Health

Determining how much to feed your cat comes down to your portion control and his body condition, according to nutritionist Joseph Wakshlag, DVM, Ph.D., at Cornell.

Cute cat videos are all over the Internet and morning TV news shows, but to judge by a national survey of 1,023 people by PetSmart Charities, opinions about cats and their owners remain divided. A majority of respondents believe cats are intelligent, loving, cuddly and attractive but also invoked stereotypical adjectives such as moody, stubborn, aloof and grouchy. (You can bet grouchy cats have legitimate reasons for their mood, such as illness, pain or stress.)

By the end of the year, almost all pet food labels will provide information on calories per cup as part of the growing movement in veterinary medicine to counter pet obesity. The change has been several years in the making and would seem make it easier to feed our cats, but just like the challenge of deciphering the terms on labels - guaranteed analysis, ingredients vs. nutrients and total crude protein - determining the calories might not be simple. Nutritionist Joseph Wakshlag, DVM, Ph.D., at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine offers one example: The average indoor cats diet should be based on resting energy, similar to a human couch potato who watches TV most of the day. The problem is that pet food manufacturers recommendations are based on a theoretical activity level that doesnt exist for most indoor cats.

The drug mirtazapine, used to treat depression in people, has a surprising side effect in pets: It can stimulate appetite and, in some cases, control nausea and vomiting, which are signs of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in cats.

Some reasons to avoid spaying or neutering pets are based on misinformation, including:

If you want to check out a potential clinical trial for your cat, these are questions to ask his veterinarian and the studys research coordinator.

These are only a few of the many components evaluated in a complete blood count:

Although your kitty probably wont like his blood being taken, he wont suffer any major discomfort - just a squeeze, a prick and perhaps a little stress, mostly from being restrained.

When you adopt a kitten or a cat, the traditional plan calls for spaying or neutering as soon as possible. This common procedure is usually effective in rendering your cat sterile but does carry health risks and requires time to prep, operate and provide post-surgical care.

In this age of high-tech veterinary tools like digital X-rays and color Doppler ultrasound, one humble blood test - a complete blood count - remains at the forefront of diagnosis. A single drop of blood contains millions of cells, and with a scant half teaspoon, your cats veterinarian can quickly identify nearly two dozen types of cells to diagnose conditions ranging from anemia and autoimmune disease to cancers and infections.

If youre out for a stroll with your cat in your fenced backyard and he suffers a snakebite, his life can quickly be in danger. The safest course: Dont attempt outdated first-aid measures such as application of a tourniquet or incision to remove the venom with suction. It will already have been absorbed, and tourniquets can compromise blood circulation, causing severe injury.

Scientists have known for some time that certain strains of the feline coronavirus can lead to feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a viral disease that is the leading infectious cause of death in cats under 2 years of age. However, the pathogenesis - the way the usually mild coronavirus develops into often-fatal FIP - remains a mystery.