Hip dysplasia is not just for dogs.

Until very recently, cats were not thought to be affected by hip dysplasia. Well known in many dog breeds as an inherited disorder, cats were thought to be free of the condition. New information and research has shown that this disease does indeed exist in the cat and is likely an inherited disorder.

Hip dysplasia is not caused by one single gene. It is a polygenitic, complex disease, caused by several genes. The disease is not congenital (meaning that an animal is not born with it), but rather develops over a period of time resulting from instability in the ball and socket portion of the hip joint. Abnormal hip joint laxity (looseness between the femoral head - the ball, and the acetabulum - and the socket) is the initiating factor that results in the condition known as hip dysplasia.

The looseness that occurs within the joint contributes to secondary changes. A major change is the deterioration of the articular cartilage (articular cartilage functions as a lubricating mechanism within the joint). The degenerative changes that occur within the joint cause the femoral head and acetabulum (the ball and socket) to rub together and with every step, causes the cat to experience pain. Eventually, as the condition progresses, the cat develops severe degenerative joint disease (osteoarthritis) of the hip.

Symptoms of feline hip dysplasia are somewhat similar to symptoms of canine hip dyspalsia. Severely affected cats have obvious symptoms and experience pain. These cats may appear to be stiff when they walk, walk with a pronounced limp, and may be reluctant to jump or climb. Cats that are moderately affected appear less lame or lame from time to time. In some cases, the symptoms only appear after some traumatic event, such as a fall. Other cats totally mask the symptoms of hip dysplasia and appear normal.

Hip dysplasia is a condition which is present in the general feline population (in the random-bred, general cat population as well as in purebred cats) and is seen in all types of body styles, from relatively small cats like the Siamese to the larger breeds like Persians and Maine Coon Cats.

Maine Coon Cat

In the case of purebred cats, the breeders determine which cats can breed. Current thinking suggests that the greatest impact on reducing feline hip dysplasia can be made by breeders who choose to breed only cats that have been evaluated for the presence of hip dysplasia.

Diagnosis of feline hip dysplasia is made by x-raying the affected cat's hips. There are two different methods for evaluating hips. The most widely used method is that of The Orthopedic Foundation For Animals (OFA). The other method is done in conjunction with the University of Pennsylvania and is called the Penn Hip Improvement Program (PennHIP).

The OFA method is readily available as x-rays are taken by your local veterinarian and then forwarded to the OFA for evaluation. The PennHIP method for felines is currently available only via the University of Pennsylvania. While both utilize radiographs, the methods vary as do the opinions on which method is best.

Selective breeding is the key for reducing the incidence of feline hip dysplasia. Only cats that have sound hips, with no radiographic signs of hip dysplasia, should be used for breeding. Cats with radiographic signs of hip dysplasia should not be used for breeding and should be neutered at the appropriate age.

The keen olfactory senses of man's best friend have been used by humans ever since dogs were first domesticated. From hunting and tracking game and assisting the disabled to ferreting out criminals and finding illegal drugs, dogs are adept at picking up subtle scents and signs that human senses cannot register. However, a dog's nose may be more important than has ever been realized. Scientists are finding increasing evidence that dogs may have the ability to detect cancer in humans simply by using their sense of smell.

A study published in the March 2006 edition of the journal Integrative Cancer Therapies, researchers Michael McCulloch of the Pine Street Foundation in San Anselmo, Calif. and Tadeusz Jezierski of the Polish Academy of Sciences, presented research that suggests dogs can detect the presence of lung or breast cancer by sniffing the breath of cancer patients. Five dogs trained during a three-week period sniffed the breath of 86 cancer patients and 83 healthy patients. Dogs were trained to identify the presence of cancer on a patient's breath by sitting or lying down in front of the test subject. According to the study, the dogs had a success rate between 88 and 97 percent. Though dogs probably will not take the place of MRI, mammograms and other cancer screening tools, medical researchers continue to examine the link between a dogs' sense of smell and human illness.

Already, dogs' excellent sense of smell is already used by people with type 1 diabetes to detect impending episodes of hypoglycemia. Organizations like Dogs For Diabetics and Heaven Scent Paws train dogs to recognize the scent of chemicals emitted by diabetics before hypoglycemia sets in. The dog alerts his or her handler, who can then administer insulin in order to prevent a diabetic episode. Dogs can also be trained to alert people with epilepsy of impending seizures, giving them time to stop what they're doing and move to a safe place. It is still unclear how exactly dogs can detect the onset of a seizure, though many researchers believe a dog's olfactory and other senses play a large role.

How are dogs able to detect these scents? Both dogs and humans have organs inside their noses called turbinates. When a dog or a human inhales, air passes over the turbinates, which contain a spongy membrane that houses scent-detecting cells and the nerves that send scent-signals to the brain. In humans, the area around the turbinates is small, containing roughly 5 million scent receptors. In dogs, the turbinates contain hundreds of millions of scent receptors, depending on the breed. For example, the dachshund has 125 million scent receptors, while scent-hounds like the bloodhound have 300 million receptors. These receptors are what make it possible for dogs to do everything from tracking a fox through a forest to picking up the scents emitted by a diabetic when his or her blood sugar is low.

Curious canine noses can also be trained for other activities. Dogs are being used in increasing numbers to hunt for truffles, underground fungi that are highly sought-after culinary delicacies. Hogs have been the traditional truffle-hunting agent in Europe: a hog's keen sense of smell, coupled with the similarity between a truffle's odor and a pheromone found in boar saliva, make swine innate truffle hunters. But pigs are difficult to train and will quickly dig up and eat the truffles they were sent to find if a handler isn't close by. That is why many truffle seekers are using trained dogs (especially Labradors) to find—and not eat—the fungi.

Owners who want to better understand their canine companions must recognize that dogs see the world from a different visual perspective. The differences begin with the structure of the eye. We have a good idea what dogs see because we know the make-up of the retina of a dog’s eye.

The retina is the light sensitive portion of the eye. This structure is located in the back of the inside of the eyeball. The retina contains two types of light sensitive cells: rods and cones. Cones provide color perception and detailed sight, while rods detect motion and vision in dim light. Dogs have rod-dominated retinas that allow them to see well in the dark. Along with superior night vision, dogs have better motion visibility than humans have. However, because their retinas’ contain only about one-tenth the concentration of cones that humans have, dogs do not see colors as humans do.

Dogs see like a color-blind human. Many people think that a person who is red/green color blind cannot see any color, but there are variations of color blindness. Most people have vision that is trichromatic (three-color variations). People who are red/green color blind are dichromatic (two color variations). Dogs’ retinas can distinguish two colors. These colors are blue-violet and yellow. Dogs can also differentiate between shades of gray. Dogs are unable to recognize green, yellow, orange, and red.

Colors That Humans See

Colors That Dogs See

Dogs use other cues such as smell, texture, brightness, and position rather than relying solely on color. Seeing-eye dogs, for example, may not distinguish between a green or red stoplight; they look at the brightness and position of the light. This, along with the flow and noise of traffic, tell the dog that it is the right time to cross the street.

How a dog’s eyes are set determines the field of view as well as depth perception. Prey species tend to have eyes located on the sides of their head. This gives the animals an increased field of view and allows them to see approaching predators. Predator species, like humans and dogs, have eyes set close together. Human eyes are set straight forward while dog eyes, depending on the breed, are usually set at a 20 degree angle. This angle increases the field of view and therefore increases the peripheral vision of the dog.

Increased peripheral vision compromises the amount of binocular vision. Binocular vision occurs where the field of view of each eye overlaps. Binocular vision is necessary for depth perception. The wider-set eyes of dogs have less overlap and less binocular vision, thus, less depth perception). Dogs’ depth perception is best when they look straight ahead. This is not an ideal situation, as their nose often interferes. Predators need binocular vision as a survival tool. Binocular vision aids in jumping, leaping, catching, and many other activities fundamental to predators.

In addition to having less binocular vision than humans have, dogs also have less visual acuity. Humans with perfect eyesight are said to have 20/20 vision. This means that we can distinguish letters or objects at a distance of 20 feet. Dogs typically have 20/75 vision. What this means is that they must be 20 feet from an object to see it as well as a human standing 75 feet away. Certain breeds have better visual acuity. Labradors, commonly used as seeing-eye dogs, are bred for better eyesight and may have vision that is closer to 20/20.

If you’re silently standing across the field from your dog, don’t expect him or her to recognize you. He’ll recognize you when you do some sort of motion particular to yourself. He may also recognize your presence by his outstanding sense of smell and/or hearing. Because of the large number of rods in the retina, dogs see moving objects much better than they see stationary objects. Motion sensitivity has been noted as the critical aspect of canine vision. Much of dog behavior deals with posture and appropriateness. Small changes in your body posture mean a lot to your dog. Dog owners need to modify training based on this fact. If you want your dog to perform an action based on a silent cue, we suggest using a wide sweeping hand and arm motion in order to cue your dog.

When dogs go blind, owners often wonder if the dogs’ quality of life has diminished to the point where they are no longer happy. Humans deal well with being blind, and humans are much more dependent on their eyes than are dogs. Blind dogs lead happy lives as long as they are comfortable. The owner may need to make some adjustments in the pet’s environment. Some of these adjustments include fencing the yard, taking leashed walks, and not leaving unusual objects in the dog’s normal pathways. Obviously, most blind dogs cannot navigate stairs very well. When blind dogs are in their normal environment, most people don’t know they are blind.

With warmer weather approaching, plenty of pet owners are thinking of getting into shape before hitting the beach. But what about pets? Obesity is a growing problem among both cats and dogs. And much like humans, too many extra pounds can have far-reaching consequences for our animal companions. In this report from the Veterinary News Network, Dr. Jim Humphries discusses the health problems that can occur if your pet is overweight and shares tips on how you can get your pet's weight under control.

Health Benefits Associated With Spays & Neuters

Spaying or neutering pets is a common procedure, and most pet owners have probably had some experience with having the procedure done on animals they have owned.

Aside from the inconvenience of heat cycles and/or roaming tom cats, there are medical benefits associated to having your pet spayed or neutered. The direct health benefits of spaying or neutering are significant for the pet. If female pets are spayed before their first heat cycle, the risk of developing mammary tumors (breast cancer) is significantly reduced.

Spaying female pets eliminates the risk of pyometra, an infection of the uterus. This disease can be very serious, even fatal, in female pets. Male pets can also benefit. Neutering eliminates the risk of testicular cancer and reduces the risk of prostate disease.

Spay and Neuter Stamps Issued by the U.S. Postal Service

Spaying or neutering can indirectly help prolong a pet's life as well. When pets are spayed or neutered, their tendencies to roam or fight are greatly reduced. This prevents the pets from getting lost, stolen, hit by cars, or contracting a contagious disease.

Cats that fight are at risk of contracting a serious disease called feline leukemia. This disease, which affects the immune system of the cat, can be passed from feline to feline through saliva or blood. Cats also run the risk of contracting feline immune deficiency virus when they fight. This disease is very similar to human HIV. It can lie dormant in the cat for quite a while, and when activated, can cause the cat's immune system to function improperly.

Spaying or neutering dogs can help keep them under control. Dogs that have not been spayed or neutered are more likely to wander away from home. While running loose, they have a chance of being hit by a car, getting lost, stolen, or taken to the animal shelter.

Even though spays and neuters are considered routine surgery, there is nothing routine about any abdominal surgery performed under general anesthesia. Most veterinarians consider spays and neuters to be major surgery, especially when spaying older animals that have had several heat cycles or have had litters.

Veterinarians and humane societies advise pet owners to have their pets spayed or neutered. The medical advantages have been proven. Complications resulting from these procedures are rare and pets recover from surgery very quickly. Often the day after surgery, animals are bright and alert, sometimes seeming as if nothing had ever happened.

The cost of the procedure varies depending upon the species, sex, size, and age of the pet.