Welcome to our “Ask Dr. Paola” sequence, the place each Monday we convey professional 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 mum or dad or a seasoned cat lover, Dr. Paola is right here to supply solutions to your most urgent questions. From vitamin suggestions and preventive care to troubleshooting widespread behavioral points, Dr. Paola is able to supply insights that may maintain your kitty joyful, wholesome, and feline positive. Keep tuned for professional steerage on a variety of matters that matter most to you and your cat, so you may make knowledgeable selections and supply the very best care to your furry companion.
Have a question? Send it in here!
Assist! My Cat Suffers from Allergy symptoms!
“Expensive Dr. Paola,
My 6-year-old cat Nikki suffers from allergy symptoms. We don’t know the precise allergen, however a change in litter, meals, and water has helped a bit of. She was badly traumatized as a kitten. Though she likes to be petted, any try to carry her to present medicine brings on a panic response. I’ve tried every little thing I can consider—mixing with meals, liquid treats, making use of to her fur—nothing works. Are there any new subdural meds that her vet may apply?” – Linda
Hello Linda,
Taking good care of a cat with a history of trauma and allergy symptoms can definitively be difficult. Working carefully with a vet is important to make sure the therapy plan addresses Nikki’s bodily and emotional wants. Identifying allergy triggers is a key step, because it permits for focused methods to handle her indicators successfully.
Therapy choices could embrace antihistamines for delicate circumstances or as a part of a broader plan, corticosteroids to cut back irritation and itching, and immunotherapy to desensitize her to particular allergens over time. Different choices, like immunosuppressants akin to Atopica (cyclosporine) or off-label use of Apoquel (oclacitinib), may be thought of, however this must be primarily based on her particular case. Stress administration can be vital, as it could possibly considerably impression her total well-being since stress worsens allergy symptoms.
Should you want to be taught extra and discover the completely different obtainable choices for Nikki whereas minimizing stress and guaranteeing her consolation, we advocate chatting with one in every of our veterinarians in a one-on-one seek the advice of at PangoVet.com. PangoVet’s providers can present personalised recommendation and allow you to navigate the following steps, guaranteeing you and the veterinarian can work collectively to create a plan tailor-made to her particular wants.
Finest needs!
Dr. Paola
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Assist! My Cats Are Fart Machines!
“Expensive Dr. Paola,
I’ve two 5-month-old kittens, Tux and Max, from the SPCA. They eat Purina professional plan kitten meals moist 2 instances a day along with their dry meals. Are they speculated to be little raging fart machines? I choose one up and WAM, it’s so foul I’ve to cowl my nostril. Is that this regular? Thanks.” – Mary
Hello Mary! It’s not unusual for kittens to expertise occasional gasoline, nonetheless persistent foul-smelling flatulence isn’t thought of regular. There are a number of potential causes for this. Dietary elements are sometimes the first trigger. Extremely processed meals could include components that some kittens discover harder to digest, akin to sure proteins, fillers, or components. Swallowing air whereas consuming, particularly in the event that they’re enthusiastic eaters, may also contribute to the issue. Moreover, kittens not too long ago adopted from shelters could have an imbalance of their intestine flora or may nonetheless be harboring intestinal parasites, even when they have been handled for worms.
I like to recommend beginning with a better take a look at their food regimen. Transitioning to a species-appropriate, less processed food with fewer additives may assist enhance their digestion and scale back gasoline. You need to avoid meals with “Meat By-Merchandise” within the ingredient record as you may by no means know what they include. Including a high-quality, veterinary-recommended probiotic can assist them in constructing a wholesome intestine microbiome. It’s additionally a good suggestion to substantiate along with your veterinarian that Tux and Max are free from intestinal parasites, as these can usually trigger gastrointestinal upset, together with gasoline. If the difficulty persists or is accompanied by diarrhea, vomiting, or weight modifications, a vet go to can be important to rule out different underlying considerations.
Sincerely,
Dr. Paola
Assist! My Cat Wants Weekly Baths!
“Expensive Dr. Paola,
I’ve a foster cat, Catsby, with severe environmental and meals allergy symptoms. Since he’s allergic to mud mites he will get a weekly bathtub with a hypoallergenic shampoo. (Plus HEPA filters, frequent bedding modifications, steam mopping, and many others.) Somebody beneficial month-to-month therapy with Revolution as a result of it will assist with any mud mites within the setting. Is that true? I hate to place chemical substances on his pores and skin until they actually would assist considerably. Thanks, Dr. Paola”
– Kitty
Hello Kitty,
Thanks to your dedication to Catsby’s care whereas he finds a eternally house! Whereas Revolution (selamectin) is efficient against many parasites like fleas, ear mites, and sarcoptic mange mites, it doesn’t work on mud mites. Mud mites, akin to Dermatophagoides farinae and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, reside within the setting, feeding on family members’ pores and skin flakes and different natural particles. Since they don’t reside on or feed from pets, they’re not uncovered to selamectin, which primarily targets parasites that reside in and work together instantly with handled animals.
I must congratulate you, you’re already doing a superb job managing Catsby’s mud mite allergy symptoms with HEPA filters, frequent bedding modifications, steam mopping, and hypoallergenic baths. These steps are the best for controlling mud mites and minimizing allergens. Including Revolution is unlikely to supply extra assist with mud mites, so I perceive your hesitation about making use of chemical substances unnecessarily. Please by no means take therapy
This text is part of our weekly Ask Dr. Paola sequence
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