Brush Cat's Teeth-A Guide to the Inside of the Mouth

If your cat’s bad breath keeps the two of you from snuggling or you wish you could give your dog a mint, it could be the first sign that he has dental disease, a painful condition caused by bacteria infecting his gums and teeth. What’s even worse, it can lead to serious health issues as infection spreads throughout the body.

https://www.aaha.org/pet_owner/aaha_guidelines/dental_care_guidelines.aspx

Don't Declaw a Cat

Declawing cats is torture and unnecessary harm to cats. It should be banned.

"Declawing is an amputation. It removes part of the cat's toe bones along with the nail. "

http://www.npr.org/2017/02/16/515036397/a-declaw-law-veterinarians-divided-over-n-j-cat-claw-bill?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20170217

Kedi-The Movie

In March, we saw the film "Kedi" about the lives of cats in Instanbul. Kedi is cat in Turkish. There are thousands of cats that live on the streets in Instanbul and elsewhere in Turkey. It's supposed to be a sweet, cute cat picture that also somewhat discusses their issues of living on the streets. I found it difficult to watch knowing that in general, they were mostly orphaned, many depending on humans to feed their colonies; many dying of disease (cancer is mentioned); seeing poor, abandoned, sick kittens or poor kittens with their mother at the mercy of the elements. We see one poor almost dead kitten that a male cat had beaten up. There was no mention of spay/neuter, catch/release programs; no mention of vaccines against rabies and such; no mention of fleas that must be rampant or the need to control; or the smell of waste that must be everywhere (cats will urinate against anything for sure but there's a lack of dirt in the city [which is mentioned] for them to deposit waste.) The cats originally came from ships that docked in Instanbul from around the world and the population grew unchecked over hundreds of years. There are a few cats with distinct personalities that are mentioned and followed. The filming is unique. It's at the ground level and follows the cats, somehow into the holes and hideaways where they exist. We also hear from the many humans that interact with the specific cats and others who feed colonies. It is worth watching so do see it if you can or Netflix, Hulu, etc.

Don't Let Pets Eat Motrin, Ibuprophen, Aleve, etc.; Don't Let Cream Meds Transfer from You to Pets

The article is from 2015 but a good reminder. Do not allow your meds to be transferred from you by touch, to your pets. Creams are easily transferred if we do not wash the product off of our hands completely; or if you need it on your hands, maybe wear plastic gloves if you must touch your pets or their food. And do not give your meds to pets without asking the vet first. It is likely that if your pet needs a med, the vet will prescribe one. Even if it is a human brand, the amount a pet will need, or how it is dispensed, may be different from the human version. And if you drop a pill of yours, prescription or over the counter, find it and do not let the pets lick or eat it. Ibuprofen, Motrin, Aleve, etc. are deadly to pets in human amounts. 

http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/04/20/400994162/humans-use-of-pain-relief-creams-proves-fatal-to-felines?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=morningedition&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20150421

Prevent Heartworm-a Killer Condition-Use All Around Flea/Tick/Mosquito/Heartworm Protection

We use "Revolution" which stops ticks, fleas, heartworm, etc. Some owners use, along with flea preventative, additional heartworm medication which isn't necessary with Revolution. 



https://www.facebook.com/heartwormsociety/photos/a.10150170475710713.412298.238333230712/10158929760705713/?type=3

Annual Exams-What the Vet Does, Should Do, What to Expect

I would add getting heart echos. Should be part of the protocol.

http://catfriendly.com/keep-your-cat-healthy/veterinary-care/veterinarian-looks-exams/

Whisker Fatigue Is Ruled a Thing That Can Keep Cats from Eating

Cat not eating? Could be whisker fatigue?? We already use mostly saucers so ours shouldn't have fatigue. But who knows.

"As soon as she replaced Moon’s dish with a wide, shallow one that did not have rims or sides that brushed against his sensitive whiskers, both Moon and her other cat, Rupert, were much happier at mealtimes. Their chin acne, another common problem in cats, also cleared up...Whisker fatigue is a fairly new diagnosis, one that many (but not all) veterinarians take seriously. When cats have to stick their faces into deep bowls and their whiskers rub up against the sides, the experience can be stressful, prompting them to paw the food onto the floor, fight with other cats or grow apprehensive at mealtimes...(a type of bowl discussed) They are made of stainless steel, which — unlike plastic — will not harbor the bacteria that can lead to chin acne...“that repeated stress isn’t giving the cat any additional information.” He added, “We don’t want them to have associations of stress while eating.”...Often, a regular plate will work just fine as an antidote to whisker fatigue, according to many cat owners."

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/05/well/family/feline-food-issues-whisker-fatigue-may-be-to-blame.html?smid=fb-share&_r=1

Safe Outdoor Cat Tent

We bought this from Amazon and have used it this week. Cats are getting used to it but they are calmer in it than the round nylon/mesh extra large pet tent I bought last summer. The mesh is small enough to keep out all bugs. Light weight enough to move around. Nothing to put together. Just push and pull until it snaps into place-slightly difficult but not prohibitive. Tall enough that they mustn't feel confined since they are calm. I put it in the shade on the grass during the day (I stay in the yard and garden but don't feel that I can leave them alone.) Then I put it on the deck at night so that the skunks don't get near it. Need to buy tent stakes which unfortunately don't come with it. But I have long metal stakes I can use. Be careful-there is another one that is similar (both are sold at Amazon and other online sites) but the mesh is larger and bugs get through.

https://www.amazon.com/FrontPet-Cat-Tent-Portable-Bringing/dp/B01N55U9GF/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497369266&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=cat+tent&psc=1

Be Wary of Constant Diarrhea and Vomiting-Possible Signs of Larger Issues; How to Combat

Cat vomiting or has diarrhea? If your HCM cat has become a chronic vomiter, (or has chronic diarrhea) it is potentially a bad sign of further heart failure, which has led to a decline in kidney function, which has allowed toxins to build up in the body. Or it could be a medication, or a clot, or too much or too little of an electrolyte (sodium, potassium are key). Supporting the kidneys is key. Giving your cat an overall vitamin, additional potassium, vitamin E, C, and iron will help support kidney function. Using Cerenia to combat nausea, and Zantac or other stomach acid calming medications, will ease the stress (discuss with your vet what is available and what is best, safe, and how much to use.) Combating diarrhea (another symptom of heart/kidney failure or of too much fiber or too much/too little of sodium or potassium) will help your cat eat, maintain weight, and maintain balanced electrolytes (which are depleted with chronic vomiting and diarrhea.) "Natural" ways to combat diarrhea are rice, rice water, banana, sweet potato mashed and put into food. Rice water can be given by mouth or added to food. You could use the baby food versions of banana and sweet potato (if they are plain) and add to food or cut with a bit of water and give by mouth; or cut canned sweet potato with water and give by mouth or add to food. These are all good binding agents. Baking soda will calm stomach acid but cats are not fond of it. (Is anyone?)

It's a see-saw: too little or too much potassium can cause vomiting and diarrhea. Too little hydration due to lasix (because we want to get rid of excess body fluid) will, also because with dehydration comes depletion of electrolytes.
One day you must give a potassium supplement, fiber, and water by mouth; suddenly the next day you find the cat is sick and you must skip the potassium, fiber, and water by mouth. Your cat may need stomach calming meds (listed above) for days; then suddenly seem fine for another week until it begins all over again. We went through this with Myrna in her last weeks.

Remember to always make sure your cat eats enough each day to maintain a decent weight. Cats that do not eat all day will be too run down to begin eating on their own again. Always give some water, tuna juice, plain meat broth, and sugar water (1/8 tsp per 3 oz of water mixed well-less if the cat is diabetic or has greatly lost kidney function) by mouth of 6-9oz four times a day until the cat begins eating enough on its own.

Here are three links to websites with more information.

http://www.vin.com/apputil/content/defaultadv1.aspx…

http://www.felinecrf.org/nausea_vomiting_stomach_acid.htm…

http://veterinarymedicine.dvm360.com/11-guidelines-conserva…

Hot Weather Keep HCM Cats Cool

So of course, it's summer and it's been hot. Not too humid thank goodness but our cats are living in the literal shadows of the house and in the basement where it is cooler (we lack central AC.) We are running fans, closing blinds, and running our portable AC units (they exhaust outside through a window without having to remove the window screen and they remove some humidity.) Remember, keep your HCM cat cool but not too cold, and run dehumidifiers to decrease heat and humidity (our house gets humid and sticky in areas not cooled or cooled enough by the portable AC units.) Any humidity makes breathing difficult for HCM cats and can lead to congestion (either through the dampness of humidity or the stress of breathing.) Keep cats out of windows-either because of sun or humidity-even at night when it's humid. Get portable temperature and humidity readers that run on batteries and can be found for under $15.00 (similar to the one linked here-but I'm not recommending this one or this site specifically.) You can place them in windows or rooms to tell you what is the temperature or humidity level and keep your cats out of that area as needed. I recommend running AC at 70-72. Any colder, and HCM cats can still be stressed and congestion may occur.

Remember to count the breathing of your cat to determine if they are having congestion (CHF) and need extra lasix or need a trip to the ER vet: one up and down chest movement at rest is one count. How many of those in 15 seconds? (Times by four to get a minute count.) 6/15 is normal. 8-10/15 may be signs of congestion. Count, wait 2-3 min. and count again. If the cat appears stressed, and after five minutes, has not improved (unless the cat is running or watching birds) then give an extra 5mg of lasix. If the cat has not improved in 15-20 min. or appears to get worse, take the cat to the vet. This applies to all times and all situations, not just summer.

Katharine Sees Cardiologist and Baby Loses Her Voice

Katharine saw the cardiologist for her annual check-up on Thursday and she is perfectly fine. No changes from last year. She has had a murmur; and she's Myrna's sister. But so far, so good. No heart disease in any of the siblings.

For whatever reason, Baby has somewhat lost her voice. For the past two weeks, she has occasionally squeaked or cried out a croak. Then last weekend, I thought it was permanent. I monitored her this week and found it was constant. Yesterday, she saw the vet. Nothing is wrong with her mouth or throat that they can see. In order to see anything further down into her throat or see her vocal cords, requires anesthesia and a scope. The vet believes that would be the next step if what she prescribed does not work. Her general health appeared fine upon exam. There was some upper airway noises (upper airway is not considered CHF.) But she is breathing well and eating so the assumption is that there is nothing stuck in the throat. For now, the vet is going on the assumption she has an infection-viral or bacterial-and prescribed twice a day doxycycline, an antibiotic in liquid form. Did she make any sounds at the vet? No, of course not. Not when I turned her on her back; not when I played with her tail; and not when I rubbed her tummy. She did shoot me looks that said "I'll get you later." So, once we were home and I removed her from the crate to give her the antibiotic, she croaked as loudly as possible in defiance. Then she bit me and drew blood. Sigh.