The publish Ask Dr. Paola – Monday March 10, 2025 by Dr. Paola Cuevas MVZ (Veterinarian) appeared first on Catster. Copying over total articles infringes on copyright legal guidelines. You might not be conscious of it, however all of those articles had been assigned, contracted and paid for, so they don’t seem to be thought of public area. However, we respect that you simply just like the article and would find it irresistible in the event you continued sharing simply the primary paragraph of an article, then linking out to the remainder of the piece on Catster.com.
Welcome to our “Ask Dr. Paola” sequence, the place each Monday we carry knowledgeable recommendation straight from Dr. Paola Cuevas (MVZ) to assist our readers higher perceive their cat’s well being and well-being.
Whether you’re a brand new pet guardian or a seasoned cat lover, Dr. Paola is right here to offer solutions to your most urgent questions. From diet ideas and preventive care to troubleshooting frequent behavioral points, Dr. Paola is able to supply insights that can maintain your kitty joyful, wholesome, and feline fantastic. Stay tuned for knowledgeable steerage on a spread of subjects that matter most to you and your cat, so you can also make knowledgeable selections and supply the very best care in your furry companion.
Have a query? Send it in right here!
Help! My Cat Has a Ruptured Anal Gland!
“Dear Dr. Paola,
Yesterday, my cat Peach was seen on the vet and had a ruptured anal gland. How can this be prevented, what brought about it, and what questions ought to I ask concerning the blood work outcomes from the checks they ran? Thanks!” – Ruth
Hi Ruth,
I’m sorry Peach needed to undergo that. Ruptured anal glands may be fairly painful, however with the fitting care, she’ll be feeling higher quickly. You can consider anal sacs like tiny balloons situated simply contained in the anus, positioned at about 4 o’clock and eight o’clock in the event you think about a clock face. These small, sac-like constructions sit beneath the pores and skin and produce a thick, usually strong-smelling fluid that cats use for scent marking. Normally, this fluid is of course expressed throughout defecation when agency stool passes by means of, making use of strain to the glands. However, if the fluid turns into too thick, the ducts grow to be blocked, or there’s irritation, the glands can overfill, resulting in impaction, an infection, and, in extreme instances, rupture.
This rupture occurs as a result of strain builds up like an overfilled water balloon. Once the fluid thickens or the ducts grow to be blocked, micro organism will become involved, forming an an infection that develops into an abscess that bursts. Some cats are extra vulnerable to this because of stool consistency, anatomy, or underlying well being points.
Preventing this implies holding these “balloons” from overfilling within the first place. A weight loss program that promotes agency, well-formed stools helps naturally categorical the glands, very like squeezing a ketchup packet simply sufficient to launch somewhat at a time as an alternative of abruptly. If Peach has gentle stools or frequent anal sac points, adjusting her fiber consumption with the addition of pure sources like canned pumpkin or psyllium husk, or perhaps a veterinary really useful complement would possibly assist.
Maintaining a wholesome weight can also be essential since extra fats can intervene with regular gland hygiene and performance. Chunky cats merely can’t attain to maintain the realm clear by themselves, whereas the surplus weight can cut back circulation within the space, and their slower digestion because of sedentarism doesn’t assist both. For some cats, periodic veterinary checks to manually categorical the glands could also be obligatory, however provided that that is really useful by the vet. Manually expressing the glands when it isn’t obligatory can additional contribute to the lack of tone and lead to improper emptying.
For her bloodwork, you would possibly ask about her white blood cell rely, which may point out an infection or irritation, and whether or not any liver or kidney values had been assessed, particularly if she’s on antibiotics or ache medicine. It can also be essential to find out if allergic reactions or meals sensitivities could be contributing; discussing dietary modifications could possibly be helpful. Keep a watch on stool consistency, weight loss program, and any indicators of discomfort (like scooting, extreme licking, or swelling close to the anus) to assist forestall future issues. I hope Peach heals rapidly!
Dr. Paola
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Help! My Sphynx Keeps Drooling!
“Hi Dr. Paola,
Every time our Sphynx cats are cuddling with us, they drool quite a bit. They purr and are very affectionate. They have yearly dental checkups and cleanings. Our vets say their enamel are fantastic. Sometimes there’s a number of drooling and typically not a lot. Why do they do that?” – Suzie
Hi Suzie,
It feels like your Sphynx cats are displaying their love in a very drooly method! Some cats, particularly when deeply relaxed and content material, will drool as a part of their pure response to pleasure. This is just like how some individuals would possibly tear up when feeling very emotional—it’s an involuntary response linked to robust constructive feelings. Since your cats are purring, cuddling, and in any other case wholesome with common dental checkups, their drooling is most certainly an indication of pure happiness fairly than a medical concern.
The variability within the quantity of drool may rely on how relaxed they’re within the second, their physique place, and even slight modifications of their hydration ranges. Some breeds, together with the Sphynx, may be extra vulnerable to this conduct because of particular person anatomy or sensitivity. As lengthy as there are not any different regarding indicators like pawing on the mouth, unhealthy breath, or issue consuming, their drooling is probably going simply their method of expressing contentment. You would possibly wish to maintain a gentle material close by for cuddle periods and take into account it their model of affectionate “happy tears!”
It is refreshing to listen to about joyful and cuddled cats!
Dr. Paola
Image Credit: Michar Peppenster, Shutterstock
Help! My Cat Had Hard Poops!
“Anthony bear is a large 18-lb cat who, for his size, according to the vet, is not that much overweight, but he has red blood on the outside of his stools quite often from licking his fur and the stools being harder, larger, full of hair, etc. I was looking for the best alternative without having to give him a stool softener that he doesn’t like and doesn’t really want to take every day of his life. I’m sure there has to be a better option, even something holistic I can just add to the food that he won’t notice.” – Dawn
Hi Dawn,
If you consider Anthony Bear’s digestive system like a set of family pipes, when water flows freely, all the things strikes because it ought to. But if particles builds up, and there’s not sufficient water flushing by means of, issues decelerate, and ultimately, blockages can kind. His tougher, bigger stools filled with fur are placing additional pressure on his system, and similar to an excessive amount of strain in a pipe may cause small cracks or leaks, the repeated straining is probably going inflicting tiny tears within the delicate tissues round his rectum. That’s why you’re seeing vivid pink blood on the surface of his stools; it’s an indication of irritation from passing dry, cumbersome waste by means of an already delicate space.
If this cycle continues, the danger isn’t simply discomfort. Chronic constipation can result in megacolon, the place the colon turns into so stretched out and weakened that it could now not push stool by means of successfully. At that time, waste turns into impacted, requiring medical intervention. The greatest option to forestall that is by holding issues transferring naturally. Small dietary modifications can go a good distance in stopping severe points, and holding Anthony Bear’s digestive “plumbing” working easily now can save him from a lot greater issues down the road.
A moisture-rich weight loss program like high-quality contemporary or moist meals could possibly be of nice profit because it acts like including water to the pipes, serving to forestall clogs earlier than they begin. I extremely suggest you add a cat water fountain to your own home to entice him to drink. You can even add pure, natural canned pumpkin puree or psyllium husk to his meals to offer mild, pure fiber that retains issues gentle and flowing easily. Omega-3 fatty acid from fish, salmon, or krill oil are sources of EPA and DHA. These fatty acids assist to help intestine motility and cut back irritation. It is a should to maintain up with common brushing, which is able to cut back the quantity of hair he swallows, serving to to forestall stool from changing into excessively dry and hulking.
If constipation continues regardless of these modifications, or if he begins skipping bowel actions for greater than 48 hours, appears uncomfortable, or his stool turns into progressively tougher, a veterinary check-up is essential. Chronic constipation can result in worsening issues over time, and as soon as the “pipes” are too stretched out, restore turns into far more troublesome. By making small, pure changes now, you’ll be able to assist Anthony Bear keep a wholesome digestive stream and keep away from severe issues down the road. I hope this helps!
I hope this helps,
Dr. Paola
This article is part of our weekly Ask Dr. Paola sequence
- Read final weeks questions right here – March 3, 2025
- Find the complete record of previous articles right here
- Click right here to submit a query
The publish Ask Dr. Paola – Monday March 10, 2025 by Dr. Paola Cuevas MVZ (Veterinarian) appeared first on Catster. Copying over total articles infringes on copyright legal guidelines. You might not be conscious of it, however all of those articles had been assigned, contracted and paid for, so they don’t seem to be thought of public area. However, we respect that you simply just like the article and would find it irresistible in the event you continued sharing simply the primary paragraph of an article, then linking out to the remainder of the piece on Catster.com.
