CAT HEALTH & MEDICINE

[From Tufts August 2011 Issue]

I have a cat who is a purebred Pixie-bob that has a propensity to lick portions of his body until they are devoid of hair. He has no weight loss, a good appetite, no hairballs and no cutaneous infections. He has been neutered and is 8years old.

I do not want to give him medications if possible. Is there something else, like a diet change or an environmental alteration that I could make that would improve his condition? If he went untreated, could he cause significant damage with his incessant licking behavior?

[From Tufts August 2011 Issue]

Our cat, Jill, needs fluids because she is in kidney failure. Weve been hydrating her for years, and she seems to be responding well. Her kidney values appear fairly stable.

Lately, weve noticed that she throws up almost every time after we give her the fluids. She throws up quite frequently even when not being hydrated, but not with such regularity. Every morning we have been giving her metoclopramide for nausea. Our veterinarian does not understand why Jill throws up after hydration. She suggested giving the metoclopramide in the afternoon, prior to hydration, but this change in the schedule hasnt helped. Any advice you could give us would be greatly appreciated.
Judy and Pedro Hecht

[From Tufts August 2011 Issue]

My neighbors have two domestic shorthaired cats, ages 10 and 14.I have taken care of them in the past, in their own homes, when my neighbors have gone on vacation.Now my neighbors have both retired and want to travel more, planning to be gone for months at a time, and want to find a new home for their cats.

My 16-year-old cat died in March, so we have agreed to adopt the cats. Do you have any suggestions about easing the transition to a new environment?We have no other pets and no children.I did clean the carpets after my cat died, so hopefully any cat scent will be lessened.The two cats are in good health, even though they are senior cats.

[From Tufts September 2011 Issue]

Whether youre taking your cat to the veterinarian for a routine check-up or for treatment of a chronic health problem, you want to get the most from your visit. To accomplish this goal, owners should begin by considering whats normal for their cat.

A veterinarian will ask about subtle changes in a cats behavior, says John Berg, DVM, a surgical specialist at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. Cats can hide their illnesses very well, so owners need to be aware if they start hiding under the furniture, are less interactive with the family or are just less visible around the house as this could indicate a problem.

[From Tufts December 2011 Issue]

I have two 9-year-old Tonkinese sisters. One has always had firm stools and the other, in the last year, has had soft stools and diarrhea. They eat only Wellness Core dry food - no treats or people food.

They are strictly inside cats. I tried desperately to introduce them to canned food without success. The cat with the soft stools has a beautiful coat, clear eyes and appears very healthy. My veterinarian cant find anything wrong with her. She does not have worms.

Do you have any suggestions as to what is causing the soft stools? What tests should my veterinarian perform? Should I be worried?
Sue DeMaria

[From Tufts March 2011 Issue]

I need information concerning anal gland issues. Approximately every four months, I need to take my 4-year-old Siamese to the veterinary clinic to have his anal glands expressed.

My concern is how often this is happening, and whether there is anything I can do to be more proactive in his daily care. His current diet consists of dry cat food and a few daily cat treats. He also drinks plenty of water.
Debb

[From Tufts March 2011 Issue]

For the last several years, we have been feeding a feral cat. About six months ago, we were successfully able to trap him and brought him to a veterinary clinic to be neutered and vaccinated. Unfortunately, he tested positive for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV).

Since then, he has become much more mellow, coming when we call him and allowing us to pet him when he is eating. We created an outdoor shelter for him that includes a heated water bowl and heated cat beds. Twice a day, he is fed a quality high-protein diet, and monthly, he receives a topical flea treatment. Separated by a screen door, he interacts nicely with our three indoor cats who are all FIV-negative.

[From Tufts May 2011 Issue]

Changing a cats routine - for example by bringing in a substitute caretaker at vacation time or starting a new feeding schedule - can prompt an otherwise perfectly healthy cat to vomit, refuse to eat and eliminate outside the litter box. This was the key finding of research at Ohio State University that was recently published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Healthy cats were found to be as likely to react in these ways as were chronically ill cats with feline idiopathic cystitis, whose symptoms can include inappropriate urination and frequent urination of small amounts. Idiopathic cystitis means inflammation of the urinary bladder of unknown cause.

[From Tufts June 2011 Issue]

Editors note: This is the second of a two-part series looking at managing pain in cats. The first part covered how pain is assessed and featured the Pain Clinic at Tufts University. This second part focuses on pain medications for cats with arthritis.

A ccording to the American Association of Feline Practitioners new life-stage guidelines, a 20-year-old cat is approximately equivalent to a 96-year-old person. This would make Brian and Valerie Sciarras cat, Odaat, at age 20, nearly a centenarian.

Witnessing your cat get into a crouched posture, make retching sounds and then vomit undigested food or bile - usually on a hard-to-clean surface like your carpet or your bedroom pillow - is not pleasant for you. And vomiting is certainly unpleasant for your cat.

Why do cats vomit? When should it be considered a harmless, isolated incident and when should it prompt owners to seek veterinary care?

Frustrated by cats asthma treatments
My 10-year-old cat, Cassie, was diagnosed last year with asthma. The veterinarian has never seen her have an attack, but based on my description of it, she agreed it must be asthma. An X-ray of her lungs proved inconclusive.

We first tried an inhaler (with Flovent) prescribed as needed, but over time, Cassie needed daily doses. Because I didnt want to subject her to the inhaler every day, we started giving her oral doses of prednisone suspension malt daily instead. This medication did little good and Cassie continued to have asthma attacks almost daily.

[From Tufts February 2012 Issue]

Are my cats contagious?
Itrapped two stray kittens last year and had them treated for ringworm. They were neutered and given two rounds of kitten vaccinations. They also had bad breath so my veterinarian cleaned their teeth and needed to extract some teeth. She informed me that one cats dental problems had migrated into the root.