Health

Whether your cat is suffering from disease or the effects of extreme old age, a time may come when medical treatment can no longer help. In the past, that might have meant euthanizing your cat. Today, however, veterinarians increasingly suggest hospice care as an option. Some clinics offer house calls with staff members providing hospice services, while in some cases owners decide to provide care at home under veterinary supervision.

When Eileen Marek of Sherman Oaks, Calif., was referred to a specialist after her 15-year-old cat Chelsea was diagnosed with bone cancer of the jaw, she expected the worst. I was thinking I would have two choices, she says, surgery or put her to sleep. I was pretty stressed going into that appointment.

Cats have long endured the reputation for being fussy eaters. Weve known for a decade that, with some exceptions, most cats lack the taste receptor gene for sweets. Now a study suggests that they may have a legitimate reason for avoiding another flavor.

The kidneys accomplish many crucial tasks, even when one or both are failing:

Cats on the mend - or ones prone to acid reflux - fare better when they consume low-fat diets designed to strengthen their esophageal sphincters and moderate-level protein diets that seem to lessen the production of stomach acids. Meredith Miller, DVM, at Cornell also recommends:

Your cats playing with shoelaces or nibbling on an old sweater may look YouTube-worthy, but the results can be decidedly different. If he ingests an odd object, it can lead to life-threatening internal blockages. In veterinary medicine, eating non-food items is known as pica.

Studies on kidney disease at Colorado State are focusing on whether stem cells can reduce kidney inflammation in cats. Any cat over 10 is likely to develop kidney disease, and by age 15, Im generally very surprised if it hasnt, says researcher Jessica Quimby, DVM, Ph.D., ACVIM.

Chronic kidney disease is common in older cats, with nearly a third of them over 12 affected and the prevalence increasing with age. The disease is incurable, involving the gradual loss of kidney function; however, owners can help slow its progression.

An evaluation of 96 cats’ medical records and owner questionnaires suggests that some high-pitched sounds can cause seizures in older cats. At the same time, the study uncovered a mystery: Half the evaluated cats were deaf or hearing impaired, according to their owners. How did they hear the sounds?

An evaluation of 96 cats medical records and owner questionnaires suggests that some high-pitched sounds can cause seizures in older cats. At the same time, the study uncovered a mystery: Half the evaluated cats were deaf or hearing impaired, according to their owners. How did they hear the sounds?

Lymphoma is the most common form of cancer in cats and unfortunately one of the most deadly. Although it has no cure, vaccinations against two viruses linked to the cancer can reduce your cats risk of developing the disease.Feline lymphomasarcoma is a malignant cancer of lymphocytes, cells in the immune system that travel the body through the lymphatic system - the network of tissues and organs that influences virtually every aspect of a cats health. Lymphoma can arise in lymph nodes as well as organs, including the spleen, liver, intestinal tract and skin. The disease can sometimes lead to tumors; however, the cancer usually involves the blood-forming organs and lymph tissue.

Symptoms of lymphoma vary, depending upon the part of the body affected. In some cats, the disease is multi-centric, meaning that multiple organs are affected. This type of cancer tends to strike middle-aged and older cats who are usually not infected with FeLV. In cases of more localized lymphomas, the affected sites and their symptoms include: