Key concepts in senior cat care

This book highlights all the medical aspects that the veterinary practitioner should bear in mind when dealing with a senior feline patient. The key points of each system and disease are addressed in a clear manner so that the practical application of the information provided is the main of the asset of book. From the respiratory system to the endocrine system, from infectious diseases to pain control, no question has been left unanswered regarding the clinical medicine of senior feline patients, always from the perspective of their physiological peculiarities and response to the treatment.

Contents

Senior care: understanding ageing
 Senior animals in daily clinical practice
 The ageing process
  How to identify this process in a cat
 References
Respiratory diseases in senior cats
 Chronic rhinosinusitis
  Clinical signs
  Diagnosis
  Treatment
 Bronchial diseases: asthma and chronic bronchitis
  Diagnostic approach
  Treatment
 Pleural effusion
 References
Common heart diseases in senior cats
 Examining a patient with potential heart disease
  Auscultation
  Examination of the eyes and mucosae
  Examination of the jugular pulse and veins
 Keys to thoracic auscultation
  Normal heart sounds
  Murmurs
  Rhythm and rate
 Other diagnostic methods
 Main types of cardiomyopathy in senior patients
  Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
  Dilated cardiomyopathy
  Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy
  Restrictive cardiomyopathy
 Treatment of cardiomyopathy
 Hypertension
  Treatment of hypertension
 References
Dental care in senior cats
 Age-associated changes
  Abrasion
  Periodontal disease
  Tooth resorption or false caries
  Oral neoplasms
 Stomatitis and feline chronic gingivostomatitis
  Aetiopathogenesis
  Lesions and clinical signs
  Treatment
 Tooth extraction
  Perioperative considerations
  Surgical technique
 References
Gastrointestinal diseases in senior cats
 Vomiting
  Diagnostic approach
  Treatment
 Inflammatory bowel disease
  Clinical picture
  Diagnostic approach
  Treatment
 Intestinal lymphoma
  Diagnostic approach
  Treatment
 Constipation (megacolon)
  Treatment
 References
Liver and pancreas diseases in senior cats
 Feline age-associated hepatic and pancreatic pathophysiology
 Inflammatory liver diseases in the senior cat
 Triaditis
 Hepatic lipidosis
 Hepatic encephalopathy
 Liver neoplasms
 Treatment of hepatobiliary conditions in senior cats
  Antibiotics
  Immunosuppressive drugs
  Supportive treatment
 Acute and chronic pancreatitis
  Treatment of acute pancreatitis
  Treatment of chronic pancreatitis
 Annex
 References
Chronic kidney disease
 The International Renal Interest Society. Kidney disease classification system
 How chronic kidney disease is diagnosed
 Changes in the kidneys
  What to do
 Treatment of chronic kidney disease
  Treatment of hyperphosphataemia
  How to fight anaemia
  How to manage hypertension
 References
Pain management in senior cats
 Feline osteoarthritis
 Adapting clinical examination to cats
 Drugs for pain
  NSAIDs
  Opiates
  Tricyclic antidepressants
  Anticonvulsants
  NMDA receptor antagonists
  Nutraceuticals
  Gene therapy
  Alternative therapies
 Annex
 References
Endocrine diseases in senior cats
 Feline hyperthyroidism
  Clinical signs
  Diagnosis
  Treatment
 Acromegaly
  Clinical signs
  Diagnosis
  Treatment
 Hyperadrenocorticism (Cushing’s syndrome)
  Clinical signs
  Diagnosis
  Treatment
 Hyperaldosteronism (Conn’s syndrome)
  Clinical signs
  Diagnosis
  Treatment
 Diabetes mellitus
  Clinical signs
  Diagnosis
  Treatment
 References
Infectious diseases in senior cats
 Toxoplasmosis
  Clinical signs
  Diagnosis
  Treatment
 Feline haemoplasmosis
  Pathogenesis
  Diagnosis
  Treatment
 Calicivirus (FCV)
  Virulent systemic feline calicivirus (VS-FCV)
  Diagnosis
  Treatment
 Herpesvirus (FHV)
  Pathogenesis
  Diagnosis
  Treatment
 Feline coronavirus and feline infectious peritonitis: who is who
  Agent that causes feline infectious peritonitis?
  Diagnosis
  Treatment
 Retroviruses
  Feline leukaemia virus (FeLV)
  Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)
 References

Félix Vallejo López graduated in Veterinary Medicine from the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) in 1992. He is certified as a specialist in feline medicine by the Spanish Small Animal Veterinary Association (AVEPA) and holds a diploma as a General Practitioner in Feline Medicine from the European School of Veterinary Postgraduate Studies (ESVPS). He also holds a diploma in traumatology and orthopaedics and a diploma in traditional Chinese veterinary medicine (Chi Institute of Europe). He is a founding member of the AVEPA Group of Specialists in Feline Medicine (GEMFE), a member of the International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM) and a member of the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP). At present, he heads the feline area at Happy Animal Veterinary Hospital in Madrid and manages the specialised consulting firm www.medicinafelina.com. He is the author of multiple publications in the field of feline medicine, as well as a speaker at various conferences in recent years.