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ASPCA Poison Control
Cat Health Topics
Dogs and Ticks
Heartworm Disease Information
Pets and Parasites
The Indoor Pet - Cat Topics
The Indoor Pet - Dog Topics
Veterinary Oral Health Council
Q&A: FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine’s Investigation Possible Connection Between Diet and Canine Heart Disease
Cat Health Topics
Dogs and Ticks
Heartworm Disease Information
Pets and Parasites
The Indoor Pet - Cat Topics
The Indoor Pet - Dog Topics
Veterinary Oral Health Council
Q&A: FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine’s Investigation Possible Connection Between Diet and Canine Heart Disease
Pet Care & You (Articles from DVC)
Keeping Your Cat Healthy Through Powers of Observation
In the wild, a weak or sick cat is vulnerable to predators, so cats have become masters at masking problems. So, with that in mind, actively and passively observing your cat on an ongoing basis will help detect any health problems in the early stages. Passive observation is easy to do everyday. First, you need to know how your cat behaves normally. Know how much food and water is consumed each day. Know your cats sleeping habits and litter box habits. Monitor about how much urine is normally passed and the frequency and type of stool left in the box. Through passive observation, you can now detect immediately if your cat is eating, drinking, or urinating excessively. OR, most importantly, not eating, drinking or urinating at all. Anything that is observed that is not your cat’s normal behavior is worthy of mention to your veterinarian.
One way to conduct active observation is to do a “mini physical” on your cat on a monthly basis. Make this non- threatening and fun for your cat. When your cat is in a sleepy or mellow mood, do an all over “massage” and feel for any lumps or bumps. Fluff the hair and look for any flea dirt. Scratch his head and check the eyes and nose for discharge. Check the ears for debris or odor. Lift his lips and examine the teeth and look for healthy pink gums. Finally examine your cat’s footpads, and nails, making sure there are no ingrown nails.
Regular monitoring of your cat’s health is a sure way to make it more difficult for your cat to mask problems. Observation is the key to finding injury or disease before it becomes advanced. Observation will help keep your cat healthy!
Durham Veterinary Clinic
In the wild, a weak or sick cat is vulnerable to predators, so cats have become masters at masking problems. So, with that in mind, actively and passively observing your cat on an ongoing basis will help detect any health problems in the early stages. Passive observation is easy to do everyday. First, you need to know how your cat behaves normally. Know how much food and water is consumed each day. Know your cats sleeping habits and litter box habits. Monitor about how much urine is normally passed and the frequency and type of stool left in the box. Through passive observation, you can now detect immediately if your cat is eating, drinking, or urinating excessively. OR, most importantly, not eating, drinking or urinating at all. Anything that is observed that is not your cat’s normal behavior is worthy of mention to your veterinarian.
One way to conduct active observation is to do a “mini physical” on your cat on a monthly basis. Make this non- threatening and fun for your cat. When your cat is in a sleepy or mellow mood, do an all over “massage” and feel for any lumps or bumps. Fluff the hair and look for any flea dirt. Scratch his head and check the eyes and nose for discharge. Check the ears for debris or odor. Lift his lips and examine the teeth and look for healthy pink gums. Finally examine your cat’s footpads, and nails, making sure there are no ingrown nails.
Regular monitoring of your cat’s health is a sure way to make it more difficult for your cat to mask problems. Observation is the key to finding injury or disease before it becomes advanced. Observation will help keep your cat healthy!
Durham Veterinary Clinic
Is Mittens Refusing to Travel in the Carrier?
It's a common problem. It's time to take Mittens, the cat, to the veterinarian for her annual exam and vaccines. You dust off the carrier, which has been sitting in the garage for 12 months, and gingerly set it on the kitchen table, making sure not to make too much noise. You clean it up, put a fresh towel inside, and hope that the nice presentation will be noticed and appreciated by Mittens. Little do you know that she heard the familiar and terror-inducing squeak of the handle the moment you lifted it off of the garage shelf. Immediately, she bolted into the Bermuda Triangle of the house where she won't be found.
The next several hours are spent trying to find and entice her out with lunch meat, cheese, even a broom handle. The frustration and embarrassment of this annual struggle is enough to swear off taking your cat to the vet all together. It also puts a strain on your relationship with her, and she gives you the stink eye for several days afterward. How can we prevent this problem, and make visiting the vet a comfortable experience for human and cat alike?
I had the same problem with my two cats, Buster Posey and Hazel. Anytime they would hear the carrier, they would run under the bed terrified. They associate the carrier with new places and new people, both of which they are not comfortable with. I had to figure out a way to rid them of their fear of the carrier. After many other approaches, I decided to take the door off of the carrier and just leave it open on the floor of my living room.
Three hours later when they deemed it safe enough to come out of my bedroom, they approached the carrier with great caution and began to check it out. I left it on the floor next to the couch for several days. At the end of two weeks, it had become a regular man cave for Buster. He would spend hours in it snoozing or just hanging out. Without the threat of being trapped inside, and keeping it stationary, he was able to go in on his terms and feel safe and comfortable.
Hazel took much longer (we're talking months) to warm up to the idea of going inside for more than a moment. Now, she is in it almost as often as he is. It isn't the most attractive piece of decor in my home, but it is a spot of comfort and security for my cats. Now when I go to put them inside for a trip to work, they don't get nearly as upset as before. They still vocalize a bit and get a tad anxious when I put the door on it and load them in the car. Even so, they see it as a piece of home that is coming with them, where they know they are safe. When it is time to load them up to take them home, they practically run inside the carrier!
If you have trouble getting your cats to even be in the same room with their cat carrier, try this out. It may take 2 days, or it may take 2 months. Stick with it, and you may be able to make a trip to the vet much less stressful for you both!
Other tricks besides carrier desensitization include: Feliway spray, plug-in or wipes (Amazon.com); keeping their bed in the carrier so it smells like home; taking the top off and keeping the bottom out with a blanket to serve as a cat bed; etc. For more information, call your local veterinary hospital.
It's a common problem. It's time to take Mittens, the cat, to the veterinarian for her annual exam and vaccines. You dust off the carrier, which has been sitting in the garage for 12 months, and gingerly set it on the kitchen table, making sure not to make too much noise. You clean it up, put a fresh towel inside, and hope that the nice presentation will be noticed and appreciated by Mittens. Little do you know that she heard the familiar and terror-inducing squeak of the handle the moment you lifted it off of the garage shelf. Immediately, she bolted into the Bermuda Triangle of the house where she won't be found.
The next several hours are spent trying to find and entice her out with lunch meat, cheese, even a broom handle. The frustration and embarrassment of this annual struggle is enough to swear off taking your cat to the vet all together. It also puts a strain on your relationship with her, and she gives you the stink eye for several days afterward. How can we prevent this problem, and make visiting the vet a comfortable experience for human and cat alike?
I had the same problem with my two cats, Buster Posey and Hazel. Anytime they would hear the carrier, they would run under the bed terrified. They associate the carrier with new places and new people, both of which they are not comfortable with. I had to figure out a way to rid them of their fear of the carrier. After many other approaches, I decided to take the door off of the carrier and just leave it open on the floor of my living room.
Three hours later when they deemed it safe enough to come out of my bedroom, they approached the carrier with great caution and began to check it out. I left it on the floor next to the couch for several days. At the end of two weeks, it had become a regular man cave for Buster. He would spend hours in it snoozing or just hanging out. Without the threat of being trapped inside, and keeping it stationary, he was able to go in on his terms and feel safe and comfortable.
Hazel took much longer (we're talking months) to warm up to the idea of going inside for more than a moment. Now, she is in it almost as often as he is. It isn't the most attractive piece of decor in my home, but it is a spot of comfort and security for my cats. Now when I go to put them inside for a trip to work, they don't get nearly as upset as before. They still vocalize a bit and get a tad anxious when I put the door on it and load them in the car. Even so, they see it as a piece of home that is coming with them, where they know they are safe. When it is time to load them up to take them home, they practically run inside the carrier!
If you have trouble getting your cats to even be in the same room with their cat carrier, try this out. It may take 2 days, or it may take 2 months. Stick with it, and you may be able to make a trip to the vet much less stressful for you both!
Other tricks besides carrier desensitization include: Feliway spray, plug-in or wipes (Amazon.com); keeping their bed in the carrier so it smells like home; taking the top off and keeping the bottom out with a blanket to serve as a cat bed; etc. For more information, call your local veterinary hospital.