Pet Dental Health

February is Pet Dental Health month.

• More than 8 out of 10 dogs and 7 out of 10 cats show signs of poor dental health by the age of three.
• Dental problems in pets – as in people – can lead to pain, tooth loss, periodontal disease, and increased bacteria in the bloodstream.
• Pets' oral disease worsens with time and can result in damage to internal organs (heart, liver and kidneys).

Many owners don't realize the importance of their pet's dental health. Their focus is often on proper nutrition, exercise, and finding the best muscle building supplement. However, it's not something that is okay to ignore - if you take good care of your pet's teeth, then you really help your pet live a longer and healthier life. Here are some ways you can do that (taken from this site):

1. Take your pet to the veterinarian for a dental exam. Don’t wait for his annual checkup if you suspect a problem.
2. Begin a dental care regimen at home. Your veterinarian can suggest steps that may include brushing your pet's teeth. One of the most convenient and effective ways to combat oral disease is feeding specially formulated foods proven effective in combating plaque and tartar buildup. The Seal of Acceptance from the Veterinary Oral Health Council, an organization initiated by the American Veterinary Dental Society to guide consumers, appears on products that meet defined standards for plaque and tartar control in dogs and cats. For further information on the VOHC or their product standards, visit www.vohc.org.
3. Schedule regular veterinary checkups. These are essential in helping your veterinarian monitor the progress of your pet's dental health routine. Your veterinary health care team can help you schedule the appropriate visits.

For more information on pet dental care and National Pet Dental Health Month, visit www.petdental.com.

Most recently, about Lewis

Life has been a whirlwind for me lately. To be honest, I really haven't had much time to think about Lewis! He's about the same... acts normal except he won't finish his dinner and he's still pretty thin. Ebony on the other hand has gained a ton of weight and now picking her up is like picking up a sack of bricks. I need to put her on a diet, but how does someone put one cat on a diet and encourage the other cat to eat more?? I'm sure I'll figure it out.

We did some bloodwork to test for thyroid cancer, and it came back negative. The vet also did a number of x-rays and said there were no abnormalities. His ionized calcium is still high, though, which is a sign of cancer I'm told. So we're all quite perplexed.

I got an email from the vet a few days ago, which said:

I talked with Dr. Hamilton re: Lewis and the high Calcium. Dr. Hamilton is the veterinary oncologist at Georgia Veterinary Specialists. His advice is to pursue diagnosis as long as he is showing clinical signs (decreased appetite, weight loss). He said that many cats can be "idiopathic" hypercalcemia (high calcium for no apparent reason affecting the health) but have no symptoms. Lymphoma is the most common cancer cause of the high calcium. An abdominal ultrasound would be the next step from the blood work and even endoscopy for biopsy. I do not have an ultrasound or endoscopy. I either refer these cases to the specialist, or Dr. Avgeris (internal medicine specialist) comes here with her ultrasound and endoscopy equipment. Please call me to discuss or schedule.

I'm not sure where to go from here, because in my mind "specialist" means "expensive". I'll probably write more about that later, but that's where we are now. Maybe I should look into affordable health insurance for pets... ;-)

Lewis update: still waiting

We got a Pack N Play for the baby yesterday, and Lewis and Ebony have decided we actually got it for them. One of the two spent a majority of the day sleeping in it.



I couldn't get any pictures of Lewis sleeping, because he lifted his head anytime I moved from the computer chair. (I put the doll there to demonstrate to my husband how the Pack N Play was to be used, and also how the new cloth diapers I bought worked.)

I received a call from the vet and it seems that we are still waiting for the results of Lewis' bloodwork. Apparently, they had a pathologist look at the results and they are waiting for the pathologist's report. I'm not sure what exactly this means - if it's a good sign or bad sign. I'm not even sure what is likely to happen at this point - surgery, diet change, or medication like Stimerex ES? They promised that we'll know more next week. Let's hope so!

poisonous plants

The other day, Lewis threw up in the living room (thankfully, not on my Naot sandals!). I investigated and saw something a little odd for an indoor cat - dirt, tiny branches, and small leaves. Hmm. I'm not sure where they came from, but I have two suspicions. One, from our porch - there are some dead leaves on there left over from last fall. I could see him getting into those.

The other possibility is one of my potted plants. (However, doesn't explain the leaves or sticks.) I have noticed that one of the cats (probably Lewis) has been getting into the pot. The plant has been sitting on the end table in our living room and occasionally I'll find bits of dirt around the pot on the table. None of the leaves have been damaged, and the dirt has been just lightly messed with so I didn't think anything of it. However, a friend wondered aloud to me if the plant might be getting Lewis sick.

The plant is called Devil's Ivy (scientific name: Pothos). After looking it up, I see that yes - yes it is toxic to cats! Great. I've had this plant for 3+ years now and I never knew! It's listed on ASPCA's "17 Common Poisonous Plants". Pet owners should check out the list to make sure they don't have any toxic plants around!

I called the vet to tell her about the plant, but she said that if the cats aren't getting into the plant itself then it's probably not the cause. But I'm glad it's on Lewis' file as a possibility, though. I'm going to call tomorrow and see if they got the results from the thyroid tumor blood test that he had last week. As of yesterday, they hadn't heard back from the lab yet. I hope we find out soon. :-/

My Devil's Ivy can be hung, so I'm going to try that to keep it away from the kitties. However, we might be moving soon so I don't want to bother hanging it until we're a bit settled. So I'm trying to find a plant sitter in the meantime.

update on Lewis

Shortly after I took Lewis to the vet, I went out of town for 11 days. I did get an email from the vet saying that one of the blood tests came back okay, so that was good, but they were waiting for the other one. Then a week went by and I didn't hear from the vet, but to be honest with all the busyness and traveling I really didn't have time to think about it! So after getting home yesterday, I called the vet to ask if they got the results from the other test.

Basically, one of the tests was going to indicate some issues with the kidney. Those came back fine - he does have a *slight* elevation in levels, but that doesn't indicate kidney issues right now.

The other test was an ionized calcium test which is heightened calcium in his blood. That is usually caused by cancer. Lewis is only 4 1/2, and it's very rare to find cancer in a cat this young, though the vet has seen it before. Right now, there are two possibilities that we need to do further tests. One is that he has a thyroid tumor. We have to do a test for that specifically, and if it's the issue he'll need surgery. The other is that he has cancer or a tumor, and they want to do x-rays and scans on his body to see if they can find out where.

A third possibility is that it's purely behavioral. She asked if we had any major changes happen recently. I said things have been pretty normal around here except for the fact that I'm pregnant. I don't feel that I'm acting any differently, but I don't know what the cats can sense. The vet said that because his calcium levels are high, it probably is more than just a behavioral problem. I expressed concern about figuring out what's going on with Lewis earlier than later, because after the baby comes in September our whole house will be turned upsidedown.

I asked if we only did one, which one should we do, and the vet recommended the thyroid blood test. So I guess we'll have to make an appointment to get more bloodwork done, poor baby.



I need to add going to the vet to my to do list. It's getting long because I was gone for almost 2 weeks. :-) It'll have to go above "getting auto insurance quotes" and under "return books to library".

Lewis

I've been concerned about Lewis lately. The past couple of months, his appetite has decreased significantly. He stopped finishing his breakfast and dinner. He cries desperately for his food, but doesn't seem to be interested. I tried switching foods, but that didn't seem to help. I tried supplementing wet (canned) food to his dinnertime meal to help encourage him to eat more, but he doesn't even finish that! (I gave him only 1/8 of a can!)

I noticed that he's getting thin, which is unusual. For being such a fat cat, he is all skin and bones now. It's hard to see exactly how much weight he's lost because he still has a lot of loose skin, but I can easily feel his ribs and that seemed to be a little too thin. Combined with his unusual habit of not eating, I decided to take him to the vet.

We're going out of town at the end of this week, so I wanted to get him in before we left. I was glad they had a last-minute cancellation and so I was able to get an appointment for Lewis today.

He's lost 4 lbs since we last had him at the vet, last September. The vet agreed that he did seem thin. She took a blood sample and a urine sample. Then Lewis and I waited while she ran an in-house profile on them.

The results showed abnormalities with the calcium, glucose, and creatinine. I don't understand exactly what all that means... but the vet basically said that it could be the beginnings of a kidney disease, and/or the beginnings of cancer. :-( She took another blood sample to send to an external lab for more analysis, and she's going to get back to me tomorrow or the next day. We'll figure out what to do from there.

I've been kinda in a stupor all day. Poor Lewis... He's very mad at me for being at the vet for 2 hours today. Now's he been a little on the lethargic side, sleeping most of the afternoon. I have alternated between wanting to cry and not wanting to think about it. And then of course I go to an extreme of thinking of all the worst possible scenarios, having only Ebony left, lighting a candle in Lewis' memory... No, I won't let myself go there.

One thing I know is, we definitely need to increase the cat category in our budget! I know both things can be so expensive. :-( I just want my baby to feel better.

Jeepers Peepers!

One of the cats in the shelter is named Tricky. A few years ago, poor Tricky got in the middle of a domestic dispute. Boyfriend was mad at Girlfriend, and shot Girlfriend's cats. Tricky was the only one who survived, but unfortunately did not escape unharmed. She got a bullet wedged in her body and is now her back two feet are paralyzed for the rest of her life. Don't feel bad for Tricky, though. She doesn't realize she's paralyzed. She has full use of her front two paws, and scoots herself all around the shelter.

You can immediately spot Tricky because she's wearing a diaper. She has no control of her excretory functions, so the diaper keeps her and the shelter clean and dry. I'd never seen a cat wearing a diaper before! At first I thought it was a baby diaper adapted for a cat, but then I discovered that they actually get them from a special website that sells diapers for animals. They are called Peepers. Here is a picture of a cat (not Tricky) wearing a diaper:


You can get the diapers at a site called HandicappedPets.com. (And, if you want to help out Tricky, just contact Good Mews for how to give them a donation of diapers for Tricky.)

I also read on the site that pet diapers can be used for housebreaking puppies. A-ha! I wish I'd known that. :-) Twould have been nice!!

Oh and something else Tricky likes - watching a DVD for cats on her pop up tv. It shows birds and squirrels, and for some reason she and the other cats just are mesmerized!

Natural pet food

I recently moved to a new area, and I have been trying to learn all the new stores around me. One thing I'd like to do more is shop at local businesses as I can, so I've been keeping an eye out especially for those types of places.

Yesterday I was driving and noticed a store that said "Pet food". Intrigued, I stopped in to see what it was all about. I was greeted warmly by two little dogs - a poodle and a 6 month Yorkie (SOOOO cute!) and the worker. I told her why I was there, and she took me to the cat section and explained all the foods that they carried.

I really appreciated the fact that she took the time to explain everything, and also that all the foods there were natural without all the added yucky stuff (animal by-products, corn, etc.) that really isn't very healthy for the animals. I was excited to see the variety they had because I have been disappointed with Petsmart's selection. My cats don't seem to like very much the taste of the Blue Buffalo pet food (though I have been really impressed with the ingredients! I wish my kitties gobbled it down as much as they did their other food!). So, when this food runs out I have been considering switching brands again.

The woman at the pet food store gave me samples of three different kinds of food she recommended. So I'll try them and in a week or two when I finish their current food I'll go back and pick up a bag of whatever brand the kitties seem to like best. Currently, I have samples for:
* Nature's Variety Prairie Lamb Meal and Oatmeal Medley
* Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul Adult Cat Light Formula
* Advanced Pet Diet Select Choice Lite Chicken & Salmon

I'm eager to try a brand that the kitties will like better and to help Lewis with his weight loss. Also, if you're in the Roswell, GA area you should check the store out. The side says "Dog Gone Green Pet Food", but I found their website which call themselves Red Bandanna Pet Food, so I'm not sure what their name is. :-) But definitely check them out to get a good variety of healthy pet food for your animals!

Pet food recall

I'm sure most people have heard about it already, but there is a voluntary limited recall for Mars Petcare food. You can read all the details here.

Mars Petcare makes several different brands of food, most popularly Pedigree dog and cat food. It is being recalled due to the potential contamination of the Salmonella virus.

According to the recall notice:

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Animals can be carriers with no visible symptoms and can potentially infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

In addition to Pedigree, other brands that could be affected are: Paws & Claws, Member's Mark, Natural Dog Food, Natural Cat Food, Doggy Bag, Red Flannel, Retriever, PMI Nutrition, Country Acres, Special Kitty, Pet Pride, Buju & Ziggie, and Bruiser.

Mars Petcare has a great tool on their site to help you figure out if the food you have is being recalled or not. Get out the bag of food that is in question and go to this link. You'll answer a few questions and the site will direct you to whether the food you have is being recalled or not. Definitely look into that if you have any of those brands at home.

Post brought to you by jobs in Los Angeles

Fat cat

I went to the vet on Saturday for the cats' annual vaccinations and check-up.

They weighed Lewis, and he came out to a whoppin' 14 lbs. Yikes! I knew he was overweight, but didn't realize by that much! I need to get him back down to a healthy 10 lbs or so. The vet warned me that the heavier he is, the more at risk for diabetes he is.

Also, another result of him being overweight is that he doesn't clean himself after using the littler box very well. (According to the vet, he can't reach all over his body because of his weight.) So, when I notice his fur getting crusty, I have to take a wet paper towel and wipe him clean. Ewwww. I think I'll focus on the weight loss!

We started by separating he and Ebony's bowls. We've noticed that when they're in the same room, Lewis won't let Ebony eat until he's had his fill. We also decided to feed him less - 1/4c a day of dry food instead of 1/2c day. When we give him more, we notice food leftover in the bowl after he's walked away, so we're not worried about starving him.

If that doesn't bring his weight down then the vet told us she's going to help us get a diet plan for him. Poor kitty! I know how you feel, Lewis, I know how you feel. We're on diets together. :-)

This post brought to you by hi-def camcorder

Feliway to the rescue

I got an email from a friend this evening. It said:

We also have two cats. We were having problems with them peeing and puking, and we got the Feliway diffuser thing. It looks kind of like a Glade plug-in, and it supposedly releases pheromones to make cats feel happy. It was kind of expensive, but SO worth it! They haven't peed on anything (and we just bought a house, so we were freaked that they would pee everywhere), and our one anxiety-ridden puke-y cat throws up so much less now.

Anyway, just wanted to recommend Feliway. :) Give it a try. I hope it works. I know cat pee smell is wretched. :)

This definitely intrigued me! So I decided to look it up.

I found a helpful FAQ about Feliway on this site. I was going to copy-paste, but I decided it would be better to just point you to the site and suggest you read it yourself if you're interested. It explains everything in good, easy-to-understand detail.

It is interesting reading about Feliway. They claim that it not only will help with urinating outside the litter box, but also will stop cats from fighting. This especially intrigues me, because Lewis and Ebony fight all the time. My last two cats (Koko and Yum Yum) were so cuddly and friendly with each other that it makes me said that Lewis and Ebony seem to dislike each other.

Does anyone else have experience with Feliway? Anyone know of a good place to buy it? I would like to look into it further, but I definitely think this might be an answer for us! It's like with acne treatments - you get to the point where you'll just try anything! I'll see if the vet has any recommendations when I go on Saturday.

Cats in heat

The comic I posted earlier today made me think of my cat Autumn, from my freshman year of high school. I remember it was the middle of summer, and Autumn was acting really strange. She was crying for no reason, rubbing up against things.

We figured out that Autumn was in heat. She had not yet been spayed, and we had waited too long. We then spent the next week locking her up in various rooms of the house. It was particularly hot that summer thanks to El Nino, and our house didn't have air conditioner. We had to keep all the doors and windows shut in the particular room where she was in order to keep her from escaping. I would try and spend as much time as I could with her, without going crazy being cooped up in a hot room! I remember at one time being in my parents' bedroom with her, and I was playing with her and trying to distract her from what her raging hormones were screaming. It was so hot, so I opened the window just a little. The bedroom was on the second story, and there wasn't anything handy to jump on, so I thought I was okay. A little while later, I left to use the bathroom, forgetting about the window. I came back and Autumn was nowhere to be found. About half an hour later we discovered her outside! We couldn't believe she had jumped from a second story window.

What is heat, exactly? It's part of the feline reproductive cycle in female cats where they are ready to mate. This happens for the first time around 4 or 6 months of age. It's pretty easy to tell if your cat's in heat. Some of the signs:

• unusually affectionate
• excessive time licking her genital area
• loud vocalizations or "calling"
• mating position: head down, forelegs bent, rear quarters and the tail raised and held to the side of the body
• may also spray vertical surfaces with a strongly scented fluid

If your cat goes into heat, like Autumn did, here are the things you can do:

• try to calm your cat; devote extra physical attention to her (petting, brushing, cuddling)
• keep the cat busy; play with her and get her new toys (especially ones that will get her active, running and jumping)
• a veterinarian can inject your cat with hormones or other medication that can help
• if you let your cat out she will probably mate with a roaming or feral cat in the neighborhood

Of course, I have to say it. The best, best way to deal with a cat in heat is to get her spayed before she goes into heat! :-)

And what happened to Autumn? Well all our struggles were for naught. About two months later, she graced us with four precious kittens. And that is another story for another time.

We have never procrastinated getting our animals spayed and neutered again. :-)

This post brought to you by Phentermine

Trouble with food

Well, we are trying to find the perfect cat food again.

As you remember, after reading the labels on the cat food at the store, I had decided on Eukanuba's Lamb & Rice Formula. Well we went back the other day to get new cat food and they must have gotten a new recipe. The new ingredients list reads: "Chicken, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Meal, Corn Grits, Lamb, Brewers Rice..." Yeah, look how lamb and rice don't even make an appearance until #5 and 6!

Actually, I'm glad I even noticed it. I couldn't remember the name of what we were feeding them (I just knew it was Eukanuba), so I started just checking all the ingredients labels. (*By the way, this isn't BAD since meat does appear first on the list; I am just trying to find a food that doesn't have so much corn.)

So we scoured the store for a new brand of food. We finally decided on a brand called Blue Buffalo Wilderness food. We liked the packaging, we like the lynx on the front, and we joked that we want Lewis to turn into a lynx too. Also, check out the ingredients list:

Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Potato Starch, Whitefish Meal, Salmon Meal, Chicken Fat (preserved with Natural Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Chicken Flavor, Oatmeal, Flaxseed (natural source of Omega 6 Fatty Acids), Whole Carrots, Whole Sweet Potatoes, Cranberries, Blueberries, Barley Grass, Dried Parsley, Alfalfa Meal, Kelp Meal, Taurine, L-Lysine, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Green Tea Extract, Turmeric, Salmon Oil (natural source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids), Black Malted Barley, Oil of Rosemary... (etc.)

HOWEVER.... I don't think the cats like it. My husband feeds them early in the morning and when I woke up at 9 this morning they still had food in their bowls, which is HIGHLY unusual. They're probably mad at us for switching up their food (we had very little of the last food to mix it with). So we might try to find a different brand - we purposefully got a small bag in case this happened. Blue Buffalo has a few other types that I'd like to try out, so we'll do that when this bag is done.

By the way, if you're interested in trying out Blue Buffalo, I noticed on their website they'll send you a free sample. Just go to bluebuffalocompany.com and click on "Take the True Blue Test". (Don't worry, it's not really a test!) They have a test for dogs and for cats.

I'll keep you posted!

This post brought to you by car insurance comparison

Cats & hairballs

My cats seem to have trouble with hairballs. I used to give them special hairball food, but I switched to regular food when I started reading the ingredient labels. However, I've noticed a few hacked up hairballs on the floor since then - yuck!

My vet recommended that I get in the habit of brushing my cats. I've never brushed them before, so I had to go out and buy a soft-bristled brush. I want to say that they love it - but they don't, yet. :-) I'm sure they will in time! Brushing your cats is the best way to decrease hairballs.

If that doesn't help, then my vet recommended switching to food with the hairball-prevention formula. You can also buy a hairball paste that helps encourage them to pass. Whatever you end up doing, it's important to take care of it because it could be really dangerous to the cat to be having a lot of hairballs.

For further reference:
The Ubiquitous Hairball - About.com
Hairballs - PetEducation.com

This post brought to you by Branson condos

Cats and thyroid troubles

A bit earlier, I wrote about the possibility of Lewis having thyroid troubles and perhaps that being an explanation of his incessant cries. The vet examined Lewis and said that he appeared healthy, and that hyperthyroidism appears with older cats and not a 3 year old like Lewis.

So what is hyperthyroidism? It’s actually the most common endocrine (hormone) disorder, usually occurring in cats that are 8 years or older. It’s unknown the exact cause, but some attribute hyperthyroidism to benign tumors in the thyroid gland and others blame environmental contaminants called polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), which are present in flame retardants in many household products.

What does hyperthyroidism look like in cats? These are some of the more noticeable symptoms:

• rapid weight loss (most common sign)
• increased appetite for food and water
• Demanding food more frequently
• vomiting and diarrhea
• hyperactivity (acting like a kitten)
• unkempt appearance or hair loss
• increased use of the litter box

Other serious symptoms are rapid heart rate, heart murmurs or high blood pressure and if left untreated result in heart failure and death.

There are three treatments for hyperthyroidism in cats. They are: anti-thyroid drugs for the rest of the cat’s life, surgery, and treatment with radioactive iodine. There are pros and cons for each of these, but they are usually successful and properly treated cats go on to lead normal and successful lives.

For further reference:
Hyperthyroidism in Cats

This post brought to you by futures broker

To the vet

I took the cats to the vet on Saturday to check out the blood in their stool.

The vet took a fecal exam from both of them, and it came out negative. Since I only saw the blood once, she said it could have been just a broken blood vessel and nothing to worry about, unless they seem to be behaving differently. I should keep a close eye on them to make sure it isn't something that happens frequently.

I also asked her about Lewis' weight and annoying crying. He is 11 pounds now, and according to her still at an okay weight. She said she doesn't want to see him gain any more weight, but since I'm already being careful not to overfeed him, then I shouldn't worry about getting him down to under 10 pounds. (Side note: The difference between my last vet and this one. Cats with weights over 10 pounds were flagged as "obese" at my last vet. She constantly reprimanded me for his weight, which frustrated me because I've always been careful not to feed him too much. I appreciated that this vet was able to give me an honest answer based on Lewis himself, and not on just numbers.) She told me not to worry about the exercise bikes yet, but to supplement his food with a weight-loss food that would help fill him up without giving him the calories. I'm supposed to do about half of his normal food and half of the weight-loss food for now, so that's been an interesting juggle. :-)

As for the thyroid problem that I wondered if Lewis had, she said it's very rare that a cat as young as him (3 years) would have trouble with that. She wouldn't discount it completely, but I should watch him and if I ever notice the signs then I should bring him in for a blood test. More things to watch. :-) I would like to write a blog post about the signs of thyroid problems for cats, but that will have to come later!

Overall, Lewis and Ebony are quite healthy cats and the vet said I take good care of them. That's happy to know, and I hope that means they are with me for a long while yet. :-)

Hematochezia

Last night, my husband and I suddenly smelled a quite foul smell. We walked around, sniffing, until we discovered the source: the litter box. A peek inside showed us a pile of bloody stool.

Today I did some research on this. The most helpful site I found was this one. Apparently blood in the stool is called hematochezia. It seems that in older cats, it can be a sign of cancer or tumors. However, in younger cats it is a less serious problem, like parasites.

I called the vet and made an appointment for Saturday. Since I'm not sure which cat passed the stool, I will have to bring them both in, though I suspect that Lewis is the troublemaker. I am not worried that it's something serious, but rather hope we can figure it out and get him all better!

Below are some of the causes of hematochezia (copied from the site I linked to above):

• Viral infections (panleukopenia), bacterial infections (Salmonella), protozoal agents (coccidiosis), or intestinal parasites (hookworms and roundworms)
• Dietary intolerance from eating spoiled food, overeating, ingesting foreign material (especially bones), a sudden change in diet, or eating people food
  
• Dietary allergy to certain food substances, such as to particular proteins, lactose, high fat content, etc.
• Masses of the colon, rectum or anus such as benign (polyps) and malignant (cancer) tumors
• Inflammation of the colon (colitis)
  
• Trauma of any sort (bite wounds to the anal area, fractures of the pelvis that disrupt the colon or rectum, the passage of sharp ingested objects, or the insertion of instruments or materials into the rectum)
• Bleeding disorders (coagulopathies) of the body may result in bleeding from the lining of the lower bowel. Examples include ingestion of rat poison that contains anticoagulants, inherited clotting disorders (rare in the cat), decreased numbers of platelets (uncommon in the cat), disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) from massive infections or organ failure, and severe liver disorders.
• Intussusception (the telescoping of one part of the bowel into another) secondary to foreign bodies, tumors, or parasites
• Stricture (narrowing) of the anus or colon, secondary to previous trauma, inflammation, cancer or a foreign body may result in bleeding, especially as stools are passed
• Chronic or intermittent constipation and attempted passages of dry, hard stools
• Anal sacculitis (inflammation of the anal sacs) or anal sac abscessation can change the consistency of the fluid in the anal sacs to a bloody liquid that may coat the stools as they are defecated (this is uncommon in the cat)
• Proctitis is inflammation of the rectum and is often associated with colitis

I am going to take this chance to talk to the vet about Lewis' behavior problems in regards to being hungry all the time. I was talking to a coworker today who suggested that perhaps he has a thyroid problem. I don't know if it's the problem, but it's definitely good to keep an eye out for unusual behavior since that's the only way Lewis can communicate that something is wrong. Perhaps all Lewis needs is a vacation - a Hilton Head rental. ;-) What a spoiled cat!

Homemade dog food?

I was reading Mrs. B's blog the other day and she had an interesting post about DOG FOOD. She linked to two other blog posts about people who have started giving their dogs homemade dog food instead of store bought stuff. Since I recently blogged about cat food, I thought I'd pass on these links.

Blaine Staat wrote a post about the reasons why he started to make the dog food for his dogs. He writes:

I was talking to a veterinarian some months back and I told him that I was now feeding my dogs mostly leftovers and table scraps. He immediately started to chastise me. "Oh, you shouldn’t do that," he said, "you need to get them on a good, quality dog food; table scraps aren’t good for them."

"So what you’re telling me," I said, "is that the food I feed my family is good enough for my wife and children, but it’s not good enough for my dogs?" That completely caught him off guard, and as he sat there open mouthed trying to think of something to say, I posed another riddle to him.

"Let me ask you a question," I said. "If scientists developed the perfect 'people food' that was nutritionally perfect in every way, and maybe even tasted good too, would you eat that food 3 times a day – every day – for the rest of your life?"

You should have seen the look on his face as he struggled to come up with a reply. He couldn’t say "yes" because he knew that would have been a blatant lie, however, he couldn’t say "no" either because it would have proved my point for me.

(read the entire post)

I definitely see his point, though I have been told by people Smarter Than Me that the reason you shouldn't feed your dog table scraps is because it's too rich for them (the meat, and the spices we use in our meat). I also have been told that one of the reasons why vets discourage homemade dog food is because a lot of people don't have the wherewithal to research the correct foods for a dog, and therefore it's better in the long run for the dog to eat manufactured dog food in those instances.

One other comment about that particular blog post was his insistence that dog food smells and tastes bad to us, so we shouldn't feed it to our dogs. That may be partly true, but I don't think you can draw a straight line there. If dog food tastes bad, someone should have told my dogs because they were always SO! EXCITED! at mealtime. Also, they thought that litter box findings were the best treats - we had a lot of trouble with that! But I think the issues he raised in his post are worth thinking about, so I'd encourage you to read it in its entirety.

In response, Emily at Walking in Faith wrote a post about homemade dog food, and more specifically the raw meat diet. Her entire post is good; here is an excerpt:

In the wild, our dog's ancestors ate RAW meat. I know, many of you are probably cringing at the thought. I did too for a while at first. But then again, dogs eat lots of things that would make you and me very sick but they do fine with. You know, 'treats' from the kitty litter box and frozen 'poopsicles' from the yard and etc. *gag* ;) When meat is cooked, vital nutrients are destroyed. Also, you really do want to include the bones in your dog's diet.

(read the entire post)

I thought her post was really good - it talked specifically about the BARF (Bones and Raw Food) diet and what types of food were good for dogs. (They really need to come up with a new acronym for that diet!) She also included some helpful links. I don't have a dog right now, but I thought it might be good for me to research homemade cat food, and see if it's a better alternative than the food I've been buying for them.

What do you think? What do you feed your dog?

Spay Day USA 2008

February 26th is Spay Day here in the United States. This event is sponsored by the Humane Society of the United States, and its intention is to help inspire people to spaying and neutering pets and feral cats to decrease the amount of homeless and unwanted animals. Events and activities are taking place throughout the entire month of February, and the official Spay Day is February 26th.

For those of you who LOVE taking pictures of your pets: They are also sponsoring a photo contest, starting February 1st! According to the website:

You'll be able to upload a digital photo of your pet and briefly tell us how he or she has improved your life. Your pet will then compete with other pets for a chance to win fabulous prizes. Prizes will be awarded to photos and write-ups with the most votes and those judged best by our panel of celebrity judges.

One of these judges is Patrick McDonnell, creator and author of the Mutts comic strip.

You can find more information about the photo contest here. There are also links from that page to find an event near you. I encourage you to check it out and participate as you are able! And if you have a pet that needs spaying or neutering, then February is the month to do it!

What to feed your cat

The subject of FOOD is Lewis' favorite! He lives for mealtimes. I have done some research to make sure I'm feeding my cats the best possible food. Here is what I discovered for a normal, healthy cat. If your cat seems to be ill or overweight, then you should talk to your vet about what to feed your cat.

When picking out food for your cat, it's important to read the labels. You are looking for:

• The words "complete and balanced" - avoid packages that say vague words like "entree" or "platter".
• Main dry-weight ingredient is animal protein, like chicken, fish, liver, or beef. You can find this from the ingredients list - if the first item is not meat, then pass that up for something better for your cat. Adult cats need at least 26% dry weight protein.
• Appropriate life stage - whether your cat is a kitten (under 1 year), adult, senior (over 7 years), etc. Cats in different life stages have different energy needs, so it's important to make sure they are getting a balanced diet.

Keep in mind that cats are carnivores. Their diet needs are not like humans! So you might be a vegetarian, but in general it's not a good idea to put your cat on a vegetarian diet as well. Also, avoid feeding your cat straight tuna - I used to do this, actually. I was under the impression that since cats like fish, and tuna is fish, and tuna is all meat, then it would be good for them. Actually, this isn't so - tuna is high in fatty acids and lacks the proper amount of vitamins and nutrients for cats.

Now for a lesson in reading the labels. You want to make sure you feed your cats a high grade of food. Even though it's more expensive, it will save you in the long run because your cats will be overall healthier and they'll actually eat less to gain the same amount of nutrition. The general rule of thumb is: if you can buy it at a grocery store, it's probably not good quality. But how do you know for sure? Say we go to the store and see this label (click to make bigger):

The ingredients will list what's in this cat food, from highest percentage to lowest. See here how the highest percentage of the food is "ground yellow corn"? And that meat doesn't appear at all on the list until #3? This means you're actually filling your cat up mostly with CORN, which isn't what your carnivorous animal needs. So I'd bypass this brand and look for something else.

Now let's compare it to a higher-quality, more expensive brand:
The first ingredient in this list (if you can't read it) is "Chicken By-Product Meal". This means it's a good food, since meat is first on the list. Corn doesn't appear until #3, which is good. Also, towards the bottom it reads: AAFCO STATEMENT. AAFCO evaluates animal food by running rigorous tests. Look for AAFCO statements on the label of your cat food, because that means it has been fed to actual animals in controlled tests. On this particular label, it says that AAFCO has determined that this brand provides "complete and balanced nutrition" - two other words that are good to have!

The same concepts apply to dogs as well. The dog trainer we worked with said to look for food that had oatmeal or rice, instead of corn. Later I will try to do a label-comparison about the food that we fed our dogs.

---------------

This post brought to you by travel insurance