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June is Adopt A Cat Month, and here at the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center, we\u2019re celebrating our feline friends with an entire month of blogposts devoted just to cats. June is a good month to celebrate cats because kitten season is in full swing and the photo in this blogpost shows Spunky and Rascal, brother kittens who are being fostered by friends of mine. Today\u2019s blogpost focuses on the Pandora syndrome in cats.<\/p>\n
What is Pandora Syndrome?<\/h2>\n
Ancient Greece has a huge influence on medicine. The word hygiene<\/em> comes from Hygeia, the daughter of Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine. Hippocrates, considered to be the father of medicine, inspired the Hippocratic oath, which serves as the model for the veterinary oath<\/a>. With all these Greek influences on medicine, it is no surprise we have a feline disorder named after Pandora, the mythological figure whose infamous box unleased all the world\u2019s evils.<\/p>\n While cats famously love boxes<\/a>, Pandora syndrome isn\u2019t about the container\u2014it\u2019s about the complex mix of health issues, or \u201cevils,\u201d cats may experience.<\/p>\n Cats with Pandora syndrome have bladder issues, including bloody urine, inappropriate urination (i.e. outside the litter box) and other medical problems that precipitate the urinary signs. Other medical problems associated with Pandora syndrome are wide ranging and may include behavioral changes, cardiovascular issues, skin conditions, hormonal irregularities and gastrointestinal disorders.<\/p>\n In AMC\u2019s animal ER, we often see a spike in feline urinary issues after sudden weather changes\u2014highlighting stress as a potential trigger.<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to note that Pandora syndrome is a syndrome, not a disease. A disease has a known cause\u2014such as a virus or bacteria\u2014while a syndrome is a group of clinical signs without a single identifiable origin. Many different diagnoses account for bladder disorders in cats, including: urinary obstruction, bladder stones, infection, traumatic injuries, cancer and behavior issues. Your cat\u2019s veterinarian will do a number of tests to try to home in on a more precise diagnosis.<\/p>\n Because Pandora syndrome is a syndrome and not a disease, there is no single test to diagnose it. Instead, veterinarians rely on a process of elimination, performing tests to rule out specific diseases from the list of potential causes of the bladder disorder. These tests commonly include:<\/p>\n To meet the criteria for a Pandora syndrome diagnosis, your cat must:<\/p>\n If a cat meets these criteria and all other diseases are ruled out by testing, then a diagnosis of Pandora syndrome can be made.<\/p>\n If these criteria are not met, then the diagnosis is another syndrome currently called feline lower urinary tract syndrome (FLUTS).<\/a><\/p>\n Since stress is thought to be a mediator of bladder disease in cats, minimizing stress is key to controlling the clinical signs. Creating a low-stress home environment and offering regular enrichment can make a big difference. Need ideas? Watch AMC\u2019s award-winning video, Play with Your Cat!, from our Usdan Institute for Animal Health Education for simple ways to keep your cat happy and engaged.<\/p>\n \nSyndrome vs. Disease<\/h2>\n
Diagnosing Pandora Syndrome<\/h2>\n
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De-stressing Cats<\/h2>\n