Kate KuKanich, DVM, PhD, DACVIM

We have a positive cryptococcus on this cat 7-20-10. Chem normal except glob 6.8 and alb 2.1., wbc 27,820. Primarily granulocytes, dec lynphycytes. Rbc 7,420 mild dehydration. Faint positive leukemia neg fiv.

Multiple recalls of commercial pet food, treats, and supplements have occurred in the United States in the past several years, on account of potential contamination with Salmonella.

The mammalian GI tract is sterile during fetal development, and the fetus is originally exposed to bacteria during passage through the birth canal. Bacteria are ingested from the local environment and travel through the GI tract, competing with other bacteria and ultimately colonizing in their ideal niche.

Canine parvovirus 1 was first isolated from the feces of military dogs in 1967. It was named for its small size (18-26nm), from the Latin word parvus, meaning small. Initially, canine parvovirus 1 was thought to be nonpathogenic; however it can cause gastrointestinal disease, pneumonia, and myocarditis in young pups.

The large intestine is comprised of the colon, cecum, rectum, and anal canal, and in dogs and cats comprises roughly one quarter of the total intestinal length. The colon includes the ascending, transverse, and descending components.

The canine esophagus is a complex structure comprised of two layers of oblique skeletal muscle traversing the thorax from the upper esophageal sphincter in the pharynx to the lower esophageal sphincter entering the stomach.