Ask the Doctor

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.

A raw spot on my cats body
Q Recently, I noticed that my seven-year-old male cat, Bisco, was excessively grooming his hindquarters. When I investigated the site, I discovered a raw red spot where Bisco had licked the fur and skin off. The vet explained that Bisco had developed a hotspot and that these were fairly common in cats, particularly during the summer.

I am the director of a small-town animal shelter, and we recently took in a two-year-old Bengal who was living with his owner in a meth house. This poor cat was subjected to his owners drug use for most of his life, and he is now suffering the consequences. He suffers from hallucinations, obsessive grooming and blindness - all the while being an incredibly sweet and affectionate cat when not experiencing the after affects of this terrible drug.

My female, Lily, is barely seven pounds, and seems to be pretty healthy except that she has chronic loose bowels/ diarrhea. Texas, the male, is about 10.5 pounds, and has normal bowels (sometimes, even on the hard side). I mention him because the cats are both fed the same diet of primarily wet food.

Q My wife likes to puree vegetables - like peas, carrots and sweet potato - and mix it into our cats canned food. Is this okay to do? Are there any vegetables that should never be added to the cat food? We also add some cranberry powder (made for cats), along with some hairball powder. We trying to be to health-minded, but can we be causing potential problems?
David Smith

Q I had been using a store brand clumping litter for a number of years for my two indoor cats: One is a 16-year-old male, and the other is a two-year-old female. Recently, I needed to switch to a newspaper pellet-type litter for a couple of weeks, and I noticed that the smell is not as bad as the clay clumping litter - and it doesnt track!

Q I have a cat that has a problem with a weeping eye (at the nose), a condition she has had for several years.

Now, the iris is gradually turning orange, starting at the nose, and the eye is starting to squint slightly. This seems to be getting worse. When the cat was adopted at about nine months old, she already had this condition (she was microchipped, but we received no response from her owner).

Our veterinarian has tried several different medications to no avail. Do you have any advice?
Sean Mahoney

Socializing the shy cat
Q For years, I adopted kitten siblings that required close to zero socialization to adjust to living in my home. However, the last four cats Ive adopted from shelters took a long time to feel comfortable enough to come out of hiding from under my bed or behind my sofa. I am happy to report that they are all now well adjusted and contented, but it did take some time.

Some advice for weight loss
Q My cat, Buddy, is obese. He is very long, and weighs close to 29 pounds. Our veterinarian says we should try to get him down to 20 pounds. He has been tested for a thyroid problem, and it appears that this is not the issue.
My veterinarian consulted with a colleague, who thought it may be that Buddy is not able to process carbohydrates. Weve reduced Buddys total calories to around 325 per day.

Blood work: How often is best?
Q I have an eight-year-old cat who I rescued from a shelter as a kitten. I take Daisy to our local veterinarian once a year for a health examination. During our last visit, the veterinarian recommended that we run blood work every year. Is this really necessary for my cat, who is overall healthy? If so, can you explain the advantages of looking at blood work every year?
Elizabeth Vega

A Dear Elizabeth: The American Veterinary Medical Association states on their website that, geriatric pets should have semi-annual veterinary …

One can hope that the newcomers aggression is merely play and that the others cope with it during his remaining kittenhood by removing themselves from his reach. To facilitate their ability to take care of themselves, you should provide plenty of places for them to run to, hide in, or escape to - including boxes, cardboard tunnels, and/or an elaborate cat condo/cat tree). In time, things may work out for them all. We certainly hope so!

Similar to humans with asthma, cats with this form experience constriction of muscles within the bronchial walls, causing airway obstruction. Cats with bronchoconstriction may demonstrate increased respiratory rate or effort, or open-mouthed breathing. These cats require immediate veterinary attention, and in severe cases, may die.