The publish Ask Dr. Paola – Monday January 20, 2025 by Dr. Paola Cuevas MVZ (Veterinarian) appeared first on Catster. Copying over whole articles infringes on copyright legal guidelines. You is probably not conscious of it, however all of those articles have been assigned, contracted and paid for, so they are not thought of public area. However, we recognize that you just just like the article and would like it if you happen to 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 convey skilled 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 mum or dad or a seasoned cat lover, Dr. Paola is right here to offer solutions to your most urgent questions. From vitamin suggestions and preventive care to troubleshooting frequent behavioral points, Dr. Paola is able to provide insights that can maintain your kitty completely happy, wholesome, and feline positive. Stay tuned for skilled steerage on a spread of subjects that matter most to you and your cat, so you may make knowledgeable choices and supply the absolute best care to your furry companion.
Have a query? Send it in right here!
Help! My Cat Suffers from Allergies!
“Dear Dr. Paola,
My 6-year-old cat Nikki suffers from allergy symptoms. We don’t know the precise allergen, however a change in litter, meals, and water has helped just a little. She was badly traumatized as a kitten. Although she likes to be petted, any try to carry her to offer treatment brings on a panic response. I’ve tried every little thing I can consider—mixing with meals, liquid treats, making use of to her fur—nothing works. Are there any new subdural meds that her vet may apply?” – Linda
Hi Linda,
Taking care of a cat with a historical past of trauma and allergy symptoms can definitively be difficult. Working carefully with a vet is important to make sure the therapy plan addresses Nikki’s bodily and emotional wants. Identifying allergy triggers is a key step, because it permits for focused methods to handle her indicators successfully.
Treatment choices could embrace antihistamines for gentle circumstances or as a part of a broader plan, corticosteroids to scale back irritation and itching, and immunotherapy to desensitize her to particular allergens over time. Other choices, like immunosuppressants akin to Atopica (cyclosporine) or off-label use of Apoquel (oclacitinib), might also be thought of, however this must be primarily based on her particular case. Stress administration can also be necessary, as it could considerably influence her general well-being since stress worsens allergy symptoms.
If you want to be taught extra and discover the completely different out there choices for Nikki whereas minimizing stress and guaranteeing her consolation, we advocate chatting with one among our veterinarians in a one-on-one seek the advice of at PangoVet.com. PangoVet’s providers can present personalised recommendation and enable you navigate the following steps, guaranteeing you and the veterinarian can work collectively to create a plan tailor-made to her particular wants.
Best needs!
Dr. Paola
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Help! My Cats Are Fart Machines!
“Dear Dr. Paola,
I’ve two 5-month-old kittens, Tux and Max, from the SPCA. They eat Purina professional plan kitten meals moist 2 instances a day along with their dry meals. Are they speculated to be little raging fart machines? I decide one up and WAM, it’s so foul I’ve to cowl my nostril. Is this regular? Thank you.” – Mary
Hi Mary! It’s not unusual for kittens to expertise occasional fuel, nevertheless persistent foul-smelling flatulence isn’t thought of regular. There are a number of doable causes for this. Dietary components are sometimes the first trigger. Highly processed meals could comprise elements that some kittens discover more durable to digest, akin to sure proteins, fillers, or components. Swallowing air whereas consuming, particularly in the event that they’re enthusiastic eaters, may contribute to the issue. Additionally, kittens just lately adopted from shelters could have an imbalance of their intestine flora or may nonetheless be harboring intestinal parasites, even when they have been handled for worms.
I like to recommend beginning with a better take a look at their food regimen. Transitioning to a species-appropriate, much less processed meals with fewer components may assist enhance their digestion and cut back fuel. You need to keep away from meals with “Meat By-Products” within the ingredient record as you may by no means know what they comprise. Adding a high-quality, veterinary-recommended probiotic can assist them in constructing a wholesome intestine microbiome. It’s additionally a good suggestion to verify along with your veterinarian that Tux and Max are free from intestinal parasites, as these can usually trigger gastrointestinal upset, together with fuel. If the problem persists or is accompanied by diarrhea, vomiting, or weight modifications, a vet go to could be important to rule out different underlying issues.
Sincerely,
Dr. Paola
Image Credit: mistermon, Unsplash
Help! My Cat Needs Weekly Baths!
“Dear Dr. Paola,
I’ve a foster cat, Catsby, with critical environmental and meals allergy symptoms. Since he’s allergic to mud mites he will get a weekly bathtub with a hypoallergenic shampoo. (Plus HEPA filters, frequent bedding modifications, steam mopping, and many others.) Someone really helpful month-to-month therapy with Revolution as a result of it could assist with any mud mites within the atmosphere. Is that true? I hate to place chemical substances on his pores and skin except they actually would assist considerably. Thanks, Dr. Paola”
– Kitty
Hi Kitty,
Thank you to your dedication to Catsby’s care whereas he finds a eternally residence! While Revolution (selamectin) is efficient towards many parasites like fleas, ear mites, and sarcoptic mange mites, it doesn’t work on mud mites. Dust mites, akin to Dermatophagoides farinae and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, stay within the atmosphere, feeding on family members’ pores and skin flakes and different natural particles. Since they don’t stay on or feed from pets, they’re not uncovered to selamectin, which primarily targets parasites that stay in and work together straight with handled animals.
I have to congratulate you, you’re already doing a wonderful job managing Catsby’s mud mite allergy symptoms with HEPA filters, frequent bedding modifications, steam mopping, and hypoallergenic baths. These steps are the best for controlling mud mites and minimizing allergens. Adding Revolution is unlikely to offer further assist with mud mites, so I perceive your hesitation about making use of chemical substances unnecessarily. Please by no means take therapy
This article is part of our weekly Ask Dr. Paola sequence
- Read final weeks questions right here – Monday January 13, 2025
- Click right here to submit a query
The publish Ask Dr. Paola – Monday January 20, 2025 by Dr. Paola Cuevas MVZ (Veterinarian) appeared first on Catster. Copying over whole articles infringes on copyright legal guidelines. You is probably not conscious of it, however all of those articles have been assigned, contracted and paid for, so they are not thought of public area. However, we recognize that you just just like the article and would like it if you happen to continued sharing simply the primary paragraph of an article, then linking out to the remainder of the piece on Catster.com.
