Tabai Vet

21/08/2024

Stomatitis in a 4 year old cat.

✒️Gingivitis is a medical term that refers to inflammation of the gingiva (gums). Gingivitis is the earliest and only reversible stage of periodontal disease (disease of the support structures surrounding the teeth). Stomatitis refers to a more generalized inflammation of the mucous membranes within the mouth and may involve the gums, tongue, inner surfaces of the lips, and/or the floor and roof of the mouth. In some cases, it can even extend down the throat.

•The cause of stomatitis is unknown. It may be caused by a hyperimmune response of the oral tissues to bacterial plaque (an overreaction by the immune system). Other immune system triggers and certain viral infections that affect the immune system, such as feline immunodeficiency virus and feline leukemia virus, may also play a role.

•Stomatitis is often very painful, causing a decreased appetite or difficulty eating. Weight loss may occur. Often it will be too painful for the cat to self-groom, causing the haircoat to appear unkempt.

•The deposits of plaque and tartar are removed with ultrasonic scaling followed by polishing of the tooth surfaces. It is important to clean the tissues beneath the gum line carefully to remove any accumulated plaque or tartar. After the cleaning, the gingivitis can subside. Some cats need this done regularly to maintain their oral health. The treatment of stomatitis involves treating the underlying cause of the problem, if one can be identified. Most often, no specific cause is determined. Affected cats will require frequent dental cleanings with extractions as well as home treatment, including tooth brushing and the use of chlorhexidine rinses or gels to manage the disease. Pain medications, broad-spectrum antibiotics, and/or anti-inflammatory medications may be prescribed. Extraction of some or all teeth is often recommended as this is proven to have the greatest effect on stomatitis; however, some (refractory) cases won’t fully resolve after extraction and still need medical management as described above.

21/08/2024

Feline iris melanosis in a carey 10 year old cat.

✒️It is difficult to differentiate a benign freckle from a potentially malignant melanoma in the iris of a cat. Iris melanosis in cats is generally a benign change that should be monitored closely, while uveal melanoma is a malignant tumor, usually of the iris, that can be detrimental to the eye (causing inflammation and glaucoma) and has the potential to metastasize (spread to other parts of the body).

•The only way to definitively diagnose a lesion is via biopsy (usually obtained by removal of the eye). Some patients are candidates for sampling of the mass prior to enucleation (either with an aspirate or biopsy), although this creates a significant amount of inflammation within the eye, and is often not worth the risk.

Characteristics of intraocular pigmented masses that often raise concern for a more malignant process include:
Rate of progression (quick progression is more concerning)
Whether pigment extends into the iridocorneal (drainage) angle
A velvety appearance to the pigment
Development of dyscoria (abnormal pupil shape)
Presence of free-floating pigmented cells within the anterior chamber

•The difficulty is determining at what time (if at all) to remove the eye. If the eye is blind and painful due to glaucoma, the decision is fairly straightforward. However, if the eye is still visual, there is risk of removing a visual eye that may only have a benign lesion. If the mass has changed to a malignant tumor and spread elsewhere in the body, prognosis is generally poor and removing the eye would no longer be beneficial in preventing systemic disease.

21/08/2024

What's this? 👀🐱

21/08/2024

During summer and autumn in Switzerland and other regions of Europe, we remove about one or more spikelets, dry seeds of wheat and similar plants.
✒️They are usually in between the pads of dogs, but we have found spikelets inside the nose, ears, and even eyes (under the third eyelid). Cats can also be affected but it's less common. Normally the pets come after two or three days of constant licking or limping and the spikelet has already traveled inside the skin. Sedation and reopening of the wound is often needed to retrieve it and then clean the area. If they aren't taken out, they will continue to penetrate muscles and travel further inside the body. Antibiotics and analgesics are given for a few days to a week.

21/08/2024

Severe periodontitis in a 5 year old Caniche dog with gum regression and exposure of the roots of the premolars and molars. Please, brush your dog's teeth regularly.

21/08/2024

https://youtu.be/OTzTpY840WU

Reuploaded version because YouTube decided to age restrict my original one, even though all of the footage I show is either from YT Kids or non-age restricte...

29/06/2024

9-year-old is best friends with a wild magpie, who finds her wherever she goes and asks to play!We spoke to Lucy, who told us how they met and became so clos...

23/06/2024

Cat's x-ray, a VD image revealing lots of feces in the intestines.
✒️Constipation is the infrequent passage of hard and dry stools. There is no set number of bowel movements a cat must take in a day, but one to two is average. Constipation can affect cats of any age although it is seen more commonly in middle-aged to elderly cats.
Causes: Dehydration, reluctance to defecate (dirty litter trays, pain), obstruction of the colon, low-fibre diets, full or partial blockage due to ingestion of hard to digest products such as feathers or fur, certain drugs, neurological disorders, systemic disorders, pelvic injuries and unknown (idiopathic).

23/04/2024

Open Access
*Raw diets for dogs and cats: a review, with particular reference to microbiological hazards*

23/11/2023

23/11/2023

Anisocoria in a cat after a corneal injury that caused an ulcer in the right eye.
✒️ Anicosoria is a condition in which the pupils of the cat's eyes are different sizes; in other words, one pupil is larger than the other. In some cases, the abnormal pupil may be the one that is smaller and in other cases the abnormal pupil may be the one that is larger. 
*Anisocoria is a sign of a disease of condition, therefore there can be several different causes, including:
Corneal injury such as an ulcer.
Disease or injury to the brain or to the nerves running to the affected eye, such as Horner’s syndrome.
Glaucoma, a disease in which there is increased pressure within the eye (the pupil in the affected eye will be dilated).
Uveitis, or inflammation of the interior of the eye (the pupil in the affected eye will usually be constricted).
Retinal disease.
Scar tissue formation between the iris and the lens (called posterior synechia), a condition that may develop following uveitis.
Iris atrophy (a decrease in the amount of tissue within the iris) usually a degenerative change associated with aging.
Congenital defect of the iris, in which the iris tissue does not develop properly.
Cancer within the affected eye.
Spastic pupil syndrome - a syndrome that may be associated with feline leukemia virus infection.
Other infectious diseases such as feline immunodeficiency virus or toxoplasmosis.
*If anisocoria occurs suddenly, you should consider this an emergency situation and seek veterinary care immediately to lessen the chance that your cat's vision will be permanently affected.

23/11/2023

Do you know the name of this strange animal? It's not a bald kangaroo ;)
✒️The aardvark (Orycteropus afer) is a medium-sized, burrowing, nocturnal mammal native to Africa. It is the only living species of the order Tubulidentata, although other prehistoric species and genera of Tubulidentata are known. Unlike most other insectivores, it has a long snout, similar to that of a pig, which is used to sniff out food.
*The aardvark is found over much of the southern two-thirds of the African continent, avoiding areas that are mainly rocky. A nocturnal feeder, it subsists on ants and termites, which it will dig out of their hills using its sharp claws and powerful legs. It also digs to create burrows in which to live and rear its young. The animal is listed as "least concern" by the IUCN, although its numbers are decreasing. Aardvarks are afrotheres, a clade which also includes elephants, manatees, and hyraxes.

23/11/2023

Proximal metaphysis metacarpal comminuted fracture in a young Hérens cow in Switzerland. Dorsoplantar and lateromedial radiographs.
✒️Metacarpal or metatarsal fractures are the most common fractures in cattle of all ages. Because of the large force necessary to cause the fracture and the limited soft tissue supporting structures covering the bone, the fracture frequently is comminuted and open fractures are not uncommon.
*Fortunately, this fracture usually is amenable to external coaptation using a short or full-limb polyurethane resin-impregnated knitted fiberglass fabric cast. The prognosis for long-term pain-free survival is excellent for closed fractures and fair to good for open fractures managed in this manner. Surviving animals generally are not lame, do not have significant limb deformity or limb shortening, and generally become completely productive. Even considering the narrow profit margin involved when treating cattle with serious injuries, this method of fracture management usually is economically and technically feasible.
*Metacarpal and metatarsal fractures can be classified in the following manner: distal physeal or nonphyseal (distal metaphyseal, diaphy-
seal, or proximal metaphyseal); comminuted or noncomminuted; and open or closed. Open fractures may be classified as first through third degree according to established criteria.

23/11/2023

A very interesting structure in the iris of a horse in Argentina. This is actually very normal and a lot of horses have it. It's a Corpora Nigra or black body.
✒️These are small dark enlargements most commonly found on the dorsal pupillary border (top bit of the pupil). Their job is considered to be shading the retina from sunlight when the pupil is small on bright sunny days.
Occasionally these can become enlarged due to fluid production inside. We then call them iris cysts. Mostly these are of no concern. The Corpora Nigra can occasionally be large in size or number and affect vision. They are an uncommon cause of ‘spookiness’ or behavioural changes.
An important growth to rule out however, is ocular (eye) melanoma. These tend to occur on an area of the iris which is not the pupil border. These are dangerous as they can be invasive and cause detrimental damage to the eye resulting in vision loss and pain.
If you are concerned, an ocular examination by the vet should help with the initial diagnosis, but ultrasound can also be used to help determine which structure is present. Ultrasound of the eye is a relatively simple process and can provide vital information to assist a diagnosis.

06/11/2023

Bats! There are many species of bats, over 1,400 around the world. Many bats are insectivores, and most of the rest are frugivores or nectarivores. A few species feed are carnivorous and only three species are vampire bats, with a blood specific diet.
First image: common vampire bat (Desmodus Rotundus) blood.
Second: great stripe-faced bat (Vampyrodes caraccioli) frugivore.
Third: hairy-legged Myotis (Myotis keaysi) insectivore.
All were found in Guatemala.

06/11/2023

Cutting wound on the middel gluten muscle of a zebra caused by the horn of a waterbuck. The wound was healed by second intention after sutures kept breaking.
✒️Secondary intention healing means a wound will be left open (rather than being stitched together) and left to heal by itself, filling in and closing up naturally. It will mean you need regular dressings to the area for up to six weeks, but the time to full healing depends on the size, depth and site of the wound.

14/07/2023

Research in Europe shows birds are protecting their nests with spikes installed on buildings to prevent them from perching.