Caring For Your Cat

Tips On Being A Responsible Owner Feline Leukemia (FeLV) Heartworms Ear Infections Litter Box Problems Ten Tips For Preventing Pet Behavior Problems Caring For Your Senior Pet

Tips On Being A Responsible Owner

• Spay or neuter your pet.  It not only helps to keep your pet from roaming as much, but greatly reduces their chances of a variety of cancers if they are altered sooner rather than later.  Male cats may spray urine on walls, furniture, etc. to mark their territory, neutering them helps to prevent this unwanted behavior before it starts.

• Train and socialize your dog so that he or she is comfortable being around people including friends, neighbors, and children.

• Never play "attack" games with your dog/cat.  Your pet won’t always understand the difference between play and real-life situations.

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Feline Leukemia

Feline Leukemia virus (FeLV) is the leading infectious killer of cats. It is estimated that more than two million cats in the U.S. are infected with this deadly virus. The FeLV virus is highly contagious and is transmitted from cat to cat through saliva, blood and other body secretions.

FeLV attacks and impairs a cat's immune system. Infected cats develop leukemia or secondary diseases that they normally would have been able to resist. Some cats become infected and serve as "silent carriers," transmitting the virus, yet exhibiting no signs of the disease.

About 50% of cats that test positive for FeLV will develop symptoms within two years. Of cats that become infected, as many as 80% will die within three years. Unfortunately, there is no cure yet for this fatal disease.

FeLV, however, can be prevented. A simple test done here at our clinic can confirm, in minutes, whether your cat has the virus. If the results are negative, your cat should be vaccinated against FeLV.

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Heartworms

Heartworm Disease Cats vs. Dogs

Used with permission from the American Heartworm Society

Some cats with ongoing heartworm disease may be totally free of any clinical signs of disease.

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Ear Infections

Ear infections are very common in dogs, although less so in cats. Two types are most often seen: otitis externa, infection of the external ear canal, and otitis media, infection of the middle ear. Although any dog or cat can get an ear infection, some breeds appear to be more prone than others. Dogs with pendulous ears, like Cocker Spaniels and Basset Hounds, or dogs with hairy inner ear flaps, like Miniature Poodles and Schnauzers, tend to have a higher occurrence of ear infections. In cats, the Persian breed seems to be more prone to such infections.

Most ear infections are easily and successfully treated. But if left untreated, they could result in serious damage.

Causes
Bacteria or yeast are most often the culprits of otitis externa. Other causes include an accumulation of wax, thick or matted hair in the ear canal, debris, a foreign body, a tumor or impaired drainage of the ear. Sometimes, infections of the external ear canal are a secondary result of some other bodily infection or ear mite infestation.

Otitis media usually results from the spread of infection from the external ear canal to the middle ear. Also, foreign bodies, debris, ulceration or improper ear cleaning can rupture the eardrum and allow infection to reach the middle ear.

Symptoms
Ear infections are very uncomfortable for your pet. Your dog or cat will show his discomfort by shaking his head or scratching at his ears. Often, the ears will become red and inflamed with an offensive odor and perhaps a black or yellowish discharge. If your pet tilts his head constantly, it could be a sign of a middle ear infection.

Diagnosis and Treatment
Because many different culprits can be the cause of your pet's ear infection, it is important to have your cat or dog examined by a veterinarian, who can then determine the proper medication or treatment. Your veterinarian will also make sure the eardrum is intact, as some medications can result in hearing loss if administered to a pet with a ruptured eardrum.

What is involved in an ear exam? Your veterinarian will use an otoscope-an instrument that provides light and magnification-to view the ear canal. He or she will determine whether or not the eardrum is intact and if any foreign material is present. If this is very painful to the pet, sedation or anesthesia may be necessary to complete the exam.

Your veterinarian may take a sample of the material in the canal and examine it under a microscope. This is called cytology, and allows the doctor to determine the organism causing the infection. If more than one organism are culprits, multiple medications or a broad-spectrum medication is necessary.

If your veterinarian finds a foreign body, a tick or a very heavy buildup of debris, sedation may be required to remove the irritant or to allow a thorough cleansing.

A middle ear infection can be more difficult to clear up. Diagnosis and treatment may include lab tests, X-rays and even surgery. Four to six weeks may pass before the infection disappears, and often during this time you will be told to restrict the activity of your pet.

For both types of infection, you should keep water from entering your pet's ears. Follow-up visits to your veterinarian are very important to make sure treatment is working and the infection has disappeared.

Remember, the longer infection is present, the harder it is to get rid of it. If an ear infection goes untreated, your pet will continue to be in pain. Your pet's head shaking and scratching can cause further problems, such as broken blood vessels that require surgery to correct. Chronic infections can harm the eardrum and close the ear canal. Surgical reconstruction of the ear canal may then become necessary.

Medicating
Treatment prescribed by the doctor usually includes administering medication to and cleaning the ears daily for one to two weeks. Remember, your pet's ears are painful, and Fluffy or Fido might not appreciate what you are about to do, so use caution. Ask your veterinarian for a demonstration on how to treat the ears properly.

Prognosis
Most often, with proper diagnosis and treatment, your pet's ear infection will be cured. However, if ear infections are chronic or recurrent, an underlying problem, such as allergies or thyroid disease, may be the cause.

Because cats are normally resistant to ear infections, other problems should be explored. Your cat may have an unusually shaped ear canal, or its immune system could be suppressed. Have your veterinarian test your cat for the feline leukemia virus and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), both of which affect the immune system. Also, diabetic cats tend to be prone to ear infections, so testing for diabetes may be indicated.

Prevention
Pet owners can help their pets avoid ear infections by practicing preventative care at home. This is especially important for those animals that have pendulous ears, have lots of hair in their ears, or have allergies or other medical problems that make them prone to ear infections. A weekly ear cleaning with a veterinarian-recommended ear cleansing solution can minimize or prevent infections. Such a cleaning provides other benefits, as well.

"Weekly ear cleanings get the pet owner to really see the ear on a routine basis, allowing him or her to notice any early warning signs of infection," says AAHA veterinarian Dr. LeeAnn Dumars. "And they get the pet used to having its ears handled, making exams and medication administration easier when necessary."

In addition to ear cleanings, pets with lots of hair on the inside ear flap should have those hairs plucked periodically by their groomer or veterinarian.

"Pet owners with animals that have chronic ear problems must realize that life-long preventative care and maintenance will be necessary to ensure their pet's good health," says Dr. Dumars.

-Used with permission from AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association)

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Litter Box Problems in Cats

Why do cats stop using their litter box?

No matter what the reason, please do not wait and hope the problem will just go away. Although she may start out suffering from illness or anxiety, her behavior can quickly turn into a habit if left untreated. Unfortunately the result is often making the cat a strictly outdoor pet, or getting rid of it all together. That's why the best way to curb inappropriate elimination is to begin treatment as soon as you see the behavior developing.

There are a variety of reasons why a cat would decide to use a corner of your bedroom instead of her litter box for her toiletries. Cats are very susceptible to stress when things change. That can include a new family member moving in, a move to a new house, a death or divorce in the family, the addition of a new pet, new furniture, etc.

You will also need to find out if the cat is spraying urine to mark territory, or if it's just squatting to urinate in a new location. Many cats begin marking as a result of sexual maturity. Spaying or neutering by about 6 months of age cures most cats of this desire. If the cat is neutered and is still spraying, he is trying to let other cats in the household know that this is his turf.

Where do you begin?

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Ten Tips for Preventing Pet Behavior Problems

• Set rules immediately and stick to them.
• Avoid situations that promote inappropriate behavior.
• Observe the pet and provide what it needs to be cared for and attended to.
• Supervise the new pet diligently through undivided individual attention and training, and restrict the pet's access to a limited area of the house until training is complete.
• Encourage good behavior with praise and attention.
• Correct bad behaviors by providing positive alternatives. (A toy for a slipper, scratching post for the sofa.)
• Never physically punish or force compliance to commands. This may lead to fear biting or aggression.
• Don't play rough or encourage aggression or play biting.
• Expose pets to people, animals, and environments where you want them to live.
• See your veterinarian if serious or unresolved behavior problems exist.

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Caring For Your Senior Pet

Recommendations for Aging Pets
Keep vaccinations current
Brush frequently to keep fur from matting
Clip toenails to prevent overgrowth and to avoid slips and falls on slick surfaces
Keep plenty of fresh water available and monitor consumption
Keep other pets from preventing free access to water
Keep indoors most of the time, especially in inclement weather
Weigh on the same scale and record results every 60 days

Signs of a Problem
Sustained, significant increase in water consumption or urination
Weight loss
Significant decrease in appetite or failure to eat for more than two days
Significant increase in appetite
Repeated vomiting
Diarrhea lasting over three days
Difficulty in passing stool or urine
Change in housebreaking
Lameness lasting more than five days or lameness in more than one leg
Noticeable decrease in vision
Open sores or scabs on the skin that persist for more than one week
Foul mouth odor or drooling that lasts more than two days
Increasing size of the abdomen
Increasing inactivity or amount of time spent sleeping
Hair loss, especially if accompanied by scratching or if in specific areas (as opposed to generalized)
Excessive panting
Inability to chew dry food
Sudden collapse or bout of weakness
A seizure (convulsion)
Persistent coughing or gagging (dog)
Breathing heavily or rapidly at rest (cat)

Be sure to monitor behavior and physical conditions and report anything unusual to your veterinarian, 
who can help all of you head into the twilight years with ease.

By Kristin Stark, AAHA editorial assistant

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