Update on Diego

I picked Diego up from the vet this afternoon and he looks none the worse for wear. Not bad considering that less than 24 hours ago he had a catheter snaked up his urethra...ouch. It turns out his urethra was blocked by crystal-like formations commonly called struvite stones, the most common of feline urinary tract "stones." From what I gather the stones actually develop in the bladder and then can get stuck in the urethra on the way out. A complete obstruction, which Diego had, is considered a medical emergency for cats. Death can occur within 48 hours as a result of disrupted kidney function, bladder rupture, or other complications.

Thankfully we caught wind of Diego's situation early on and it was dealt with swiftly. He's now home, obstruction free, and peeing to his heart's delight. You're probably wondering at this point why the heck this happened. I don't know that we'll ever know for sure but here are some common reasons kidney and bladder stones develop in cats: imbalanced diet, low water intake, urinary tracts infections, and breed disposition just to name a few. Male cats are also more prone to obstructions than female cats because their urethra are longer and narrower. Diego had struvite stones, which can often be treated simply by a change in diet. Our vet has recommended that we put Diego on an all wet-food diet as this will increase his water in-take over all. More water means increased dilution of urine (stones develop when high concentrations of minerals are present) and more frequent urination (keeps those minerals flowing out!). If the problem persists he'll have to go on a prescription diet. For more information on urethral obstruction check out the American College of Veterinary Surgeon's very informative website.

Kitty 911 | Urinary Tract Obstruction

Most pet owners know dogs are creatures of habit. They like (even demand!) to be fed at the same time each day, look forward to regularly scheduled potty breaks, and seem to memorize the schedule of our comings and goings. Cats, though arguably more independent than dogs, are not all that different. This is why when Diego didn't show up for breakfast this morning we were a little concerned. I scoured the loft for the kitty and located him in one of the litter boxes. He was in the box for quite some time and he appeared to be straining to urinate. When he stepped out of the box I peaked inside and it didn't seem like he had gone at all. This immediately set off alarm bells in my head as it's a sign of a urinary tract blockage. I waited a bit to see if he would return and sure enough he came back soon after and had the same unsuccessful results.

I called our vet's office and they recommended that we bring him in immediately to be assessed and treated if necessary. Urinary tract obstructions in cats can quickly lead to complications and imminent death if not treated pronto, typically within 48 hours. We dropped Diego off earlier today and I just got a call from the vet letting us know that he's doing fine after treatment (Whew!). They had to put him under, insert a urinary catheter, and flush out his tubes. It turns out he had several small stones causing the blockage. The vet says Diego's prognosis is good - this is a relatively common problem and a change in diet should take care of it. Emergencies like this remind me of how important it is to know what is and isn't "normal" behavior for our pets. If we hadn't picked up on the fact that Diego hadn't shown up for breakfast this morning we might not have noticed that anything was wrong with him at all. Will let you know how Diego's doing after we pick him up from the vet tomorrow.   

For more information on cats and urinary tract obstructions check out PetMD.

Monday Morning Diversion

Miyoko Ihara | http://whitemanekicat.p1.bindsite.jp/hananoyouni.html

These beautiful photos are by Japanese photographer Miyoko Ihara. Featured in many of her photos are the artist's 88-year old grandmother, Misa, and Misa's ever present feline companion, Fukumaru. Misa's beaming smile and the obvious affection Misa and Fukumaru have for one another is heartwarming. Check out more of Ihara's photos on her website. A great way to start off the week.

Pablo | Post-Vet

Pablo's visit to the vet this morning went well - besides the fact he complained the entire way there and back...but he's a cat so he gets a pass on that count. The doc knew almost immediately what the problem was - given Pablo's symptoms and the fact that he tested positive for tape worms. Blurg. Here we go again! She diagnosed Pablo with flea allergy dermatitis - a common allergic reaction to flea bites, more specifically the saliva of the flea.  Apparently we're not the only ones that have been struggling to keep the fleas at bay this summer. The vet said the problem has been especially bad this year given the mild winter we had followed by the humid summer. The tapeworms are a direct result of the flea problem.

Don't know if you remember but this whole scenario isn't new to us. Pablo and Diego both had the tapeworms back in August and we treated them at home with Tradewind Tapeworm Tabs. We dropped a pretty penny on flea meds this summer but nothing seemed to really help. So here we are. The fleas never really went away and Pablo has tapeworms again. Sheesh. Pablo was given a dose of Profender - a topical intestinal feline worm treatment that works on roundworms, hookworms and tapeworms...the whole enchilada. I also picked up more Advantage. We're crossing our fingers and hoping the flea meds actually work this time. The vet says once we take care of the fleas Pablo should stop with the itching, licking, and over-grooming of his coat. We really lost our battle against the fleas this summer and I'm going to have to totally rethink our approach next year. Fracking parasites!

A Trip to the Vet

I'm taking Pablo to the vet this morning. We've had a rough go of keeping the fleas at bay this season and he's been dealing with an allergic reaction of sorts to them the last couple of months. He's licked and itched patches of fur off his front legs and belly. He had some diarrhea last Thursday and Friday, which has since cleared up...not sure what caused that. We decided not to go to our usual vet hospital but will be visiting a vet that works exclusively with cats instead. This doesn't mean she charges more per say - just that she at some point decided she wanted to have a specialized practice. She came highly recommended by a coworker and I'm already impressed by the courteous and knowledgeable staff at the clinic. Some of the advice one of the staffers has given me already about feline diets is completely different from what I've been told by our usual vet and from what I've read on my own, so I'm really curious to hear what this clinic's philosophy and approach is. I'm going in with an open mind and am willing to throw what I know out the door in order to do what it takes to get Pablo back to 100%. Will update when I have more information.

Pablo's Paws

Pablo is the first cat I've ever owned and he's been kind enough to teach me all about cat behavior and anatomy through the years. For instance, it was when I trimmed his claws for the first time that I learned cat's claws have an outer layer, or sheath (I call them shells). They shed these sheaths periodically, at which point new razor sharp claws are revealed. When cats scratch at a scratching post (or furniture!) they're not actually doing it to sharpen their claws but to drop the sheaths on them in order to free the new claws underneath. This is why it's essential that a cat have something appropriate to scratch otherwise he will direct his energy towards furniture or carpet. Occasionally I'll see one of the cats tugging at their claws with their mouth in an attempt to remove a shell.

We trim the cat's claws every 2-3 weeks to save our furniture from utter ruin and Andy's adorable face from being scratched to shreds. I use a dedicated pair of human cuticle trimmers to do the job - they look like small nail clippers with a slanted top. I like these clippers because they were cheap, they're small and allow for precision trimming, and they've remained sharp for 7 years running. They're just the right size for cat's claws but I wouldn't recommend them for dogs. You can find them in the nail supply aisle of just about any big box store if you're interested.

Cat Stuck in Your Interweb?

According to the September 2012 issue of Wired magazine "only one thing competes with porn for internet real estate, and that thing is cats."

Tapeworms

So...when we got back from vacation I noticed some odd sesame seed looking things on a blanket one of the cats had been sitting on. After doing a little internet detective work I discovered these "seeds" were not seeds at all but the dessicated remains of tapeworm segments. Um. Ew. Gross! 

According to WebMD,

Tapeworms are the most common internal parasite in adult cats. They live in the small intestines, and vary in length from less than 1 inch (25 mm) to several feet (1 foot is .3 meters). The scolex (head) of the parasite fastens itself to the wall of the gut using hooks and suckers. The body is composed of segments that contain egg packets. To eliminate tapeworm infection, the head must be destroyed. Otherwise, the worm will regenerate.

Body segments of the tapeworm are passed through the cat's feces or the segments will pass straight through the cat's anus. According to WebMD "praziquantel is one of the most effective medications for both common species of cat tapeworm." Praziquantel used to only be available via prescription but is now readily available over the counter. 

Happy Black Cat Appreciation Day!

Diego knows black cats are beautiful.

Pablo Knows Best

My husband once gave me a beautiful bouquet of irises. They sat on my desk at work for a day before I brought them home for the weekend. Pablo is immediately drawn to any plants or flowers I bring into the house and the irises were no exception. He was kind enough to pose with them before knocking them down a couple of hours later. The flowers were completely mangled and ended up in the trash. I was upset at first but as it turns out irises are actually toxic to cats and dogs. The bulbs are the most potent but the flowers and leaves can also cause salivation, vomiting, drooling,lethargy, and diarrhea. Turns out Pablo knows best.

Compulsive Cat

According to an article on WebMD fur isn't the issue when it comes to allergic reactions to cats; it's usually the proteins in cat saliva, their urine, and/or their dander that are the culprits. Most cat allergies can be controlled with antihistamines and decongestants, and by implementing a systematic plan of attack: minimally you should always wash your hands after petting your cat, vacuum regularly (a HEPA filter is a plus), wash bedding at least twice a month, and give your cat a high quality diet to alleviate dander.

Post-Op Diego

Diego was a stray before we adopted him back in 2008. We noticed him hanging around our apartment complex. He was a wild boy. I once saw him attempting to make a meal of a baby robin. He was rough around the edges but he had charm. He loved being petted and would trot over whenever I called. As it began to rain more frequently in August we decided to bring him in. This photo was taken a couple of days after. Diego also had to wear an e-collar after being neutered. I bet at this moment he was wishing he was still a cat on the streets - running free in the out of doors, a rebel...a boy with balls.

Turd Burgler

I came home one night and Andy greeted me with what looked like sand on his nose. Upon closer inspection I realized it wasn't sand but kitty litter...at which point it dawned on me that Andy had been snacking on cat turds while we were out. Cat turds! Coprophagia is the technical term for the eating and ingesting of feces. I call it plain disgusting. Coprophagy is fairly common and some would even say perfectly natural. In most instances it's just a nasty habit born of boredom or anxiety; though in others it an be an indicator of a nutritional deficiency.

If your pup is eating poop just for kicks you can buy supplements that will make it taste bad (apparently dogs find it very palatable otherwise). In Andy's case we just had to erect a barrier that would prevent him from having access to the litter boxes. For the first week or so he would sit on one side of the barrier literally smacking his lips while the cats were doing their business. Ew. He's since gotten over it. By the way, does any one else think of Almond Roca candies whenever they see cat turds covered in litter?