Body Of Cat Research Articles

Posaconazole followed by combination itraconazole and terbinafine for treatment of disseminated histoplasmosis in a cat.

This is the first reported use of posaconazole for the treatment of feline disseminated histoplasmosis. Approximately 1-year-old female spayed domestic longhair cat. The cat presented to our institution with weight loss, lymphadenomegaly, hepatosplenomegaly, limb edema, abdominal fluid distension and ulcerated cutaneous nodules. The cat had been previously diagnosed with disseminated histoplasmosis at another institution approximately 6 months prior. Clinical signs had been refractory to treatment with fluconazole. Itraconazole had next been tried, and the cat's weight continued to decline, lesions failed to regress, and the cat formed abdominal fluid distension and marked pelvic limb edema. The cat was prescribed posaconazole along with prednisolone. The cat's demeanor, body weight, and lesions all markedly improved. Histoplasma antigen was undetectable in urine samples while the cat was receiving posaconazole. However, posaconazole blood levels paired with markedly elevated ALT suggested potential toxicity and the drug was discontinued. Upon cessation of posaconazole, the cat's lesions returned with cytologic evidence of intralesional Histoplasma yeast. Itraconazole combine with terbinafine was prescribed. At last follow-up, the cat was clinically well, off all anti-fungal medication, and without detectable Histoplasma antigen in the urine. Posaconazole therapy showed promise in this case. Had a safe and therapeutic dose been arrived at, we suspect that posaconazole would have cleared or maintained clinical remission of this cat's disease. This is the first report using posaconazole and the first successful report using combination itraconazole and terbinafine for the treatment of feline disseminated histoplasmosis. Generic drugs were used throughout this case report; the drug manufacturers are unknown to the authors.

STRUVITE CRYSTAL UROLITHIASIS IN A 2 YEAR OLD CASTRATED MALE CAT

Urolithiasis, kidney failure, urinary tract infections are examples of disorders of the urinary tract that often become problems in cats. Urolithiasis is a medical term to describe the presence of stones or crystals known as “urolith” in the urinary tract. Inappropriate composition and feeding methods can cause nutritional imbalances in the cat's body, which can affect the acidity level (pH) of urine, urine volume and urine concentration which can cause the formation of excessive minerals in the urine. The aim of writing this article is to provide information regarding the treatment of crystal urolithiasis in local cats. A male cat named Goblin, has been castrated, has colored hair orange with body weight 5.3 kg, experiencing difficulty urinating since 3 weeks, excreting a small volume of urine, and blood in the urine. On physical examination the cat always curled up and felt pain when palpation was carried out abdominal part. The results of the cat's blood test showed leukocytosis, lymphocytosis, thrombocytopenia, and RDW CV increased and PCT decreased. The results of the cat's urinalysis showed presence of leukocytes +2, Protein +1, pH 8.0, specific gravity 1.030, Calcium +1, Microalbumin +1.Sediment test results also found the presence of deposits of magnesium ammonium phosphate crystal particles (struvite crystals).Results of urine culture examination bacteria were foundStaphylococcus sp. Ultrasound results showed enlargement of the left kidney and deposits of hyperechoic particles (crystals) accompanied by enlargement of the uterine sac. The cat was diagnosed with urolithiasis with a fausta prognosis. The cat was treated by installing a 4Fr/1.3x130mm urinary catheter and flushing using 0.9% physiological NaCl to make it easier for the cat to urinate. The therapy given is the antibiotic ciprofloxacin hcl 5 mg/kg BW s500 mg preparation with a dose of 50 mg/kg BW per oral (PO) administered 2 times a day for seven days, administering the anti-inflammatory dexamethasone 0.5 mg with a dose of 1 mg/kg BW PO and given 2 times a day for four days, and kejibeling herbal medicine 1 tablet times a day for seven days. Cats are also given feed therapy in the form of Royal Canin Urinary S/O for 3 months. Evaluation of the cat's condition improved after therapy for 7 days. There is a need to educate clients regarding cat care, feeding and drinking water. Therefore, the cat's feed in cases must be replaced by providing urinary therapy feed.

CHLAMYDIASIS ACCOMPANIED WITH SCABIOSIS AND OTITIS EXTERNA IN CATS

A 2 year old cat of local race, female, weighing 1.74 kg with clinical symptoms of yellow discharge in the eyes and itching of the ears and all over the body. The purpose of this article is to discuss the management of cases of chlamydia accompanied by otitis and scabiosis with therapy using Oxytetracycline HCL and Ivermectin. Clinical examination revealed disturbances of the ears, eyes, and skin. Investigations in the form of complete hematology and cytology smears. The results of the cat were diagnosed with chlamydiosis accompanied by scabiosis and otitis externa with a dubius-fausta prognosis. Therapy used Oxytetracycline HCL (Oxytetracycline HCL1%) antibiotic ointment by administering 2 times a day to both eyes, 1% Ivermectin injection at a dose of 0.2 mg/kg BW s.c repeated every 14 days. Injection of Diphenhydramine HCL 1 mg/kg BW i.m, then maintenance oral Chlorpheniramine maleate (4 mg/kg q12 hours) for 5 days, Vetotic ear drops 10 ml one drop 2 times a day for 5 days in both ears, Sangobion® 1 tab once a day for 5 days and bathed with sulfur soap (JF Sulfur) twice a week. Treatment with Oxytetracycline HCL and Ivermectinl gave good results. Owners are advised to provide sufficient and nutritious feed, environmental cleanliness and maintenance tools, as well as cleanliness of the cat's body need attention. Provision of preventive therapy such as deworming and vaccines to prevent infection by agents from the outside environment.

Case Report: The Successful Treatment of Toxocariasis in a Domestic Cat using Pyrantel Pamoate

Toxocariasis is an infectious disease caused by Toxocara sp. in cats that lead to deterioration of the condition and can even cause death, especially in kittens. Pyrantel pamoate is an anthelmintic that is currently being abandoned for toxocariasis. The purpose of this paper is to report the success of toxocariasis treatment in a cat using pyrantel pamoate. Female domestic cat, 3 months old, weighing 1.3 kg suffering diarrhea was used in this study. The cat examined including a physical examination, followed by laboratory examination of fecal and blood samples. The results showed the cat's body condition was thin, eye was dirty, anemic mucous membranes, dull hair/loss, and diarrhea with watery stool consistency. The cat examination revealed the presence of Toxocara sp. egg as much as 2,400 EPG in fecal sample, and the results of blood tests found that the cat had normochromic normocytic anemia. The cat was diagnosed toxocariasis with dubious prognosis. A cat treated with kaolin-pectin with 1-2 ml/kg BW orally 2 times a day for 3 days, multivitamin injection at a dose of 0.5 ml intramuscularly, and the anthelmintic pyrantel pamoate at a dose of 20mg/kg BW orally once. After 28 days of treatment, the cat was declared healthy based on better physical conditions, no diarrhea, no worm eggs in the fecal sample, and did not anemia. It concluded that cats with toxocariasis successfully cured by administering the anthelmintic pyrantel pamoate, so this drug is still recommended for the treatment of toxocariasis in cats.

Treatment of mandibular symphysis fractures in a pregnant domestic cat

A pregnant domestic cat was found in an accident and taken to the Cikole Animal Hospital at Bandung. Physical examination showed that the cat's body temperature was 35.6℃ and bleeding was found in the eyes, nose, and mouth. Palpation of the dexter and sinister mandibular bones showed loose bones, and palpation of the abdomen showed that the fetus was still moving. Radiographic examination of the head showed that in the dorsoventral position, the mandibular bones were visible at the right and left mandibular symphysis separated by a radiolucent border. The cat was diagnosed with fracture of the mandibular bone symphysis. Therapy is performed by orthopedic surgery through the installation of a wire or surgical wire to connect the two dexter and sinister mandibular bones. After surgery, cats are administered antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and multivitamins, with special consideration for pregnancy conditions. The dexter and sinister mandibular bones were fixed on the 8th day after surgery.

Smart Pet Feeder on Cat Food Portions Using Mamdani's Fuzzy Logic Inference System Method

This is a system that can help cat owners provide the right amount of food for their cats. This system uses the Mamdani fuzzy logic inference system method which can process input in the form of information about the cat's body weight and make a decision about the amount of food to be given to the cat. This system is integrated with a smart pet feeder called FoodyPet which can dispense food according to the decision made by the system. By using this system, cat owners can easily provide the right amount of food for their cats and maintain their cat's health. In addition, this system can also help cat owners automatically schedule their cat's meal times so they don't have to worry about forgetting to give food to their cats. This system consists of several main components, namely Arduino UNO as a microcontroller that runs all data processing processes, an loadcell as a tool to measure the cat's body weight, an ultrasonic sensor as a tool to measure the level of food in the tank, and an LCD display used to display information about the food portion to be given to the cat. This system is also equipped with a buzzer that will signal the cat owner when the food is ready to be given to the cat.

Implementation of Japanese Sociocultural Values in Japanese Kotowaza: A Cognitive Linguistics Perspective.

Kotowaza were created by gaining experience and through recurring events over the years of existence of the Japanese people. The purpose of this study is to conduct a qualitative analysis of Japanese kotowaza in cognitive-linguistic discourse to divide idioms into categories and groups with specific sociocultural features. The paper focuses in detail on the semantic features of 20 kotowaza that use animal symbols as an idiomatic metaphor. In this paper, 10 proverbs with the central animal visualization, neko, were analyzed. Visionary metaphors are developed based on the comparison of cat's body parts and behavior with human qualities or characteristics of objects and phenomena. The analysis of the remaining 10 kotowaza showed that the meaning of imagery could originate from Chinese tradition and then change under the influence of Japanese style. Hence, it follows that the meanings of some kotowaza, or the animals they use, can be interpreted differently depending on context. However, the key meanings of proverbs are engrained in the national consciousness of native speakers. It was also observed that kotowaza used oxymoron. It is possible to gain a correct understanding of what kotowaza means through analyzing literal and idiomatic relations in the proverb. Each proverb has an animal symbol, the meaning of which is engrained and originates from the cultural and historical development of the Japanese nation. The practical application of the study lies in the fact that these findings can be used for further study of the special aspects of manifestation of sociocultural heritage at the linguistic level within the phraseology of the Japanese language.

Medical Treatment for Pyometra in Cat

The Pyometra case is a case that is often found in Female Cat. This case report will discuss the handling of a case of pyometra in a 7-year-old mixed breed cat who is being treated at Harmoni Pet Care, Menanggal, Gayungan, Surabaya, Indonesia. Reports from the owner that these cats are still in good appetite but sanguino-purulent discharge from the vagina was found. In clinically diagnosed with a pyometra, the treatment used to treat pyometra case was ovariohysterectomy. Postoperative care was carried out by administering antibiotics (Clanexi; Amoxicillin-Clavulanic Acid, 1 cc/kg, IM) given twice a day for 14 days, with the first 3 days being treated in the Harmoni Pet Care inpatient room and the 4th day to the 14th day of care is done at the owner's house, local antiseptic dressing at the incision site is continued for up to 14 days until the sutures in the skin sutures were absorbed by the cat's body.

Analysis of Dermatophytosis Therapy at Persian Cat After Using Apple Vinegar (Malus domestica)

Dermatophytosis is a skin disease that mostly infects Persian cats caused by microorganisms, Microsoprum canis. Fungal diseases are often repeated on the surface of the cat's skin and the treatment is still using synthetic chemical-based drugs. Therefore, it is necessary to use a natural antifungal that is economically easy to obtain and can minimize side effects when the cat is undergoing treatment. The purpose of this study was to analyze the response of skin surface in Persian cats (Felis sp.) after using apple cider vinegar. The method used to analyze is a qualitative descriptive method with triangulation techniques. After analyzing the eradication of fungi in 4 samples of Persian cats (Felis sp.) through the use of apple cider vinegar, it was found that the use of apple cider vinegar can eradicate fungi in Persian cats. The cat that had been treated with apple cider vinegar experienced a very good change, where the cat was no longer scratching his body intensely because he felt very itchy caused by the fungus, and his body was clean and had no more fungal crusts. After the fungus is completely removed from the cat's body, the cat's hair will immediately grow by itself. The conclusion is apple cider vinegar can be used for dermatophytosis therapy systemic because it has the ability to inhibit pathogenic fungi activity.

Economic efficiency of different treatment schemes of cats microsporia

The most common fungal skin disease in animals is microsporia; the principal causative agent is the fungus Microsporum canis. The disease is of fungal etiology and highly contagious. The pathogen can stay in the environment for a long time and pose a risk of human infection. Cats, especially those walking on the street, are a significant factor in transmitting the infection. Spores of Microsporum canis can persist on the surface of the cat's body for a long time and, under favorable conditions, can provoke clinical manifestations of the disease. Under these circumstances, they are intensively distributed in the environment. Therefore, choosing the optimal therapeutic approach to solving this problem is essential. Treatment of sick animals should be practical and aimed at preventing the spread of the pathogen and cost-effective and beneficial to both veterinary specialists and owners of sick cats, as the duration of treatment is on average 14–21 days in order to determine the cost-effectiveness of treatment of microsporia in cats with the antifungal agent “Micromar” and immunostimulant “Biogluk” in comparison with other schemes, the calculation of the cost-effectiveness ratio CER. This made it possible to obtain accurate and complete data, as it took into account the cost of treatment and the number of animals that recovered during the complex therapy. Sick animals were divided into three groups. Each sick animal received treatment for 21 days. The first group was treated with the systemic antifungal itraconazole and treated with a 1 % solution of clotrimazole. The second group was vaccinated twice with Vakderm antifungal vaccine and treated daily with a topical antifungal agent (1 % clotrimazole solution). The third group used the antifungal agent “Micromar” and immunostimulant “Biogluk”. To control the quality of therapy, culture was performed on the nutrient medium for dermatophytes from the affected areas of the animal's body. The calculation of cost-effectiveness indicators showed that the treatment of cats with microsporia is effective in all groups of studied animals, as recovery occurred in each patient. However, the costs of therapy are different. In particular, in the first group, the CER coefficient is – 48.00 hryvnias, in the second – 42.00 hryvnias, in the third – 13.00 hryvnias.

Light Cones as Quantum Phenomena

Quantum erasure experiments push the boundary between the quantum and classical worlds by letting delayed events influence the state of previously recorded and potentially widely distributed classical information. The only significant restriction to such unsettling violations of forward-only causality is that the distribution of forward-dependent information cannot cross out of the light cone boundaries of the event in the past, a feature that ensures no violations of causality — no rewriting of anyone else's recorded histories — can occur. The erasure interpretation of this conundrum requires rewriting of information recorded and distributed in the past, which would itself be a violation of causality. The quantum predestination interpretation removes the causal rewriting issue. However, quantum predestination requires detailed coordination of inputs from outside of the forward-dependent event's light cone, thus massively violating the same limit that prevents causality violations in such events. Yet another approach is to invoke the Schrödinger's cat variant of quantum erasure in which arbitrarily complex classical events within the light cone become quantum dependent upon the future event. As with all Schrödinger's cat interpretations of quantum mechanics, this variant of quantum erasure violates causality by discarding local classical histories such as the information-rich state of the cat's body. The most straightforward interpretation of erasure experiments is to follow the lead of the equations themselves, which transform on paper as if their components are independent of ordinary space and time limits, up to the limits imposed on them by the speed of light. Interpreting the light cone of each quantum system as an atemporal, aspatial unit in which classical time and space have no meaning results in a multi-scale, matter-dependent definition of spacetime in which every light cone is a singular quantum entity. In such a universe, both time and space are defined not as pre-existing, mass-independent continuums but as the consensus of vast numbers of constantly interacting and mutually limiting quantum-entity light cones.

Keragaman Ekspresi Lokus Gen Kucing Peranakan Anggora Hasil Perkawinan Silang Alami

This research is a follow-up study by presenting the extent of the expression pattern and the presence of each allele locus that marks the color pattern on the cat's body, to add a reference in making it easier for the cat breeder community to form relatively uniform color patterns in certain crossing periods. This research is a descriptive exploratory case study presented qualitatively. Cat samples were screened based on a minimum age of 1 year, and 30 individuals were collected by road sampling. Observation of sample morphology based on mating pathway, recording of morphological characters (body color, color pattern, and tail length). Data were analyzed using allele frequency calculations for genes (dominant and recessive relationship) and concluded qualitatively. The frequency of the presence of gene loci and their alleles was found as many as 8 gene loci, namely: w-W; A A; B-b; C_cb_cs_ca_c; Ta_T_tb; D-d; s-S; OO-oo-Oo; and M-m, and no D-d and I-i gene loci were found. It was concluded that the observed gene locus expression of the Angora crossbreed cat had a variety of random allele frequencies, and did not indicate any particular allele dominance.

Sistem Pakar Menggunakan Metode Certainty Factor dalam Akurasi Identifikasi Penyakit Panleukopenia pada Kucing

Feline Panleukopenia is a disorder caused by inflammation of Feline Parvovirus. This viral inflammation can trigger inflammation of the digestive system in cats and can also attack the cat's bone marrow, and the total white blood cells in the cat's body will decrease. At this time, many people do not know how to accurately identify the disease Feline Panleukopenia in cats and as a result of that cats who suffer from it experience illness and even death. This study aims to determine the level of accuracy in identifying Panleukopenia in cats. There are several types of symptoms that refer to Feline Panleukopenia. Furthermore, the data is processed manually with the Certainty Factor method and continued by using a website-based expert system software. The processing stages are rule solving, determining the weight value of each symptom and calculating the Certainty Factor value with the rule formula. The results of the data processing are continued with the calculation of the level of accuracy. The result of testing this method is that there are 100% of the 5 test data. Based on the accuracy of the identification results of this system, this study is very precise in the level of identifying the level of accuracy of feline panleukopenia. Expert testing systems have been able to specifically identify Feline Panleukopenia. Through the Certainty Factor method, the level of accuracy that can be obtained is quite accurate and can help veterinarians improve their accuracy to identify Feline Panleukopenia in cats.

Sistem Pakar Menggunakan Metode Certainty Factor Dalam Akurasi Identifikasi Penyakit Panleukopenia Pada Kucing

Feline Panleukopenia is a disorder caused by inflammation of Feline Parvovirus. This viral inflammation can trigger inflammation of the digestive system in cats and can also attack the cat's bone marrow, and the total white blood cells in the cat's body will decrease. At this time, many people do not know how to accurately identify the disease Feline Panleukopenia in cats and as a result of that cats who suffer from it experience illness and even death. This study aims to determine the level of accuracy in identifying Panleukopenia in cats. There are several types of symptoms that refer to Feline Panleukopenia. Furthermore, the data is processed manually with the Certainty Factor method and continued by using a website-based expert system software. The processing stages are rule solving, determining the weight value of each symptom and calculating the Certainty Factor value with the rule formula. The results of the data processing are continued with the calculation of the level of accuracy. The result of testing this method is that there are 100% of the 5 test data. Based on the accuracy of the identification results of this system, this study is very precise in the level of identifying the level of accuracy of feline panleukopenia. Expert testing systems have been able to specifically identify Feline Panleukopenia. Through the Certainty Factor method, the level of accuracy that can be obtained is quite accurate and can help veterinarians improve their accuracy to identify Feline Panleukopenia in cats.

Hubungan Infestasi Ctenocephalides felis dan Xenopsylla cheopis dengan Perawatan Kucing Rumah (Felis catus) di Kabupaten Banjarnegara

Fleas as ectoparasites live on the cat's body surface. Ctenocephalides felis is one of the type fleas that often found in cats. The presence of fleas in cats can be influenced by the way the cat is groomed. Fleas in cats have the potential to transmit the disease to a human. The purpose of this study was to determine fleas infestation in domestic cats and determine factors that affect the presence of fleas in cats. This study was observational analytic with a cross-sectional approach and conducted in Banjarnegara Regency on June-November 2019. Total of 100 domestic cats (Felis catus) were checked for fleas. Interviews were conducted with cat owners to obtain information on how to groom cats. Data were analyzed descriptively and statistically using Mann-Whitney and Chi-Square Test. The results showed a greater percentage of fleas positive in groomed cats (82%) than ungroomed cats (68%). Fleas species found in cats were C. felis (99.8%) and Xenopsylla cheopis (0.2%). Based on statistical analysis there was no difference amount of fleas between groomed cats and ungroomed (p = 0.072). A correlation test showed a relationship between the frequency of cats being bathed with cat-specific shampoo and the presence of fleas in cats (p = 0.001). While the habits of cats caging (p = 0.331), the supply of ectoparasiticides (p = 0.177), and the number of cats kept (p = 0.884) showed no significant relationship with the presence of fleas in cats.

The selection of the concentration of clotrimazole and povidone-iodineas the main active substances of the “Micromar” antifungal agent

Microsporia is one of the most common skin diseases of cats, most often provoked by the pathogen Microsporum canis. The pathogen of microsporium has highly contagious properties and for a long time remains capable of infection in the environment. It is important for the veterinary doctor not only to carry out complex therapy, but also to prevent the spread of the pathogen in the environment and to prevent the occurrence of secondary pyoderma during the course of microspores. Due to the tendency to the growth of fungal diseases, the development of the pathogen’s resistance existing medicines, there is a need for effective antifungal medicines that have fungicide and fungicidal effect. The development of the antifungal agent “Micromar” will allow to carry out complex treatments for the treatment of microspores in cats. Also, thanks to the properties of basic active ingredient? Th use of “Micromar” will provide acceleration of recovery period. The combination of clotrimazole and povidone iodine will provide an effective antifungal action with an antiseptic effect. Clotrimazole is a broad-spectrum antifungal agent that does not cause pathogen resistance. In turn, povidone iodine will provide antiseptic protection to the affected area of the cat's body with a prolonged effect. The studies were conducted to determine the concentration of clotrimazole and povidone iodine as the main active substances of the antifungal agent “Micromar” in the laboratory in nutrient media during the cultivation of the fungus Microsporum sanis. The results of the studies showed that the pure culture of the pathogen is sensitive to clotrimazole at a concentration of 0.25% and iodine povidone 5%. In appropriate concentrations, it is recommended to use clotrimazole and povidone iodine for the manufacture of the antifungal agent Micromar.

Owner and Cat-Related Risk Factors for Feline Overweight or Obesity.

Feline obesity is a highly prevalent disease that poses an urgent and serious challenge. Attempted treatment by weight reduction is often unsuccessful; a new preventative approach that focuses on the role of the owner may be helpful. This study used data collected from an international survey of cat owners designed to assess owner personality and self-control, owner-pet attachment, feeding practices, and the cat's body condition. Owner-reported body condition scores (BCS) of cats were assessed using images adapted from a 5-point BCS system and categorized as a binary dependent variable: overweight/obese (BCS 4–5) and not overweight (BCS 1–3). Owner-reported BCS scores using a verbal BCS scale were also used as a binary dependent variable. Of the 6,835 respondents, 30.5% described their cat as overweight/obese using the visual BCS scale, and 32.5% using the verbal scale. Multivariable logistic regression models were built using stepwise-backward selection. A total of 8 variables were significant using the visual score as the dependent variable, while 11 variables were significant using the verbal score as the dependent variable (p < 0.05). Low owner conscientiousness was associated with an increased risk of feline overweight/obesity (OR = 1.23, 95% CI 1.10–1.38), whereas preference for delayed reward was associated with a decreased risk (OR = 0.84, 95% CI 0.75–0.96). Contrary to expectation, indulgent (OR = 0.76, 95% CI 0.53–0.91) and inconsistent (OR = 0.86, 95% CI 0.76–0.93) feeding practices appeared protective. Other significant variables (p < 0.05) included cat-related factors (age, gender, housing, source) and management-related factors (dry diet, supermarket dry diet, raw diet, stealing, hunting, and measuring food with a scoop). A third multivariable analysis was performed, using results from cats classified as overweight/obese using both scoring methods, compared with cats classified as a healthy weight using both scoring methods. A total of 10 variables were found to be significant (p < 0.05). There was significant overlap of results from all three analyses. The results of this study indicate that feline obesity is a complex problem, with many contributing risk factors. It is essential to recognize the importance of owner characteristics, and that the prevention of obesity in cats may require the development of a range of interventional strategies.

Learning from ribozymes

Learning from ribozymes

Body stability and muscle and motor cortex activity during walking with wide stance.

Biomechanical and neural mechanisms of balance control during walking are still poorly understood. In this study, we examined the body dynamic stability, activity of limb muscles, and activity of motor cortex neurons [primarily pyramidal tract neurons (PTNs)] in the cat during unconstrained walking and walking with a wide base of support (wide-stance walking). By recording three-dimensional full-body kinematics we found for the first time that during unconstrained walking the cat is dynamically unstable in the forward direction during stride phases when only two diagonal limbs support the body. In contrast to standing, an increased lateral between-paw distance during walking dramatically decreased the cat's body dynamic stability in double-support phases and prompted the cat to spend more time in three-legged support phases. Muscles contributing to abduction-adduction actions had higher activity during stance, while flexor muscles had higher activity during swing of wide-stance walking. The overwhelming majority of neurons in layer V of the motor cortex, 82% and 83% in the forelimb and hindlimb representation areas, respectively, were active differently during wide-stance walking compared with unconstrained condition, most often by having a different depth of stride-related frequency modulation along with a different mean discharge rate and/or preferred activity phase. Upon transition from unconstrained to wide-stance walking, proximal limb-related neuronal groups subtly but statistically significantly shifted their activity toward the swing phase, the stride phase where most of body instability occurs during this task. The data suggest that the motor cortex participates in maintenance of body dynamic stability during locomotion.

A cross-sectional study to compare changes in the prevalence and risk factors for feline obesity between 1993 and 2007 in New Zealand

It has been suggested that the prevalence of feline obesity has increased recently in parallel with the prevalence of obesity in the human population. We had previously determined the prevalence of obesity in an urban New Zealand population of cats in 1993. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and risk factors of obesity in the same population base, one generation (15 years) later. It was also designed to test the hypothesis that the increase in feeding of energy dense “premium” dry foods to cats in the region was associated with any change in obesity prevalence. A door-to-door survey, conducted within the city limits of Palmerston North, obtained data on the environment, diet, health and behaviour of 200 cats. The interviewers used a validated scoring system to assess the body condition score (BCS) of each cat and this was used as the outcome variable of interest. Variables were grouped into four risk-factor groupings for stepwise logistic regression, namely cat characteristics, feeding variables, owner's perception of their cat, and household characteristics. Using the same definition for overweight and obese as that used in the 1993 study (BCS>6/9), the prevalence of obesity was 27%, compared with 26% in 1993. In this study, 63% of cats had a BCS of 6/9 or greater. Variables that were identified as significant from each model (p≤0.1) were included in a combined model. In this model, only three variables were significant: owner underestimation of the body condition of the cat, the cat's leg length, and its age. Thus, we found no evidence to support the hypothesis that the prevalence of obesity in this population has increased, or that changes in feeding practices have affected obesity incidence. The lack of any feeding variables in the combined model is noteworthy. From a population health perspective, the association between obesity and owner's perception of their cat's body condition suggests that more attention should be directed towards ‘normalising’ the public's view of what a cat's normal body condition is, rather than placing the educational emphasis on changing cats’ feeding patterns or food types.