On the Road Again - with Fido & Fluffy

How to prepare and care for your pet while traveling

Summer is a popular travel season for many families, and furry friends are often a great factor to weigh-in when in making get-away plans. Whether pets travel along with their owner or find alternate housing during time away, there are many things to consider regarding pets’ overall health, comfort, and safety.

Traveling with pets can pose many changes in environment, which can result in disturbances in a dog or cat’s delicate system such as digestive upsets and changes in mood. Taking some time to plan for a pet’s comfort can greatly enhance its travel experience, and eliminate some potential pitfalls.

Whether an itinerary involves a plane or car, many of the same tips for care apply. Before making arrangements, ensure that vaccinations, health certificates, and identification tags are up-to-date, and that the pet has a full supply of necessary medications. Compile a simple first aid kit with minor wound care supplies, anti-diarrhea and digestive remedies, and emergency phone numbers. Natural remedies can also be used to provide excellent support for many common conditions, without side effects.

Take care of grooming issues before travel, such as bathing and trimming nails, in case facilities are not available for use. Also be sure to evaluate your pet’s current state of health, addressing any minor or potential problems well in advance.

Many animals become uncomfortable in unfamiliar environments, so minimizing disturbances or providing reassurance throughout the journey can be very helpful in easing anxiety or curbing aggression, which may result from fear of the unknown. Bring along a favorite toy or feeding dish.

You can also make use of natural remedies to provide additional support for mood imbalances commonly experienced during travel. Many herbal and homeopathic ingredients are well known for their ability to provide effective relief without creating dependency or side effects.

If traveling by car, take a few short rides to acclimate the dog or cat to the experience. Cats are often best suited to travel in a crate, and dogs are often well inclined to them, as well. Allow time for breaks and walks in the travel schedule, allowing the animal to stretch and exercise. This too can help with easing the stress of a new environment. Try to feed the pet its largest meal in the evening or upon reaching the destination to ease digestive discomfort or motion sickness. Keep in mind the perishableness of wet food, and acclimate the dog or cat to eating dry food a few days before departure to help minimize stomach upsets. Consider supplementing its diet with natural digestive support remedies to maintain health during travel.

When traveling by plane, always confirm pet regulations well in advance so that preparations can be made as necessary. Take into consideration the climate differences and try to book a flight in the early morning or in the evening, whenever weather is more comfortable. Also, consult with a vet for proper feeding instructions based on your pet’s age, size, time and distance of the flight. Generally, traveling on an empty stomach is best. The day of travel, arrive at the airport early to allow your pet to exercise and adapt to the crate.

If boarding the animal is unavoidable, thoroughly research the best options for doing so. As summer is a very popular time of travel, booking reservations well in advance is often a necessity. In addition, since your pet will be exposed to other animals and potential illnesses, consider supplementing its diet with an immunity-boosting remedy to support systemic health. Also, try and plan for possible ill health scenarios, and have remedies on-hand or available to give to caretakers in case they are needed. When possible, leave the pet with friends or family, in an environment they are familiar and comfortable staying in.

When a pet is away from home, be sure to perform a daily health check (or advise its caretaker to do so). Monitor and evaluate appetite, energy, and overall disposition. Also look out for unusual discharges from the nose and eyes, as well as scratching, biting, itching, changes in elimination, or unfamiliar lumps or bumps. While preventative health precautions are always best, early detection of a problem is the next best thing.

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Cat Liver Disease - An Overview

The liver is the largest organ in the body, and is a complicated, reddish-brown glandular organ. Located at the upper right portion of the abdominal cavity, it secretes bile and is involved in the metabolism of protein, carbohydrates and fat. It is also a synthesis substance involved in blood clotting, the production of vitamin A, the elimination of toxins, and the breakdown of worn out blood cells containing hemoglobin (which carry oxygen to the blood). Besides being a versatile organ, the liver also has a great reserve capacity, and at any given point of time, the liver uses only a small amount of its potential to perform its many functions.

Considering its multiple purposes, liver cells called hepatocytes undergo complex biochemical reactions every second, and require a constant supply of blood. For this purpose, nearly 25% of the blood pumped out with every heart beat goes to the liver. It is natural that such a complex organ would have a great impact on the overall health of the cat.

Unfortunately, feline liver disease is a common occurrence, especially in older cats. At the same time, as there is a similarity in function of the liver and other organs, liver problems in cats also produce symptoms which resemble those that manifest due to many other diseases. Diseases that occur in other parts of the body can also cause liver problems in cats, a condition known as secondary liver disease. The pancreas is located dangerously close to the liver and the bile ducts, and pancreas disease in cats is one of the common causes of secondary feline liver disease.

If your cat is not eating properly or refuses food totally, has diarrhea, is losing weight, or suffers epileptic seizures, then you have every reason to suspect that there is something wrong with his liver. However, the most visible symptom is jaundice, seen as yellow color of the skin and mucous membranes. Jaundice may occur due to severe anemia, although in this case the liver is not diseased-- but is still a cause for worry, as the liver is overloaded with work. Jaundice may also be due to a primary liver disease if there is deficient excretion and/or obstruction in the flow of bilirubin, an orange-yellow pigment in the bile.

Where the flow of blood through the portal vein is obstructed may lead to accumulation of abdominal fluid, which is another prominent sign of a liver dysfunction. The obstruction causes blood to leak through the portal vein into the abdomen, which causes hypertension (high blood pressure). The problem is aggravated by low albumin levels, a condition that normally accompanies a diseased liver, because albumin is instrumental in retaining fluid in the blood vessels.

Whether the symptoms of liver disease are confusing or directly indicative, the importance of the organ necessitates immediate attention for a confirmed diagnosis and early treatment.

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Symptoms of Worms in Cats

Parasitic worms in cats and dogs normally reside in the intestines. A particularly interesting aspect of these parasitic worms is that worm larvae and eggs can remain dormant for years in tissues and wait for an appropriate trigger to surface and infest your pet.

In many cases, it is the stress factor that acts as a trigger for worms to migrate. Feline parasites like roundworms and hookworms can surface abruptly in advanced stages of pregnancy and transmit to the litter.

Kittens can get infected while in the womb of the female cat or through the milk of the infected mother. Adult cats can get infected by ingesting worm-infested feces. They can also fall prey to these parasites if they consume an animal that is infected. Larvae of roundworms can migrate to various parts of the body and can travel up to the eye and cause damage to vision. Vomiting, diarrhea, an extended abdomen, dehydration, weight loss and listlessness are other common symptoms that manifest themselves among cats infested with worms.

Cat and dog tapeworm are made up of segments. These segments are shed periodically and are ejected through feces. They stick to the area around the anus and can cause irritation since they are alive. Excessive licking of the anus is a behavior that can lead to further investigation and reveal tapeworm infestation in many cases. A severe infestation by tapeworms causes abdominal pain and an abnormal increase in appetite. An exceptionally severe infection manifests in symptoms like coughing, high temperature, pneumonia and heart and liver diseases.

Symptoms of worms in cats and dogs are not always conclusive. Sometimes there are no specific symptoms that surface. But in some cases, worms can lead to death due to the sheer numbers. Worms multiply in geometric progression in the intestines. A single female roundworm can lay up to a hundred thousand eggs in a day. If left untreated, the worms can block the intestinal passage and cause death.

Nearly all types of worms are passed through the feces into the environment. Unless the symptoms are very prominent, the only way that infestation can be diagnosed is by visibly detecting live worms or their eggs in the feces. Roundworms are long, round and slimy looking creatures. Live tapeworms can be seen moving and look like grains of dried brown rice when dry.

Since worms in cats can remain in the body without causing any symptoms, it is imperative that you get your cat’s feces checked regularly for larva or worm eggs. Outdoor cats need more frequent checking since they are more susceptible to the problem.

A cat infested with worms becomes more vulnerable to other diseases. Some type of worms can potentially infect humans, too. It is necessary to carry out a regular examination of your pet’s feces in order to avoid such eventualities.

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Managing the Menace of Roundworms in Cats

Feline parasites, such as roundworms infest cats in almost the same way as worms in dogs. This process is usually completed in three ways:

* The cat can consume worm eggs from the soil. These roundworm eggs generally come into the environment from the excretion of other infected dogs and cats. The eggs have the capacity to withstand environmental changes and are immune to mild disinfectants. The sticky egg shells cling to the paws or to the fur of the pet. Cats generally ingest the eggs when grooming.
* Most kittens are infected through their mothers. Roundworms have a long migrating lifecycle inside the body of a cat. Larvae get encysted in tissues and can remain there for years. The litter of an infected mother is already infected in utero. Larvae can also be passed on to the kittens through milk during the lactation period.
* A cat can ingest an infected host animal like a rodent. Larvae in the host develop into roundworms within the cat’s body.

The first stage of the roundworm lifecycle is while it is dormant in the environment. This is the period before it actually infects the host. This means that fresh feces are not infectious. The actual signs of infestation may start showing only after two weeks to one month of infection.

The second stage is when eggs of roundworms are ingested by a cat or by an intermediate host. Once inside the cat, the eggs hatch in the intestines. If the eggs are ingested by another animal, the larvae remain encysted in the tissues of this animal until a cat eats the host.

The second stage larvae are usually dormant in the liver of the cat until it is time for the worms to move up towards the lungs and the throat. It is during this time that larvae travel to the mammary glands in female cats. Larvae causes irritation in the throat, and the cat usually vomits the larvae. These third stage larvae are swallowed back with the vomit, and they eventually reach the intestines.

The migration of the larvae is complete once they enter the intestines. By this time, the larvae are fully matured. The matured roundworms can now start mating and multiplying at a rapid pace.

Symptoms of worms in cats and dogs are similar. The main diagnostic symptom is the visible evidence of live roundworms in fresh feces. Do not be surprised if you see a live roundworm in the vomit as well.

Roundworms cause diarrhea and vomiting. Intestinal parasites like dog tapeworms and roundworms are equally harmful to cats. A heavy infection in the liver during the third stage can produce serious pneumonia. Roundworms can sometimes block the intestinal passage by sheer numbers. This is due to their fast reproduction cycle in which one female roundworm can lay up to 200,000 eggs in a single day.

Treatment procedures are the same for both species of roundworms that infest cats. A specialized de-worming medication is enough to take care of mild infections. Severe infections require a prolonged regimen of de-worming.

De-worming medications can not tackle encysted larvae. It is also very difficult to stop transmission from a mother to kittens. The transmission through milk can be checked when nursing by hand, but in utero transmission requires regular de-worming from the 40th day of pregnancy right up to 14 days after delivery.

While playing outdoors, children run the risk of getting infected from contaminated soil. Elders too are exposed to such risks. A well drawn-up control plan can help in eliminating contamination of the soil and in turn save you, your family and your cat from the menace of worms.

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Cancer in Cats

Generally, cancer is classified according to the organ or the affected part of the cat’s body. In fact, there are four major types of cancers that may occur, irrespective of which organ is affected.

* Carcinomas, arising out of epithelial tissue of an organ.
* Sarcomas, arising out of connective tissue.
* Leukemia, cancer of the blood-forming tissue.
* Lymphoma in cats is a neoplasm of the lymph tissue.

The prevalence of benign or malignant tumors brings about various metabolic changes in a cat’s body as it adapts itself and moves into survival mode. The basic change that occurs during this survival mode is that the cat’s body starts using nutrients differently to prioritize healing and maintain the immune system.

If the body remains in the survival mode for long, this change in metabolism becomes harmful, as certain other body functions are ignored. Despite extensive research, medical science has not been able to understand the specific nutritional requirements for pets with cancer to be able to counter these metabolic changes. There may be a significant weight loss and muscle wasting in cats with cancer, and this change can occur so fast that making changes may be impossible.

In humans, cancer causes significant changes in the sense of smell and taste. In pets, this can translate into a refusal to eat. Your cat may lose weight due to either of the following reasons:

* Metabolic effects of cat cancer
* Decreased food intake
* Side effects of cancer drugs

The physical prevalence of a tumor may also lead to obstructions in certain passages and interfere with normal body functions. Tumors in the oral cavity may cause difficulty in eating and swallowing, while gastrointestinal tumors may interfere with normal digestive procedures.

This eventually leads to the development of symptoms associated with cancer. The sad part is that the initial symptoms of cat cancer are general and may have be caused by another disease. This makes the cancer difficult to identify at earlier stages.

Another saddening part of cancer is that various cancer therapies, including surgery, also traumatize the already hassled patient. Surgical removal of tumors and radiation therapy may adversely affect the adjoining areas. Chemotherapeutic drugs are known for their side effects that can be as problematic as cancer itself. Where survival probabilities are terribly low, it is more sensible to go for cat cancer remedies offered by alternative therapies.

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The Best Diabetes Diet for Cats

Diet plays as important a role as drugs and insulin injections in treating diabetes in cats. Actually, diet control and management must be concomitant to medication. It is futile to expect medication as a standalone treatment to provide an effective cure for diabetes.

Diabetes is a condition where the pancreas is unable to produce enough insulin for regulating glycogen and oxidizing sugar. There is always some amount of glucose in the food that you feed your cat. If the intake is not regulated, there can be no limit to the amount of insulin that the cat may require to process the glucose.

Moreover, it is only cats with pronounced and persistent hyperglycemia that require insulin injections. Symptoms of diabetes in cats, with blood sugar levels only slightly above normal, can be treated with dietary management or oral pills only. Further, diabetic cats must be fed regularly to prevent a situation of overdose of insulin.

Obesity is one of the risk factors for diabetes in cats. A diabetic diet for cats should consider the weight factor before anything else. The weight loss of the cat should be gradual, preferably 3% of body weight per week. A diet with high fiber content and complex carbohydrates is most suited for losing weight. It also helps in controlling blood sugar levels immediately after meals. Underweight cats should be fed a high calorie diet until the time their body weight reaches the recommended level. The diabetic diet for maintaining weight can be started thereafter.

Diet for cats on insulin should be monitored based on the type of insulin that they are given. If the injection is being given once in a day, the cat should be fed half of the recommended diet at the time of the injection, and the other half when insulin reaches the peak of its activity. Cats receiving two injections in a day must be fed at each administration.

Cats are naturally carnivorous and their body is adapted to process proteins efficiently. The enzymes required for efficient processing of carbohydrates for energy are missing in cats. Whether a cat is diabetic or not, it requires very low amounts of carbohydrates - a mouse or a bird that cats eat contain only 3-5% carbohydrates. Low carbohydrate content in cat food helps not only in preventing diabetes but also aids in treatment. At the same time, it must be clarified that all carbohydrates are not the same. There are simple and complex carbohydrates. In as far as carbohydrates for diabetic cats are concerned, the benchmark should be the Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load. These benchmarks reflect the speed with which a specific carbohydrate increases blood sugar levels and the extent of its overall impact on the diabetic state. The lower the index and load, the better it is for a cat with diabetes.

The diet should always be appropriate to the species it is being fed to. The general rule for a diabetic diet for cats, despite assertions by advertisers that dry food or canned food is better, is that all types of grain should be avoided. Diet should contain only those carbohydrates that have a low glycemic index and load. A high fiber diet should be used only for the purpose of weight loss. If you stick to these guidelines right from the beginning, there is a great possibility that your cat may not have diabetes at all.

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Primary and Secondary Symptoms of Diabetes in Cats

Male cats are more susceptible to diabetes and so are obese cats of either gender. Genetic predisposition is usually suspected to be behind this condition, but steroids and other clinical conditions like a pancreatic disease are also known to cause diabetes. An increased incidence has also been observed in neutered cats above six years old.

Diabetes is a metabolic disease where insufficient insulin production causes the blood sugar levels to rise. As the disease develops within the cat’s body, sugar is revealed in the urine as well. It is a complex disease and symptoms of diabetes in cats can remain concealed for a long time. Many times, the disease is discovered when the cat’s blood is checked for another evident disease.

The pancreas in the cat’s body, situated close to the stomach, has two primary functions - releasing insulin and emitting enzymes meant for digestion. Due to certain reasons, not yet firmly known to veterinarian science, the pancreas is unable to produce sufficient insulin necessary for the storage of glucose in the liver and the oxidation of sugar in cells. In some cases, tissues develop resistance to insulin and cannot make good use of the glucose, which is necessary for building energy. Both the conditions lead to high sugar levels in the blood, a condition known as hyperglycemia. Chronic hyperglycemia persists even on fasting and is a common characteristic of diabetes mellitus. Even if your cat has high blood sugar, it is incorrect to presume that it is suffering from diabetes. In certain cases, stress and medication can cause a temporary condition of transient hyperglycemia.

The prognosis of diabetes is fair to good provided it is detected early. Knowledge of symptoms of diabetes in cats can enable owners to assess them and seek early medical aid.

Primary Symptoms

* Polyuria: This is a primary symptom associated with diabetes in cats. It is a renal disorder characterized by large volumes of pale dilute urine.
* Polydipsia: It is the excessive thirst caused by diabetes or a kidney dysfunction. There is an apparent obsession with water, and you may see your cat hanging around taps and faucets.
* Excessive weight loss
* Changes in appetite: The cat may start eating three times its normal diet or refuse to eat.

As the disease progresses, it can lead to poor hair coat, liver disease and frequent secondary bacterial infections.

Diabetes is a highly progressive disease and severe conditions may lead to diabetic neuropathy. It is caused by glucose toxicity and cell starvation, which damages the myelin sheath of the peripheral nerves. The hind legs of the cat become weaker and the cat abandons its normal stance of standing on its toes. Instead the cat assumes a plantigrade stance, which is walking on the whole sole of feet like humans. In quadrupeds, this translates into walking on hocks. The cat may also have difficulty in walking and jumping and may need to sit down after a few steps. Weak legs can be caused by other conditions as well. Before assuming neuropathy, it is advisable to consult a specialist first.

Diabetes is also associated with acidosis, abnormally high acidity of the blood and other body tissues leading to accumulation of ketone bodies. This may lead to a dangerous condition called ketoacidosis. Such a condition may cause refusal of food, vomiting, diarrhea and respiratory problems. Ketoacidosis is extremely dangerous and should be attended to immediately. If left untreated, it ultimately leads to death of the animal.

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Common Cures for Ear Mites in Cats

Of all the organs in a cat’s body, the skin and the ears are the most vulnerable. While skin conditions are more visible, an infection in the ear requires keen observation and can be detected only if you are observant while grooming your pet cat or dog.

Ear mites live by tunneling into the ear canal of cats. The automatic response of the cat’s body is to produce more wax to combat the invasion by cat ear mites. Severe infections give rise to an offensive smell. If not attended to in time, ear mites can lead to secondary infections in cats.

Cat and dog ear mites cause intense itching compelling the pet to shake its head vigorously. This can cause abscesses or cuts. Treating ear mites at the first sign can save a lot of discomfort to the cat as well as inconvenience to the owners.

Severe infection of ear mites may require you to visit your veterinarian for a properly cleaning of the ear. This procedure is so thorough that it might even necessitate a general anesthesia in certain cases. Mild to moderate infections are treated with topical ointments, injections and oral medication.

Many topical ointments kill only adult mites and are ineffective in eradicating the mite eggs. The entire ear mite lifecycle of three weeks is spent off the host. That means that topical treatment must continue for the total span of mite lifecycle. Topical treatments that contain antibiotics to contain inflammations and secondary infections are preferred as they require less time to show results.

Injections for treating ear mites in cats are not approved by the FDA but are still used by veterinarians. Depending upon the severity of the infection, a course of two to four injections is normally used to eradicate mites.

Ear mites by themselves are not a very big problem if proper and timely attention is paid to their treatment. The problem starts when ear mites lead to secondary infection. Groom your cat regularly and pay special attention to its ears for signs of wax accumulation, thickening of the external ear (pinna) and a bad odor.

The worrying fact is that ear mites may never completely disappear from the body of your cat. In such a scenario, prevention is the best cure. Some very effective home remedies for cat ear mites block the breathing pores of mites to suffocate and kill them, which can be of great help for cat ear mites, too. Periodic cleaning of the ears will save your cat from developing serious infections. In multi-pet homes, this is all the more necessary because ear mites are highly contagious and can transmit to other pets as well as humans.

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