🧬 The Felid Wiki — 3,000 research summaries

FIP is fundamentally an immunopathologic disease in which the host immune response contributes to tissue injury. The classic vasculitis and pyogranulomas arise from interactions between infected macro…

Research showed that tight glycemic control, often using long-acting insulin glargine combined with a low-carbohydrate diet and initiated early in newly diagnosed cats, can achieve diabetic remission,…

An iodine-restricted therapeutic diet offers a non-invasive management option for feline hyperthyroidism, exploiting the thyroid's dependence on dietary iodine to synthesize hormone; strictly limiting…

Deposition of islet amyloid polypeptide (amylin) within pancreatic islets is a characteristic pathologic feature of feline diabetes, paralleling human type 2 diabetes and contributing to progressive b…

Diagnosis of feline hyperthyroidism rests primarily on measuring elevated total thyroxine (T4), supported in equivocal cases by free T4, repeat testing, or dynamic tests such as T3 suppression and thy…

Modern guidance frames FIV as a manageable chronic infection rather than a death sentence. Recommendations center on keeping infected cats indoors to prevent spread and reduce exposure to pathogens, n…

Because cats are obligate carnivores adapted to low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets, feeding low-carbohydrate therapeutic foods reduces postprandial glucose load and has been associated with improved…

A defining feature of the FIP biotype of feline coronavirus is its ability to efficiently infect and replicate within monocytes and macrophages, enabling systemic dissemination and the characteristic…

Senior cats frequently have multiple concurrent chronic diseases, such as chronic kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, osteoarthritis, dental disease, and hypertension, whose treatments can interact and s…

Kittens receive passive maternal antibodies through colostrum that protect them early in life but can also interfere with vaccination by neutralizing vaccine antigens before the kitten mounts its own…

Methimazole, and its prodrug carbimazole, block thyroid hormone synthesis and remain the most common medical treatment for feline hyperthyroidism, available in oral and transdermal forms. Medical ther…

Molnupiravir, a nucleoside analog that induces lethal mutagenesis in RNA viruses, emerged as an oral option for FIP, particularly as a rescue therapy for cats that relapse or respond poorly to GS-4415…

Cats require dietary niacin because, although many animals can synthesize niacin from the amino acid tryptophan, cats divert tryptophan down a competing metabolic pathway so efficiently that little is…

FIP frequently involves the eyes and central nervous system, especially in the non-effusive form, producing uveitis, retinal changes, ataxia, seizures, behavioral changes, and other neurologic signs.…

Osteoarthritis is far more common in cats than once recognized, with radiographic studies showing degenerative joint changes in a large majority of older cats, yet the disease is frequently underdiagn…

Feline panleukopenia, caused by feline parvovirus, was historically a devastating, highly fatal disease of cats, especially kittens, before effective vaccines dramatically reduced its incidence and ma…

Feline diabetes mellitus most closely resembles human type 2 diabetes, characterized by insulin resistance combined with impaired insulin secretion from pancreatic beta cells, often in the setting of…

Periodontal disease, the inflammation and destruction of tissues supporting the teeth driven by plaque bacteria, is extremely common in adult cats and a leading reason for dental intervention, progres…

Studies of feline diabetic remission have sought to identify which cats are most likely to achieve insulin independence, with factors such as shorter duration of disease before treatment, prompt achie…

The degree of urinary protein loss, assessed by the urine protein-to-creatinine ratio, is an important prognostic indicator in feline CKD, with higher proteinuria associated with faster progression an…

Assessing quality of life in aging and chronically ill cats is an important but challenging aspect of geriatric care, and structured tools and frameworks have been developed to help owners and veterin…

Rabies vaccination of cats protects both feline and human health given the lethal, zoonotic nature of the disease, and is legally required in many jurisdictions. Research on duration of immunity suppo…

Radioactive iodine (I-131) therapy is widely regarded as the gold-standard treatment for feline hyperthyroidism because it selectively destroys overactive thyroid tissue while sparing normal tissue, o…

After exposure, cats follow divergent outcomes that modern molecular testing has clarified. In progressive infection, the immune system fails to contain the virus, leading to persistent viremia, ongoi…

Remdesivir, a prodrug that is metabolized to the active nucleoside analog GS-441524, became a legally available, regulated treatment option for FIP in some countries, offering an injectable alternativ…

Feline renal transplantation has been performed at specialized centers as a treatment for advanced CKD, with recipient cats requiring lifelong immunosuppression and donors typically adopted by the rec…

Inhibiting the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system with agents such as ACE inhibitors and the angiotensin receptor blocker telmisartan has been studied to reduce proteinuria and protect the kidneys i…

Robenacoxib, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug developed with selectivity for cyclooxygenase-2 and a tissue-selective profile, was studied and licensed for managing pain and inflammation in cats,…

Older cats commonly lose lean muscle mass through sarcopenia, the age-related decline in muscle, and cachexia associated with chronic disease, contributing to weakness, reduced resilience, and worse o…

Because cats hide illness and age faster than humans, regular senior wellness screening, including more frequent examinations, blood and urine testing, blood pressure measurement, and weight and muscl…