cat health – Page 6

15Jul 2020 by Megan Hasenauer

Summertime Parasites

All Posts, Cat Blog Articles, Current "Mews", News & Happenings, Vet's Corner

Summertime Parasites As June comes to a blissful end, the summer season begins and the world around us eagerly blossoms with flourishing life, exuberant colors, and pesky parasites. Ear mites, ticks, and fleas are only a sliver of summertime parasites that flourish in the warm and humid weather. While they can survive year-round, the summer weather is their favorite. They linger anywhere in tall grass, wet dirt, bushes, and heavily vegetated areas. It’s very important as pet owners to understand the symptoms of these parasites living in our pets’ fur/skin, as well as proactively working to prevent these creatures from sneaking into your cat's life or worse yet, into your home. Fleas are one of the most well-known parasites that harass cats year-round. However, summertime weather creates the perfect environment…

08Jul 2020 by Megan Hasenauer

Toxic Plants for Cats

Cat Blog Articles, News & Happenings, Vet's Corner

Toxic Plants for Cats Summer is here! The sun is shining, flowers are blooming, and the grass couldn’t be greener. Chances are you’re going to end up with fresh flowers of any sort in your home this summer. While plants are often good for the environment and for us humans too, they may harbor poisonous toxins that could harm our beloved cats. The fact is that cats love plants and are naturally very curious creatures which makes keeping harmful plants out of their reach even harder. We’ll discuss the various plants to watch out for this summer, as well as the symptoms our cats may display if they come in contact with or consume these plants. If you think your pet may have ingested a potentially poisonous substance either call…

01Jul 2020 by Megan Hasenauer

Overpopulation in Cats

Cat Blog Articles

Cat Overpopulation Currently, the ASPCA approximates 3.4 million cats entering animal shelters nationwide every year. Statistics show that 3.1 million cats are adopted each year; however, the rest of the abandoned population faces either euthanization or a prolonged stay at municipal or rescue shelters. Cats from overpopulated shelters come from either all kinds of owner surrenders or the many instances where cats are picked up by Animal Control. In order to ensure a happy ending for all cats, people across the community work tirelessly to ensure overpopulation is reduced in many different ways. Spay And Neuter It all stems from the simple fact that not everyone spays or neuters their cats. Besides maintaining the cat population, spay and neuter prevents certain types of cancers and other health conditions that…

01May 2020 by Megan Hasenauer

Town Cats Vet’s Corner: Ringworm

Cat Blog Articles, News & Happenings, Vet's Corner

Ringworm Ringworm is not actually a worm; it is a fungal disease. It is caused by 3 different species of fungus and can infect any mammal. Cats are commonly infected and the disease can be spread to humans. It is predominantly a skin disease and in humans it appears as a red ring of flaky, itchy skin (hence the name ringworm). In cats, it look like any type of bald spot. Most commonly, cats get it on their face, head, all paws and tail. Young cats are more susceptible but it is also seen in adult cats. Being a fungal disease, it is spread by spores in the air so wherever an infected cat is, the disease is and can be spread. One species of the fungus (Microsporum canis) will…

26Jun 2019 by Megan Hasenauer

Vet’s Corner with Dr. Tiva: Vomiting in Cats

All Posts, Cat Blog Articles, News & Happenings

Vomiting in cats is the most common problem seen in adult cats of all breeds and sexes. While it can be easy to think that vomiting is “just” due to hairballs, vomiting and nausea is not normal and should not be ignored--You wouldn’t want to be nauseous all the time, so don’t let your cat feel sick! Vomiting can be a sign of an underlying medical condition and your veterinarian should rule out the common causes during a physical exam or with lab testing. Different age groups of cats are prone to different diseases. In cats over 7 years old, vomiting is often caused by kidney disease, thyroid disease, cancer, or other serious conditions. On the other hand, kittens can have vomiting due to parasites, bacteria, viruses, eating something they…

30Aug 2018 by Megan Hasenauer

Feline Dental Health

All Posts, Cat Blog Articles

Feline dental health is a very important and sometimes overlooked part of a cat's life. All cats should have their teeth examined as part of a regular physical every year and a dental exam done as needed. Cats have some dental issues that require intervention: resorption lesions and full mouth stomatitis. Although dogs can get these diseases, they are more prevalent in cats. Resorption lesions cause tooth loss and affect 28-68% of adult cats (based on studies). This disease leads to dental pain, tooth loss, decreased eating, salivation and head shaking. The treatment for this disease is either tooth removal or crown removal. Full mouth stomatitis is a painful disease where the entire mouth becomes inflamed and raw; it is easily diagnosed by looking into the cat's mouth. Although Felv…