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Health

Periodontal Disease

In a recent study funded by the Cornell Feline Health Center, Cornell researchers explored the subgingival (under the gum) microbiome associated with periodontal disease....
Even indoor cats can be affected by outdoor allergens that blow in through open windows.

It’s Allergy Season

Environmental allergies are more common than food allergies. True food allergies are relatively rare in cats, but inhaled environmental allergens such as pollen,...
Sometimes, you just need to be inventive.

Constipation Can Be Challenging

Q. I’m a longtime subscriber to CatWatch and read with great interest the article on inflammatory bowel disease in the February issue. We have...
Gently wipe the discharge away, using a wet, warm compress if needed.

Nose Care for Your Cat

While cats may lose vision and hearing with age, their sense of smell usually remains intact throughout life. Cats use their sense of smell...
This laceration needs to be cleaned, even though the bleeding stopped.

When Accidents Happen

You hear glass shatter in the kitchen, an alarmed meow, and your cat comes streaking around the corner, trailing blood. Cats that go outside are...
This kitty has an eosinophilic ulcer.

Oozing Tumor-Like Bumps

Normally, one type of your cat’s white blood cells—called eosinophils—quietly do their job, healing lesions and preventing infections. But sometimes they overreact to a...
Yes. That’s a mosquito on this indoor cat’s nose.

Heartworm: Potentially Deadly

Between 12% and 25% of indoor cats can harbor heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis), depending upon locale, says the American Heartworm Society. Heartworm infection, well-known in...
Kitten

Deadly Diarrheal Disease in Kittens and Kids

Kittens could be the model for understanding an infectious, sometimes deadly, diarrheal disease in both animals and children, according to new research from North...
Cat food ingredients are screened for aflatoxins and other contaminants, but aflatoxin can be difficult to detect at its initial stages and may therefore slip into a batch of food, undetected.

Toxic Aflatoxin-Producing Mold

Aflatoxins are produced by the mold Aspergillus flavus, which can grow on corn, peanuts, and other grains. Those infected grains can end up in...
The Abyssinian cat dates back to Egypt 4,000 years ago and has a distinctive tabby coloring with individual hairs banded with different colors. The elegant, playful Abyssinian has earned the nicknames “Runway Model of the Cat World” and “Clowns of the Cat Kingdom.”

Progressive Retinal Atrophy

Q. I have a 2-year-old male Abyssinian cat that I just found out has two copies of abnormal PRA rdAC gene. He is otherwise...
Kittens

New Drug Uses Monoclonal Antibodies

Finding reasonable and effective treatments for arthritic pain is an important area of research for good reason. Between 60 to 90% of cats show...
If chemotherapy is not an option, you can still provide your cat with relief. Prednisone alone will not usually induce remission in feline lymphoma, but it decreases inflammation and reduces symptoms. Some cats can stay comfortable and achieve a good quality of life for several months on this drug. Your veterinarian may prescribe other treatments or medications to relieve your cat’s specific symptoms.

Living With Lymphoma

Lymphoma is cancer of the lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell that produces antibodies and protects your cat from infections. When lymphocytes become...