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Van Gough was a feral cat that lived in Bryan's neighborhood. A feral cat is a cat that was never socialized to humans and is therefore very afraid when interacting with people. Feral cats will eat food left out for them but usually will not allow a person to pet them or pick them up.
Bryan had noticed that Van Gough was looking thin and had a large sore by his ear. Knowing that she would never be able to pick him up and put him in a carrier, she caught him in a trap and brought him into the clinic. We injected a sedative into his leg through the bars of the trap and waited for him to fall asleep so we could examine him. He was, unfortunately, in bad shape. He was thin and scarred from years of fighting. In examining his abdomen, Dr. Karnia found that his spleen appeared to be enlarged. He also had ear mites and a large sore on his face from scratching at his ears.
A blood test showed that Van Gough was also positive for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus. This virus suppresses the cat's immune system making healing from illness and injury much more difficult. For a feral cat sometimes literally fighting for his life, and seeing how poor his current condition was, Bryan chose to euthanize him.
Fortunately, most of Bryan's feline family are exclusively indoors and therefore did not come into contact with Van Gough. However, she does have two outdoor cats that she hasn't been able to bring inside yet, and they did have contact with Van Gough and other ferals in the neighborhood. Since FIV can be transferred to other cats through fighting, and because there is no reliable vaccine to protect against it, she will be bringing in her outdoor cats to test them for FIV and make sure they are healthy.
Many people feed stray and feral cats, and even a small gesture like this can help these cats a great deal. Remember, though, to protect your own cats from disease and parasites that these cats may carry. Keep your cats indoors if possible. If they do go outside, be sure to keep their vaccines current and have them on a regular parasite control treatment. Again, there is no reliable vaccine for FIV so cats that go outdoors and get into fights are at risk.
Clawed is a five-year-old domestic shorthair that does go outside regularly. He arrived at the clinic with some soft swelling and yellow fluid drainage from his side. Usually when a cat that goes outdoors comes into the clinic with these symptoms, Dr. Karnia suspects an abscess due to a recent cat bite. In such a case, we clip the fur around the infected area and then flush the wound with a surgical disinfectant. With this treatment and a course of antibiotics, the cat usually heals quickly.
However, from his first visit, the swelling on Clawed's side made Dr. Karnia suspicious that there might be something more going on than just a bite wound abscess. He had had some drainage from the side of his chest for a few days. There was a solid swelling under his skin two inches across and extending along the whole left side of his chest. At the center of this solid swelling was a soft section with a cloudy brown fluid inside it.
We put Clawed under anesthesia in order to drain and flush the wound. The fluid was sent to the lab for a culture to ensure we were giving him the correct antibiotics. No bacteria grew on the culture but the lab did see some light fungal growth. Clawed did very well on the antibiotics but the drainage never completely resolved. When Clawed was brought back for a progress exam, blood was sent in for fungal testing. The results showed that he had Coccidiomycosis, also known as Valley Fever.
Coccidioides is a fungal organism that is endemic to the dry southwestern U.S. The usual route of infection is by inhalation into the lungs. The fungus can then spread to other parts of the body. The infection can cause fever, weight loss, and decreased appetite. Cats are relatively resistant to infection compared to dogs and humans. The most common sign of Valley Fever in cats is an abscess or draining lesion in the skin. Anti-fungal medications, such as fluconazole, are usually effective but may need to be given for several months or even years.
We expect Clawed to do well on the anti-fungal medications, and will report on his progress as his treatment continues.
Puddin' is an Exotic Short Hair, basically a short-hair Persian. When we first met him a year ago, he weighed less than one pound. He and his buddy Rafe had just been adopted into a new home and were brought in for a check-up. They both had the typical Persian face, but Puddin's nose was very small and he had some difficulty breathing through it. Dr. Karnia talked to his new mom about a procedure that could be done when he was older to help him breathe more easily. Both kittens thrived and grew well, but Puddin' was always less active and his mom could hear him breathing from across the room.
When Puddin' was close to a year old, he came into the clinic to have surgery on his nose. After he was anesthetized, Dr. Karnia used the surgical laser to cut away a small piece on either side of his nose. The amount of tissue removed was only a few millimeters wide but was enough to open up his nasal openings. The laser seals all nerves and blood vessels as it cuts so that there is no bleeding and very little discomfort. The day after surgery, his mom reported that he was active and eating well and breathing much better.
Two months later, Puddin' was in the clinic for his Rabies vaccine and physical exam. His mom now calls him "my crazy cat". She says he is so much more active than he was before, and she can't hear him breathing at all anymore. His nose has healed very well and looks great.
Congratulations to April on her adoption of a new kitten, Buddy! He did develop some problems due to an upper respiratory infection but recovered well and is now home with his new family. Knowing that young kittens are especially susceptible to intestinal parasites and wanting to make sure Buddy is completely healthy, April brought us our most prized gift from a new kitten - a poop sample. Buddy has been eating well and his bowel movements have appeared completely normal, but we ran a fecal test to be sure everything was fine. Looking at his sample under the microscope, Katrina soon found a large number of Coccidia eggs.
Coccidia is a one-celled parasitic organism called a protozoan. It lives in the intestinal wall lining and can cause diarrhea, vomiting and weight loss, especially in young kittens. Buddy was probably exposed to the coccidian in the feces of his mother or another cat at the shelter, or even before he went to the shelter. Even though Buddy was not showing outward signs like diarrhea, the coccidia could have caused problems later. Coccidia can be difficult to completely resolve, but a course of antibiotics and strict hygiene in the litter box will usually clear it.
Since kittens are more susceptible to parasitic infections, it is even more important to have fecal tests done. It is also important that all young cats and any cats that go outdoors - even for brief periods - should have fecal tests done every 6-12 months. See the articles in our LifeLearn library for more information about parasites in cats.
Choco is an eighteen and a half year old domestic long hair. His dad became concerned when Choco was not eating very well. When he stopped eating completely, his dad brought him into the clinic to see if there was anything to be done for him. On exam, Choco was very quiet, but looked good for his age with a good weight and a shiny, long, dark brown fur coat. Just below his tail though, a soft, painful mass could be felt under his skin. Choco had developed an infection in his anal sac causing an abscess to the side of his hind end.
Anal sacs are scent glands that produce a very strong odor. Cats will express them when marking their territory, when they are scared, or when they defecate. In some cats, the secretion does not get expressed and begins to build up and thicken in the sacs. If they become infected, an abscess can form causing pain and fever. The affected cat may lick at his hind end, react to touch of the area, become lethargic and stop eating. The abscess needs to be drained and flushed under anesthesia and antibiotics begun.
Due to Choco's age, anesthesia was a concern. A complete blood panel run in the clinic showed within minutes that Choco's overall health was very good. Dr. Karnia safely anesthetized him and his hind end was clipped of hair and scrubbed with surgical disinfectant. After the abscess was punctured with a scalpel, a large amount of infected fluid was removed. A small part of the skin was so badly affected that Dr. Karnia needed to cut it away and suture the skin closed. The ascessed area was thoroughly flushed and a drain was sutured in place.
Choco felt much better as early as that evening, acting normally and starting to eat. His skin healed very well. He was doing so well that when his sutures were ready to be removed, we anesthetized him again for a complete dental exam and cleaning. Choco bounced right back from that as well. He is a true example that you are as young as you feel.
One of the great aspects of a veterinary clinic is the interesting cases that come through our doors. In a new blog series, we will be presenting a case of the week.
Lilly is a two-year-old grey tabby that likes to play with ribbon. On a recent Friday, she actually swallowed some and started to vomiting it up, and not eating anything else. By Monday, she was still not eating so her mom brought her into the clinic. A radiograph (x-ray) of her abdomen showed an abnormal air pocket that could be an indication of an obstruction in her intestine. We fed her a contrast liquid and took periodic radiographs to watch it move through her stomach and intestines.
In a normal cat, the contrast liquid should pass through the entire intestinal tract in three hours. In Lilly, after four hours, the contrast had traveled through her small intestine but was not yet moving into her colon. We gave her a little food which she ate then vomited up. The vomiting and the slow transit of the contrast liquid were a good indication that Lilly had an obstruction and needed surgery.
As soon as we finished our afternoon appointments, we anesthetized Lilly and prepared her for surgery. A four-inch incision was made into her abdomen and the stomach and intestines were evaluated. Her stomach appeared normal but there was something firm in both ends of her small intestines. After making a one-centimeter incision into the beginning of the small intestine, a black ribbon was removed. It had frayed at the end and a thin thread went further into the intestine.
A thread or string th
at enters the small intestine is called a linear foreign body. Typically, part of the linear foreign body will get stuck at the start of the small intestine or in the stomach but the rest will continue passing through the intestines. This can create an accordion of the intestines, even leading to tearing of the intestines. Multiple incisions are needed to cut and remove the foreign body while minimizing the trauma and pulling on the intestines themselves. Lilly needed five incisions to completely remove all of the thread. Her intestines did show some evidence of trauma from the thread pulling but fortunately it was only light bruising.
Lilly did very well through the surgery and recovery period. She was transferred to an emergency clinic for continued monitoring throughout the night. By the next afternoon she was lively and eating small amounts. Eight days after surgery, she is eating well and back to her normal self. Her family is now very vigilant about any thread or string-like objects in the house, having learned how quickly something of that nature can be swallowed. Be sure to keep any thread, ribbon, string, yarn or floss out of your cat's reach.
Have you been frustrated seeing your cat run and hide when you bring out your carrier? Have you had to search high and low for a scared cat? Perhaps you've even had to cancel an appointment because your cat had other ideas about riding in a carrier?
Believe it or not, the carrier doesn't have to be a scary item for your cat. Here are some tips to help reduce carrier fear and other suggestions for making the trip to the vet less stressful for everyone.
The best tip is to not hide the carrier in a closet or other storage space, only bringing it out when it's time to go to the vet. The carrier then becomes something associated with a st
ressful and scary experience. Instead of buying cat furniture and cubbyholes, leave the carrier out in the normal living spaces, open and inviting. Put a piece of clothing belonging to the cat's favorite human into the carrier. If your cat has a favorite toy he or she likes to chase, throw it into the open carrier while playing, so the cat can chase it in -- and get back out again with no problems. If your kitty is food motivated, put his or her favorite treats in the carrier too.
Just before you put the kitty in the carrier, you can spray the carrier with Feliway, a synthetic feline pheromone (available through your veterinarian) which helps the cats feel secure. It's also a good idea not to feed your cat just before a trip to the vet. This helps prevent upset stomach from car sickness and also will help if your cat needs any blood work done during the vet visit.
All these tips help to reduce the stress of the carrier, but it won't eliminate them. Clients of ours who use these tricks still have crying cats once the carrier door is closed. However, their cats don't always run as soon as the carrier is moved.
If your cat still runs and hides, here are a few other tips to help gather the cat for the trip. Try to corral the cat in a small room with few hiding spaces. Bathrooms are usually good for this. If your cat runs into a room, close the door so you don't have a Keystone Kop routine on your hands chasing the cat around the house. While it is never fun, don't be afraid to gently pull your cat out from under furniture if necessary. Try using a towel to gather up your cat instead of your bare hands to make sure you don't get hurt. Also, since towels are frequently used in veterinarian offices, having one that smells like home instead of the vet's office could help reduce stress while there.
It would seem logical to simply forgo the carrier altogether and travel without one. While there are exceptions to the rule, you should always use a carrier when bringing the cat into the veterinarian's office. This is for everyone's safety. When cats go to the vet, they are usually anxious and scared and will often use their claws to get out of your hands, or even to hold on tighter, which can result in serious injury to you. In addition, cats can sometimes become aggressive in defense when feeling frightened and may even bite.
Controlling your cat's exposure to other cats that are also scared and/or ill is another good reason to keep your cat confined while in the veterinarian's lobby. Keeping your cat away from other cats and off the floor will help decrease all the cats' stress levels and exposure to illnesses.
The proper type of car
rier can help give your cat a safe haven during any travel or vet trip. Cats like to hide out in a sheltered space while still being able to see what's going on around them. Make sure your carrier has plenty of viewing spaces for your cat to see out of - mesh on the soft bags or grate doors on the plastic ones seem to work well. Additionally, carriers that have top access via zippered openings or doors, or carriers that come apart easily to allow easy access to your cat can reduce the stress from pulling them out of the carrier.
Once your cat is in the exam room, let the veterinarian and technician take your cat from the carrier and do all of the handling. Even the sweetest cat at home can become frightened and aggressive at the vet's office. This is perfectly normal behavior. Your veterinarian and her staff have been trained to interpret and anticipate this type of reaction from the cat and are best suited to prevent emotional trauma and physical injury of everyone.
While it can be a stress filled experience for both your cat and you, it is important to bring your cat to the veterinarian for regular semi-annual wellness exams, and not wait until he or she is sick. So many conditions can be treated much more effectively, if not outright cured, when caught early. The short term stress of the visit is far outweighed by the benefit of regular, preventative care.
