Month: January 2021

Categories
Cats

A quick guide to traveling with cats

In general, felines prefer not to travel. Most cats don’t like to change their environment and the car stresses them out. Especially the moment when they have to get into the carrier or cage. We have already told you the tricks for traveling with dogs, so today we bring you a practical guide with basic recommendations if you have to make a long trip with cats. It is not an easy task, but following these tips, you will have no problem.

1. The cat always in the carrier

Although this detail should be complied with in general, there are still people who take their pets lose in the car. It is forbidden for a cat to roam freely in the passenger compartment, and it can be dangerous, not only because of sudden braking but also because of any unexpected reaction the cat may have, putting us in danger at the wheel. For this reason, a carrier should always be used.

Most veterinarians agree in recommending rigid carriers with grids, as they are safer. As for their placement, it is best to place the cat carrier on top of a seat, fastened with the seat belt, or on the floor between the front and rear seats, so that the box is well secured, but the animal can breathe without difficulty, away from the jets of air conditioning.

2. Make him feel that he is in a familiar place like this website!

The main problems cats often have in a car are usually due to unfamiliarity with the vehicle. Spending many hours in a new place, without being able to perform their daily routine, can cause stress and anxiety in cats.

For this reason, it is advisable to make a couple of short trips beforehand to familiarize them with the environment. In addition, it is necessary to accustom them to use their carrier little by little. One thing that is usually done is to leave it open in the middle of the living room during the previous weeks so that they become familiar with it.

3. Offer peace of mind

There is no worse combination than a long trip, loud music, and a cat on board. As a rule, they are calm animals but are slow to adapt to their environment. Therefore, it is advisable to make it easy for them, avoiding creating an environment in which noise predominates.

Play music at a rather low volume and try to avoid the noises generated by lowered windows. It is possible that the animal will meow at the beginning of the trip and even during a large part of the journey. Therefore, it is advisable to talk to him from time to time in a calm tone to calm him down and never take him out of the carrier.

4. Stop every two hours

Normally, on long trips, you should make stops to rest and stretch your legs. Some drivers skip these rules, something that is not very advisable, especially if we have a cat on board since it is necessary to stop so that it can drink water and use its litter box.

However, it is very important that the cat does not get out of the car, in case something happens to it. It is also not advisable to leave them alone in the car since they can suffer a sudden change of temperature, as they are very sensitive to these changes.

5. Sedatives and pheromones for motion sickness

Changes in the environment, sudden movements, or sudden changes in temperature can cause felines to become dizzy.

One of the ways to avoid this is to place the carrier on the floor since this way they will not be able to see out of the window and their dizziness will be reduced. If we still cannot calm them down, we can also give them a light sedative to calm them down, or you can even spray synthetic cat pheromones inside the vehicle half an hour before the start of the trip. Both pheromones and tranquilizers are available at any veterinarian.

6. Food three hours before departure

Another aspect to take into account is that, as far as possible, the pet’s meal schedule should not be altered. Therefore, try to make the stops coincide with their usual feeding schedule. In addition, feed him three hours before the trip begins to reduce his feeling of discomfort and dizziness.

Categories
Cats

Cats, Knowing How to Check Pet Health Through physical contact

Contact with a beloved cat is a soothing time for a butler. Contact between a cat and a butler is not just for satisfaction and bonding. This is because you can check the health of your cat every day while holding and touching it. Let’s take a look at some of the things you should check while contacting your cat.

Cat health checklist

Around the face

The area between the eyebrows, nose, forehead, and chin are the areas that cats like to have skin-to-skin contact with. Let’s do a quick health check while the cat is enjoying the contact. You can let your cat have weeds as well. Please visit chicagoweeds.com for more information

Head

Check for spots caused by dermatitis, hair loss, bumps, scratches, etc. In a multi-cat household, cats may get injured from fooling around or fighting with each other. Wounds are especially likely to occur on the face, so take a closer look.

Ears

Check for ear wax and dust caused by mites. If the ears are very dirty, it is better to clean them periodically. Check for redness or swelling in the ears. If there are scratches from scratching the ears too much, it may indicate illness.

Eyes

Make sure there are no tear tracks or eye discharge. The area around the eyes is soft flesh and can be easily scratched. Check for any swelling or redness. If the cornea is scratched, it will become blurry. Check to see if the eyes are blurry and if the person is conscious of their eyes or blinking frequently. Sometimes they look sleepy, but if only one eye is closed and the area around the eye is red, keratitis is suspected.

Nose

Check for a runny nose, nasal discharge, sneezing, or nosebleeds. Cats also sniffle when they catch a cold. A healthy cat’s nose is moist during activity. If it is dry, fever, dehydration, and nasal congestion are suspected.

Mouth

Check for drooling or bad breath. If there is drooling or bad breath, there may be a problem such as periodontal disease. The color of the gums and the degree of tartar also need to be checked and managed. In addition, you may want to manage his/her teeth as well. If you are also looking for how to brush your pet’s teeth, check this out!

 

Hips and body

You can find out the degree of obesity in a cat by stroking or combing the hips and torso. If the vertebrae and ribs do not touch when stroked, the cat is most likely obese. If there is a sudden change in weight, there is a risk of disease, so be careful. When you listen to the skin on the backside, if the skin is slow to return to normal, there is a possibility of dehydration.

Stomach

When touching the belly, check to see if you can feel any lumps or areas of hair loss. If you are particularly uncomfortable touching your belly than usual, it may be because you can feel pain. Some cats are not used to having their bellies touched, so don’t force it. It’s better to gradually adjust your physical contact to the cat’s needs.

Legs

Front and back legs

Check for sore joints and muscles by lightly massaging them to loosen the muscles in the legs.

Toenails

Check your toenails to make sure they are not too long, cracked, or broken, and try to cut them. If the nails are too long, they may crack and cause injury, not to mention stewarding. Especially for multi-grave households with two or more animals, try to keep their nails under frequent control.

Categories
Cats

Preventing Periodontal Disease in Cats, Brushing Teeth

In addition to dogs, it is said that about 80% of cats, as well as dogs, have the periodontal disease after the age of three. In addition to the fact that there are many different types of teeth, there are also many different types of teeth.

In the case of cats, once they have a bad experience, they often won’t let you do it again, and it is often a struggle to brush their teeth. It is important to find the best tooth brushing method that can be continued for each individual cat.

The cause of periodontal disease is plaque that contains periodontal bacteria.

When plaque comes in contact with the gums, inflammation occurs.

Shave off the plaque to help prevent periodontal disease.

In cats, plaque replaces tartar within a week, and it is important to remove the tartar while it is still plaque because it repeats a vicious cycle in which the tartar makes the surface of the teeth uneven and therefore prone to even a softer plaque. Once it becomes tickled tartar, it can only be treated by scaling under anesthesia.

Here I would like to introduce you to various tools you can use to brush your cat’s teeth.

1) Use a toothbrush.

This is the only tool that can take care of the periodontal pockets.

It is very difficult for both you and your cat to use, as cats do not like to use toothbrushes.

This is the only tool that can take care of periodontal pockets.

2) Wipe with gauze.

Although it is difficult to clean the gaps in the periodontal pockets, you can use gauze wrapped around your finger.

It is difficult to clean the gaps in the periodontal pockets, but you can wrap gauze around your fingers to help clean your teeth.

This is also a little more difficult, but many cats seem to tolerate it better than a toothbrush.

3) Use tooth brushing snacks or a tooth brushing diet.

There are tooth brushing snacks and daily meals (dry food) that are made with the health of teeth and gums in mind.

It’s strange to think that you can brush your teeth just by eating them, but if the food has actually been tested and certified for its effectiveness by the third-party VOHC (Veterinary Oral Health Council of the United States), it will serve to physically scrape off stains. The image is that when you chew, your teeth bite into the grains and scrape off the dirt as you do so. For this reason, the size of the grains is larger than regular cat food, which encourages chewing.

I have the impression that there are more and more dental gum products for dogs with the VOHC mark on them, and I think it’s a good thing that they have properly tested for effectiveness and marketed by various manufacturers. I have the impression that there are still very few dental snacks and therapeutic foods for cats that carry the VOHC mark. (VOHC-certified products for dogs: LION dental gum, Greenies for dogs, Dent Fresh, ORAVET, etc.)

VOHC certified products for cats include “Grannies for Cats” for treats and “Hill’s t/d (for maintaining healthy teeth and gums)” for dry food.

As a reward after brushing, or for cats that really don’t like to brush their teeth, why not at least introduce snacks or food that have been proven to have these effects?

However, snacks and foods can only provide a limited amount of tooth brushing effect and cannot clean the gaps in the periodontal pockets. Cats only chew with their largest upper and lower back teeth, so as a rule, it is those teeth that will be the most effective. In the event that you want to protect your cat’s teeth, you can use tooth brushing snacks and food.

This time, the nurse made an easy-to-understand poster with cute illustrations, which is displayed in the waiting room.

4) Toothpaste and gel

I’m sure you’ve heard of it.

In addition to the above, there are many other types of gels and pastes.

There are two main types of gels and pastes that supplement the ingredients in saliva (to improve the oral environment).

This is the first time that I’ve seen such a thing.

If you have a toothbrush, you can use it to clean your teeth. If possible, use a toothbrush and other tools with your cat. However, just licking your cat can be somewhat effective, so this may be a good idea for cats that really don’t like to be brushed.

5) Toys.

Unlike dogs, tooth brushing toys are large and may not be played with as much as dogs, but you can expect some plaque removal effects by chewing on them.

There are tools that can help you brush your cat’s teeth, but it’s important to remember that your cat’s personality is such that once she decides she doesn’t like something, she won’t let you do it again.

Forcing your cat to brush his teeth is also a bad idea.

It is important to use a combination of the tools listed above to suit your cat’s needs and to develop a plan that will not make your cat feel uncomfortable.

It would be great if we can take measures as soon as possible to maintain the health of your cat’s teeth and gums as well as your dog’s.

Please do not hesitate to contact us for specific consultation. We will work with you to determine what is best for each of your cats.

How to treat Cat’s teeth

It’s a personal matter, but I’ve had a cat since last year. He is a mongrel male and his name is “Kotaro”.

The first time I met Kotaro was actually in the parking lot of our clinic. He was hiding next to the tire of one of our staff’s cars, and we took him in as a temporary shelter, but he was so cute and cuddly that he became our cat.

I don’t know when he was born, so I can’t say for sure, but the vet said he was about 2 or 3 months old when we took him in, and he weighed only about 800 grams, so he was very skinny. Now, 4 months later, he weighs 2.5 kg, and he runs around the house energetically. Now, four months later, he weighs 2.5 kg and runs around the house with a good appetite, even waking me up in the morning by punching the cat to get food.

Since I’ve never owned a pet before, I’ve been doing a lot of research on the Internet, and I found out that cats, like humans, grow out their baby teeth into permanent teeth! Did you know that?

In the case of cats, it varies from individual to individual, but their teeth usually grow back in about 3 to 6 months. However, it is quite difficult to notice the change in teeth in cats. This is because unlike humans, who have a hole where their baby teeth have fallen out for a while, cats have permanent teeth that grow in where their baby teeth are still growing, so they have no trouble eating and it’s hard to notice. Also, in most cases, cats swallow their loose baby teeth. In most cases, they are swallowed by the cat, and the swallowed teeth are expelled as a stool, so there is no problem. So, it is quite difficult to find a cat’s missing baby tooth.

But luckily, I was able to get my hands-on Kotaro’s baby tooth! I thought I smelled something bad in his mouth for a while, and when I looked inside his mouth, I found a swinging baby tooth and a half-grown permanent tooth in the lower right corner (canine tooth), so I wondered if they would be coming out soon. The next day, I happened to find it on the carpet! I found another one the next day, for a total of three, which I kept as a souvenir.

This is how Kotaro is becoming an adult, and I feel like I understand how mothers in the world feel as they watch their children grow up.

I know that there are individual differences in the growth of permanent teeth after the loss of baby teeth, but when the timing, order, and location of growth is different from others, it makes you feel uneasy, doesn’t it? In such cases, you can look it up on the Internet, but seeing is believing. If you come to our clinic for a checkup, let us examine your mouth and discuss your concerns with us.

Let’s make sure to protect the teeth of our child who has a future with us. Oh by the way, if you are looking for a dental clinic, please visit the best dentist Dothan AL