Is my cat "hairy" or furry"?

Various cat coat colors and textures

What’s the difference between fur and hair? Is a pet with hair better for allergies than a pet with fur? These are the questions that sparked this article. Based on the amount of discussion about this topic, both here in the hospital and through email with friends, colleagues and family members, this year has been a particularly bad year for allergies, and people are looking to do whatever they can to feel better!

In 2001, Scientific American magazine interviewed Nancy Simons, a mammalogist at the American Museum of Natural History in New York about the difference between hair and fur. Her answer? There isn’t. Hair and fur are the same thing.

A cat hair (top) compared to several human hairs (bottom)

Really, hair versus fur is a matter of semantics – it’s ALL hair. Hair is a defining characteristic of mammals. Even whales and dolphins have hair (usually just a few on their snout as babies). “Fur” is just one type of hair.  Both human hair and animal fur is made of the same stuff that makes up rhinoceros horn and our toenails – a protein called keratin. Cats’ whiskers and porcupine quills are special kinds of hairs. Even the strange scales on the back of a pangolin are specially adapted hairs. Just like in humans, hairs with round shafts are straight, and curly hairs are flattened to various degrees.
When talking about pet hair and specific breeds of cats and dogs, “fur” is usually used to refer to a double coat of hair that covers the entire body. “Hair” is usually a finer, softer, longer, single coat and - as in the case of humans, the Sphynx, and the Devon and Cornish Rex breeds of cat - may not cover all of the body.

An often-repeated humorous quotation (author unknown) about hair versus fur is:

Dogs and cats: If it's where it belongs (on the animal), it's fur; if it's where it doesn't belong (on your black slacks), it's hair.

            Humans: If it's where it belongs (on the top of your head), it's hair; if it's where it  

            doesn't belong (on your back), it's fur.

Many people consider “hair” to be less allergenic than fur, but hair is not the culprit when it comes to allergies. The real culprits that stimulate allergic reactions are a number of proteins in a cat’s saliva and other glands in the body. They are deposited on the surface of the cat as he grooms and secreted from the sebaceous glands in the skin. These allergens mix with the surface of the skin and coat, and are then shed into the environment, naturally. It is true that some breeds that shed less and have finer hair are less likely to build up allergens within the coat and less likely to spread as much allergenic material in the environment, but even Sphynx cats groom themselves and have sebaceous glands, so are not truly allergy-free! For more information about why people are allergic to cats, stay tuned for our next blog article!

Meanwhile, if you are overwhelmed by your cat's shedding, you could put the cat hair to use!
Check out this book about crafting with cat hair or take a look at Flora Davis' cat hair jewelry.

Why does dental care cost so much?!?

Our own Mr. B is 10 months old. His teeth are pretty good, but he already has a tiny bit of buildup on his upper premolar.

Most people do not realize that the quality of dental care can vary from veterinary hospital to veterinary hospital. Contacting a veterinary hospital and asking what they charge for teeth cleaning may not give you the whole picture. Many veterinary hospitals will tell you that they cannot give you a good estimate for a dental procedure before examining your cat, and there is good reason. As a rule, until a veterinarian performs an exam under anesthesia, we do not have the whole picture of the cat’s oral health and can only offer a range of possibilities, not an exact quote. Often, the whole picture does not emerge until after dental x-rays are taken.

At Exclusively Cats Veterinary Hospital, we take pride in the quality of our care and are happy to discuss treatment plans with you, making sure that you have a clear understanding of exactly what fees and services you are paying for.

As an educated pet owner, there are questions that you should ask when getting a quote for dental services:

1. Are there any additional charges associated with a teeth cleaning, such as labwork, tooth extraction, x-rays, medications or other after-care? The estimate for treatment that we give you is comprehensive. We even try to anticipate all the extractions that may be needed. You may want to clarify whether an estimate for teeth cleaning that you receive elsewhere includes everything, or whether the clinic you called gave a minimum estimate over the phone and might add additional charges to the estimate once you are in the office.

Bloodwork is one of the best ways to get information about a cat's health

2. Will preanesthetic bloodwork be done? We check labwork on each pet prior to the dental procedure to highlight any health issues that could compromise the anesthetic procedure. The type and extent of labwork will vary based on the age and health of the patient, and also may depend on prior labwork that we have recently evaluated.



3. Will my pet be given IV fluids? An IV catheter allows instant access to the circulatory system if an emergency situation should arise. Anesthesia over time will decrease the blood pressure. Fluid therapy supports kidney function during anesthetic procedures and keeps the blood pressure in a safe range while your cat is asleep. Any time that a cat is having teeth extracted, we place an IV catheter. Also, patients of a certain age will routinely receive IV fluids. If at any time we feel that our dental patient may be a critical anesthetic risk, we will place an IV as well, for the safety of your pet.

Four-handed dentistry!

4. Who will be performing the procedure and what is their level of training? Any dental surgical procedure should include a minimum of 4 hands (a veterinarian and technician). Our most experienced and well-trained technicians assist the doctor during dental procedures and only our veterinarians perform extractions. In some cases with highly critical patients, a second or third technician may be required to ensure the safety of the cat.

Dogs and cats experience dental disease in markedly different ways. At a practice that sees both dogs and cats, it is common for the veterinarian’s experience to be primarily canine dentistries, whereas our veterinarians have 100% of their experience with feline dental procedures. Since Exclusively Cats Veterinary Hospital opened its doors, our staff members have performed over 5,000 feline dental cleanings and oral surgeries. There have been multiple instances in which veterinarians from other hospitals have called to consult with or ask advice from our doctors about complex or difficult feline dental cases.

Pulse and oxygen monitor

5. What type of vital signs monitoring will be performed, and who will be performing the monitoring? Different veterinary hospitals monitor anesthesia different ways. Our patients’ heart rates, blood pressure and oxygen delivery are monitored throughout the procedure by a technician. In higher risk patients, an EKG and blood gas level are also monitored. The entire time that the veterinarian is working on your cat’s mouth, a technician is by their side, assisting and monitoring, and in critical risk patients, one or more additional technicians will be at hand to help ensure the safety of your pet.

Dental models and x-rays are used to help explain what happened during the procedure

6. What kind of discharge information will you receive and from whom? If your cat has any kind of abnormality observed during the dentistry, the dental technician will discuss the dental x-rays and findings with you at the time of the discharge appointment.



7. What type of anesthesia will be used? We use isoflurane gas anesthesia for our dental patients. Isoflurane is an extremely safe anesthesia –the gas begins to leave the system as soon as the cat exhales for the first time after the gas is turned off. Some injectable anesthetics remain in the system for hours after use, with no way to counteract it if there is an emergency. Each patient has a breathing tube inserted into their trachea to keep water from entering the lungs during the dental procedure. Each cat is given a pre-surgical sedative to help decrease the amount of anesthesia needed and increase safety. We had a client report to us that they were changing veterinarians because their 4-year-old cat died under anesthesia while having a dental procedure performed elsewhere. At Exclusively Cats Veterinary Hospital, we have never lost a patient under anesthesia for dentistry.



8. Will my cat be sleeping on a heated blanket during the procedure? Low body temperature is a very high risk during dental procedures. Since anesthesia lowers body temperature and the water from the dental procedure can lower temperature even more, every dental patient at our hospital is placed between two warm circulating water blankets to keep their body temperature normal.

The tooth on the far right is missing above the gumline but there is still a root remaining

9. Will dental films be taken and reviewed by a veterinarian? Considering that 80% of pets over 3 years of age have some degree of dental disease, most of it below the gumline where it cannot be seen, estimating for dental care even after examining the mouth is difficult. The real dental exam happens while the cat is sleeping, once large amounts of tartar have been removed and each tooth has been probed and x-rayed. In some cases a tooth that looks healthy or is missing above the gumline may be developing problems at the root – if we only looked at the part of the tooth that could be seen above the gum, you might find your cat with a painful abscess within weeks to months after a thorough tooth cleaning. That is why x-rays are so important. Every dental procedure that we perform will have dental films taken.

In many cases, we have found areas where tooth remnants have been left behind by other hospitals where x-rays have not been taken. These remnants can cause pain, or become infected and cause more serious issues. In some cases, we have had other veterinarians refer patients to our office for a repeat dentistry within days of having a dental procedure performed elsewhere. In these cases, we do invite the referring veterinarian to sit in on the dentistry for educational purposes.

Feline Dental Chart

10. Will dental charting be done to record the health of the teeth for future knowledge? This allows us to track changes in each tooth’s health so that we can take action before there is irreversible disease and the tooth must be extracted.

Cat "cavities" start below the gum instead of at the crown

11. Will nerve blocks be used if teeth are extracted? Just as your dentist uses novocaine prior to working on one of your teeth, we use numbing drugs to reduce post-operative pain in your cat.



12. Will pain medication be given? Anyone who has had a wisdom tooth extracted knows how painful a tooth extraction can be. We give 2 different pain medications (a short-acting and then a long-acting) to ease this burden for your cat.



13. How long will your cat be observed after the dental procedure? At our hospital, the post-surgical patients are housed in the main treatment area where they can be observed from the time they are finished with their procedure until they are discharged. There are a number of instances where we have been able to make a cat more comfortable after surgery because we have been monitoring the cat throughout the afternoon, where a cat in a separate kennel area may not have had the need for additional comfort noted.



14. Will an ultrasonic scaler be used to clean the teeth or manual scaling techniques or both? Hand scaling (picking off the buildup on the tooth by hand) is not as effective as ultrasonic scaling to remove buildup on the teeth, but using an ultrasonic scaler alone could cause tooth damage if large amounts of buildup are present. We manually remove large chunks of calculus (tartar) from the teeth first, and then remove the microscopic amounts with the ultrasonic scaler.

15. Will polish be applied to the teeth after cleaning? Scaling the teeth leaves behind tiny scratches that become an anchor for buildup to form. Polishing removes these scratches and smoothes the surface of the tooth so that it is harder for buildup to gain a foothold.

Oravet Barrier Sealant

 

16. Will fluoride be applied to the teeth after polishing? Fluoride helps strengthen the enamel of the tooth as well as adhering to pores in the tooth that can be painful when exposed to air.



17. Will sealant be applied to the teeth after polishing? We apply Oravet sealant to the teeth after the procedure to seal the gumline and provide more resistance to future buildup.

Painting the teeth with a protective sealant

At Exclusively Cats Veterinary Hospital, we do all of these things. We have had many people report to us that their cats had a change in personality (for the better!) after we performed a dental treatment for their cat. Some previously antisocial cats have become more social; some quiet, older cats have had an increase in energy and a new interest in play.

We recently had a client who chose to take her cats elsewhere for a surgical procedure in order to save $100. After the procedure was over, she learned that she was not getting the services that she thought she was paying for and had to call our office several times in the weeks following the procedure to ask questions about post-surgical complications. She ended up spending that $100 and more (both at the other hospital and then later at ours) in order to make her cats feel better.

We take pride in the skill of our staff and the care and thoughtfulness that we can provide for each patient. It is always your prerogative to choose where you seek your veterinary care and decide what is best for your pets. Our ambition is to help you achieve your health goals for your cats however you allow us to do that.

Meet Max and Cisco, the Cats of August!

Max and Cisco

Ages:  I’m Max, the cream colored one, and I am going to be two on Thanksgiving.  And the black and silver cat is my brother Cisco, and he just turned one.

Weight:  We are big boys and we are still growing and filling out!  We seem to get a little heavier each time we visit the vet. Cisco is 9.45 pounds and Max is 12.65 pounds, which are good weights for them.

Demeanor at vet:  Going to the vet is no problem for us!  Everyone is so nice and we feel very at home. We are not shy!!  At home we even greet all our visitors at the door!

How we found our home:

In our case, our owners found us.  We came from a breeder who breeds American Shorthairs.  We are half brothers, our Dad came in 3^rd place in some National Cat Show.   Our sweet personality and good looks makes even anti-feline lovers LOVE us!!  We have Mom, Dad and the kids eating out of our hands (paws)!  We pretty much run this house!  We sleep on the table, or the kitchen counter, on the window sill, on the couch, but we prefer to be snuggled up to whoever is lucky enough to have us!  Mom tried to train us to stay of the kitchen counter…ha! We showed her!! 

Favorite Toys:

The kids! Grace, Michael and Dylan are young like us, and we love playing with them.  The kids carry us around and even put clothes on us…we don’t mind!  Cisco even likes sleeping with Michael on the top bunk of his bed each night!  We are young, so we still love to play and wrestle together, and we love cat nip!!  I like to take car rides, sometimes going to pick the kids up at school or for a quick drive-thru trip, anytime Mom doesn’t have to get out of the car and leave me alone.  I like to cuddle in the passenger seat especially in the winter when the heated seats are on.

Food and Treats:

We like to eat!!  We eat both wet and dry food, and we get cat treats!  We beg (and usually get) chicken when Mom makes it!!  Sometimes Daddy sneaks us treats that mom doesn’t know about!

How we got our names:

The kids named me, my full name is Maximilian Mahaney.  Dad named Cisco, he is a Network Engineer and works with Cisco Stuff and picked that name for him.

Feline Friends:  Minnie, she came into our house the same time we did.  But she’s older (4), and doesn’t like to play with us.  She lays around a lot and cuddles with Mom and Dad all the time.

Sophia's Story: What's in your cat's mouth?

Extra teeth!

Normal teeth (This is Max!)

Sophia is an 8-month-old Bengal kitten that her family adopted through the Oakland Pet Adoption Center. She was rescued from a hoarding situation here in Waterford. When we first saw her, she was lean and petite, but not undernourished, and appeared healthy. However, when Dr. Bailey examined her teeth, he discovered that she had more teeth than she was supposed to! Cats usually have 2 lower premolars and 1 lower molar. Sophia had extra molars on both sides of her lower jaw. She also had two “gemini teeth” – one on each side of her jaw. This type of tooth has two crowns (the part above the gum that you can see) that form from one set of roots. Several of her teeth had extra roots as well.

Left side of Sophie's jaw

Right side of Sophie's jaw

Normally, food particles build up on the surface of the teeth, but the majority of food debris are swallowed. Since Sophia’s mouth had many extra nooks and crannies to catch food, and since cats can’t brush their teeth, Sophia’s extra teeth put her at high risk for severe dental disease. Dr. Bailey recommended extraction of the extra and poorly-formed teeth in order to help keep her remaining teeth healthy.

Ideally, a veterinarian (your pet’s dentist!) should examine the mouth after all the adult teeth have erupted. At Exclusively Cats Veterinary Hospital, we recommend a fluoride application at about 6 months of age – this gives us an opportunity to examine your cat’s mouth under anesthesia and check to see that all the adult teeth have erupted normally, and that there are no malformations or places where the teeth do not pair up well.

Normal feline tooth anatomy

As beautiful as purebreds are, many specialized breeds are at higher risk for dental abnormalities. Persians and other snub-nosed breeds have the same number of teeth and the same-sized teeth as other breeds in a MUCH smaller mouth. This puts them at increased risk for dental disease.

Dental health is one of the many reasons that annual exams are important for all cats, even those that are young and healthy. This little lady was less than a year old! 

Misaligned bite ("wry mouth")

Surprisingly, about 40% of cats that are LESS THAN 3 years of age already have dental tartar! Feeding an oral health diet like Royal Canin Oral Sensitive 30 or Science Diet Oral Care can help decrease dental tartar, but unless you can brush your cat’s teeth after every meal, you are probably going to hear your veterinarian recommend a dental cleaning at least once in your cat’s life. It is best to schedule dental cleanings before disease is present – just like in humans, it has been found that bacteria from the mouth are continually swallowed and can affect other parts of the body, such as the heart and the kidneys. Unlike human dental disease that happens at the crown (the visible part) of the tooth, more often cat dental disease starts below the gumline where it often can't be seen until a lot of damage is already done. Teeth can also become infected below the gumline, causing pockets of pus that can cause fever, facial swelling, bone destruction or constant sneezing.

Feline Hyperthermia: Is summer too hot to handle?

The weather this spring and summer has been extremely hot and humid this year, while little rain has fallen. During these “dog days”, pets are at high risk for hyperthermia and dehydration. Humans have the ability to sweat and the knowledge that it’s time for a nice glass of Gatorade to replace body salts lost through sweat. While cats do sweat through their feet, the surface of the paw pads do not provide enough cooling to lower the internal temperature. Cats DO pant, but only once the temperature reaches about 90 degrees, and it is not as efficient as it is in dogs. Cats will also groom more in hot weather, moistening their coats in an attempt to cool down, but again, that thick coat of fur is doing no favors. Cats that roam outdoors may not have easy access to water.

A cat’s normal body temperature is 99.5 to 102.5 degrees at the core and can be slightly higher or lower at the extremities (ears, tail and legs). Heatstroke is an illness that develops when the cat’s body temperature reaches 104 to 106 degrees Fahrenheit due to environmental heat (this is different than a fever which is a result of changes within the body). If the cat’s body temperature rises above 106 degrees, the heat stroke is considered severe and requires immediate veterinary care. If your cat is suffering from heat stroke, it is important to lower its body temperature or death can occur.

How will you know if your cat is experiencing heat stroke?

Signs of Feline Hyperthermia (Heatstroke)

• Panting
• Lethargy (sleepiness or unwillingness to move)
• Rapid heart rate
• Dark, red colored gums
• Thick, sticky saliva
• Anxiety
• Dizziness
• Weakness
• Vomiting and/or diarrhea
• Depression
• Shock
• Nose bleed
• Muscle tremors
• Coma
  
  

In addition to watching for symptoms, you may wish to check your cat’s body temperature with a rectal thermometer. A temperature above 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit requires immediate attention.

How to Treat Heatstroke in Cats

If you think that your cat may be suffering from heat stroke, please contact your veterinarian, immediately! Hyperthermia can quickly become a life or death situation, so a qualified doctor should be involved.

If you think your cat may be suffering from hyperthermia, remove it from the heat immediately. Pour lukewarm water over the cat, making sure the undercoat becomes wet, not just the surface of the hair. Once the hair is thoroughly wet, place the cat near a fan to increase air circulation. An automobile air conditioner can cool the cat too quickly,  so be cautious on the way to the veterinary office. If the body cools too quickly, the cat can easily become hypothermic (too cold) and other medical issues can arise.
The rectal temperature should be checked every 5 minutes to ensure that the temperature is not dropping too quickly or too low. As soon as the body temperature reaches 103ºF, the cooling measures should be stopped and the cat should be thoroughly dried and covered so he does not continue to cool. Even if the cat appears to be recovering, he may still be dehydrated or have other internal complications, so take him to your veterinarian as soon as possible. 

At the veterinary hospital, your cat will be monitored for complications of heat stroke such as respiratory distress, heart abnormalities, organ failure, shock and other complications, and treated accordingly. If his temperature has not yet become normal, your veterinarian will take steps to return the temperature to normal. Depending on your veterinarian’s assessment, your cat may receive IV fluid therapy, oxygen therapy, or other treatments to address the complications of this illness, such as clotting disorders.

Cats who have suffered from mild hyperthermia may return to normal health within a few hours. Severe cases of hyperthermia may result in long-term health issues, such as kidney disease, and may require lifelong treatment. A cat that has suffered heat stroke once in their lives may be at higher risk for repeat episodes in the future.

Prevention of Hyperthermia in Cats

Fortunately, heat stroke is fairly easy to prevent. While we often see warnings about leaving dogs in parked cars in the summer, we rarely see similar warnings about cats – mostly because cats don’t tend to travel with their families as frequently as dogs do. However, cats are just as at-risk for hyperthermia when left alone in a vehicle as dogs, since cars can quickly become ovens (up to 140 degrees!) even on a “quick trip” to the store.

If your cat is regularly allowed outdoors, even if he comes inside at night, please make sure that you provide a shady shelter from the sun, such as a cat house. Your cat may not appreciate it, but you should limit outdoor time on the hottest days, and keep your cat inside during 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., which is when the sun is at its highest peak and temperatures tend to be warmer. Fresh water should also be provided on a daily, if not twice daily, basis. Even if your cat is an indoor cat, be sure to leave him plenty of fresh water daily. Placing a few ice cubes in the water will help keep it refreshing.
There is no set temperature that is “too hot” for your cat, but be aware that older cats with pre-existing medical conditions such as heart disease, obesity, asthma or other respiratory conditions place them at higher risk for heat stroke will  have a lower tolerance for heat than young, healthy cats.

If you do not have air conditioning in your house, be sure that your cats have access to cooler areas in your home such as your basement, or rooms with ceiling or other fans.

Read about more ways to keep your cats cool!

Summer safety tips

Summertime can be nerve-wracking for cats because so many holidays are celebrated with fireworks. Many cats will run for the bed when there’s a mere knock on the door or a ring of the doorbell. When firecrackers go off, it can be devastating to a timid kitty. To help your cat cope, you can prepare a sanctuary in advance – a bed in a closet or the basement where the sounds will be more muffled. Feliway spray or a diffuser and items with your kitty’s own smell on them will help create a calming scent. Show your cat this area before the 4^th of July so she will know it’s her safe place. It might also help to spend the evening in the room with your cats, petting them and offering soothing words.

 If you have tried offering a secluded room in the past and your cat is still traumatized,  you might want to ask your veterinarian about a mild sedative or tranquilizer, just to get the cat through the day.  Try to check on your cat every couple of hours, petting her and talking to her. Try to keep to her normal feeding schedule as much as possible, since cats are stressed by changes in routine.

If your cat normally spends time outdoors, it would be best to keep him indoors for the day. Unfortunately, there are people who find it amusing to tie strings of firecrackers to cats’ tails. Curious cats may receive burned paws or faces from lit fireworks or sparklers, or may receive burns from falling sparks. Playing with unlit fireworks may result in ingestion of heavy metals – not rock band music, but toxic substances such as potassium nitrate and arsenic. At night, your cat may also be at risk for being hit by falling burning debris or misfired rockets.

If you are planning a boisterous barbecue with lots of guests, you might want to consider boarding your cat during the holiday. Otherwise, it is a good idea to keep your cats in their sanctuary with food, water and litter for the duration of the party. Cats that are frightened because of large numbers of people might dash for the door, or curious cats may slip outside along with an unwary visitor or through a door that was accidentally left open. This is an excellent reason why even indoor cats benefit from being microchipped!

Even if it's just family, try to discourage people from feeding your kitty scraps from the barbecue, though she might beg. Feeding something other than a normal diet at a time of high stress can cause diarrhea or result in vomiting later. Also, many barbecued foods are seasoned with garlic and onions, which are toxic to cats, or other seasonings that may cause stomach upset. It is never a good idea to offer beer or other alcoholic drinks to pets, or leave it where pets can reach it. It takes a much smaller amount of alcohol to poison a pet than it does a human. Signs of alcohol poisoning are weakness, depression, coma and death.

Only use sunscreen and insect repellents that are designed for cats. DEET (N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide) is not a product recommended for use in pets and can cause neurological problems. Do not use dog products on cats. Pyrethrins have a very narrow range of safety, so using the wrong size product can poison your pet. Any product containing permethrin is toxic to cats! In fact, it is much safer to use products that do not contain permethrins or pyrethrins, such as Revolution and Advantage Multi (heartworm and flea preventive products all in one), or Advantage (flea prevention only) and Frontline (flea and tick protection). Ingestion of sunscreen products can cause drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive thirst and lethargy. 

Make sure to protect your cats from heartworm disease with monthly preventives, even if they live indoors. Heartworm disease is transmitted through the bite of a mosquito, and mosquitoes occasionally come indoors. This year is projected to be an especially bad year for mosquitoes due to the mild winter weather.

Note: Eating a glow stick will not make your cat glow. Sorry!

Keep matches and lighter fluid away from pets. Lighter fluid should not be used to treat fleas or remove ticks. Lighter fluid can irritate the skin and causes stomach irritation if groomed off the fur. If the fumes of lighter fluid are inhaled, it can cause aspiration pneumonia or other respiratory issues. Certain matches contain chlorates which can damage blood cells, cause respiratory distress or cause kidney damage. 

Do not allow pets to wear or play with glow jewelry. The glowing substance inside these products is not highly toxic, but can cause stomach irritation and excessive drooling. Small parts may be swallowed and require surgical removal.

Citronella candles or other products can cause stomach irritation if ingested.

Make sure that your pool is pet safe!

Many people inflate pools for their children in the summer if they don’t have a year-round pool. Never leave pets unattended around a pool of any kind. Fence your full-sized pool with a secure gate, and never leave your pet inside the fenced pool area unsupervised.  Make sure pets can get out of the pool. If a pet jumps or falls in and doesn’t know how to get out without help, it may panic and drown. If your cat falls into a chlorinated pool, make sure that you thoroughly wash the coat thoroughly, and make sure that if your pool does not have stairs or a ramp to get in and out (ladders don’t count!), that you make sure that your cat does not have access to the pool – they won’t be able to get back out if they fall in! Try not to let pets drink pool water. Chlorine and chemicals used to keep pools free of algae and contaminants can cause pet health problems, such as dry mouth or gastric distress, and small wading pools with standing water can become contaminated with single-celled organisms such as Giardia, which can cause diarrhea. 

Summer is a time of relaxation and carefree fun in the sun – make sure that you take precautions to keep it that way for your pet, too!

Meet Mr. July!

Oliver Simon Trouble-Maker Light

Age: Almost 2

Weight: 12.70 pounds, good body condition

Birthday: July 12, 2010

Gender: Neutered Alpha-Male

Demeanor at the veterinary office: Sweet kitten, but vocal and wiggly!

Feline Friends: Basil and Kitty

How I found my furr-ever home, by Oliver's mom: 

I have had trouble finding and keeping healthy cats my whole life. When I was just a little girl I decided to name my very first cat Princess Sparkle Rainbow Cookie Unicorn Mermaid. As you can imagine this name was difficult to remember and just plain stupid so my parents simply named her Kitty. Kitty-One, as we now call her, was a black and white fluff ball of amazingness and I loved her dearly. My favorite activities included carrying her around and dumping bags of treats on the floor for her to devour. I can imagine she wanted to escape from me - I was too young to know that cats didn’t like to be pulled by their tails and what direction they wanted their fur petted, so she escaped out the front door one day and she never came back.

My parents and I felt the void of a cat-less home and searched for another adorable kitten to replace the one that we had lost when we came across an adorable orange and white kitten with the biggest green eyes I had ever seen and his tiny black calico sister at our local PetSmart. I let my younger sister have the adorable calico whom she named Princess Stormy and I fell in love with my adorable orange cat whom I named, Kitty Happy-Cat Light. These two kittens loved each other, always cuddling and keeping each other safe and comfortable. However it wasn’t meant to last and Kitty’s sister, Stormy, suffered from kidney disease at a young age and had to be put to sleep. 

Some time later, my sister adopted two kittens from Ohio, Batman and Casper, who turned out to have Feline Leukemia. We obviously couldn’t keep them for the risk of Kitty catching this highly contagious disease so we brought them to Leuk’s Landing where they enjoyed the rest of their very short lives.

Although a very, very happy cat, Kitty seemed to feel the loss of his sister and I felt that he needed a feline companion to keep him young and active. I looked for a tiny companion for Kitty every time I went shopping for cat-litter and food until one day I found Oliver Simon Trouble-Maker Light. When he looked up at me with his tiny yellow-green eyes my heart melted and I knew I was going to take him home. You see, I have a weakness for orange cats. I could feel his energy through the little glass enclosure and I knew I had to bring him home. I also picked out a buddy for him to play with, Basil Fat-Fatty Moe Light. Oliver was adopted with his tiny buddy, Basil, from PetSmart on Orchard Lake Road in 2010.

Description of Oliver:

Oliver is the absolute softest cat you will ever feel. His bunny fur is light orange and striped (Our house-keeper calls him the yellow-cat) with an adorable white chin that looks as if he just gulped down a whole bowl of milk. He has replaced Kitty as the Alpha-Male in our household, continuously play-battling Basil for the rights to the throne. He allows Kitty to rule the household, always knowing that he could take command at any moment. Kitty and Oliver seem to have a special bond because they are often spotted having top-secret conversations with each other. 

My friends and I like to think of Oliver as a lion! Oliver’s walk is slow and powerful but he can run at lightening fast speeds. He relaxes in positions of virility and yet is always full of energy, ready to pounce at any moment. Don’t be too intimidated though because Oliver makes the cutest high pitched “prrrr-ow” noise, no fearsome-roar from him! He likes to lay on his back in the center of a room with his hands and feet curled around each other and his big fluffy tail wrapped around his feet. If you don’t pay enough attention to him, even while he is pretending to sleep he will open one eye, “purr-ow” and then close them really quickly so you remember to find out how cute he is being. If you ever can’t find Oliver, it’s because he is sleeping on my bed, which seems to be the communal cat rest-area. On the rare occasion that I allow Oliver to go outside, he mows down the grass in our lawn with his razor sharp teeth and tries to chase butterflies.

Why would you want to take my cat "in the back"?

It can be a little distressing when the veterinarian or technician announces that they are taking your pet back to the "treatment area" for a nail trim, blood draw, blood pressure exam or other procedure. What goes on behind closed doors? Why do they request that you remain in the exam room?

The treatment room at Exclusively Cats Veterinary Hospital is a large room with special spotlights, tall tables, anesthesia machines, and various equipment for anything from a nail trim to a small surgical procedure, such as abscess treatment. The boarding rooms are off this room, as is the ICU area. It is the center of the hospital.

Just like small children, pets will often act out in front of their "parents" either because they are feeding off the emotional state of their owners, or because they know what to expect as a reaction from their owners if they make certain sounds or motions. Once removed from the exam room, they usually calm down somewhat to evaluate the unknown environment and unknown people around them.

In some cases, with extremely stubborn or unruly patients (we call them "fractious"), it may be for your own safety that we take your cat "to the back". Ultimately, even though we are an animal health facility, our professional responsibility is also to make sure that no harm comes to the human caretakers in our office (i.e. YOU). Cats generally lash out at anyone nearby when they are upset, and don't care whether they are friend or foe. It is our wish that no client receive an injury from their cat - especially not while at our office! Cat bites can be extremely traumatic, both emotionally and health-wise. Some people are extremely sensitive to the bacteria that is found in many cats' mouths - it is possible that a cat bite could send a person to the hospital for IV antibiotics! While we don't want to frighten anyone, we do want clients to take cat bites seriously, and to allow us to remove a stressed-out or aggressive cat to a more controlled situation if it appears that someone might get injured.

Additionally, while we all love animals - that's why we chose to work with them, our job is to make sure that procedures are accomplished with minimal stress and maximum efficiency for the sake of the cat. Once the pet is in the treatment area, we still treat your cat with respect and care - we NEVER scruff them, and still speak reassuringly towards them, but we may work more quickly and with less conversation than we would if you were present.

Even if your cat is the best patient ever, and acts better in your presence than away from you, it is often preferable to use the treatment area because a wider variety of tools are available, along with better lighting, better tables, and additional staff close at hand in case they are needed - other doctors for a quick second opinion, or another technician for additional handling, calming or for running additional tests, etc. again, all in the interest of providing your pet with the care it needs in a professional and efficient manner.
 

Also, your pet is not the only cat in the treatment area. We often have multiple procedures occurring on different tables - a blood draw on an uncooperative patient, a wound treatment or anal gland expression - something that is not for the faint of heart to observe, or a family may be visiting one of our critical care patients, or there may be a very high-tension cat waiting for surgery (the kind that screams when someone walks by the cage). Having extra commotion in the treatment area could disturb these procedures or aggravate cats that are close to the end of their ropes. In addition, we use chemotherapeutic medications, radioactive iodine and x-ray equipment - these are things that our highly trained staff has been specially educated to use safely, but which could be risk factors for people visiting in the back. In fact, we are legally bound not to allow non-staff-members to be in the room when we take x-rays or to allow anyone into the Radioactive Iodine boarding room other than those registered with our Nuclear Physicist. For these reasons, we often discourage people from coming back into the treatment area when we take their cats "in the back".

There are definitely times that we welcome you "in the back" - to visit a critical patient that is hospitalized with us, to say goodbye to your cat if you are leaving them with us for the day, to see our boarding facilities, or to show you the result of an exam performed under anesthesia. However, most of the time, we hope you understand when we ask you to wait in the exam room, or tell you to go grab some lunch while we run diagnostics. It's not because we don't like you! It is for the safety and well-being of all involved. If you ever feel uncomfortable with a request or recommendation that we make, please do let us know - our goal is to make sure that you and your cat get the best care that we can provide!

Foxy Socksy needs some help!

Foxy Socksy started vomiting when she started eating solid food. Until that time, she appeared to be a normal, healthy kitten. She and her brother were separated from their mother 10 days after birth, and were being bottle raised by a caring family. After visiting two other veterinary hospitals and being treated with oral medications for vomiting, she was showing no improvement and was significantly falling behind her brother in weight.

Barium highlights the stricture

When she came to Exclusively Cats Veterinary Hospital, we took x-rays and discovered that she either has a stricture (narrowing) of the tube that connects the mouth to the stomach – the esophagus – or she has a developmental problem called a vascular ring anomaly (where an abnormal blood vessel grows around the esophagus and pinches it). We gave her some barium, which helps highlight anatomy, and it shows that the part of the esophagus between the 5^th and 6^th rib is definitely narrowed.

Snuggles and pets after anesthesia

Since she is so small, we want her to gain weight before we perform surgery on her. Also, we want to better know what to expect in surgery, so first, we want to take a special kind of x-ray called an angiogram that highlights the blood vessels for us.

In the meantime, to help her grow, we have been stretching the esophagus by dilating it while she is under anesthesia with larger and larger tubes. This allows her to take in some solid food, even though she still needs to stand up on her hind legs to eat.

Each night, she goes home with one of our staff members so that she can be monitored and cleaned up, if needed. She becomes very distressed when she vomits, so she gets lots of snuggles and reassurance when that happens.

Eating like this allows food to trickle down her throat

So far, she has had two dilations performed – one on 6/6 and one on 6/14, and she has gained a quarter of a pound. After the first dilation, she was quite improved for about 2-3 days, then the stricture narrowed again. We are being cautiously optimistic about her progress, but she has a long road ahead of her.

Samson's Story: Rags to Riches

Samson, day 1, September 2012

Samson's wounds and hair loss (see his rat tail?)

Do you think you would ever say that becoming a stray was the best thing that ever happened to a cat? We didn’t think so, either, but in Samson’s case, it may be true!

Samson was a stray Persian-mix cat, approximately 2-3 years old, that was found by one of our clients in September 2011. He was un-neutered, loaded with fleas, missing half of his haircoat, and covered in wounds. He had 4 torn toenails and was terribly thin – only 5.25 pounds. He also had significant dental disease. After a negative Feline Leukemia Virus test and a negative Feline Immunodeficiency Virus test, the people that found him decided to keep him. We treated his wounds, his fleas and his intestinal parasites and neutered him. Due to his fragile condition, we did not vaccinate him at that time.

Spots of ringworm glowing under black light

Samson in January 2012, still fighting ringworm...

Once his wounds had healed, he broke out with ringworm – a skin fungus that he likely picked up while he was outdoors, but may also have had prior to becoming a stray. Samson turned out to have one of the worst and most persistent cases of ringworm that we have ever seen – he was covered with lesions and had to be medicated with oral medications and medicated baths for almost 7 months! We use a black light to look for fluorescence on the hairs when they are infected with ringworm. Poor Samson looked like a glowing leopard!

Samson's uncomfortable mouth, filled with gingivitis and calculus

Now that he has finally fought off the ringworm, he has more than doubled his weight (10.6 pounds!) is healthy enough that we have been able to vaccinate him, and he is staying with us Tuesday for a dental cleaning and oral surgery to fix his mouth. Unfortunately, after looking at his dental x-rays and probing his teeth with a special probe, it is clear that all of his teeth are diseased except his canines. Perhaps it is genetic, as it is in many cats, or perhaps his time as a severely malnourished stray had some effect on his oral health, but either way, after talking with his owner about options, we will be extracting all the diseased teeth, today. Fortunately, cats are still able to enjoy their food with only a few teeth left, and Samson will be much healthier without all the bacteria festering in his mouth.

Samson, May 2012, ringworm free!

Samson has been so lucky to find such a patient and loving home where he is well-fed and well-cared-for and his new owners are willing to deal with his multiple health issues.