Ask the Doctor

Q I have a question about my 13-year-old female tabby, who I adopted when she was four weeks old. Molly twitches (thats the best way I can describe it) when she is lying next to me (while shes awake, not sleeping). I have asked our trusted regular veterinarian, but nothing has been revealed through physical examination. Should I be concerned? Diane Fritz …

Q I have a five-year-old cat I adopted from a shelter as a kitten. Spruce has been a wonderful companion, with good behavior and...

Q My dear 16-year-old cat, whom I adopted from a local shelter 15 years ago, has mild to moderate gingivitis. I know it is very important to keep his gums healthy, but he has developed an intolerance to antibiotics, and I can no longer have his teeth professionally cleaned. Unfortunately, I find it impossible to brush his teeth myself. Is there any other way his teeth can be cleaned? Thank you for any information you…

Q I hope you can help me with this problem with my cat, Tyler. When I moved four years ago to my current...

A test for feline pancreatitis? Q In the December 2012 issue, Catnip published an article titled: Pancreatitis: Still a Mystery. Over the years, I have had four cats with pancreatitis, so Im quite experienced with this difficult disease. I feel that the article omitted a couple of important issues. There was no mention of nausea, and nausea is a huge problem for cats with pancreatitis. Additionally, there was no mention of the blood test that is specifically…

Q I have searched extensively for a safe, higher SPF sunscreen for my white cat. I tried Epi-Pet spray, which she did not like and immediately tried to groom off.

She is more tolerant of Aveeno's Protect + Hydrate Lotion Sunscreen with Broad Spectrum SPF 70 — which does have some questionable cat-safe ingredients — but as she does not try to groom it off, I doubt she is ingesting any.

Q Our cat, Dusty, recently escaped from our house, which is in a quiet suburban neighborhood. Dusty was missing for about ten hours before a neighbor spotted her in her backyard.

Obviously, we were very relieved to have our cat back home, but our question is this: Could she be in any medical danger from her brief jaunt outside our home? She is an indoor-only cat, and the only pet we live with currently. There is a feral colony about a block away, but we really have no idea if she interacted with those cats or not. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Linda Belham

My ten-year-old daughter recently asked me a very good question - and I didnt know how to answer her. While playing with our male cat, Henry, she rubbed his belly and discovered that he has nipples. She wants to know the purpose of them. And quite frankly, so do I. Hopefully, you can help!

Q Recently, Catnip published an article called "Does Your Cat Have Bad Breath?" and the author Dr. Plotnick mentions oral cancers that are common in cats. He states that early detection and aggressive treatment are essential for therapy to be successful.

Do carbs make cats fat?
Q I am a long-time subscriber to Catnip, and a volunteer for feline rescue groups in my area. A large female recently came to us at a little over twenty pounds, and was described by our vet as a food-grazer. For the past three weeks under our care, she has been receiving one-quarter cup twice daily of a veterinarian-recommended weight reduction food, and she has lost just under one pound.

Advice for chronic dandruff
Q My husband and I have four cats of varying ages, all of which we adopted as kittens. We take them for their yearly wellness checkups and all is well within our brood. However, we have one concern: Our eight-year-old female cat, Lucy, has unusually thick, dense and short fur - and she is prone to bouts of dandruff throughout most of the year.

When choosing an E-collar
Q I have been a veterinary technician for the past six months, and Im hoping you can give me some good advice that I can pass on to our clients. I am often asked by cat owners about the best E-collar to use after surgery. There are more on the market today than ever before, but I dont want to give them the wrong advice.