Blog News

March 20, 2014

Returning from the vet…

Do you dread bringing one of your cats home from the vet? Sometimes the return provokes world war 3 between the returnee and those that have stayed home... The three cats in my house usually adore each other, grooming and sleeping together most of the day. If one had to go to hospital the other two cats would sniff the patient and then hiss and spit at her when we returned. I thought they were reacting to the smell of the hospital or of strange humans and animals. However a recent article says that it is the sudden return of a group member that puts them offside. In the wild when a cat returns to the colony after a solo meal they hang round on the margins and almost sneak back in when no one is looking. No matter how many times in the day she returns, the group seems to debate whether to accept her back each time. When I came home from the hospital with a patient, I would plonk her back in the middle of the group and let her out with a fanfare, hoping they would be nice to her if we pushed our way in. Now I leave her outside and see what the other two are up to. If they are asleep on the bed I sneak the patient into the lounge room, let her out and quickly take the carrier away. If they are up and about I feed them in the laundry and while they are distracted I bring the patient in to the bedroom and let her decide on the best course of action. Abrupt re-entries are not de rigueur in feline circles. They prefer the more subtle return.
March 20, 2014

Weight Loss

Cino (and Cino's mother) are worried that he is losing weight despite a hearty appetite. Burmese are more likely than other breeds to develop diabetes so we checked his blood glucose first. It was normal and so were his kidney and liver tests. Hyperthyroidism is more common in older cats like Cino who turns 12 shortly. However the blood test showed that his thyroid is functioning normally. Cino occasionally vomits. Because everything else seems normal we will zero in on his intestinal tract. First we will try a diet that will minimise inflammation in his stomach and intestines. If we don't get any response to that we will scan him from top to bottom for abnormalities. Some cats suffer from inflammatory bowel disease, which may escalate into mild or, less frequently, severe lymphoma. Many of these bowel conditions are treatable and well-managed cats do well.
February 21, 2014

Diabetes

Cat diabetes is very similar to human diabetes. Slimming down and a particular diet help control or even cure it. However diabetes in cats always requires an intial intense period of insulin treatment and, unlike humans, cats require a high protein diet to overcome their diabetes. Mini visits us every Thursday morning for a blood glucose test. Her carer gives her an insulin injection twice a day with her meals. Until we find the best dose for her she will visit us every Thursday for a weight check and a blood glucose check. Mini had already lost her extra kilos when she was diagnosed so she didn't have to go on a weight reduction diet. High protein diets help keep cats' blood glucose down and reduce the insulin dose though. Some cats even go into remission on a high protein diet.