The Cat Clinic

Full service feline only veterinary hospital

Uncategorized

Meet Charlie!

By

MEET CHARLIE – the hypothyroid cat

 

Have you ever heard of hypothyroidism? Neither had Charlie until he met Dr. Kelley.

 

Charlie met Dr. Kelley when he was presented for constipation. His little belly was round, distended and firm. He could not poop even though he was trying his hardest. Charlie was also very small for his age. His brothers and sisters were twice his size and had gone on to their forever homes. Charlie was small and underdeveloped. His bones had not grown. His growth plates were stunted, even his teeth were not maturing! After reviewing his case, Dr. Kelley decided to perform a simple blood test that confirmed that Charlie had an underactive thyroid gland.Hi

 

Unlike hyperthyroidism which is a relatively common acquired disease of older cats, primary hypothyroidism is congenital (meaning the cat is born with it) and rare. The thyroid gland does not form correctly. The thyroid gland produces a hormone that is responsible for metabolism and when it is either over active or under active can wreak havoc on the entire body system. Cats with hypothyroidism have trouble growing their bones and nervous system. They are usually dwarfed, cold intolerant, lethargic, mentally dull, constipated and have a thin coat. Domestic short hair cats and Abyssinians are more likely to be born with primary hypothyroidism than other types of cats. Secondary hypothyroidism can occur in adult cats, most likely as a result of over treatment of hyperthyroidism. Although very rarely, an adult cat can suffer from a case of spontaneous hypothyroidism which means there is no obvious cause.

 

Charlie is now feeling better and taking his thyroid hormone supplement twice daily. He is getting bigger very slowly and his constipation is gone. Charlie is playing and romping around just like any kitten.

 

Because there are so few reported cases, it is hard to know what Charlie’s future will hold. Published reports speak of decreased life spans for hypothyroid kittens. However, Dr. Kelley just said good bye to one of her favorite patients that also suffered from hypothyroidism and she was 16 years old!

 

Now, Charlie has officially found his forever home with Dr. Kelley, her cat Lola “the Beast” Kelley and small dog Luna. Although congenital hypothyroidism is rare, it may be underreported because it goes unrecognized. Charlie hopes that he can help raise awareness to help more “runts” or “poor doers” that may be hypothyroid like him!

Feline Dentistry

By

Dental products for cats

Most people brush their teeth twice daily. They see a dentist twice yearly for dental cleanings. They floss, they whiten and they brighten. But what about your cat? What about Feline Dentistry? February is Dental Month, the month that we focus on all the benefits of oral health in cats and dogs.

Just as in humans, dental disease can be a painful problem that often goes on to cause other problems like diseases of the kidneys or heart. It is only recently that we learned of the importance of oral health in humans and that is starting to cross over to veterinary medicine. I often hear my clients say that they have never been told about the state of the teeth in their cats before. I believe this is not because disease didn’t exist but because we weren’t focused on how important it was to healthcare.

Luckily, we have many tools to help prevent and control these diseases. Preventative care begins at home.

Brushing

The gold standard for every mouth is brushing. There are dozens of options for toothbrushes for your cat. From small headed long handled brushes to keep your fingers away to finger caps that fit over your finger. There are also a variety of toothpastes formulated just for cats and dogs. It is best to use these as they are safer and come in delectable flavors like beef and chicken. Toothpaste flavors are integral in training your cat. Start out by offering these delightful toothpastes on the brush allowing them to simply lick off the toothpaste from the brush. Once they accept this as a daily chore start to gently introduce the brush into the pocket of the lips eventually brushing back and forth gently.

Oral Rinses

So not everyone has the type of relationship with their cat that would make tooth brushing possible and that’s ok. We have other options. Oral rinses go a long way towards decreasing the amount of bacteria on the teeth which prevents tartar build up and gingivitis. The best ones have a sports bottle type of design that allows a narrow straw to enter the corners of the mouth and with a gentle squeeze deliver some of the rinse into each side of the mouth.

Food and Water Additives

Ok, Ok, so you can’t even pat your cat! I get it but you can still help prevent oral disease with additives. These liquids or powders can be added to the food or water. Most cats tolerate them very well and they work similarly to the rinses in that they try to decrease the amount of bacteria on the teeth. I prefer the Food Additives because most healthy cats don’t drink enough water to make the water additives worthwhile.

Food

By using food in addition to one of the above, home dental care will really show results. Most people think that by feeding dry food it will help keep the teeth clean. Research studies show that cats who do not brush their teeth daily get equal amounts of dental disease whether they eat canned or dry food unless that dry food is formulated to decrease the tartar. Products like Hill’s Prescription T/D diet and Royal Canin Dental Diet are specifically formulated to remove tartar from the teeth.

Using a combination of these dental products can go a long way to increasing the length of time between cleanings saving time and money. Make an appointment today to have your cat’s teeth evaluated.

Should I declaw my cat? – What is onychectomy?

By

What causes cats to scratch?

Cat scratching his scratching post
Cat scratching his scratching post

Scratching behavior is a normal part of being a feline. Cats use scratching on objects to remove the dying sheaths of the nail, marking territory and stretching their muscles. Undesirable scratching behavior in cats, destroying objects in the home or scratching people in the home, is responsible for up to 42% of feline behavior complaints. Onychectomy is a surgical procedure aimed at removing the claws of a cat to prevent this potentially destructive behavior.

What is involved in a declaw?

Unfortunately unlike human nails, cat’s nails grow from the germinal cells of the third phalanx or finger bone on their paws. In order to make sure that the nail is removed and will be unable to grow back, the third finger bone is surgically removed. Veterinarians will remove the finger bone with sterilized guillotine nail trimmers, a surgical blade or laser. The paws are then bandaged to prevent bleeding as the surgical sites are not routinely sutured. Imagine having your finger bones surgically removed!

Why would anyone do this to their cat you ask? Well, as mentioned above, undesirable scratching is responsible for behavior complaints and in some cases relinquishing of the cat. But there are other ways of stopping a cat from scratching furniture, wood work and you!

The new philosophy on declaws

When I first started practicing veterinary medicine, declawing was a routine procedure at the animal hospital where I worked. It sort of was a given that the indoor cat would be declawed at the time of their spay or neuter. (for more information on spay and neuter….) Since that time through client awareness and education, most clients are unwilling to declaw their cat and put them through this elective painful surgical procedure in order to protect their couch.  The Cat Clinic of Plymouth no longer provides this service unless required by a medical condition of the cat or it’s human. Most other first world countries have also banned the declawing of cats for convenience.

“The AVMA or American Veterinary Medical Association official position on declawing cats is this…

The current AVMA policy on Declawing of Domestic Cats recommends that the procedure

only be performed after exhausting other methods of controlling scratching behavior or if it has been

determined that the cat’s claws present a human health risk.”

From Literature Review on the Welfare Implications of Declawing of Domestic Cats, February 2016

How to prevent scratching?

There are other more humane ways of preventing undesirable scratching behavior in cats and avoid declaw.

  • Keeping the nails trimmed
  • Providing acceptable alternatives for your cat to scratch i.e. cat scratching posts (see “How do I train my cat not to scratch my furniture?”)
  • Training to not scratch inappropriate objects including people (see “Why does my cat scratch me?”)
  • Nail Caps that glue onto the nail to prevent damage when scratching
  • Facial pheromone diffusers or sprays
  • Environmental Enrichment (see “Enriching Your Environment for Cat Happiness”)

By Cassandra Kelley DVM, Cat Clinic of Plymouth