CAT HEALTH & MEDICINE

Over-the-Counter Antimicrobials Now Available By Prescription Only

Certain antimicrobial medicines used in cats and other animals have been available over the counter. That ends now. As of June 11th, all antimicrobial medicines for animals that are also important in human medicine must be prescribed by a veterinarian, says the Food and Drug Administration. The move is aimed to ensure judicious use of these drugs and retain their effectiveness in both our cats and us.

Fungal Disease Spreading 
from Cats to People

In the United States, a fungal infection called sporotrichosis has been known as rose gardener’s disease. The fungus that causes it, Sporothrix, lives in soil and on plant matter that includes rose bushes and usually manifests as one or more open sores or deep skin ulcers when it enters the body through a small cut or scrape. But in South America, the disease has become an epidemic by spreading from cats to people via bites and scratches. It started in Brazil and has now spread to Chile, Argentina, and most recently, the United Kingdom.

Updated Guidelines Should Make Vet Visits Less Stressful for Cats

In any given year, more than half of all people with cats do not bring them to the veterinarian, surveys suggest. If you’re like most people who love a cat, you know why. They hate going.

When the Margins Are “Clean But Close” After Tumor Removal

When a veterinarian removes a possible malignant tumor, she also removes a cuff of surrounding normal-appearing tissue to improve the chances that the tumor will not grow back. A pathologist then looks at the perimeter (or “margins”) of the resected tumor under a microscope to see whether it appears to have been fully removed. The margins are categorized as complete (no residual cancer seen) or incomplete (residual cancer seen).

When a Cat Dies Suddenly for an Unknown Reason, Should You Request a Necropsy?

Most often, people with cats have to make a decision about euthanasia when a disease overtakes the animal’s health to the point that his life is no longer worth living. It’s probably the hardest decision anyone who loves a cat ever has to make. But sometimes, a cat dies unexpectedly. He hasn’t appeared sick and may not even be old, but one day a human family member comes home and finds him gone. Or a cat dies while in the hospital but not because of the condition for which he has been admitted. Or he has been admitted with a number of ailments, but it’s not clear which one took his life. It’s a misery — and a shock — of a different kind.

Dear Doctor June 2023

Baby teeth and adult teeth at the same time

If Your Cat Won’t Take the Medicine, Can It Be Compounded?

To compound a medicine is to alter it in some way so that it’s tailored to the needs of a particular patient who wouldn’t...

When the Cat Becomes Thirstier Than Usual

Have you noticed your cat lapping up water more often, perhaps with more gusto than usual? Has it been going on a bit? Get her to the doctor.

For That Last Good-Bye

More and more people are opting for euthanasia at home. It could cost about $100 more than at the veterinarian’s office, but it allows a cat to drift off peacefully in his favorite spot.  It also allows you to grieve without having to drive or be around other people.

When the Dandruff Won’t Quit

Your cat regularly grooms herself, and you brush her, too, but no matter what, her coat always has a fair amount of dandruff.

Getting at the Reason For Your Cat’s Twitching

Does your cat twitch here and there? If he has been doing it his whole life but has always checked out fine on his wellness visits, chances are you don’t have anything to worry about. A cat’s muscles may twitch in response to something he finds irritating or that arouses him emotionally, and that’s perfectly normal. A cat may also twitch while having intense dreams during the REM cycle of sleep. But if the twitching seems new — or has become more frequent or vigorous — there may be a medical reason.

Sedation for dental work rather than anesthesia?

Q: Is it possible to do dental work on a cat’s teeth without full anesthesia, using a sedative gas mask or other means of sedation? I’m asking because a friend’s cat died under anesthesia during a teeth cleaning.