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abiotrophy
Premature degeneraton of tissues or organs potentially leading to loss of function; applied especially to hereditary diseases of late onset.
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absence seizure
A generalized seizure characterized by a brief loss of conciousness with a specific EEG pattern; uncommon in animals.
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acetylcholine (Ach)
A cholinergic neurotransmitter in the central and autonomic nervous systems; it has many functions, including playing an important role in memory and as a stimulatory neurotransmitter which causes muscles to contract when released from nerves.
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acoustic neuroma
A benign tumor of the myelin forming cells, called Schwann cells, of the vestibulocochlear nerve resulting in hearing loss.
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action potential
The electrical signal which rapidly propagates along the axon of nerve cells as well as over the surface of some muscle and glandular cells and leads to stimulation of desired effect. It is the result of a change in flow of ions across the membrane due to voltage-activated ion channels.
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acute
Having a rapid onset and relatively severe course.
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adenocarcinoma
Malignant tumor derived from glandular tissue.
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adrenal gland
One of the pair of endocrine organs located near the cranial pole of the kidneys. Each is composed of two parts, an outer cortex and an inner medulla. It is primarily involved in production of stress hormones such as cortisol and epinephrine.
►click here to learn more-link provided by: www.merckvetmanual.com
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adrenaline
See epinephrine.
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adrenergic
Activated by, characteristic of, or secreting epinephrine or related substances, particularly referring to the sympathetic nerve fibers that liberate norepinephrine at a synapse when stimulated by a nerve impulse.
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afferent
Sensory pathway proceeding toward the central nervous system from the peripheral receptor organs.
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agent analyzer
A medical device used to measure the inspired and end tidal anesthetic agent (e.g. isoflurane, sevoflurane) concentration of the blood. Infrared light at a particular wavelength is shone through a gas sample and the absorption is proportional to the anesthetic vapor concentration. The end tidal level is very close to the arterial level and it reflects the depth at which a patient is anesthetized.
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albumin
A protein in the blood produced by the liver which is responsible for the maintenance of osmotic (water) pressure in the blood; binds to large molecules in the blood and serves to transport them. Measuring serum albumin levels is a common test in a chemistry panel.
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analgesia
Absence of pain to noxious stimulation.
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anesthesia
Loss of feeling or sensation. Anesthesia is induced and maintained to permit procedures that could be painful (e.g. surgery) and/or to prevent patient movement.
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aneurysm
A sac formed by the weakening and dilation of the wall of an artery, a vein, or the heart.
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anhidrosis
Absence of sweating.
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anisocoria
Unequal pupil size.
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annulus fibrosus
The tough outer fibrous layer which surrounds the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral disk.
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anomaly
Significant deviation from the normal standard.
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anosmia
Lack of the sense of smell.
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anoxia
Decrease or absence of oxygen to tissue.
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anterior
Toward the the head or front of a structure.
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antibody
A protein produced by the body’s immune system in response to a foreign body (antigen). Each antibody binds specifically with the antigen that triggered its formation and its function is to fight off infection by inactivating the antigen.
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anticonvulsant
An agent which prevents or arrests seizures.
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antigen
Any foreign substance, usually a protein, that stimulates the body’s immune system to produce antibodies. The name antigen reflects its role in the immune response – antibody generating.
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aortic thromboembolism
See thromboembolism.
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apnea
Cessation of breathing.
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arachnoid cyst
A cyst containing cerebrospinal fluid and an outer layer of arachnoidal cells that may develop in this membrane of the brain or spinal cord.
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areflexia
Lack of reflex action.
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arrhythmia
Any variation of the heart's regular rhythmic beating.
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arteritis
Inflammation of an artery.
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arthritis
Inflammation of the joints. See degenerative joint disease.
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arthrogryposis
Persistent flexion of joint(s).
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aspergillosis
Disease caused by any one of the fungal species of the genus Aspergillus and marked by inflammatory granulomatous lesions in the skin, ear, orbit, nasal sinuses, lungs, and sometimes in the bone and nervous tissue.
►click here to learn more-link provided by: www.merckvetmanual.com
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aspiration pneumonia
Difficulty breathing or impaired ventilation due to aspiration (the sucking in of food particles or fluids into the lungs); may or may not be associated with infection (secondary).
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astrocyte
A star-shaped neuroglial cell that plays an important role in neuronal homeostasis and function.
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ataxia
Lack of coordination; usually due to disease of the cerebellum, sensory pathways or vestibular apparatus.
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atlantoaxial
Pertaining to the atlas and the axis: the first and second cervical vertebrae, respectively.
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atlantoaxial subluxation
Partial dislocation caused by instability of the first cervical vertebra (the atlas) and second cervical vertebra (the axis). The lack of stability causes compression of the spinal cord that results in pain and/or paralysis. This condition can be caused by trauma in any dog, but is more often seen as either a congenital or developmental malformation in small breeds.
►click here to learn more-link provided by: University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine
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atonia
Lacking normal muscle tone or strength.
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atrophy
A partial or complete wasting away of a part of the body.
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autoimmune disease
The immune system fails to recognize some part of the body’s cells and tissues, and attacks this unknown part. Autoimmune disease is a subset of immune-mediated disease.
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autonomic
Pertaining to the autonomic nervous system, which controls bodily functions that are not under conscious control (e.g., heartbeat, breathing, sweating).
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avulsion
The tearing away of a part of a structure.
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axon
Long, slender projection from the neuronal cell body that is specialized for the conduction of information encoded in the form of action potentials.
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axonal degeneration
A degenerative process involving the axon and its myelin sheath.
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