This is a page of Kitty-Cat Chit Chat topics.

Do you get overwhelmed at veterinary visits? Are there too many things to keep track of that your cat needs? I can help! Below is a breakdown of categories of medical recommendations your veterinarian and technicians will be making for Fluffy at your next visit. Be sure to listen carefully, ask questions if you don’t understand, and make educated choices about your pets healthcare.

Annual Feline Wellness:

• Vaccines – don’t skimp, these are important!
  • Rabies
  • Distemper or FVRCP or Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, and Panleukopenia
  • FeLV or Feline Leukemia Virus
• Fecal Analysis
  • Intestinal parasites can be transmissible to people, too! Protect yourself and Fluffy with twice yearly fecal screenings for intestinal parasites. You won’t regret it!
• Age appropriate wellness blood work
  • Even young, apparently healthy pets should have wellness blood work – why? Healthy wellness bloodwork sets a baseline for every pet. When a medical problem arises, it allows veterinarians to make better medical recommendations for your pet. If you can’t afford to do this every year, at least try for every other year! It’s important!
• Heartworm Preventative
  • Heartworm Disease is scary and can be deadly. No matter what part of the country you live in, protect your feline friends, and your wallet, from this unnecessary disease.
• Flea/Tick Preventative
  • Flea and ticks are pesky but preventing them doesn’t have to be! Use a prescription flea and tick preventative every month, all year long, to assure no creepy crawly critters will be invading your home!
• FIV/FeLV testing (if applicable, for at risk cats)
  • Indoor/Outdoor kitties that are exposed to cats of unknown health status are recommended to receive this vaccination which protects them from feline aids and leukemia. Feline aids and leukemia is transmitted between cats through blood, saliva, and mating. Before vaccinating, make sure your kitty is negative for these diseases. If your cat goes outdoors, they should receive this testing every year prior to their vaccination.
• SDMA Testing
  • Kidney disease is all too common among cats. Sometimes, when we finally detect it, it can be too late. Find out years earlier if your cat will develop kidney disease, so that you can treat and prevent its progression sooner with the SDMA testing. This test can be easily added onto any blood panel if it is not already included. A healthy kitty is a happy kitty!

 

Preferred Feline Products:

I’m sure all of you have been to the pet store in search of a specific item, only to find when you arrive at the pet store and find the correct aisle, there are a MILLION choices for the product you are trying to purchase. NEVER FEAR! Below are my preferred products for all of the vital items that cat owners need! These products are veterinarian tested and approved. Don’t be surprised if some of them are prescription only. That’s because they are worth it! Don’t settle for less when it comes to your beloved feline companion.

All cat owners should have their felines on flea, tick, and heartworm preventatives every month, all year long. NO EXCEPTIONS! It doesn’t matter how little your cat goes outside (if at all). YOU go outside. And your house is not a secure bubble free of all things creepy-crawly.

My favorite flea, tick, and heartworm combined preventative for cats is a monthly topical called Revolution. Why? Simply enough, it is an all-in-one preventative that also has a deworming component. It’s hard enough to medicate cats, why should you have to do it twice? This topical has it all and will keep your cat protected every month its applied. It is safe to use around people and other pets, too. Not a fan of topical preventatives? Try the Seresto collar for 8 months of flea and tick protection. But, beware, the Seresto collar must be paired with a heartworm preventative as it is only labeled to protect against fleas and ticks. That means this product is not considered an all-in-one preventative. This product also must be snug to the neck so that body heat can activate the drug used to make this product work. I often see this product misused which is why I would only recommend it to someone that is going to check it frequently. I also would not recommend this collar for indoor/outdoor kitties due to its lack of a breakaway system. Breakaway systems allow for safety in cat collars when they encounter compromising situations outdoors.

Moving on to the next amazing feline product — how many of you have ever had a cat in your house with diarrhea? Who hasn’t?! Many times, the diarrhea is from something Fluffy ate. Some of our feline friends just have sensitive stomachs. I’m sure some of the cat owners out there can relate! Probiotics are a win-win in these situations to help restore the normal flora to the gastrointestinal tract. But, not all probiotics are created equal. Fortiflora is a well loved brand by many and is produced by the well trusted Purina company. It is the most effective probiotic supplement on the market today. Every cat owner should have a box of this on hand in their Feline First Aid Kit.

So, your cat rolled in something fowl out in the yard or brought you a dead gift. Now what? Do you rush to the store to buy the first cat shampoo you can find and hope its not a million dollars? No. Do you pull out the bottle of dish soap from under your kitchen sink? YES! Dawn dish soap is a safe shampoo to use on any pet, even those with severe allergies. You don’t need to spend a million dollars at the grocery store or pet store on cat shampoo that smells like raspberries or something funny. Likely, this will make your cat itch and actually send you to your veterinarian with a dermatologic issue. But, in the event that you want to ask your veterinarian for a shampoo to use instead of Dawn, I recommend the Dechra DermAllay Shampoo and Conditioner set for bathing your feline friend. It makes them so soft and smell so good! Dechra also has a large variety of other shampoo and conditioner options for every type of skin condition. Ask your veterinarian which may be right for you.

Do you have stressed and anxiety ridden feline friends at home? Feliway makes a variety of products to suit any home situation and help Fluffy deal with anxiety. A pheromone derived from birthing mother cats has been clinically proven to help calm anxiety ridden and stressed cats. Their collars, travel sprays, and air fresheners are just what the doctor ordered for a fear free life!

Do you have multiple cats in your home? Are you having trouble helping them get along? In addition to some helpful conversations with your veterinarian, Feliway Multicat can be extremely helpful in all of your Fluffies adjusting to life together under the same roof.

Do you have trouble with inappropriate scratching by your cats on your expensive furniture?  In addition to some helpful conversations with your veterinarian, Feliscratch can help! Used in conjunction with the Feliway products, Feliscratch can help to curb and even prevent inappropriate scratching in your home. It is clinically proven to work. Pretty cool, right?! After all, scratching behavior by your cat is a natural instinct allowing him or her to communicate with other cats in their territory. All we need to do is help them realize we don’t need to do that kind of communicating indoors 🙂

Do your cats get ear infections? Do they build up ear wax or debris making their ears appear dirty? Occasional ear cleanings can prevent all of this from occurring. But, don’t clean them too often! Cats should naturally keep their ears fairly tidy all on their own. But, in the event they don’t, continue reading! There are many home remedies on the internet for ear cleaning solution, all of which are terrifying to me. Would you want alcohol put into your ears? How about vinegar? Or coconut oil? Never put anything into your cats ears unless your veterinarian specifically directs you to do so. I think every feline owner should have a medicated ear cleaner at their disposal to maintain ear health. My favorite ear cleaner is the MalAcetic Ultra ear cleaner from Dechra. I like this ear cleaner because it is drying, antimicrobial, and antifungal. This means that this ear cleaner will help to dry your cats ear out preventing bacteria and fungus from getting trapped inside. Trapped bacteria and fungus is all of the makings for a really good ear infection. The antimicrobial and antifungal properties in this ear cleaner are also beneficial since it will clear and help get rid of minor starts to ear infections before they become bad enough to see your veterinarian. Ear cleaning can be easily done with this ear cleanser and a pile of cotton balls. No Q-tips needed! When in doubt, don’t wait! Chronic ear infections can result in permanent hearing loss and ear damage for Fluffy.

Not seeing a preferred feline product that you need? Comment below!