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The purpose of clipping a bird's wings is not to prevent flight completely, but to ensure the bird is unable to achieve or sustain upward flight, preventing escape, unwanted roaming, and exposure to dangerous situations. Typically, the primary feathers are trimmed about halfway between the base and the tip of the feather. The secondary feathers should not be clipped, and no feathers should be clipped shorter than midway from base to tip. Newly growing pin or blood feathers (that retain blood in the shaft until the feather matures) will bleed quite profusely if accidentally cut.
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Wobbly Hedgehog Syndrome (WHS) is a progressive degenerative neurological disease of African and European hedgehogs. The disease causes muscle atrophy and weakness that eventually progresses to partial or full paralysis of the limbs and torso. The clinical signs, diagnostic testing, and supportive care management of WHS are explained in this handout.
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Xanthine bladder stones are an uncommon type of urinary stone that can occur in both dogs and cats. Xanthine is produced when purines (a component of animal proteins) are broken down within the body. Most cats can further break down xanthine into other substances that are easily excreted, but some cats are deficient in an enzyme that is required for this breakdown to occur. These cats develop elevated levels of xanthine in the urine, resulting in xanthine stones forming within the urinary tract. Xanthine urinary tract stones are typically removed surgically. Affected cats require long-term care to prevent recurrence.
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Xanthine bladder stones are an uncommon type of urinary stone that can occur in both dogs and cats. Xanthine is produced when purines (a component of animal proteins) are broken down within the body. Most dogs can further break down xanthine into other substances that are easily excreted, but some dogs are deficient in an enzyme that is required for this breakdown to occur. These dogs develop elevated levels of xanthine in the urine, resulting in xanthine stones forming within the urinary tract. They can also form secondary to administration of a medication called Allopurinol. Xanthine urinary tract stones are typically removed surgically. Affected dogs require long-term care with specialized diets to prevent recurrence.
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Xylitol is a naturally occurring substance that is widely used as a sugar substitute. Chemically, it is a sugar alcohol, and found naturally in berries, plums, corn, oats, mushrooms, lettuce, trees, and some other fruits. Xylitol is extremely toxic to dogs. Even small amounts of xylitol can cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), seizures, liver failure, or even death in dogs.
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Yeast dermatitis or Malassezia dermatitis is an extremely common skin disease in dogs. Clinical signs include itchiness, redness, scaly or crusty skin, and foul odor. Diagnosis and underlying conditions are discussed. Treatment involves resolving the underlying disorder and using topical and/or oral medications to treat the yeast.
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Pets and people need some zinc in their diets. However, too much zinc can cause serious health problems. The amount of zinc required to cause poisoning depends upon the pet’s size, the form of zinc ingested, and how much was ingested. Some forms of zinc are more readily absorbed than others.
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Zinc-responsive dermatosis in dogs is a skin condition that results from zinc deficiency in the body. The deficiency can be due to an inability to adequately absorb zinc from the diet (most commonly seen in arctic breeds), zinc binders in dietary supplements, excess calcium (juvenile large breeds) or less commonly, an inadequate amount of zinc in the diet. Clinical signs include crusts and scaling around the eyes, mouth, scrotum and muco-cutaneous junctions. The haircoat can also, be dry and dull. Lethargy, inappetence, and lymphadenopathy may also occur. Diagnosis includes a history and physical exam and a skin biopsy. Treatment may include zinc supplementation, dietary change and ensuring a dog isn’t receiving any supplements that will interfere with zinc absorption.
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Zonisamide is an off-label, oral, systemic medication used to treat seizures alone or with other anticonvulsants. Side effects include sedation, uncoordinated walking, inappetence, liver disease, urinary stones, and metabolic acidosis. It is contraindicated in patients with liver disease or in pregnant or breeding animals.
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A zoonosis is a disease or infection that can be transmitted from animals to humans. Although cats only pose a mild risk of causing disease in humans, those with immunosuppressive conditions such as HIV or those receiving chemotherapy are at higher risk of becoming ill from these infections. The most common and significant infections that humans can get from their cats include rabies, cat scratch disease, toxoplasmosis, and ringworm. Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) are not zoonotic. Hygiene plays an important role in preventing the spread of these diseases, as well as preventive medicine for your cat, including regular deworming and external parasite preventives. Keep your cat indoors to minimize exposure to zoonotic diseases.