Ask the Doctor

My cat has always been a fastidious groomer but has developed dandruff. Are the flakes something I should be concerned about?

Last May my beloved 13-year-old cat was diagnosed with oral squamous cell carcinoma and passed in August. A few months later our shelters newsletter told the story of a family whose dog had been diagnosed with the very same thing and, with a prognosis of 8 months, she actually lived 7 more years with the help of Piroxicam.

We sometimes get field mice in the basement, and my cat has a habit of killing them, then bringing them upstairs and laying them at my feet. Is she trying to show me the incredible booty she has gathered? She doesnt eat the mice - she just presents them, which makes it a little confusing.

My husband and I came across a stray cat a week ago who was meowing away. We took her in, can tell she is pregnant, and have decided to adopt her. What should we expect?

My cat is dying of kidney disease; the time to put her down is not far off. This is my first cat. Can you tell me what they do with the body afterwards? Id kind of like to be involved in what happens to it.

My veterinarian told me my kitten has a heart murmur. Does that mean he is going to have a lifetime of heart disease, with me shuttling him back and forth to the doctor?

I have a male cat and a female cat, and normally they get along very well. The female has been spayed and the male neutered, so they kind of get on as brother and sister. Once in a while, though, the male jumps on the back of the female and bites her neck. Hissing and crying ensue, and I often have to break it up. Whats going on?

My cat is driving me crazy with the scratching. She has ruined not just upholstered furniture but also the wooden legs on my piano. Would it really be inhumane to have her declawed? Shes a house cat and doesnt need her nails to defend herself outside.

Our Persian kitten still has a few more months to go before turning one year old, but she is already having breathing difficulties. What could be the matter?

Our cat sometimes gets one or two pockets of pus on different parts of his body that ooze a bit, then often go away. Should I be concerned?

My cat was in a terrible car accident. Shes going to live, but the veterinarian had to amputate one of her legs - there was just too much damage.

My veterinarian told me my 14-year-old tabbys kidneys are beginning to fail but that a special prescription diet thats more expensive than over-the-counter cat food could extend my cats life. Could that really be true? Or is she just just selling snake oil?