Showing posts with label cat health problems. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cat health problems. Show all posts

Monday 7 August 2023

"Curiosity killed the cat" is an adage which was "Care killed the cat" meaning anxiety

We all know the old saying "Curiosity killed the cat". It's a saying which fits cat behaviour. Domestic cats are, indeed, very curious. It gets him into trouble sometimes which is why they can be harmed because of their curiosity and even, rarely, killed. Therefore, the adage has some veracity.

Domestic cats' lack of understanding of activities and objects in the human world makes them nervous
Domestic cats' lack of understanding of activities and objects in the human world makes them nervous. Photo: Pixabay.

But the original version of this proverb, from its first appearance in the 16th century until the end of the 19th century was, "Care killed the cat".

Care meaning anxious

In this saying, the word "care" means to worry about or to be anxious about something or other. It points to the possibility that cats could become so anxious and worried about something that it could even kill them. And this, apparently, used to be a belief by many people back in the day when the saying was first created.

And interestingly, this concept of worry killing cats is being revisited by veterinarians. Perhaps it's being revisited in terms of the fact that anxiety in domestic cats can harm their health which can lead to on occasions a serious health problems and even death.

But apparently, about 25% of cat owners surveyed in a 2008 study believed that their cat was incapable of feeling anxiety or sadness. Times have changed thanks to the internet I would say which has educated many cat owners. It is believed now that cats can at least experience the basic emotions that humans experience which includes anxiety or sadness.

And if asked today, scientists would agree that the old version of the proverb is to a certain extent true. Anxiety does present as a serious and real affliction for many domestic cats.

Anxiety is defined as a fear of something that is not currently happening. And you will find that there are, today, some anti-anxiety drugs which have been developed for humans which can be used on cats off-licence. Although, we are still unsure as to whether domestic cat feels the same kind of anxiety that humans feel but we are sure that feline anxiety is similar to human anxiety.

Elavil for anxious cats sometimes. Last resort.
Elavil for anxious cats sometimes. Last resort. Image: MikeB

Interestingly, in the study I mention, more than 60% of cat owners thought that domestic cats can be jealous. Almost 20% of the participants thought that cats can feel the emotion of embarrassment and more than 20% believed that cats can feel shame. Around 35% believed that cats can feel guilt and 40% were sure that cats experienced grief. About 60% thought that domestic cats experienced empathy.

Home range issues

The most common cause of anxiety in cats is to worry that their home range i.e. their territory is about to be invaded by other cats in the neighbourhood. This might apply to full-time indoor cats when looking out the window into the back yard.

Or they might feel this anxiety when living in a multi-cat home and where their territory is very compressed. Under these circumstances home ranges overlap a lot and there is a greater possibility for cats to develop anxiety because of intrusions into their home range.

When Dr. Jon Bradshaw conducted a survey of 90 cat owners in suburban Hampshire and rural Devon in 2000, the participants reported that almost 50% of their cats regularly fought with other cats. They confirmed that 40% of the cats were fearful of cats in general.

He states that he has a colleague, a veterinary surgeon, Rachel Casey, specialising in cat behavioural disorders who regularly diagnoses anxiety and fear. She believes that these emotions are main factors driving cats to urinate and defecate indoors outside of the litter box.

Forced to live with cat they don't trust and owner absence

As about half of domestic cats on that survey suffer from anxiety the old adage that I mention above carries some truth. And this leads to inappropriate defecation and urination inside the home. When cats defecate on bedsheets which by the way happened to my ex-wife's cat after my divorce, the cat is desperately trying to mingle their own smells with their owner's smells to establish ownership. 

It can be reassuring for a cat to do this. In my ex-wife's case I don't think this was about ownership of space but more about anxiety about her absence. Although she had introduced a new cat to the home which would have probably compounded the matter.

The stress of being forced to live with a cat or cat that they don't trust can affect a cat's health. The classic illness caused by stress is cystitis which veterinarians call idiopathic cystitis because there is no apparent cause of it.

66% urination problems

Dr. Jon Bradshaw tells me in his book Cat Sense that "As many as two thirds of cats taking to vets for urination problems-blood in the urine, difficult or painful urination, urinating in inappropriate places-have no obvious medical problems, other than inflammation of the bladder and intermittent blockage of the urethra by mucus thereby displaced from the bladder wall. The factors triggering such episodes of cystitis are therefore psychological."

Lack of understanding

When you think about it, there are a lot of things about the human world that domestic cats are going to struggle to understand because they are human. They can become acclimatised to them but constantly fail to understand them.

Certainly, new events and activities can make them anxious because of this failure to understand.

It's a reminder that we are different species and that our relationship as is an interspecies relationship and therefore quite special.

There are numerous activities which occur throughout the day and throughout the year which can cause anxiety and which are exclusively human in nature such as fireworks, delivery vans outside, the doorbell going off, the hoover being used and so on and so forth.

Owners aware

I think based upon this article that many cat owners should really be switched onto the possibility that their cat companion is going to stressed at some stage of their lives and they should look to the causes, the most common of which, as mentioned, is another cat or cats.

Saturday 21 January 2023

Female cat with CKD and hyperthyroidism is vomiting a lot. What's going on?

A person on social media asked for some advice because their cat is vomiting and they are suffering from chronic kidney disease and hyperthyroidism. They are seeing a veterinarian but they wanted to bounce the problem off other social media users one of whom is me. Of course, I strongly advocate seeing a veterinarian and this person has seen a veterinarian about the recent developments and will see them again.

Female cat with CKD and hyperthyroidism is vomiting a lot. What's going on?
Image: MikeB

This is my brief response:

"I am not a veterinarian but I know cats very well. Your cat has chronic kidney disease. She is vomiting. Is there a link between chronic kidney disease and vomiting? That is the question that comes to my mind.

There is a connection. Signs of uraemia which is toxins in the blood because they are not being eliminated by the kidneys, can result in vomiting, diarrhoea and anaemia.

There are other symptoms. So, it's just possible that the chronic kidney disease may have advanced more than is believed.

That said, the vomiting might not be linked to the kidney disease. Domestic cats vomit very well and competently for a large number of reasons and those reasons might not be associated with her chronic illness.

Has the vet done a urine test for blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine? I would ask the vet about that asap. 

I don't think vomiting is linked to hyperthyroidism. Hope this helps a bit and the best of luck."

Do any readers of this post have any other thoughts out of interest? 

Sunday 15 January 2023

20 causes of domestic cat vomiting prepared by an AI computer

The interesting aspect of this pretty conventional list (see below the infographic) on causes of domestic cat vomiting is that it was entirely written by a computer. I mean it formulated the answer and typed the entire thing itself. It looks good so you can rely on it. The other point is that there are many causes of vomiting in cats and you'll need to see a vet if it continues beyond 24 hours.

Actually, there is only one thing you need to know about cat vomiting! Click this to find out.

Cats are good vomiters. Far better than humans. They do it with great ease. So, you might not need to race off to the vet but will have to go if it continues.


I have page which analyses cat vomiting with a bit more precision, which you might like to take a look at. Click on the link below.

Cat Vomiting – including types of vomiting for diagnosis.
  1. Eating too quickly or eating too much.
  2. Eating spoiled or spoiled food.
  3. Eating non-food items, such as plants or string.
  4. Gastrointestinal infections or parasites.
  5. Certain medical conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease or liver disease.
  6. Food allergies or food sensitivities.
  7. Hairballs, which can block the digestive tract.
  8. Medications or changes in diet.
  9. Stress or anxiety.
  10. Certain types of cancer or other underlying health issues.
  11. Pancreatitis.
  12. Kidney disease
  13. Bladder stones or crystals
  14. Intestinal blockages
  15. Poisoning
  16. Hormonal imbalances
  17. Hyperthyroidism
  18. Gastritis
  19. Bowel diseases
  20. Gastric dilatation-volvulus (twisted stomach)
It's important to note that these are general causes, it's best to consult a veterinarian for an accurate diagnosis. Also, some of these causes can be serious and may require immediate medical attention.

Wednesday 1 December 2021

Does dry cat food improve the oral health of domestic cats?

It's a recurring question: does dry cat food improve the oral health of our cat companions? I've just spent about an hour updating a page that I wrote on this subject about four years ago. It's always useful to go back and rethink matters afresh. I can provide my conclusions in this cross-post. 

Does dry cat food improve the oral health of cats?
Does dry cat food improve the oral health of cats? Image: MikeB

Genetics, not food, plays the biggest role in oral health

The type of cat food that you feed your cat has little impact on their oral health. If there is one food which possibly or probably improves the oral health of cats it is a well-made home-made raw cat food that is correctly stored to avoid bacterial cross contamination. 

This comes out in studies. It is, after all, the most natural cat food. Therefore, to me, it is no surprise that this food comes out on top in this discussion. Do wild cats have the same oral health problems as domestic cats? No, in my view because they feed on prey. Poor oral health is in the top 10 health issues for the domestic cat.

However, veterinarians advise against cat owners making their own raw cat food because they believe that the potential benefits might be nullified by the potential downsides through improper preparation leaving the food without certain nutrients and improper storage leading to potential cross contamination of bacteria.

RELATED: Three domestic cats infected with bovine tuberculosis through eating raw cat food

Having got that out of the way, the biggest factor as to whether a cat has good oral health i.e. healthy gums and strong and healthy teeth, is their genetic inheritance. It's just a matter of luck whether they are born with the genetics which help make their gums and teeth healthier throughout their lives. 

That's the belief of Dr. Jean Hofve DVM, a well-known American veterinarian who often writes articles on the Internet. She has seen the inside of the mouths of 13,000 cats. She said that many years ago so the number will be much higher by now! She's convinced that genetics plays the biggest role but she does support home-made raw cat food as being beneficial with caveats about preparation and storage as mentioned.

Big pellets

If there is one dry cat food which might go some way to meeting the claims of pet food manufacturers it is large-pelleted kibble such as Hills t/d. A study found that dry cat food 'biscuits', which are going to be larger than even over-sized pellets, did show some merit in improving oral health. Perhaps this is because cats have to chew on these extra large pellets which would include some abrasive action on their teeth.

Image and thoughts: MikeB years ago.

Can't be abrasive

The reason why pet food manufacturers claim that dry cat food can clean teeth is because of the abrasive quality of the food. However, if you watch a domestic cat eating dry cat food they immediately crunch it into pieces. This occurs as soon as the food hits the back of the mouth. Therefore it cannot have any abrasive action on the teeth. However, larger pellets are more likely to have a little bit of abrasive action. 

Resorptive lesions

Countering the benefits that might occur, dry cat food may, it is claimed, cause gum-line cavities i.e. resorptive lesions. Dry cat food is high in carbohydrates which is more likely to cause cavities and gum disease.

Conclusion?

Become an expert of homemade raw cat food! And clean your cat's teeth (almost impossible unless kitten was trained to accept it).

Friday 5 November 2021

Study shows that Covid can cause heart damage in cats and dogs

A study now shows that Covid can cause heart disease in cats and dogs. We already knew that Covid can cause acute myocardial injury and chronic damage to the cardiovascular system in people. Although, in a study on 460 athletes who had Covid, they found that only five had inflammatory heart disease namely myocarditis (three) or pericarditis (two). 

This study on cats and dogs produced a different result although the study size is small. They tested 11 animals none of whom had typical symptoms of Covid but all had common indicators of cardiac disease. They had developed symptoms of myocarditis or heart information.

The pet's owners said that their companion animals has shown signs of respiratory illness before they became sick or tested for Covid.

The lead author of the study, Dr. Luca Ferasin, described the animals as "depressed [and] lethargic". He said that they had difficulty breathing because of an accumulation of fluid in the lungs due to heart disease. They were even fainting because an underlying abnormal heart rhythm.

They researchers state that the animals were infected with the alpha variant of Covid-19. The study is said to report the first cases of cats and dogs affected by the alpha variant of Covid-19. They state that there is a risk to pets but it appears that the main risk is a transmission of the disease from companion animal owners to their companion animals rather than vice versa.

Most companion animals recover quickly from the disease. And my reading of the situation is that most companion animals have mild symptoms and they have immune systems which can cope well with the disease. Therefore, this study is indicative of something more serious as it mirrors heart disease in people caused by Covid-19.

The research was carried out in the UK and the researchers noticed an uptick in patients with symptoms of myocarditis. Incidentally, there was talk of myocarditis been caused by Covid vaccines. They were very rare cases.

The Ralph Veterinary Referral Centre in Buckinghamshire England said that during last December 2020 about 1.5% of companion animals referred to the centre were diagnosed with myocarditis. 

But in the period between December and March of this year (2021), the number jumped dramatically to 12.5% with confirmed myocarditis. They found that many of the companion animal owners had tested positive for Covid or had symptoms of the disease within 3 to 6 weeks of their pets becoming ill. It appears that they have transmitted the disease to their pets.

This correlated with the surge in the spread of the alpha variant of the virus in the UK which prompted the research study referred to.

Sources: International Business Times and NBC News.

Tuesday 26 October 2021

Vet tech lost her cool when she provided advice on Reddit and it was justified

Male cat with serious urinary tract disease. Pic: Reddit.com

I like this response from a vet tech on the Reddit.com website to the question: "My cat has kidney problem, he is urinating blood, does anyone know how I can help him?" - serious urinary tract disease and they are fiddling around on social media!


Can you believe it? A cat owner looking for advice on a social media site/forum on a serious illness suffered by their male cat. It is madness. The only thing to do is to call the vet and by the looks of it they have already delayed doing this. But this either didn't occur to them or they shunned the thought because they wanted to save money at the expense of seriously jeopardising their cat's life.

There is a terrible resistance to taking cats to vets. It is not quite the same for dogs. Some cat owners will do all they can to avoid going to the vet. This must lead to unnecessary deaths from time to time. 

The post is indicative of a section of cat owners who don't have the financial resources to discharge their responsibilities as a cat caregiver to a necessary standard. Or to put it another way: they can't afford to keep a cat. Perhaps there should be a mandated threshold by law. Only people with X amount of money can have cats. That's dreamland as it will never happen but it would save the lives of cats.

Note: This is an embedded Reddit post. Sometimes they are deleted at source which stops them working on this site. If that has happened, I apologise but I have no control over it.

Tuesday 7 September 2021

Can cats get sinusitis?

Cats can, indeed, get sinusitis just like their human caregiver. Respiratory infections (URIs) are common in cats. They can lead to secondary, bacterial infections of the frontal sinuses. These occur with some frequency. The signs are the same as those that you would expect to see with people. 

Cat with a headache head-pressing to alleviate it
Cat with a headache head-pressing to alleviate it. Pic in the public domain.

The symptoms include a persistent, purulent, nasal discharge, often just from one nostril accompanied by sneezing and sniffling. The cat will probably have a headache although they can't tell you that. Once again, you can deduce this from the fact that people have headaches when they have sinusitis. Sometimes cats 'head-press' when they have headaches.

The cat may appear to sit with his eyes partially closed and his head hanging. He will suffer from a diminished appetite and lose weight. This is all very typical with humans except humans although feeling bad with sinusitis continue to eat normally.

An abscessed tooth can also lead to an abscessed frontal sinus. There may be a swelling below the eye. But this is uncommon in cats.

Sinusitis in cats can also be caused by a fungal infection but this is uncommon. The fungal diseases concerned are cryptococcosis and aspergillosis. Cryptococcus is often associated with exposure to pigeons. This may occur when dust from pigeon poop blows in through an open window.

A veterinarian will diagnose feline sinusitis through external symptoms and demeanour as mentioned above confirmed by an x-ray which may show increased density in one sinus.

Also, the treatment is the same as for people namely antibiotics which should be chosen carefully and based on culture and sensitivity tests. Surgical procedures can be performed but I would expect this to be as an absolute last resort.

Turning briefly to people, as I understand it, sinusitis can be caused by allergens and minute foreign bodies such as pollen being inhaled. A cat might be particularly sensitive to environmental, airborne, particles such as pollen which may cause sinusitis in that individual cat. If that is true, I would expect the owner to run some tests to see whether keeping the cat inside, in a filtered environment, alleviates the condition.

In people, there are a number of treatments that can be used without the intervention of a doctor such as NeilMed sinus rinse. It's a question of using all one's means to prevent the inhalation of particles which can trigger the production of fluid in the sinuses because they irritate the membrane in the sinuses.

Cats have two frontal and two sphenoid (wedge-shaped) sinuses. My book tells me that the small sphenoid sinuses don't often cause problems.

Saturday 17 July 2021

Can stress make cats sick?

Yes, stress can make domestic cats sick. It's the same with people which clearly supports the argument that stress makes domestic cats sick. The best-known sickness arising out of stress is feline idiopathic cystitis. This is cystitis with no known or obvious cause. 

Can stress make cats sick?
 Can stress make cats sick? Yes, but not in this cat. Photo: MikeB

It's ironic because the cause is often stress. The condition is better described as feline interstitial cystitis (FIC) which is a chronic pain syndrome of domestic cats. It is basically a recurring cystitis the symptom of which is peeing in small amounts around the home. Sometimes to pee is bloody. Cats with FIC have chronic, recurrent lower urinary tract signs and other associated disorders that are exacerbated by stressors.

SOME PAGES ON STRESSED CAT - CLICK TO READ THEM IF YOU WISH.

They did a study on this in 2013. The study was entitled: Effects of stressors on the behaviour and physiology of domestic cats. They employed 10 healthy cats and 18 cats with FIC. The study was conducted at the Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Centre. They housed the cats in "enriched cages" for at least one year prior to the experiment! Comment: I don't like this experiment. It appears to be an abuse but it was done many years ago so there's no point in complaining.

All the cats were treated well in these cages with plenty of enrichment and interaction with people that they knew. They had food treats and were taken out of the cages sometimes. Then during the test days, they withheld all these pleasantries which made the cats' lives a lot worse. 

They tested the effect that this had on the cats. They found that sickness behaviours including vomiting, diarrhoea, anorexia or decreased food and water intake, fever, lethargy, decreased activity and a reduction in self-grooming occurred in varying amounts in both the healthy and the FIC cats.

However, in cats suffering from FIC they found that there were changes in lymphopenia and N:L (neutrophil:lymphocyte). Lymphopenia is a condition in which there are less than the normal number of lymphocytes, a type of white blood cells in the blood. White blood cells are part of the immune system as they attack invading organisms. Therefore, a lowering of white blood cells will reduce the cat's immune system.

The neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio is a method, as I understand it, to measure stress. It is the number of neutrophils divided by the number of lymphocytes. Under physiologic stress, the number of neutrophils increases while the number of lymphocytes decreases.

Can stress make cats sick? Yes, as is the case in humans and the most commonly associated illness is feline idiopathic cystitis. You can read about that disease by clicking on this link if you wish. The main cause of feline idiopathic cystitis is conflict with another cat in a multi-cat home.

Friday 16 July 2021

Your male cat looks like he is pregnant. Why?

This is a cross-post from one that I just wrote. I like to refer you to the original post which you can access by clicking on this link. The default position for a cat owner when faced with their male cat companion having a distended abdomen is to call their local veterinarian for a professional diagnosis.

Cat showing abdominal distension due to FIP
Cat showing abdominal distension due to FIP

The reason is because there are a wide range of conditions which can cause this, the most common of which is probably feline infectious peritonitis, which is a very serious and fatal illness. There are other conditions, even including overeating or constipation or a blockage. It might be cancer or it might be a septic ascites. Ascites is a buildup of fluid on the abdomen. It occurs over a period of time and the most common causes feline infectious peritonitis.

CLICK THIS LINK FOR SOME PAGES ON FELINE INFECTIOUS PERITONITIS

A pretty comprehensive list is as follows:

  1. Overeating;
  2. Eating fermented foods;
  3. Constipation;
  4. Worm infestation, in kittens particularly;
  5. Cushing’s disease;
  6. Bowel obstruction;
  7. Bowel obstruction;
  8. Bladder outlet obstruction;
  9. Abscessed uterus;
  10. Acute gastric dilatation;
  11. Heart failure and
  12. Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP).
It is difficult for a non-qualified, in the medical profession, cat owner to talk about medical issues. All I can do is present some basic facts which might help to give some guidance as to what might be done. My reading of cats suffering from a bloated or distended abdomen is that it is possibly serious or even probably serious after you discount relatively straightforward issues such as constipation, overeating and eating fermented foods. Although constipation can be quite serious too (click for home treatment for constipation). The most common reason is the most serious: FIP, which is why I say you have to see a vet without delay.

Sunday 25 February 2018

Split Foot Cat

A stray cat who has been named " Clawdia" has a very rare congenital condition called split foot. The medical terminology is ectrodactyly. She is an ectrodactyl cat (a cat with less than the normal number toes), the opposite to a polydactyl cat (a cat with more than the usual number of toes).




Photos: PH

She is in the care of Cats Protection, UK. As you can imagine she is very popular because she is so unusual (and her character is great). At the date of writing this article (25/02/2018), I believe that she is still available for adoption and if you are interested you can visit the following website: http://warrington.cats.org.uk/

I'm told that she has four weeks of prepaid pet insurance and she is spayed, vaccinated and micro-chipped. She is also wormed. She is a great looking cat in good health and ready for adoption.

Apparently, every effort was made to find her owner but the search has now been exhausted. She is believed to be about 11 years old. She was found as a stray in the Great Sankey area of Warrington.

The usual number of toes on each front paw is five (the fifth is the dewclaw). Therefore she is missing three on each front paw.

She was born with some of her toes fused together. You can see that the central digits are missing giving a claw-like appearance. It is a rare form of congenital disorder. This disorder is seen in humans as well. In humans it is seen with other congenital anomalies. As far as I'm aware Clawdia does not suffer from any associated congenital anomalies.

This is the first time that I've seen a cat with this condition.

Friday 23 December 2016

Seraquin for cat arthritis

Seraquin is a cat treat containing glucosamine and some potent anti-oxidants called curcuminoids which have proved successful to a very credible associate of mine, Ruth aka Kattaddorra, in treating one of her cats, Walter. You can buy them online and there are no side effects as far as I am aware.



Ruth's Walter loves 'em. And the positive effect has been very noticeable. This is a cross-post so I won't go on about this joint supplement but refer you to the page on the main website: What medicine is good for cats with arthritis. Try Seraquin.

Sunday 17 August 2008

Feline Pain Relief

cat licking another cat
Tender loving care, one cat to another, feline boredom relief -
photo by fofurasfelinas (Flickr)

Feline Pain Relief is too dangerous to be given to a cat without a veterinarians prescription and supervision. All pain relief for a cat needs to be supervised. Veterinarians use analgesics for cats with caution.

First, it is worth mentioning that it may be difficult to ascertain if our cat is suffering from pain. Cats are stoical and hide pain. They may go quiet and hide and dislike being touched and picked up etc.. Deciding whether our cat is suffering from pain is a job for a veterinarian. Also it is pointless treating pain without assessing the underlying cause to see if it can be treated as well. This also needs to be diagnosed professionally. This is the first reason why cat keepers should not administer pain relief without a vet's involvement.

The most common, over the counter pain killer for humans is aspirin. It is listed as one of the common household products that is poisonous to cats, in a well known book, The Veterinarian's Guide To Your Cat's Symptoms by Drs Garvey, Hohenhaus, Houpt, Wallace and Elizabeth Randolph. When taken in all but minute quantities this common painkiller causes nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and possible lethargy in cats.

aspirin molecule
Aspirin molecule

Above image: published under Wikimedia Commons license, the original provider (author) for the license is Benjah-bmm27.

Aspirin is acetylsalicylic acid. It works by suppressing the production of a hormone that helps to transmit the sensation of pain to the brain. It is safe to be given to dogs by unqualified people; but initially under supervision, I would suggest, as dogs are susceptible to the potentially damaging side effects to the gastrointestinal system by ingesting salicylates. Aspirin, however, must be given to a cat with the highest degree of care and caution and in very small doses indeed and under strict veterinarian guidance. This is because the damage that can result as a result of over dosage is very severe indeed. Even small doses can result in vomiting, loss of appetite and depression as mentioned.

One aspirin tablet (for humans - 324 milligrams in weight) is 8 times the proper dosage for a cat. On tablet can cause a host of highly worrying symptoms such as dehydration, salivation, staggering, vomiting, gastrointestinal bleeding. Aspirin is potentially highly toxic and poisons a cat at the wrong dosage.

If aspirin is just acceptable for feline pain relief, under strict veterinarian supervision, anti-inflammatory drugs that are commonly used by people such as Ibuprofen (I use this myself) and Anaprox are simply toxic to cats and should never be used. These drugs are used by people to relieve stiffness, joint pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis for example.

Tylenol crystals
Cross polarized Tylenol crystals - photo by nebarnix

The Veterinarian's Guide To Your Cat's Symptoms also states that another well known drug, Tylenol, should not be used for feline pain relief. Tylenol is a popular analgesic in the USA. The active ingredient is called "paracetamol" (for countries outside USA such as the UK) and is called "acetaminophen" in the USA. Tylenol can cause liver or kidney damage, in humans, in high dosage and if accompanied by alcohol.

Even a small dosage (child's level) can cause hemolytic anemia and liver damage if given for the treatment of feline pain relief.

Another analgesic used for the treatment of pain relief of animals including horses and dogs is called Butazolidin. The active ingredient is phenylbutazone, which is used as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug to treat chronic pain. Side affects are suppression of white blood cell production (white blood cells are part of the bodies defense system) and Aplastic Anemia (suppression of red blood cell production in the bone marrow).

Butazolidin is also toxic to cats in the same way as aspirin and Tylenol and should not be used for feline pain relief.

Conclusion

Although aspirin is potentially toxic to cats, with severe symptoms, it is the only usable analgesic provided it is used with extreme caution in very small dosages and under strict veterinarian guidance and supervision (source: The Veterinarian's Guide To Your Cat's Symptoms). Obviously veterinarian medicine is evolving all the time and at the time of this post there may be alternatives that are relatively safe to use under supervision. The same principles apply, however, in that it is simply dangerous to treat cats for feline pain relief without veterinarian advice.

Update March 11th 2011: Valley Girl, a colleague of mine, has referred me to this page: Fentanyl (Duragesic Patch). This method of pain relief is once again administered by vets only.


Feline Pain Relief - Sources:
  1. As stated in the text (thanks to Drs Carslon and Giffin)
  2. Wikipedia for the chemistry of these drugs and the Wikimedia commons images
Photo: published under a creative commons license = Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License - thanks to fofurasfelinas

Sunday 16 March 2008

Cat Teeth Neck Lesions

Cat Teeth Neck Lesions are occurring far more frequently now that 25 years ago. What are they? Doctors, lawyers and dentists etc. like to use fancy language to describe conditions.

Image in public domain as assessed.

A "lesion" (a term we hear about a lot in medicine as it also refers to soft tissue) is a general term that describes an area of the body that is not normal. The abnormality could be due to injury or disease. The word comes from the Latin, "laesio", which means an attack or injury.

OK, lesions in the teeth are going to be holes, cracks or bits knocked off. In this instance it refers to holes (eroded areas). Where are these defects? The "neck" of the tooth is the area of the boundary between the gum and the tooth, just below the gum line.

We have then a hole in the tooth just below the gum line. How did it get there? Vets aren't sure. There are a number of theories. But there has been a large increase, as mentioned, in occurrence, over the past 25 years. What has happened over these years? Is it that vets are more aware of the problem? Is it something to do with the food that cats eat? The accumulation of plaque plays an important part in initiating the onset of this condition, it seems. Humans have plaque. Plaque is food debris combined with salivary protein and bacteria. It causes gum disease (periodontal disease).

The bacteria in plaque like sugars and starches. Sugars are found in foods containing carbohydrates. The bacteria that thrive on this sort of food produce acid. The acid destroys the tooth enamel causing tooth decay (holes in the tooth).

Is it unreasonable to surmise that the greater incidence of Cat Teeth Neck Lesions is due to the proliferation of dry cat food (kibble) which has high levels of carbohydrates in it? Indeed, wet cat food has carbs in it as well. Cats don't need carbs as they live off animals (protein and roughage) in the wild. Wild cats don't suffer from Cat Teeth Neck Lesions. My personal and unscientific and untested conclusion is that dry cat food could be the culprit.

Cat Teeth Neck Lesions to Home page

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