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Pet Care & Health Blog
Here at Middlesex Veterinary Center, we encourage pet owners to educate themselves on proper pet care and pet health problems by asking questions and finding answers from reliable, trusted sources of information. We are providing our clients access to LifeLearn Client Education library, a unique pet health education library, that strengthens the veterinary team’s role as animal health educators, and provides pet parents with easy-to-understand information.
Coccidiosis in Cats
By Middlesex Veterinary Center | April 16, 2025
What Is Coccidiosis? Coccidiosis is an infection with a one-celled organism. Coccidia are not worms; they are microscopic parasites which live within cells of the intestinal lining. Because they live in the intestinal tract and commonly cause diarrhea, they are often confused with worms. How did my cat become infected with coccidia? Oocysts (immature coccidia) are passed in the stool
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Corneal Ulcers in Cats
By Middlesex Veterinary Center | April 16, 2025
What Are Corneal Ulcers In Cats? The cornea is the clear, shiny membrane which makes up the surface of the eyeball. It is much like a clear window. To understand a corneal ulcer, you must first understand how the cornea is constructed. The cornea is comprised of three layers. The most superficial layer, the epithelium, is comprised of many very
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Feline Idiopathic Cystitis
By Middlesex Veterinary Center | April 16, 2025
What Is Cystitis? The term “cystitis” literally means inflammation of the urinary bladder. Although this term is rather general, there is a common form of cystitis, Feline Idiopathic Cystitis, which occurs in male and female cats. This disease is also known as Feline Urologic Syndrome (FUS) or Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD). What are the causes? We are not
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Declawing Cats
By Middlesex Veterinary Center | April 16, 2025
Declawing Cats – What You Should Know Middlesex Veterinary Center encourages pet owners to seek alternatives to the declawing of cats – if you are thinking about having your pet declawed, please take a moment to review the following information: Why are claws important to a cat? A cat’s remarkable grace, agility, and sense of balance are in part due
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Cat Ear Infection
By Middlesex Veterinary Center | April 16, 2025
How Common Are Ear Infections In Cats? Infections of the external ear canal, also called the outer ear, are common in dogs, but not very common in cats. We call this otitis externa. The Persian breed appears more prone to ear infections than other breeds of cats. What are the symptoms of an ear infection? A cat with an ear
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FeLV in Cats – Feline Leukemia Virus
By Middlesex Veterinary Center | April 16, 2025
What Is FeLV? Feline leukemia virus infection was, until recently, the most common fatal disease of cats. Because we can now protect cats with a leukemia virus vaccine, we are seeing fewer cases of the disease. However, it still remains a major cause of death in cats. “Leukemia” means cancer of the white blood cells. This was the first disease
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Cat Fight Wounds & Infections
By Middlesex Veterinary Center | April 16, 2025
What Are Fight Wound Infections? Cats are territorial animals and will fight with other cats to establish territory or to defend existing territory. As a result, fight wounds are common in cats. These wounds frequently result in an infection that can be quite debilitating, especially if left untreated. Which cats are most likely to fight? Fight wounds occur more commonly
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FIP in Cats – Feline Infectious Peritonitis
By Middlesex Veterinary Center | April 16, 2025
What Is Feline Infectious Peritonitis? Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) is a severe disease of domestic cats and some exotic cats. It does not affect non-feline species, such as dogs. It is caused by a coronavirus. The incubation period is controversial. In experiments with the virus, cats will develop the disease within two weeks of infection. However, in household situations, it
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FIV in Cats – Feline Immunodeficiency Virus
By Middlesex Veterinary Center | April 16, 2025
What Is Feline Immunodeficiency Virus? The Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), sometimes called the Feline AIDS Virus, is an important disease agent of the cat. It is likened to the AIDS virus which affects humans because of the similarities in the two diseases which result. Fortunately, most viruses are species specific. This is the case with the human AIDS virus and
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Flea Allergy in Cats
By Middlesex Veterinary Center | April 16, 2025
What Are Allergies, And How Do They Affect Cats? One of the most common conditions affecting cats is allergy. In the allergic state, the cat’s immune system “overreacts” to foreign substances (allergens or antigens) to which it is exposed. These overreactions are manifested in several ways. The most common is itching of the skin, either localized (one area) or generalized
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