I
Iatrogenic (ahy-a-truh-jen-ik): An unintentional outcome caused by a person, medical treatment or diagnostic procedure, for example, iatrogenic hypothyroidism can occur in cats treated for hyperthyroidism
Icterus (ik-ter-uhs): The yellow discoloration of the skin, eyes, ears, gums, foot pads and serum, aka jaundice, caused by excessive amounts of bilirubin, a waste product of red blood cell metabolism
Incubation period: The time between exposure to an infectious disease and the appearance of the first signs or symptoms of the disease
Idiopathic (id-ee-uh-path-ik): A disorder or disease without apparent cause, for example, feline idiopathic cystitis, an inflammation of unknown origin of the urinary bladder
Imperforate anus (im-pur-fer-it ey-nuhs): A rare congenital condition in kittens in which the anal opening does not develop
Induced ovulator: The cat is an induced ovulator, meaning that the release of eggs from the ovaries is stimulated by the act of breeding; most females require 3-4 matings within a 24-hour period for ovulation to occur
Intussusception (in-tuhs-suh-sep-shuhn): The folding of an intestinal segment into an adjacent segment caused by excessive motion of the intestine, for example, when overstimulated by a foreign body such as yarn
J
Jacobson’s Organ: A part of the olfactory system, located in the nose and opening into the roof of the mouth behind the upper incisors, that detects pheromones, chemicals used for communication
Janus: A cat with a fully or partially duplicated face (aka craniofacial duplication) that is due to abnormal activity by the sonic hedgehog protein during early development; see polydactyl
Jaundice (jawn-dis): The yellow discoloration of the skin, eyes, ears, gums, foot pads and serum, aka icterus, caused by excessive amounts of bilirubin, a waste product of red blood cell metabolism
Jejunum (ji-joo-nuhm): The second and longest part of the small intestine, located in the upper GI tract, that absorbs nutrients from food into the bloodstream for distribution to the body’s organs
Jugular (juhg-yuh-ler): The large veins in the neck, located on both sides of the trachea (windpipe). that return deoxygenated blood from the brain, neck and face back to the heart