Asthma

An article in the July 15, 2018, Journal of the American Veterinary Medicine Association looked at a French study on feline pleural effusion. Pleural effusion is a buildup of fluid in the pleural space, which is the space in your cats chest between the protective linings covering the lungs and the walls of the chest cavity itself. Normally, there is only a small amount of fluid in that area. Large amounts of fluid mean less room for the lungs to expand, which causes difficulty breathing and getting adequate oxygen to your cats body tissues.

Your cat has a ravenous appetite but never gains weight and might even be losing weight. In addition, you may notice the litter box has more deposits than ever before-often soft and slimy with a worse odor than usual. Your cat may be suffering from a malabsorption/maldigestion disorder. Malabsorption means the cat cant absorb the nutrients. Maldigestion occurs when your cat is not producing the enzymes needed to digest her food. Digestion Gone Awry …

A beloved family cat who becomes incontinent can raise the household stress level immeasurably. After years of dutifully using the litter box, your cat seems to go wherever she is. The truth of the matter is that shes not happy about it either.

Skin problems are frustrating for cat owners. Itchiness and discomfort, with symptoms ranging from constant scratching to irritated skin to hair loss, can be caused by a wide variety of conditions. This makes diagnosis challenging and sometimes expensive. We consulted William Miller, VMD, DACVD, Dermatology Section Chief at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine for insight on the things that can make your cats skin crawl.

An oral ulcer is almost always a reason to visit your veterinarian. While causes can range from treatable to serious, it can be difficult for you to determine at home. Your veterinarian may do a swab to examine under the microscope or possibly sedate your cat for a thorough oral examination.

Many unverified websites spout all kinds of feline health advice. We want to keep your kitties safe, so we are sharing our five favorites.

The first signs of a hind-end problem can be subtle. You probably will not see an obvious limp. You might suddenly realize that you have not had to scold the cat off the counter in a week or more. Or you might notice that the first-floor litter box is getting all the action while the one up (or down) the stairs is pristine. These are often indications that your cat is experiencing some degree of arthritis, possibly even hip dysplasia (see also Cats Hide Signs of Hip Dysplasia from our May 2018 issue at catwatchnewsletter.com).

We want the best for our cats, and nutrition plays a vital role in any animals health. But advertising and lay opinions can leave a cat owner wondering whether to feed canned food or dry foods.

While studies have looked at the connection between periodontal disease and kidney failure in dogs, it is only recently that such a connection has been evaluated for cats. In the March 2018 issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, a cooperative study between the Banfield Pet Hospitals centered in Vancouver, Washington, and the University of Minnesota looked at associations of these two health problems in cats.

According to Fox 8 in Cleveland, Ohio, Squad 51 was started by Yalanda Medina after a life-and-death health scare with her dog. Her 24-hour emergency response and transport company provides emergency triage-like veterinary paramedics-and transportation to the nearest veterinary emergency clinic.

You go to cuddle with your indoor cat and notice what looks like salt and pepper on your white shirt. Since youre a scientist at heart and want to know exactly what those specks are, you shake them off onto a white paper towel and add a drop of water. Oh no! The black specks dissolve into pink. You found flea eggs and flea feces.

A diagnosis of hip dysplasia might take you by surprise. Usually, a cat comes into the veterinarian because the owner notices that the cat is lame or sore, or less active than normal. Some cats with hip dysplasia will be consistently off in their gait, while other cats only show stiffness after a wild chase through the house.