Toxoplasmosis is an infectious disease that primarily affects cats. Humans are considered intermediate hosts, though they usually do not exhibit any clinical symptoms. However, a primary infection during pregnancy is truly dangerous. It can lead to severe fetal malformations and miscarriages.
The causative agent of toxoplasmosis is a single-celled parasite whose primary host is the cat. Cats excrete certain developmental stages of the toxoplasma, which can survive in the external environment as resilient spores for up to several years. These can then be ingested either by another cat or by an intermediate host. Since humans are one of the intermediate hosts, this is a zoonosis (see related article).
Due to the many different intermediate hosts and the pathogen’s resilience in the environment, many other sources of infection play an important role for humans in addition to cats, such as raw and undercooked pork and lamb, unwashed vegetables, unpasteurized goat’s milk, contaminated soil, or sandboxes soiled by cat feces.
Whether the disease breaks out and clinical symptoms appear in the cat depends primarily on the type of infection. When cats infect each other, clinical symptoms rarely develop; however, infection via an intermediate host almost always leads to the onset of the disease.
Older cats, if at all, show only mild signs of illness, such as mild diarrhea. Once infected, cats become immune to the pathogen and no longer shed any developmental stages. In younger or immunocompromised cats, however, far more pronounced symptoms may occur. These include diarrhea, swollen lymph nodes, coughing, breathing difficulties, jaundice, eye infections, inflammation of the heart and skeletal muscles, as well as the meninges (see article on meningoencephalitis). Sudden deaths also occur in kittens.
Chronic toxoplasmosis can only develop in cats with a compromised immune system. This is characterized by gait disturbances, seizures, weight loss, digestive problems, and eye inflammation.
Since most cats show no or very few symptoms during a toxoplasmosis infection, they are rarely brought to the veterinarian’s office. Instead, the focus is on determining whether an otherwise healthy cat is shedding developmental stages of Toxoplasma. This can be detected through a fecal examination, but only during a roughly three-week period following initial infection. This primarily affects kittens, although overall only about one to two percent of all cats shed Toxoplasma.
In adult cats, treatment is usually not necessary because symptoms are often mild. The infection is often discovered by chance during other examinations. In young or immunocompromised cats with more severe cases, treatment with antiparasitic and antibiotic medications is necessary.
The best way to effectively protect your cat from toxoplasmosis is to feed it either commercial cat food or meat that has been thoroughly cooked or frozen for an extended period of time. This approach can significantly reduce the risk of infection, at least for indoor-only cats. However, because outdoor cats may come into contact with rodents, the risk of infection cannot be completely ruled out.
This muscle disease, which was only discovered in recent years, occurs primarily in Quarter Horses and cold-blooded animals and is characterized by the storage of excessive amounts of glycogen (animal starch stored in cells) in the horse's muscles. It is known as polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM).
This infectious disease, medically known as foal septicemia, is often fatal and affects newborn foals up to 4 weeks of age. The pathogens enter the bloodstream in various ways and can spread throughout the entire organism. However, the disease most commonly manifests itself in the joints, which is why it is colloquially known as foal paralysis.
Dogs and cats can go blind for various reasons. However, this does not mean "the end" for our beloved four-legged friends. Dogs and cats in particular, who live together with us humans, are very good at compensating for their loss of sight with other senses and can continue to lead almost normal lives.
Syncope refers to fainting or circulatory collapse that occurs suddenly without warning and leads to a temporary loss of consciousness in animals. The dog collapses suddenly and shows no signs of life. After a short time, it regains consciousness and behaves as it did before the syncope.
Ectropion is a malposition of the eyelid that mainly affects the lower eyelid. The outer edge of the eyelid is turned outward and hangs down, which is why it is also referred to as a "drooping eyelid." This malposition prevents the eyelid from closing normally, leaving the eye permanently slightly open.
Tracheal collapse is a condition in dogs that causes the windpipe (trachea) to collapse. It mainly affects small breeds such as Yorkshire terriers, miniature Spitz, poodles, and Pekingese. The condition often manifests itself in the first few months of life, sometimes with severe breathing problems.
The air sacs of horses are part of the upper respiratory tract. They develop in foals as a mucous membrane protrusion on both sides of the Eustachian tube (the connection between the middle ear and the nasopharyngeal cavity), each with a capacity of approximately 300 ml. Air sacs are found exclusively in equines and some other odd-toed ungulates, making them a unique feature. There are various theories about the function of the air sacs. The most likely is that they serve to cool the brain. There is a connection between the horse's throat and the air sacs, which is why infections of the upper respiratory tract can also spread to the air sacs. The most important diseases of the air sacs are described below.
Sticker's sarcoma is an infectious tumor of the external genital organs of male and female dogs. It is also known as transmissible venereal tumor or venereal sarcomatosis. The disease occurs worldwide, but is primarily found in tropical and subtropical countries (Mediterranean region, Africa, Eastern Europe, South America) where there is a large population of stray dogs.
Botulism is a serious neurological disease caused by the ingestion of botulinum toxin (a poison) from contaminated feed. Even the smallest amounts of this toxin can cause severe poisoning in horses, leading to death.
Spondylosis is a condition characterized by deformation of the spine. It involves the formation of bony growths resembling spurs or bridges on the underside, sides, or, rarely, the top of the vertebral bodies. It primarily affects large, heavy dog breeds such as the German Boxer, German Shepherd, Rottweiler, St. Bernard, and Retriever, as well as dogs with long backs, such as the Dachshund. However, the condition can also occur in all other dog breeds.
The topic of deworming is a recurring discussion among horse owners. For anyone wondering whether it is necessary to deworm their horse, the answer is yes. Anyone who has ever seen how vast numbers of worms can completely block parts of the small or large intestine during colic surgery will no longer ask this question. Without treatment, worm infestation can become life-threatening for horses. Initially, a noticeable increase in tail rubbing may be an indication of this. As the infestation progresses, internal organs can be damaged and colic can occur. The horse loses weight despite being fed adequately. The parasites weaken the horse more and more. Regular deworming is necessary to reduce the infestation to a level that is tolerable for the horse's organism. It is almost impossible to completely rid the horse of worms, as new infections will always occur through the environment. There are two methods of deworming: strategic and selective deworming. You should avoid alternative deworming methods.
Imaging diagnostics refers to all diagnostic procedures that use diagnostic devices to generate two- or even three-dimensional images of the inside of the body. These images can be used to detect disease-related changes, among other things.
