helping cats live happy, healthy lives
How seriously do you take rabies in cats? If you live in a rabies-free country, this isn’t something you think much about, unless planning to travel abroad. However if you live in a country with endemic rabies, the disease must be taken extremely seriously, given that there’s no cure, it’s fatal, and can be passed to people. However, regardless of where you live, it’s …
Continue Reading about Rabies Infection in Cats – World Rabies Day
FeLV, FIV, and FIP: What do these three have in common? Actually, they have quite a bit in common because they are all viral diseases of cats and don’t have a cure. Also, no cat guardian wants to be told that their cat has been diagnosed with any one of these conditions. However FeLV and FIV arguably have a worse reputation than they deserve, whilst FIP remains definitely …
Continue Reading about Understanding Feline Viruses: FeLV, FIV, and FIP
What mental picture does the words “herpes virus” conjure up? In my mind I see a snuffling, sneezing, snotty-nosed kitten whose eyes are gummed shut. This is because herpes virus is one of the two viruses commonly linked to cat flu (the other being calici virus). But herpes virus also stars in its own solo show and causes an illness known as viral rhinotracheitis. Whilst …
Continue Reading about Herpes Virus in Cats: Symptoms and Treatment
Are you a glass half-empty or a half-full person? When it comes to cancer in cats there’s good news and there’s bad news. First the good news: And the bad news: In reality this means you should be vigilant for any hints or clues that your cat is unwell, because catching cancer early makes all the difference to the success of treatment. But before we get ahead of …
Did you know that inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is the commonest cause of sickness and diarrhoea in cats? Shocking, isn’t it. But then again IBD isn’t a black and white, all-or-nothing condition, but exists on a ‘spectrum’ from mild to severe. For example, since this is a waxing and waning condition, if your cat has regular, intermittent tummy upsets then IBD could …
Is being a vet your dream job? I’ve worked as a vet for more years than I care to remember. I was just like you: Animal obsessed as a child, eagerly consuming books, articles, or information on anything or everything to do with animals. When I shared my dream with parents and teachers, their reaction was cautious but encouraging. From an early age I ‘saw practice’ at a local …
Continue Reading about So You Want to Be a Vet? Here’s What you Need to Know
An owner brings a young cat into my clinic. The cat’s been off her food for a few days, has a dull unkempt coat, and is running a fever. Something clicks and the thought “FIP” pops into my head. I take a history, hoping for a simple explanation, such as the cat got into a fight…but, no, she’s strictly indoors and an only pet…and the suspicion of FIP ratchets up a notch. As …
Continue Reading about Signs and Symptoms of Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP)
“Cats are not small dogs” When I trained as a vet in the 1980s, cats had only been treated in their own right for about a decade. (Astonishing I know!) To prove how far things had come in the last ten years, the lecturers often said, “Cats are not small dogs”….and then illustrated the point with a piece of new research that highlighted how ridiculous it was that veterinary …
Continue Reading about Understanding Epilepsy and Seizures in Cats
Does your cat cough? Unlike dogs and people, it takes a lot to make a cat cough (a proper cough, different from the “I’m about to bring up a hairball so everybody look,” sound). Cats have a weak cough reflex and so if you answered “Yes, my cat coughs”, this is significant and you should get her checked by a vet. Indeed, one of the few things that cause cat’s to cough is …
Continue Reading about Feline Asthma and Bronchitis: Triggers and Treatment
From your own experience, you know there’s a big different between having a head cold and the flu. It's the same for cats. Cats can get upper respiratory tract infections (a ‘cold’ in plain English) that are mild and don’t need treatment, but catching cat flu is a whole different story. What Causes Cat Flu? Traditionally cat flu is a viral disease, caused by feline Calici …
Continue Reading about Cat Flu: Sneezes and Sniffles…or Something More Serious?
