Beware of Madcow Disease in Pets

Mad cow disease is a disease of cows/cattles.Cats do get this disease, which is called as feline spongy form encephalopathy.In human beings this disease is called as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.This is a disease of brain which causes rapid decrease in brain function and movement.
In general this disease affects the cattle that are more than three years old. But young cattle do get this disease.The first symptoms of mad cow disease are memory loss, visual disturbances,severe rapidly progressive dementia and dizziness, mental deficits, apathy. Death occurs after a period ranging from three to twelve months.The UK has been severely affected by Mad cow diseases similarly Germany, Italy and many other countries have also been affected. In cows, the incubation period for mad cow disease is about 5 years, meaning that cows have the disease for five years before symptoms begin to appear.The epidemic of mad cow disease was caused by an agricultural innovation - feeding dead cows to live cows. Cows are, by nature, vegetarians. But modern agricultural techniques changed that. Cows that died mysteriously were sent to rendering plants where they were boiled down and ground up into the consistency of brown sugar, and eventually added to cattle feed. It was later determined that mad cow disease was being transmitted through such feed, and especially through certain specific tissues -brain, spinal cord , eyes, spleen and perhaps other nerve tissues.Mad Cow didn't make it's first appearance until the late 1980's when it was discovered on a farm in England.
The disease is characterized by a rapid deterioration of brain functions. Signs and symptoms of mad cow disease may include the following:-blurred vision, hallucinations, muscle stiffness, muscle twitching, sleepiness, changes in personality, unable to coordinate, speech impairment, gait (walking) changes, feeling of nervousness, jumpy feelings, deep confusion, disorientation, myoclonic jerks and fast developing dementia or delirium. There may be loss of memory, depression, anxiety and tension. Mental symptoms become more evident as the disease progresses.

Signs of mad cow disease are: muscle twitching, spasm, strong startle response, loss of muscle tissue (muscle wasting), weakness, abnormal refluxes, changes in cerebellum, loss of coordination and areas of blindness in eyes.The life span ranges from six months to two years after the diagnosis of the disease. Death may be caused due to heart or respiratory failure or infections.
Complications of mad cow disease are: heart and respiratory failure, inability to take care of oneself, infections, failure to interact with others and death.Mad cow disease is not an emergency condition but diagnosis and treatment in early stage help in controlling the symptoms.
( Collected from the internet source)