Today, January 26, 2012, surgeons at College of Veterinary Medicine at North Carolina State University are busy at work in a first-of-its-kind surgery - a total knee replacement in a cat. This surgical team also pioneered osseointegrated (live bone growing into a surgical implant) prosthetic limbs in dogs and cats, but this is the first joint replacement surgery in a cat.

The patient, a 10-year old orange tabby named Cyrano, was treated for bone cancer (osteosarcoma) last year and is now in remission. Cyrano is a large 20-pound cat with bones weakened by cancer. This surgery required the expertise of both the veterinary surgical team as well as the College of Engineering and independent implant manufacturers to create a joint that would work for a cat. Read More...

Polydactly is fairly common in cats. Does a polydactyl animal need medical attention? Find out what this ancient Greek word means and learn something new about animal medical terminology.

Related Topics:

• Torn Toenail First Aid
• Step-by-Step: How To How to Take Care of Torn Toenails
• How to trim your cat's claws
• How to trim your dog's claws

_{Photo: "The cat with thumbs" © JP Puerta on Flickr}

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No matter what age your pet is, a noticeable increase in water intake (drinking) or urination often means there is an underlying medical problem.

Also, a change in urinary habits, such as urinating in the house or where the pet sleeps, increased urge to urinate, or very dilute urine needs to be evaluated as soon as possible. One exception for loss of house training would be a senior pet with dementia, but other more common medical conditions must be ruled out first.

Learn More: Drinking more water - is it just old age?

Suggested Reading

• Why (and what) is my senior dog "leaking"?
• Caring for Geriatric Dogs
• What are the signs seen with a urinary tract infection?

_{Photo credit: Two dogs drinking water © Steven Fernandez Flickr Creative Commons}

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Getting there might not be the hardest part. What do you do if you are in a new city and need to leave your pet for a few hours? Guest Author Nancy Ehrlich Lapid offers some great tips to help keep your pet happy and a piece of mind for you while traveling.

Learn More: Finding Petsitters on the Road

Photo: Nancy and Nikki on the road

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