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Medical Conditions

  • Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a chronic disease of the intestinal tract. Occasionally, the stomach may be involved.

  • Tapeworms and roundworms are two of the most common intestinal parasites of cats. Tapeworms are long flat worms composed of many individual segments whereas round worms are much shorter and have rounded bodies.

  • Tumours of the intestinal epithelial lining include non-cancerous polyps, benign adenomas and malignant epithelial tumours (adenocarcinomas).

  • The term jaundice describes a yellow discoloration of the skin. This can most easily be appreciated by looking at the whites of the eyes, and the mucous membranes (ie the third eyelids and gums).

  • It means that a yellow pigment is found in the blood and in the tissues. It is most easily seen in the gingiva (gums), the sclerae (white part of the eyes), and the pinnae (ear flaps).

  • In addition to removing soluble waste products from the body, the kidneys help to regulate water balance and also produce erythropoietin, a hormone which controls red blood cell production in the bone marrow. With kidney disease erythropoietin production is often decreased which can result in chronic anaemia.

  • This term indicates there is a decrease in the number of circulating blood platelets thus impairing blood clotting.

  • Your dog is described as being lame if he is incapable of normal movement. The commonest causes are pain in the joint, its supporting structure or instability in the joint.

  • Laryngeal paralysis is probably more common than generally recognised. It affects middle aged and older dogs, usually of medium and large size.

  • This is a disease caused by a protozoan (single celled) parasite found in dogs and certain rodents in many part of the world. Thankfully the disease is exotic to Australia (foreign) and our isolation and quarantine have afforded us protection from this disease. A type of tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus is widespread in Australia and this may act as a vector for the disease if it gains entry to our shores.