Did you know that pet cats out number pet dogs in the US? In fact there are a little over 86 million cats in the US compared to about 78 million dogs according to my latest statistics.

Another interesting fact is that pet cats visit the Veterinarian far less than their canine adversaries. About half as often according to statistics kept by Veterinarians.

Do cats get sick less than dogs? Do they get injured less frequently? Are they healthier than dogs?

Continue Reading "Stress Free Vet Visits for Cats" »

Chloe sent me a question concerning cat whiskers that came in from a cat lover on our Facebook page. She wanted to know whether it was OK for her to trim her cat's whiskers or should she take her to the groomer.

Apparently she was concerned because she thought her cat looked like a "chia pet".

My answer; embrace the chia pet look and don't trim the whiskers. Here's why.

Continue Reading "Cat Whiskers" »

When February rolls around, almost everyone starts to think about boxes of chocolate and candle lit dinners in honor of Valentine’s Day, but, did you know this month is also Responsible Pet Owners Month? So, while you are enjoying your candy or admiring your bouquet of roses, don’t forget that this holiday poses threats to your pet. Celebrate Responsible Pet Owners Month by keeping them safe and showing them some love, too.

Continue Reading "For Puppy Love and Kitten Kisses" »

Dr Bill did a nice post on Dental Health Month yesterday and I thought I'd follow up on that. If you have a PurinaCare Plus Preventive Care you have benefits that apply towards routine dentistry and you should take advantage of them every year.

In most homes the day begins and ends with our own attempts at dental hygiene. We brush our teeth at least twice a day and we have become accustomed to visiting the dentist every six months for an exam and cleaning.
 
Dental hygiene and routine care is no less important for our pets. According to the American Veterinary Dental Society, 80% of dogs and 70% of cats show signs of oral disease as early as three years of age.

Continue Reading "Preventive Dentistry and PurinaCare Benefits" »

It's very common in cases of illness for a Veterinarian to order a CBC, Chemistry Panel and a urinalysis as the baseline laboratory tests to help make a diagnosis. These three tests taken together can tell us a great deal about a pet's health and about the fucntion or organs like the liver, kidney, pancreas and others.

In the case of the urinalysis it's critical to evaluate these results along with the results of the CBC and the chemistry profile. Taken together, the results can narrow the list of possible causes of disease.

Today we'll cover the specifics of the urinalysis.

Continue Reading "Veterinary Urinalysis" »

Pets can sometimes be reservoirs of diseases that infect humans. Most viruses and organisms that cause illness are species specific, or specially adapted to the host they infect. When a disease is able to make the leap from our pet to us, it is referred to as zoonotic.

The most important historical zoonotic disease is the Plague that ravaged Europe in the 1300’s killing tens of millions of people. Primarily a disease of rats and wild rodents, the Plague is transmitted from animal to animal by the bites of infected fleas, with humans as the accidental host when the rat dies and the fleas look for a warmer host.

Today, the number of potential zoonotic diseases is impressive. Let’s look at some of the more common dog and cat diseases that may pose a threat to humans.

Continue Reading "Healthy Pets, Healthy People" »

The last couple of posts we've discussed the Complete Blood Count and what it can tell us about the health of our pets. The CBC is often accompanied by more specific tests that reveal information about the function of specific organs within the body. Coupled with urine tests, that we'll cover on Friday, blood chemistry, or serum chemistry tests, can help pinpoint which organ or organs are involved in illness.

Blood chemistry tests are sometimes referred to as chemistry panels or chem panels and the number of tests on a given panel can vary. Generally we start out with screening tests and get more specific as we zero in on a specific organ system. 

Some of the more common tests include the following.

Continue Reading "Lab Tests Explained; Blood Chemistry Panels" »

Whether to vaccinate against feline leukemia (FeLV) is a good question for many kitten and cat owners. The answer depends on several factors.

The first question concerns the potential for exposure your cat or kitten will have to an infected animal. FeLV is spread by direct contact with an infected cat. Obviously, cats that are allowed to roam outside unsupervised are at greatest risk.

Many people assume that if they keep their cat indoors they don't need to consider vaccination against FeLV. That's true up to a point.

Continue Reading "Does Your Kitten Need a Feline Leukemia Vaccination?" »

Traditionally, New Years resolutions are commitments people make to themselves that are intended to keep them on track in the new year. Sometimes people want to resolve to lose weight, get control of finances or volunteer more. Often New Year’s resolutions come down to simply being a better person. As a pet owner, being a better person may mean more than dropping a few pounds, it may mean helping your pet do the same.

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I should say put a collar and an ID tag on that cat. You remember the post we wrote about Willow, the Colorado cat that was lost for five years and ended up in New York City. Turns out she was identified because she had a micro chip, but according to some experts if she had a plain old collar and tag, she might have been found even earlier.

We're big fans of micro-chipping at PurinaCare. If you have pet insurance with us, some of our policies pay a benefit for micro-chipping. if you don't micro-chip you should consider a good old collar and tag according to this story I read in the NYT's Well Pets blog.

Continue Reading "Put a Collar on That Cat" »