Disease

A 2017 study from Stockholm University, published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, suggests that our houses may be making our cats sick.

Q Is it OK that we planted lilies in our garden? A friend of mine said we’re poisoning the neighborhood cats. I certainly don’t want to do that! I’ve had cats all my life and never heard of a cat poisoned by eating a lily. We’ve even had lily plants inside. My cat stays strictly indoors so I’m not worried about her in our garden, but I do see our neighbors’ cats out and about.…

Q Is it OK that we planted lilies in our garden? A friend of mine said were poisoning the neighborhood cats. I certainly dont want to do that! Ive had cats all my life and never heard of a cat poisoned by eating a lily. Weve even had lily plants inside. My cat stays strictly indoors so Im not worried about her in our garden, but I do see our neighbors cats out and about.…

Potential Causes of Bad Breath Extend Beyond Inflamed Gums

If you own a white cat, you most likely love his striking snowy coat and bright eyes. But you might also know that these brilliant features have implications that go deeper than appearance.

We know our pets can have many of the same medical conditions we have, but can they have high cholesterol? Yes! Hypercholesterolemia, more commonly known as high cholesterol, means theres an elevated level of cholesterol in the blood.

If your cat has difficulty swallowing, shakes his head, sneezes and breathes noisily as if hacking or snoring, you could dismiss the behavior as fleeting. But while you might think the cause will clear up on its own, the problem may be a nasopharyngeal polyp - an uncommon, noncancerous bump at the very back of the throat or in the ear canal that must be removed through a fairly simple surgery. …

Q We live in Maryland and have a 6-year-old indoor/outdoor cat who is in apparently good health. I was recently talking with a friend of mine whose dog was infected with heartworms, and this made me worry about my kitty. Is this something I should be worried about? AI certainly understand why you are worried. The first thing I should say is that you should ideally be keeping your kitty indoors, although this would not preclude…

At least two cat breeds - Scottish Folds and American Curls - have atypical ears. Scottish Folds ears fold forward, while American Curls fold backward. Only the ear cartilage is malformed in American Curls, while Scottish Folds can suffer additional bone malformations and crippling osteoarthritis. The Morris Animal Foundation is supporting research at the University of Sydney in Australia to identify genes in both breeds that may be responsible for these traits. The possible outcome could…

A Push to Screen for EarlierDiagnosis of HypertensionCatWatch has previously reported that hypertension in humans can damage the heart and arteries, and cause stroke, kidney damage and vision loss. The Lancet journal predicted that the risk of becoming hypertensive during a lifetime exceeds 90 percent for people in developed countries. Even more alarming, it cautioned that Screening is not done systematically, and the diagnosis is often made at a late stage when target organ damage…

The debate over whether dry cat foods high carbohydate count causes diabetes continues. In the latest development, a study at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences found an increased risk of diabetes mellitus (Type 2) - which resembles the same type found in people - in normal-weight cats on dry food.

If you think your cat cant get ticks or the diseases that they spread, emerging evidence indicates otherwise. While cats, unlike dogs, are fairly resistant to tick-borne diseases, they can be affected, says Meredith L. Miller, DVM, ACVIM, a lecturer in small animal medicine at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.