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Diagnosis

  • Parathyroid tumours in dogs include non-cancerous cysts, formed before birth. Enlarged parathyroid glands due to cell overgrowth (hyperplasia) may be secondary to chronic kidney disease and unbalanced nutrition.

  • Canine parvovirus (CPV) infection is a relatively new disease that first appeared in 1978. Because of the severity of the disease and its rapid spread through the canine population, CPV has aroused a great deal of public interest.

  • The so-called periodontum is the structure surrounding the tooth which includes the gum, the alveolar bone and the periodontal ligament. These structures can become diseased and unable to support the tooth which itself may be healthy.

  • Most pituitary tumours are benign (and a few are non-cancerous cysts) but because of their location, they still produce serious adverse effects as they enlarge and they are rarely curable.

  • Plasmacytomas in the skin are usually solitary benign tumours that grow rapidly but rarely recur after surgical removal. Malignant tumours are very rare.

  • Pedal eczema, interdigital cysts and pododermatitis are all terms used to describe a condition of varying severity which causes lameness and discomfort in dogs.

  • Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is an inherited condition in cats, that causes multiple cysts (pockets of fluid) to form in the kidneys. These cysts are present from birth.

  • When a portosystemic shunt (PSS) is present blood in the portal vein effectively bypasses the liver, i.e it is shunted straight into the caudal vena cava, a major vein returning blood to the heart.

  • Pre-procedure check ups are the best way to assess the risk involved in any procedure where an anaesthetic is required for surgery or any other investigation.

  • Unfortunately, at the moment, there are no reliable blood tests that will detect pregnancy in the cat.