Ask the Doctor

Q My husband and I have lived with our cat, Sebastian, for the entire 18 years of our marriage. Unfortunately, Sebastian is starting to show distinct signs of his advancing age (kidney disease, for one thing), and we know its only a matter of time that our family will need to say goodbye to our beloved pet.

Bloodwork: How often is best? Q I have an eight-year-old cat who I rescued from a shelter as a kitten. I take Desmond to our local veterinarian once yearly for a health examination. During our last visit, the veterinarian recommended that we run bloodwork every year. Is this really necessary for my cat, who is overall healthy? If so, can you explain the advantages of looking at bloodwork every year? Edwina L. Stockgate …

Q For years, I adopted kitten siblings who required little to no socialization to adjust to living in my home. However, the last four cats Ive adopted from shelters took a long time to feel comfortable enough to come out of hiding from under my bed or behind my sofa. I am happy to report that they are all now well adjusted and contented. …

Q Our 19-year-old cat Nellie had a very frightening seizure this morning. She was flipping out — she ended up lying on the...

Q We have three indoor-outdoor cats: Dusty, a 10-year-old male mackerel tabby; Mokie, his sister, and Rascal, a three-year-old male orange tabby. Our yard is enclosed and cat-safe. Each year, we take our cats to the veterinary clinic for their physical exams and shots. Recently, Dusty started jumping, running and then frantically licking himself. Our veterinarian said that he has hypersensitive nerve endings that make him feel like someone is sticking him with a pin. She…

Q I have a question about my 13-year-old female tabby, who I adopted when she was four weeks old. Molly twitches (thats the best way I can describe it) when she is lying next to me (while shes awake, not sleeping). I have asked our trusted regular veterinarian, but nothing has been revealed through physical examination. Should I be concerned? Diane Fritz …

Q I have a five-year-old cat I adopted from a shelter as a kitten. Spruce has been a wonderful companion, with good behavior and...

Q My dear 16-year-old cat, whom I adopted from a local shelter 15 years ago, has mild to moderate gingivitis. I know it is very important to keep his gums healthy, but he has developed an intolerance to antibiotics, and I can no longer have his teeth professionally cleaned. Unfortunately, I find it impossible to brush his teeth myself. Is there any other way his teeth can be cleaned? Thank you for any information you…

Q I hope you can help me with this problem with my cat, Tyler. When I moved four years ago to my current...

A test for feline pancreatitis? Q In the December 2012 issue, Catnip published an article titled: Pancreatitis: Still a Mystery. Over the years, I have had four cats with pancreatitis, so Im quite experienced with this difficult disease. I feel that the article omitted a couple of important issues. There was no mention of nausea, and nausea is a huge problem for cats with pancreatitis. Additionally, there was no mention of the blood test that is specifically…

Q I have searched extensively for a safe, higher SPF sunscreen for my white cat. I tried Epi-Pet spray, which she did not like and immediately tried to groom off.

She is more tolerant of Aveeno's Protect + Hydrate Lotion Sunscreen with Broad Spectrum SPF 70 — which does have some questionable cat-safe ingredients — but as she does not try to groom it off, I doubt she is ingesting any.

Q Our cat, Dusty, recently escaped from our house, which is in a quiet suburban neighborhood. Dusty was missing for about ten hours before a neighbor spotted her in her backyard.

Obviously, we were very relieved to have our cat back home, but our question is this: Could she be in any medical danger from her brief jaunt outside our home? She is an indoor-only cat, and the only pet we live with currently. There is a feral colony about a block away, but we really have no idea if she interacted with those cats or not. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Linda Belham