Margie Scherk, DVM, Editor
The previous issue of this 2-part series focused on the role of stress in the development and manifestation of illness in cats. My first love was ethology, understanding who and what a species/creature is by observing their behavior under native environmental situations. As a consequence, I respect them for who and what they are. Over my years in practice and as an educator, this has colored how I see and do things. It has been gratifying to see Cat Friendly and Fear Free movements emerge...as these recognize the stressful and traumatic experience that our patients experience. With the expansion of these programs into the home environment, something that Tony Buffington has championed, we get closer to recognizing who cats are. However, there is still room for this approach when we think about any patient with a medical ailment.
In this issue, more of the medical concerns are addressed. Nutrition is a cornerstone of maintaining health as well as treating disease. In order to attain a good nutritional plane, good oral health is required: an article on oral health addresses the frustrating problem of chronic gingivostomatitis as well as a separate article on the status of stem cell therapies in cats. In that light, there are articles on what the practitioner should know about genetic testing and precision medicine. In-depth updates in feline infectious peritonitis as well as feline leukemia virus are included. Internal medicine topics include hypertension and endocrine diseases, with an article each describing updates in hyperaldosteronism, hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, and diabetes. The anterior digestive tract is represented in articles on pancreatitis, ultrasound-guided percutaneous cholecystocentesis, and the complex described as triaditis. The final article is dedicated to newly recognized neurologic entities in cats.
Wherever possible, the role of the whole patient and their relationship to their social/emotional environment are included….easier to accomplish in some articles than in others. It is my sincere hope that this series showcases not only medical advances but also clinically relevant understanding of how mental/emotional and social factors affect health, disease, and illness.
I have said this previously, but it is no less true for this issue. I am extremely grateful to every author. Thank you for putting up with my nagging, cajoling, and attempts to finetune. Especially, as much of this labor of love has been during the COVID-19 pandemic when every one of you has been stressed to the limit, trying to adapt to the rapidly changing requirements, be it in academia or in private practice. I hope that this pair of issues is greater than the sum of its individual parts. Thank you.