Category Vet qa parent

How do you keep a cat from tearing furniture? Keeping a cat from tearing furniture can be difficult. The best thing to do is to try to redirect the cat to scratch at a scratching post or pad. Make sure you select a good quality tall post that is appealing to your cat. For tips on choosing a good scratching post, click here.

Our question this week was: Have you ever used a Dremel type tool to trim a dogs nails? What is the difference between Drummel and Dremel? William. Answer Hi – thanks for your email. Yes, I have used a drummel or dremel type tool to trim a dogs nails. In fact, we at recently tested a tool called Pedi-paws that works very well.

What is the best low magnesium cat food? What it the best low magnesium cat food and why do you use it? Low magnesium cat foods are recommended for cats with a history of urinary tract problems, especially those with struvite crystals and urine that is not acidic (alkaline). Magnesium is an essential mineral and is important in a healthy diet but sometimes, the levels of magnesium in the diet, coupled with alkaline urine, can contribute to the formation of struvite crystals and urinary problems.

My cat is chewing the furniture….what can I do? A cat chewing on the furniture is not a common problem and can be difficult to stop. You can try to put hard plastic over the area that is being chewed. You can also use a water sprayer to spritz the cat whenever he or she is caught chewing. Try to make the cat believe the spritz came from some higher power and not you as they can learn to not chew when YOU are around.

Our question this week was: At what age do the male testicles drop in a large puppy? He was a stray so I don't know his age…that's what I'm trying to determine. His incisor baby teeth have just all been replaced and his testicles have just dropped….and his voice has changed (Didn't know that dogs' voices changed).

Is there a special cat kidney food? There is a special cat kidney food. Cats with kidney disease require medical care, which includes a special cat kidney food. These cats benefit from a diet low in protein. Also, water balance is very important and encouraging water intake is often crucial. There are commercial diets for cats with kidney disease including Hill's Science Prescription Diet k/d, CNM NF-FORMULA, Eukanuba Nutritional Kidney Formulas, and IVD Modified Diets.

How do you keep cats out of flower beds? There is no one perfect and easy solution on how to keep cats out of flower beds. However there are some things you can try keep cats out of flower beds. Some suggestions include physical barriers that can be purchased at garden stores, ultrasonic devices, scent repellants, and motion-activated sprinklers.

Are there cat treat recipes? There are many cat treat recipes available in cookbooks and on line. These recipes often contain fish or chicken and many contain catnip to entice your cat. To help answer this question, I posted a sign in my practice lobby asking about favorite cat recipe treats among my best cat lovers.

What is a premium cat food? Premium cat food is a cat food that is made with nutritious ingredients and few fillers or by-products. Premium cat foods tend to be better quality than common store or off brands. Premium cat food works to provide all the nutritional ingredients required for the life stage of that pet.

Our question this week was: Doctor - have you ever heard of a law that if you feed a stray for a few days, it is yours? Sarah M - Concord NH Answer Hi - thanks for your email. Yes, I have heard of such as law. In fact, I recently had a conversation with Tracy Silvia, who has worked as an animal control shelter for over 11 years routinely handling feral cats.

What are cat ear polyps and how are they treated? Cat ear polyps are benign growths that can occur in the middle ear, or near or through the tympanic membrane (ear drum). They are actually considered nasopharyngeal polyps. These growths can also occur in the pharynx (back of the throat). The underlying cause of nasopharyngeal polyps is uncertain although they may be the result of an inflammatory process or viral disease.

How do you treat cat hairballs? How to treat cat hair balls is common question. Hair balls arise from cats licking their fur as their hair become dead, it becomes loose and they swallow it as they groom. Most of the time the hair works its way through the stomach and intestines without a problem. However, sometimes hair will accumulate in the esophagus (the tube that takes food from the mouth to the stomach) or in the stomach causing a blockage or an upset stomach.

What is sensitive stomach cat food? Sensitive stomach cat food is a special diet made for cats that easily vomit or have digestion problems. These mild diets generally contain highly digestible food such as egg protein, rice and oats to help with digestion. Several companies make Sensitive stomach cat food including: Eukanuba makes one called Eukanuba Sensitive Stomach Adult Cat Royal Canin also makes one called Royal Canin Special 33 Feline Nutrition Nutro Natural Choice™ Complete Care™ Senior Purina One Adult Cat Sensitive Formula Science Diet Sensitive Stomach for Adult Cats Pro Plan Extra Care Sensitive Skin & Stomach Formula for Cats Hill's Prescription Diet Feline i/d Ask your veterinarian which brand or product they recommend for your particular cat.

What can you do about a cat that vomits food? A cat that vomits food can have a variety of ailments including food sensitivity, digestive upset, an intestinal obstruction, gastrointestinal cancer or even inflammatory bowel disease. The significance of this depends on how frequently it happens, if it is associated with other symptoms and your cats overall general health.

What is low pH cat food? Low pH cat food is a special type of cat food that increases the acidity of cat urine. This type of food often also has low magnesium and is used to help cats with a history of urinary tract problems. Feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD), also called feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC), is a disorder of the urinary system that can affect any cat.

Are there products for cat urine odor removal? Cat urine odor removal is a big problem. Inappropriate elimination is one of the most common concerns or complaints among cat owners. There are several products on the market to be used for cat urine odor removal. Some use enzymes, bacteria or chemicals to remove the cat urine odor.

Doctor, My dog has severe allergies. I’ve thought about doing allergy testing but could not decide. He is a 3-year-old Labrador and he suffers from ear infections, skin infections and constant itching. He has been off and on antibiotics, steroids, and antihistamines for the past 2 years. It seems like he does better on these drugs, goes off then breaks out again.

Doctor, I have a 12-week-old puppy and wanted to know if I should vaccinate him for Bordetella? Thank you so much for your great puppy info! It has really helped me housetrain my puppy! Beth Ann Zippos, Boston MA Hi Beth Ann, Thanks for your question about puppies and the Bordetella vaccine. Bordetella is one of the bacterial causes of "kennel cough.

Tips on Housetraining and Dealing with Accidents I'd like to talk to you about housetraining and dealing with “accidents”. Even adult dogs have accidents. How do you deal with them? What are some tips for housetraining? I know that housetraining can be difficult. I hear stories all the time from puppy (and dog) owners that are dealing with frustrating housetraining issues.

Our question this week was: How should I introduce my puppy to my other adult dogs? Introduce your new puppy to other members of the pet population s-l-o-w-l-y. If there is more than one other animal in your menagerie, introduce the newcomer to one pet at a time, so you don't overwhelm him. Let your new charge and the incumbent(s) sniff and inspect each other.