Teeth and Eyes - help welcome here!
Teeth and Eyes - help welcome here!
My wife took our cat for a check up and it was advised that our cat have a scale and polish and a molar taken out (it said that the molar was 'calculus' what does this mean?) I have also noticed on the report that it says that when the tooth was pulled it had a neck lesion - what does that mean? Is it bad? The vet has also written that during the check up that on checking of her eyes "NAD on retinal examination poss early PRA" -any ideas here? Thanks in anticipation, Harold
Calculus is a term for hard, mineralized plaque on the surface of the teeth. Neck lesions are another term for feline ondoclastic resorptive lesions (FORL's) , you might want to talk to your vet about getting more frequent followups to monitor kitty's oral health. Here is a site to help you understand FORL's.
PRA is Progressive Retinal Atrophy, or retinal degeneration. The causes are various, from congenital (breed) to aquired (disease). The causes can be categorized as scarring/detachment/inflammation; metabolic; neoplastic; nutritional (vitamin E or A deficiency or taurine deficiency); infectious; or toxic (i.e., prior use of medications like griseofulvicin used to treat ringworm).
While it is generally not a painful disease, it can lead to retinal detachment, total blindness, glaucoma, cataracts, uevitis and ocular trauma associated with vision impairment. Your vet will want to monitor kitty frequently for any progressing signs of the disease, but you might want to opt for a feline opthamologist's exam and viewpoint for treatment options.
I would also suggest ruling out dilated cardiomyopathy if you and your vet in the least suspect previous taurine deficiency.
I'm surprised your vet has not answered your questions. If by chance, you are not happy with his level of committment, care for your kitty, or that he doesn't bother explaining things to you, do not hesitate to get another vet. With age related conditions such as these, you really need to monitor your kitty for progressive signs, and you need a committed vet to be there for you to answer your questions and provide an excellent level of care. Also, do consider getting that opthamologist's exam, they are more experienced in this area and may be more helpful than your general vet.
PRA is Progressive Retinal Atrophy, or retinal degeneration. The causes are various, from congenital (breed) to aquired (disease). The causes can be categorized as scarring/detachment/inflammation; metabolic; neoplastic; nutritional (vitamin E or A deficiency or taurine deficiency); infectious; or toxic (i.e., prior use of medications like griseofulvicin used to treat ringworm).
While it is generally not a painful disease, it can lead to retinal detachment, total blindness, glaucoma, cataracts, uevitis and ocular trauma associated with vision impairment. Your vet will want to monitor kitty frequently for any progressing signs of the disease, but you might want to opt for a feline opthamologist's exam and viewpoint for treatment options.
I would also suggest ruling out dilated cardiomyopathy if you and your vet in the least suspect previous taurine deficiency.
I'm surprised your vet has not answered your questions. If by chance, you are not happy with his level of committment, care for your kitty, or that he doesn't bother explaining things to you, do not hesitate to get another vet. With age related conditions such as these, you really need to monitor your kitty for progressive signs, and you need a committed vet to be there for you to answer your questions and provide an excellent level of care. Also, do consider getting that opthamologist's exam, they are more experienced in this area and may be more helpful than your general vet.
..........Traci
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Guest
Thank you for your speedy reply....we are organising another vet, I just wanted to drill in a bit further so that I can approach with a better understanding as this is our first cat, and we have a few of the usual textbooks etc, and doing our best. Hence.....just a couple more questions if you don't mind, what exactly is dilated cardiomyopathy, and taurine deficiency? Thank you.
Dilated Cardiomyopathy is a heart condition in which the ventricular muscle is compromised, low cardiac output is a concern, enlargement of the heart occurs and can lead to congestive heart failure. It is relatively rare in cats, as opposed to restricted or hypertrophic types or cardiomyopathy.
Most commonly, it is caused by taurine deficiency in the cat's diet (but can be caused by other things such as collagen abnormality, growth hormone excess or genetic, etc). Since the inception of commercial cat food diets, dilated cardiomyopathy is less common. I recommend discussing this with your vet IF you feel that a prior fed diet was deficient in taurine, such as generic cat food brands, raw meat or home cooked meals only, or a highly supplemented diet with raw vegetables, things of that nature that would not have the sufficient taurine required in the diet.
Taurine is an essential amino acid that is crucial for the heart, retina, central nervous system, lymphatic system and skeletal muscles (again, can be associated with retinal degeneration/detachment). Supplementation might be considered if your vet suspects this deficiency. But, if after supplementation, and kitty does not respond, then other diagnostics and differentials must be explored.
Most commonly, it is caused by taurine deficiency in the cat's diet (but can be caused by other things such as collagen abnormality, growth hormone excess or genetic, etc). Since the inception of commercial cat food diets, dilated cardiomyopathy is less common. I recommend discussing this with your vet IF you feel that a prior fed diet was deficient in taurine, such as generic cat food brands, raw meat or home cooked meals only, or a highly supplemented diet with raw vegetables, things of that nature that would not have the sufficient taurine required in the diet.
Taurine is an essential amino acid that is crucial for the heart, retina, central nervous system, lymphatic system and skeletal muscles (again, can be associated with retinal degeneration/detachment). Supplementation might be considered if your vet suspects this deficiency. But, if after supplementation, and kitty does not respond, then other diagnostics and differentials must be explored.
..........Traci