily labored breathing due to fluid build up in the lungs but did not respond to antibiotics. See the complete news story at:

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/70584832.html

** Keep in mind that that in this case, like the other pet cases of H1N1, the disease was transmitted from humans TO pet cats. It is the humans spreading the H1N1 virus to their pet cats, not cats spreading it to the humans. To help reduce the chance of spreading this, and any virus, wash your hands, cover coughs, and isolate sick individuals. Take cats to the vet at the first signs of illness, especially any respiratory symptoms, particulary if you or anyone in your household has been sick with flu like symptoms.

Cats have caught H1N1 Virus (Swine flu) from Humans

Nov. 2009: The first confimed case of H1N1 virus in a cat was made on Nov. 2, 2009 in a 13-year-old cat in Iowa, USA. The cat caught the disease from humans in the household. The cat's owners were ill with flu-like symptoms, and the cat developed respiratory symptoms shortly afterward. This cat survived. More information:
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/05/the-cat-who-got-swine-flu/

http://www.idph.state.ia.us/IdphNews/Reader.aspx?id=8FBE90B3-4667-4960-9AF5-1B9B477A3805

Another cat, a 14-year old cat in Park City, Utah, USA, has been confirmed positive for the H1N1influenza virus. The owner of the pet cat had suffered a bout of the H1N1 flu before taking the sick cat to the veterinarin on Nov. 6, 2009. The cat was brought in due to difficulty breathing. This cat is recovering from the illness. More information at: http://www.parkrecord.com/ci_13782743

Note that cats, ferrets, pigs and turkeys have caught this virus from people, not the other way around.

Convenia- New long-lasting antibiotic injection for cats and dogs

June 2008 Convenia® (cefovecin sodium), is a new antibiotic for cats (and dogs) that provides 14 days worth of antibiotic treatment in just one injectable dose!

Developed by Pfizer Animal Health, Convenia is for treatment of the most common skin infections, and for wound abscesses, in cats and dogs. Wound and skin infections are the number one reason pets are prescribed antibiotics. No more struggling to pill cats or trying to squirt a liquid medication down their throats- with most of it dribbling all over the place! No more needing to rush home from work, cancel leisure plans, or change your normal routine to be available to medicate your cat (or dog) twice daily, every day for two weeks!

Now feral cats can get the full needed course of antibiotic treatment for bite wounds (provided one was able to catch them and get them to a vet.)

If your cat or dog needs antibiotic treatment for a wound or skin infection, be sure to ask your vet about Convenia. This medication truly is a fantastic development to make life better for both cats (and dogs) and humans!

For more information, see: http://www.businesswire.com/news/google/20080630005686/en