Welcome to our “Ask Dr. Paola” collection, the place each Monday we deliver knowledgeable recommendation straight from Dr. Paola Cuevas (MVZ) to assist our readers higher perceive their cat’s well being and well-being.
Whether or not you’re a brand new pet father or mother or a seasoned cat lover, Dr. Paola is right here to offer solutions to your most urgent questions. From diet suggestions and preventive care to troubleshooting frequent behavioral points, Dr. Paola is able to supply insights that can hold your kitty completely satisfied, wholesome, and feline effective. Keep tuned for knowledgeable steering on a variety of subjects that matter most to you and your cat, so you can also make knowledgeable choices and supply the very best care in your furry companion.
Have a query? Ship it in right here!
Assist! How Do I Preserve My Blind Cat Snug?
“Pricey Dr. Paola,
My cat Linden is 17 years previous and has gone blind over the previous few weeks. His pupils are extensive open on a regular basis now. I’m guessing it’s cataracts. How can I assist him? I can’t afford the price of a vet and I don’t need to put him to sleep. How can I assist him to a minimum of be snug? Thank You” – Hollger
I’m sorry to listen to about Linden’s imaginative and prescient loss, Hollger. It’s clear how a lot you take care of him, and I need to reassure you that blind cats can nonetheless dwell snug, completely satisfied lives with some changes. Whereas cataracts are one attainable explanation for his blindness, different circumstances equivalent to hypertension resulting in retinal detachment, glaucoma, or different age-related points is also in charge. Regardless that you’re unable to take him to the vet, it’s vital to notice that these underlying circumstances could cause ache or discomfort if left untreated. In reality, dilated pupils may be an indication of the ache itself.
Monitor him carefully for any indicators of discomfort, equivalent to pawing at his face, vocalizing greater than standard, or adjustments in urge for food. If at any level you’re involved about his high quality of life, I counsel you discover low-cost veterinary clinics or animal welfare organizations which will supply help. We additionally supply a veterinary telehealth service, PangoVet, the place you’ll be able to have a face-to-face name with one in all our veterinarians from the consolation of your house. Whereas they aren’t a alternative for in-person veterinarians, they may help reply your whole questions and provide you with and Linden a tailor-made motion plan for an inexpensive worth level.
To assist Linden adapt to his blindness, you need to create a secure and predictable atmosphere. Cats rely closely on their sense of scent and listening to, so sustaining consistency in your house is important. Keep away from including new, unknown scents or candles that apart from being a menace to their respiratory well being, may confuse him. Keep away from transferring furnishings or leaving obstacles in his standard paths. Tender mats or rugs positioned close to vital spots may also function tactile landmarks.
Encourage Linden to remain lively with toys that make noise, like crinkle balls or feather wands with bells, to stimulate his play instincts by his listening to. Chatting with him steadily in a peaceful, reassuring tone may help him really feel safer.
Cats are extremely resilient and might adapt to imaginative and prescient loss when supported by a loving proprietor such as you. You’re doing all of your finest for Linden, and with these changes, he can proceed to get pleasure from his golden years in consolation and security.
Finest needs!
Dr. Paola
💛 😺 Converse To a Vet On-line From the Consolation of Your Sofa!
If it’s essential communicate with a vet however can’t get to at least one, head over to PangoVet. It’s an internet service the place you’ll be able to discuss to a vet on-line and get the personalised recommendation you want in your pet — all at an inexpensive worth!
Assist! My Cats Will get Getting a Clogged Nostril!
“Pricey Dr. Paola,
My 9-year-old male Cornish Rex, Ringer, has suffered from a clogged nostril within the wintertime when the warmth is on, each single 12 months. One nostril will get crusty, I’ve to choose off the dry bit to ensure that him to breath & the opposite nostril will get clogged inside. His temperature is regular, and he eats and drinks effective. Any solutions for find out how to assist and ideas on why this occurs?” – Paulina
Hello Paulina,
Ringer’s recurring nasal congestion in winter sounds uncomfortable for him and difficult for you. Since this sample aligns with when the warmth is on, it’s very doubtless associated to the dry air in your house. Cats, particularly these with finer coats like Cornish Rexes, may be additional delicate to environmental adjustments, together with decreased humidity, which might dry out the mucous membranes of their nasal passages and result in crusting or clogging.
You may assist Ringer by growing the humidity in your house. A humidifier positioned close to his favourite spots could make a giant distinction by including moisture to the air. Should you don’t have a humidifier, you can place bowls of water close to warmth sources, because the evaporating water will assist improve humidity. And even bringing him inside the toilet whilst you have a steamy bathe. Usually cleansing his nostril with a humid, comfortable fabric or a saline nasal spray designed for cats (seek the advice of with a veterinarian or an internet pet telehealth service to substantiate the most secure choice) may help hold his nostrils clear and stop crusts from forming.
It’s at all times vital to make sure his hydration ranges keep optimum, nearly as good hydration helps wholesome mucous membranes. Providing him moisture-rich meals, or including a little bit of water to his meals may help. Many cats are drawn to transferring water so including in a water fountain can be advisable.
Since you’ve gotten clearly recognized that it is a yearly situation, it’s price observing if different irritants, like mud or allergens from heating methods, is also affecting him. Cleansing air vents and utilizing hypoallergenic HEPA filters may additionally assist decrease irritants within the air.
Should you discover any adjustments, equivalent to nasal discharge turning yellow or inexperienced, or sneezing, these are indicators of an infection or one other underlying situation, and it’s one thing that deems a vet go to. I hope this helps him!
Sincerely,
Dr. Paola
Assist! My Cat is Spastic within the Solar!
“Pricey Dr. Paola,
I’ve acquired an actual thriller right here: I’ve a silver/grey American shorthair cat Sabi. He’s very wholesome other than a bit of little bit of a weepy eye, which is sort of normal for that breed. His coat is wholesome. His pores and skin is wholesome. He likes to be brushed and petted, and is usually completely satisfied and wholesome. Nonetheless, each time he goes outdoors within the sunshine, he will get sort of spastic, like somethings biting him and itchy, and he runs again inside. It’s not fleas, and at this level, as I’m asking this query it could’t actually be any bugs in any respect as a result of we’re in the course of winter within the Pacific Northwest. It’s the primary solar we’ve seen in a month. Poor man simply needs to take a seat out and revel in it, however he retains getting attacked by one thing itchy. – Jamie
Hello Jaime,
Sabi’s response to daylight is actually a curious thriller, however it appears like he could have a sensitivity or irritation triggered by direct publicity to the solar. Whereas uncommon, cats can have a type of photo voltaic dermatitis or heightened pores and skin sensitivity resulting from UV rays, even in cooler months when the solar is much less intense. One other risk is that the solar’s warmth is amplifying a gentle pores and skin irritation or nerve sensitivity he already has, making him really feel uncomfortable or “itchy” outdoor.
Since Sabi is in any other case wholesome and his pores and skin seems regular, I’d first counsel inspecting his coat for something that may be heating up within the solar, equivalent to small bits of particles, mud, and even oils from his atmosphere. Typically warmth could cause these particles to annoy the pores and skin or hair follicles. Brushing him earlier than and after his out of doors excursions could assist rule this out.
One other potential issue is photodermatitis, which might generally have an effect on lighter-colored cats or these with much less pigmented areas. Even when his coat seems wholesome, the pores and skin beneath could also be reacting to UV publicity, particularly if it’s thinner in some areas like his stomach or round his ears. Medication, vegetation, home chemical compounds, and even liver illness can contribute to this situation. Retaining him indoors throughout peak daylight hours or offering shaded areas or a UV-blocking window with a cat hammock for him to lounge in may alleviate his discomfort. Should you’d like him to get pleasure from extra time within the solar, contemplate making use of a cat-safe sunscreen to uncovered areas of his pores and skin, particularly if you happen to discover redness or irritation afterward (make sure the sunscreen is particularly formulated for pets, as human sunscreen may be poisonous).
It is usually price contemplating whether or not the change in conduct may relate to sensory overstimulation. Vivid mild reflecting off his environment or the heat of the solar might be triggering a nerve response, making him really feel agitated. Cats are very delicate creatures, and even small environmental components can create vital reactions.
If Sabi’s indicators persist or worsen, I’d suggest consulting one in all our veterinarians at PangoVet, our pet telehealth service. They may help slim down the probabilities and make clear whether or not there’s an underlying situation equivalent to an allergy, nerve irritation, or pores and skin sensitivity contributing to this, and allow you to know if a visit to the vet clinic is important or advisable. With a bit of detective work, it’s attainable to discover a answer that lets him benefit from the solar comfortably!
This text is part of our weekly Ask Dr. Paola collection
