Cat Ear Mite Treatment

There is a natural cat ear mite treatment that I think you should try if you live in North America. It is not cheap but it is natural. Personally, I don't like using insecticides and chemicals on my cats because they are potentially dangerous. Ear mites make a cat depressed as they are extremely uncomfortable causing secondary infections.


Feline Ear Clear Drops for Cat Ear Mites - $32.95
Retail Price: $42.95
You Save: $10.00
from: Pet Wellbeing Inc.

Pet Wellbeing Inc. say that they use natural products, herbs of the highest quality. The product does not require a consultation with a vet before use as it is completely safe. It acts as a natural antibiotic and as a disinfectant. However, you will need to be sure that your cat has ear mites. That is an important point and a vet's input may be required.

The ears should be cleaned first. I would advise that you ask your vet about how to do that as you can get it badly wrong and make things worse. Don't push debris and dirt into the ear.

If you want the more conventional chemical treatments: Nolvamite, Mitaclear (both USA) are two examples. See also: cat ear mites.

Stridor in Cats

A stridor is a harsh high-pitched raspy sound that is produced by air passing through a narrowed larynx. It is also referred to as "croupy breathing".  If it happens suddenly it is probably caused by a foreign body in the cat's larynx or swollen throat. Foreign bodies in the larynx can be serious and also cause choking and gagging. Emergency veterinary treatment is required.

How To Pick Up A Cat

Here are some rules on picking up a cat from both a common sense and medical standpoint. Firstly, we should ask whether we are picking up our cat because we want to or because we need to. In general cats who know us don't mind being picked up and many will like it once they are settled in your arms or on your shoulder although cats tend to have a time limit on how long they like to be held. The time limit can be quite short. We should be sensitive to the time limit.

It is probably fair to say that we should not pick up our cat to please ourselves too much or for too long. We should not automatically presume that cats like to be picked up and held by us. Cats don't naturally have that desire in my opinion. It is more natural for people to pick things up and hold them or cuddle them. Often, therefore, the motivation to pick up a cat comes from us and on that basis we should make sure our cat likes it or tolerates it well.

We should be able to read a cat's demeanour to assess whether he or she is in the mood to be picked up. This leads to the question whether your cat has a character that is predisposed to being picked up. Some cats like it, some don't and some are in the middle. You have to figure out where your cat is in that range. Note: feral and/or stray cats should not be grabbed and picked up. The cat does not know you and will be defensive. You are likely to get scratched and then some people will probably blame the cat. It would be wrong to blame the cat. We must remember that we are many times larger than a domestic cat. We can be intimidating just by our presence, which can prompt defensive behavior in the cat.

When picking up your cat, the underlying principle is to make sure that he or she is well supported when you do it. That is obvious but children or inexperienced cat caretakers tend to grab a cat in both hands at the shoulders and lift. This leaves the rest of the body hanging down. That puts strain on the cat's body and in fact makes it harder for the person to hold on to the cat anyway. The best way is to place one hand under the cat's chest and the other under the cats body near to the hind legs and lift. Then the cat can be placed on your shoulder or in a more vertical position near your body. However, cats like to remain in a natural, upright position. We should cooperate in that desire. Sometimes people cradle a cat like a baby, with the cat's belly pointing upwards. This is incorrect. It is the person thinking that a cat is a baby. A cat will not like this position and may wriggle and become defensive. Some cats may accept it but nonetheless it is not sensible to do it.

Always comply with the cat's preferences and desires. Don't force your cat to do things to please yourself. It won't work and will make your cat stressed and distant from you emotionally.

If you have to pick up a cat and the cat is apprehensive you can pick him up by the scruff of the neck provided the rest of the body is supported and the cat is not overweight. The cat will go into kitten-mode and relax as if being carried by his mother. It should be done with care. Although this may not happen for older cats.

If you are picking up your cat to give medicine such as a pill (I advise using a pill-gun) I have found that a good technique is to use a towel. Cats don't like being given pills. They might try and force your hands away and might scratch you inadvertently. I place the folded towel on a flat surface at counter height and lift my cat to the towel. Gently push him onto his belly and then wrap the towel around him ensuring that the forelegs are inside the towel. It takes a bit of practice and some cats will be very resistant. But once achieved it is much easier to deliver the pill as you have control.

An alternative to the towel is a special cat bag which zips up around the cat leaving the head outside. I have not used these and cats will in general dislike them, I suspect.

If delivering a pill, it can be useful to have an assistant as she can help to reassure the cat and keep him still while you administer the pill. 

Never wrestle with your cat when picking him up for whatever reason. You'll lose that battle and make things worse for the next time. Cats will remember bad experiences and become defensive. It is better to tease and trick a cat into doing something. We should be smarter than them. Although sometimes I doubt that.

Finally, the completion of the process should be gentle! Your cat should be placed on the ground carefully and on all fours.

How To Check a Cat's Eyes

Some tips on checking a cat's eyes from the best book on cat health. There is a post about dilated pupils that was created a long time ago and it seems that the vets that the cat owners visited were unsure what was causing it. Cats do compensate well for a loss of one of the senses, which masks the presence of the medical condition.

Cat eye problems can be seen when the eye waters, there is something in the eye, the cat blinks a lot, the cat paws at the eye, the nictitating membrane (third eyelid) is visible, the pupils are constantly dilated (my observation), or the cat indicates by his or her actions that the eye is painful.

Examine the cat's eyes in a darkened room. Use a flashlight (torch) and a magnifying glass, which allows you to examine the surface of the eye in more detail and possibly even inside the eye.

The cat needs to be immobile. I find this is best done by wrapping a thick towel around your cat and placing him on a counter top - all done with care and gentleness. But some cats will be cooperative without the need to do that.

Some immediate questions to ask on observing the eyes:

• Do both eyes look the same? Comparing one with the other is a way of comparing an eye that has a problem with a normal eye if the problem is in one eye. Are they the same size, shape and colour?
• Do the eyes bulge or are they recessed?
• Are the eyes cloudy?
• Is there a discharge?

Flash the light over the cornea (the outer surface of the eye) to check that it is clear. Check for signs of injury. The pupils of both eyes should be the same size. Pupils should narrow down to slits when the torch is pointed towards the eye (with caution). A test to check the cat's vision is to cover one eye and move your finger towards the other eye, whereupon the eye will blink when the finger is close to the eye.

Also with caution and gentleness you can push down on the eyeball with the eyelid closed. Does it feel hard? Does the cat indicate pain?¹. A vet should be consulted promptly on signs of any indications of illness.

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Note: (1) Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook ISBN 978-0-470-09530-0

Cat Ringworm

Horror picture of ringworm on a person's neck! Chris very kindly agreed to let me publish his photograph here. Chis (or Ian) adopted a "pound kitten". For people not in the United States this means a unwanted kitten picked up by animal control and placed in a pound where he or she might be euthanized or adopted. Do I have that correct, Chris? He had to quarantine his kitten (in a spare room) and administer oral anti-fungal medication and anti-fungal shampoo and he did the same to himself! Anyway, it was a bit of a heavy scene. Chris recommends that you assume that a pound (or shelter?) kitten has cat ringworm and that you shampoo him or her with anti-fungal shampoo as a precaution. He must have been cuddling his kitten against his neck.

Note: Cat Ringworm transmission to people is unusual as far as I am aware. Please don't let this put you off rescuing.

Ringworm - you wanted to know how it looks!
Photo copright ianfinnesey (please ask him if you wish to use it)

Go to the Flickr page to see the photo on Flickr if you wish. It looks horrible but in my experience all you get is a bit of itching.

As is clear, cat ringworm can be transferred from cat to people (zoonotic) and from cat to cat and from people to cats. It is in fur and in the soil and on carpets and furniture etc. As you probably have guessed or know it is not caused by a worm but by a fungus.

You have probably also guessed that you cannot always tell if your cat has ringworm. Well I can't and I have got it from a stray cat who I called Timmy. There was no sign of it on him but he used to rub my legs when he came to see me and transferred it to my left leg. Apparently, if you do see it on cats it is in form of patches on the face and ears (ear flap). Cats can be carriers and have no symptoms. Cat ringworm can "invade the claws" causing deformities of the claws.

Cat ringworm on nose (I believe). Photo by Rocky Mountain Feline Rescue

Ringworm "invades the hair and hair follicles"(1).  Most cases are caused by a fungus called Microsporum canis. The name ringworm comes from the shape of the red scaly shape the infection causes on the skin.

Cat Ringworm Treatments and Medication

This section refers to treating cats! Medications are American. Clip away infected hair around the ringworm (if visible). Clean the skin with Betadine solution. Antifungal creams can be applied. These should contain: miconazole, chlorhexidine, clotrimazole or thiabendazole. Examples are: Conofite and Nolvasan (USA). Apply once per day. Continue for 6 weeks.

If the cat has generalised ringworm: this requires the hair to be clipped and the cat dipped in an anti-fungal solution such as LymDyp (USA product) twice per week until cured + 2 more weeks. Plus an oral anti-fungal medicine should be administered. Caution: these drugs can cause side effects - SEEK VETERINARY ADVICE. Apparently itraconazole causes fewer side effects.

A vaccine is available. Ask your vet.

Prevention

Ringworm spores can survive for a year. The premises needs to be treated. Cat bedding should be discarded. Grooming equipment should be sterilised (bleach + water). House should be cleaned carefully. Carpets should be vacuumed regularly. Hard surfaces should be sterilised. Handle infected cats with rubber gloves.

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Note: (1) Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook page 157.

Hairball Remedies

List of hairball remedies:

Cat Hairball

• Preventative action: groom your cat. The Furminator comes to mind as a great grooming tool that removes hair.
• Dietary supplements that (1) helps the hairball slide along the digestive tract or (2) helps the digestive tract push the hairball out. The former is a lubricant and the latter is dietary fiber.
• A commercial lubricant in the USA is "Laxatone". This contains extra vitamins to counteract the fact that petroleum based laxatives interfere with the absorption of some vitamins.
• A commercial fiber additive product in the USA is Lax-eze. Dry cat food such as Science Diet Hairball Control Diet and Purina Pro Plan Hairball Management Formula are based on the high fiber method for dealing with hairballs.
• A home hairball remedy is white petroleum jelly. One half teaspoon is used but I have no idea how it is administered! You probably add it to cat food - once weekly.
• You can also add mineral oil to cat food. For the average sized cat of about 10 lbs, add 2 teaspoons to cat food once or twice weekly but if persistent I would seek veterinary advice. 

Source: Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook - ISBN 978-0-470-09530-0

Rabies Rarely Caused by Cats in USA

Photo: bakroots

Rabies is a fatal disease. It is useful for us to know the major wildlife reservoirs for rabies - meaning what species of animal carry the disease in a specific geographic area and which are the most likely to transmit the disease to people. The table below helps, I hope. It has been compiled from the Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook Third Edition 2008.

It appears to me that cats are very low risk in North America (I am prepared to be corrected). Bats are high risk. It seems that transmission of the disease might take place through airborne aerosols from bats (1). It is obligatory to vaccinate a cat against rabies in the USA and it applies to indoor cats as well.

Place	Major reservoir for rabies - these overlap
Midwest, Southwest and California, USA	Skunk
New England and East, USA	Raccoon
New York, Eastern Canada, Alaska and Southeast, USA	Foxes
Texas, USA	Coyotes and Foxes
Widely distributed in the USA	Bats - 86% of cases between 1980-97 caused by bats. Bats need not bite to transmit the disease it seems.
Outside the USA	Dog or Cat
UK, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Taiwan, Japan, Hawaii, Mauritius, Barbados and Guam	No Rabies.
Northeastern USA	Raccoon

Note: (1) Wikipedia. I am referring to North America when I say cats rarely cause rabies.

Cats and Electromagnetic Fields

Cats may be affected by electromagnetic fields. Electromagnetic fields (EMFs or EM fields) are "invisible lines of force" surrounding electrical devices and electrical wiring. A device called a "gaussmeter" can measure EMFs (measuring gauss units).

Studies have found that people and companion animals are responsive to invisible EMFs. EMFs can affect the production of hormones such as the brain hormone melatonin. Melatonin is a natural suppressor of cancer cell growth. Do EMFs increase the incidences of feline leukemia? Should we allow our cats to sleep near or on electrical equipment?

Safe? I don't know - Photo by david_shane

Dr. John Heinerman, in his book Low Cost Natural Cures for your Dog and Cat Your Vet Doesn't Want You to Know says that adding certain herbs to wet cat food provides protection. He added 1/4 teaspoon of wheat-grass powder plus the contents of 2 capsules of red clover blossom once per day to his cat's moist food. He believes that this is effective.

Cat with Feline Asthma

A video of a female cat with feline asthma. Her name is "Dave"! It is distressing. Sometimes videos get pulled off the internet for whatever reason so don't be surprised if it does not play.

Feline asthma is also called feline allergic bronchitis. It is caused by the cat being hypersensitive to environmental allergens. At an acute level it is similar to human asthma. It affects 1% of all cats. Siamese cats are slightly predisposed to it.



Airborne allergens such as cigarette smoke, litter dust, household sprays and cat deodorizers can trigger an attack of feline asthma. Sometimes the cause is heartworm and other times the cause is unknown.

You can see from the video how the cat behaves. There is wheezing and coughing and the cat has hunched shoulders or lies down. The mucous membranes (e.g. lips and gums etc.) are bluish due to a lack of oxygen in the blood. The cat might swallow fluid coughed up.

Treatment: see the veterinarian who will prescribe drugs to relieve it. It is a chronic condition so it will recur. I would have thought a review of the environmental conditions would be wise to try and eliminate the allergen(s). It needs to properly diagnosed first as two other conditions produce similar symptoms: pleural effusion and pulmonary edema.

Camomile Tea For Cats

In the public domain.

Dr. John Heinerman recommends camomile tea for cats. It is also spelled "chamomile". The doctor recommends its use to reduce anxiety. It is drunk as a tea by your cat or dog. He does not specify dosages etc. but common sense will dictate that. The question is whether your cat will drink it! It has to be cooled and cats are sensitive to smell so that may put her off. Liquid medicine can be syringed into the of the mouth. Care is required.

Ordinary tea is said by non-qualified but experienced people to provide relief to gummed up eyes in kittens. Some people simply use a tea bag. Or a clean non-abrasive cotton cloth is dipped into the lukewarm tea and used to wipe the eyes. This is pure tea - no milk or sugar! Tea does seem to have some healing properties. Note: gummed up eyes in kittens can be due to infected eyes that need veterinary care (possibly antibiotics). The infection can be caused by the feline herpes virus - neonatal infectious conjunctivitis.

Dr. John Heinerman also recommends peppermint tea for sick cats that are suffering from dehydration (see book below). Peppermint tea will help to rehydrate your cat and help with digestive tract problems as well. He recommends that the tea be inserted into the cat's rectum using a small rubber syringe or enema bag! I have never heard of this nor would I expect many people to take up his advice. I would certainly see professional advice first.

Feline Anemia Food

I'll briefly discuss feline anemia food. Certain foods can enhance the production of red blood cells.

Foods that are rich in amino acids, B-complex and iron such as organic beef, sheep or chicken livers are the best. We are not talking commercially manufactured cat food here, obviously.

These foods should be given raw. Research was carried out by Dr. Fancis M. Pottenger that demonstrated that cooked meats "in spite of an otherwise properly balanced diet" damaged immune systems. I am quoting Dr. John Heinerman in his ebook: Low Cost Natural Cures for your Dog and Cat Your Vet Doesn't Want You to Know.

He says that dessicated liver tablets can be used as well. This will be a supplement that can be added to the cat food. They are available at pet stores and possibly your veterinary surgery.

Brewer's yeast has similar nutritional benefits to liver. It can be mixed into cat food. I am not sure that a cat would accept this, though. Cats are very sensitive to way food smells and brewer's yeast smells.

Vitamin C, folic acid and vitamin B-12 are important nutrients for treating anemic animals. These can be bought as supplements and added to cat food. As a guide Dr. Heinerman suggests these quantities: 500 mg vitamin C, 150 micrograms of folic acid and 10 micrograms of vitamin B-12. Grass interestingly contains folic acid. Cats naturally eat grass. Whether cats would eat vegetables that contain vitamin B-12 is disputable. These vegetables are suitable: broccoli and spinach. They should be steamed.

Feline Anemia Types

My old cat has anemia

Seven types of feline anemia are commonly dealt with by veterinarians:

1. Aplastic pancytopenia - the bone marrow fails to produce enough new cells to replenish blood cells;
2. Hemolytic anemia - Heinz body - an item of denatured hemoglobin is enclosed in the red blood cell. It is caused by the consumption of paracetamol that poisons the cat.
3. Immune mediated anemia - affects dogs more that cats. Auto-immune system goes wrong and attacks red blood cells.
4. Iron deficiency anemia - caused by a diet deficient in iron and/or iron loss due to e.g. intestinal bleeding.
5. Megalobastic anemia - caused by the infectious disease feline leukemia.
6. Anemia caused by chronic kidney disease. My old cat (20) is dying and she has feline anemia caused in part by chronic kidney disease.
7. Metabolic anemia - occurs with fatty liver syndrome in cats.

See feline anemia for more.

Cat Sore Anus

Natural treatment for a sore anus caused by prolonged diarrhea. The tissue becomes inflammed and irritated. It can become infected with bacteria.

I'll quote Dr. John Heinerman, if I may, who wrote: Low Cost Natural Cures for Your Dog & Cat Your Vet Doesn't Want You to Know.

The doctor says that it is a good hygienic practice to sponge off your cat's anus with a clean cotton cloth slightly moistened with distilled water. This gets ride of material stuck around the anus. The area should then be gently dried. You then apply extra-virgin olive oil to the area using three cotton swabs. A small amount of oil is placed on the swabs. The procedure should be repeated three times daily.

If the area is infected slightly he suggests dabbing the area with cotton swabs soaked in "alcohol free liquid goldenseal-root extract". This is done several times daily.

In addition herbal creams can be applied. He suggests arnica cream or calendula cream.

You can buy the Kindle version of this book on Amazon:

Kindle version of Low Cost Natural Cures for Your Dog & Cat Your Vet Doesn't Want You to Know by Dr. John Heinerman

Are cat vaccinations necessary?

Sometimes there are legal requirements to vaccinate; for example against rabies in the USA. Unless you are prepared to break the law, a vaccination against rabies is necessary in that country. However, it might be possible to argue that it is not necessary from a health perspective. People who make the law are not always right.

There is a commercial element to vaccinations. It enables veterinarians to get people in to the surgery on a regular basis which in turn enables them to sell other services and products to the customer.

The commercial nature of the veterinarian's business distorts the delivery of cat health care. It can lead to over vaccinating. A lot of veterinarians agree that multiple vaccines either in the form of frequent and/or repeated vaccines could compromise the cat's immune system.

It is suggested that the immune responses (by the immune system) becomes confused and unable to distinguish between harmful and benign substances.

It has been said that the customer, the pet owner, is insufficiently informed about the risks of vaccines. One unnamed vet says that if customers knew how vaccines affected the health of a cat they would not have their cat vaccinated!

It could be argued that full-time indoor cats that are old and that have been vaccinated routinely when young no longer benefit from further vaccinations. The risk of ill health from vaccines outweighs the potential benefits for some cats under some circumstances.

There are things that we can do to boost our cat's immune system. That is a more natural form of protecting the health of the cat. Good cat food and good all round care is the answer.

Some vets simply don't vaccinate their cats. Some are heavily against vaccinations saying that vaccines are poisonous to the cat's immune system. Some are resolutely for vaccinations.

Conclusion: Are cat vaccinations necessary? No, not in an absolute sense. It is a balancing act. Vaccines are meant to improve the cat's health. They might not. They might hurt the cat. The injection can cause cancer. The immune system can be damaged. But they might protect the cat from serious illness. There are no clear answers. We should not automatically presume that vaccines are good as is promoted by most vets. See cat vaccination recommendations.

Feline Acne Treatment

Chilli an Abyssinian cat - Photo: Maggie Sharp

Feline acne treatment consists of cleaning the skin 2x per day with an ointment that contains 2.5 to 5 per cent bezoyl peroxide. In the USA this is OxyDex. The product below may be a good choice. Alternatives are Nolvasan or Betadine. Sometimes antibiotics are required when the infection is severe.

The skin should be cleaned with medical shampoo where there is excess sebum.

Cats are predisposed to developing feline acne when skin pores are blocked by excess sebum or keratin. Feline acne develops in the sebaceous glands that are situated on the underside of the chin and edges of the lips. Cats with an oily skin are more likely to suffer from feline acne.

A condition that is similar to feline acne is an allergic reaction to a rubber or plastic food bowl. This can be treated by removing the cause of the allergic reaction and buying a stainless steel or ceramic bowl.

Feline acne tends to return. The treatments do not cure the cat of the condition. Dry food might help but full-time dry food is not recommended in my opinion. Washing your cat's chin after eating might help too.

Cat Dental Cleaning Procedure

Brushing Truman's teeth - Photo by John Morton

Unfortunately, cat dental cleaning procedure requires a general anesthetic. There are therefore cat dental cleaning risks because general anesthesia of cats carries risk of injury and possible death.

A general anesthetic is essential for the veterinarian to fully assess all the teeth and to clean below the gum line.

Before a general anesthetic cats should be evaluated to minimize the risk. This includes a physical examination and basic blood and urine analyses.

What is the risk of injury or worse for a cat when under a general anesthetic? The risk is surprisingly high. I was in a veterinarians the other day and a fellow customer was having his cat's teeth cleaned. He was anxious as he had been told that the risk of death was 1 in 100 (1%). 

Gaynor J.S.; Dunlop C.I. Wagner A.E. et al. (1 January 1995). Complications and mortality associated with anesthesia in dogs and cats, concluded in their study that there was a 1 in 9 chance of "complications" and a 1 in 233 chance of death. 

In this study: Brodbelt DC, Blissitt KJ, Hammond RA, et al. (September 2008). The risk of death: the confidential enquiry into perioperative small animal fatalities, the risk of death was put at:

• for sick cats 1 in 71 (1.4%)
• for cats generally 1 in 895

Well, there you have it. For the sake of clean teeth you have quite a real risk of death. Like all these things it is a balancing act of risk versus benefit. See also feline gum disease.

Burmese Cat Health - Feline Orofacial Pain Syndrome

Burmese cats have a predisposition to acquiring Feline Orofacial Pain Syndrome (FOPS).  The condition occurs mainly in Burmese cats and associated breeds (Tonkinese, Burmillas and occasionally Siamese cats). There is another disease that affects the head of this cat breed: meningeoncephalocele. See Burmese cat health.

What is FOPS? It is acute pain in the mouth and face that is so severe that is causes the cat to scratch at the mouth and self-mutilate on the outside of the mouth and inside (the tongue). It is obviously very distressing for cat and cat caretaker alike. It is similar to the human version of this disease and in other animals.

It seems that it is not entirely clear what causes it. Is there a genetic inheritance connection?

Certain things bring on FOPS such as kitten teething, mouth disease, stress and dental work. Damage to the trigeminal nerves seems to be one cause. Trigeminal nerves carry sensory messages from the face to the brain.

Treatment is multifaceted: bandaging claws to prevent self-mutilation, pain relief, tube feeding because cats do not wish to eat as it hurts (i.e. facial movement by chewing brings it on), tranquilisers?, possible euthanasia if the cat is in continual severe pain.

This page will tell you more (opens in a new window). I don't know if FOPS only affects American Burmese cats. There are different breeding processes and standards between the USA, UK and Europe. Breeding practices may have had a role to play in the creation of this disease in Burmese cats.

Over the Counter Pet Antibiotics

Is is sensible to buy over the counter pet antibiotics? Are we knowledgeable enough to prescribe pet drugs without veterinarian supervision? Breeders probably are as they have learned through constant veterinarian visits. I don't know where you would get them in the UK. Apparently in the USA there are ways to acquire pet antibiotics over the counter. Antibiotics for fish, for example, are freely available at pet stores. In the USA you could drive to Mexico if you are suitably located as pet antibiotics are available over the counter in that country.

Over the counter pet drugs should be the sort of drugs that are safe to use without diagnosis and prescription.

Antibiotics are used to fight bacterial infections. Do you know that your cat has a bacterial infection rather than a viral infection? Most URIs are caused by a virus.

Antibiotics are bacteria specific and are not generic. One antibiotic does not cure all bacterial infections. Are you able to select the correct antibiotic when buying over the counter? Antibiotics can cause allergies and sensitivities in the pet. I'll focus on cats. A knowledge of veterinary medicine is required to avoid pitfalls.

Antibiotics kill the good bacteria of the stomach. These act as a natural barrier against pathogens. Altering the balance of stomach flora can cause illness such as diarrhea. Giving antibiotics to pregnant cats is potentially hazardous for the unborn kittens.

Some antibiotics are combined with steroids. The steroids reduce inflammation. These drugs are usually in the form of creams. Steroids are last resort type drugs that depress the immune system of the cat. Are you able to use these creams safely without veterinary supervision?

Pet antibiotics when administered for too short a time or in too low a dosage can cause bacterial resistance to the drug.

Finally do you have the knowledge to decide how best to administer the drug for maximum effectiveness? Are you able to decide the dosage and frequency?

I sense that we would be less likely to buy over the counter antibiotics for ourselves.

Over the Counter Pet Drugs

Here is list of over the counter pet drugs available in the USA with some detail on usage:

Abyssinian cat health issues

Abyssinian cat health issues must include a well recognized disease called renal amyloidosis. It is presumed to be an inherited disease (genetic disease). "The mode of inheritance is not completely understood" (1).

It starts at between one and five years of age. Some cats live to 10+ years and others die soon after diagnosis.

A substance called "amyloid" is deposited in cells and it kills the cells due to "pressure atrophy". This accumulation of amyloid occurs in the cat's kidneys.

Symptoms of ill health include:

• poor coat
• weight loss
• lethargy and anexoria
• polydipsia (excessive thirst)
• polyuria (excessive urination)
• dehydration
• anemia
• oral ulcers
• gum disease

The cat's kidneys are firm and irregular. The vet can feel these through the cat's abdomen (feeling internal organs is called "palpation").

A renal biopsy (removal of affected cells to be examined) confirms the existence of the disease. The cat suffers from chronic kidney failure and the vet will treat for that illness.

(1) Medical, Genetic & Behavioral Aspects of Purebred Cats edited by Ross D Clark DVM