CAT HEALTH & MEDICINE

Thanks to progress in veterinary health research, a vast array of medicines are readily available today for the treatment of virtually any feline disease or behavioral disorder. Many of these medications can be administered only by veterinarians or qualified technicians in animal clinics or hospitals, while others can be administered at home by a cats owner. …

Among all feline health problems, the most frequently observed disorders are those involving a cats teeth and their surrounding tissue. Indeed, it is estimated that as many as 90 percent of domestic cats will experience a significant tooth or gum disorder at some point in their lives. To an extent, says veterinary dental specialist William Rosenblad, DVM, genetics play a role in determining which cats are more susceptible than others to dental problems. It is true,…

Dental disease - especially periodontal disease - is the most common of all feline diseases, says Dr. William Rosenblad. You can reduce or even prevent its occurrence by feeding your cat a crunchy diet and brushing its teeth daily. Following are the steps to guide you on brushing: Pick a time of day that will become a convenient part of your cats daily routine - and your routine as well. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and veterinary toothpaste. (Do…

Developed in the late 1940s as a novel tool for examining the internal organs of humans, ultrasound is a technology that uses sound waves to create images of deeply seated, hard-to-reach areas of the body. The technology rapidly gained enthusiastic acceptance among physicians as a uniquely valuable diagnostic aid, and today an estimated 25 percent of all human imaging procedures worldwide employ some form of ultrasound technology. …

My one-year-old female cat received two injections in the rear to treat an insect bite. The first injection contained an anti-inflammatory medication and the second was Benadryl. The veterinarian at the emergency clinic said that the Benadryl would burn, and my small cat screamed when it was injected.

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According to data collected by the United States Census Bureau, well over 70 million cats are currently living in American homes. And it is estimated that 700,000 or more of them suffer from asthma, a condition marked by chronic and acute attacks of labored breathing, chest constriction, wheezing, and coughing. …

If your cat or kitten has itchy ears, you may have a new, if uninvited, pet in your home: ear mites (Otodectes cynotis). Ear mites are the most common cause of ear disease in cats, says Lluis Ferrer, DVM, PhD, DECVD, a professor of veterinary dermatology at the Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. Fortunately, these nearly invisible parasites are pretty to easy to diagnose, and quite easy to eliminate, explains Dr. Ferrer. …

Youd think it would be relatively easy to spot when a cats appetite is flagging - or revving up. If you have one cat, its fairly obvious when your cat is not eating the same amount of food, explains Linda A. Ross, DVM, associate professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences at Tufts Universitys Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. But the majority of cat owners live with more than one cat. When you live with…

Not all itchy ears are caused by ear mites. If your veterinarian has ruled out mites - or has cleared a mite infection but the itchiness continues - he or she will look for other common causes: Food allergy. Your vet may prescribe a specific diet, often one with novel proteins such as rabbit or salmon or duck, for six to eight weeks. If it helps, we can manage the condition as a food allergy, says…

Hypertension (also known as high blood pressure) has become increasingly recognized as an important clinical condition in cats. Affected cats, if untreated, can suffer damage to several important body systems. One of the first things that your doctor does, after taking your temperature and listening to your heart, is take your blood pressure. When you take your cat to the veterinarian, however, blood pressure isnt routinely measured. It seems ironic that blood pressure monitoring has yet.

Among all imaging technologies employed to explore the internal structures of a cats body, none is more complex and, in some respects, more effective than magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). During the past two decades, this sophisticated technology has become immeasurably valuable to veterinarians as a tool for diagnosing several feline disorders. …