AwwIf It Fits, I Sits: 10 Adorable Photos of Cats in Flower Pots

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Labradorable

Purred: Fri Jan 16, '09 1:39pm PST


	I thought I would start a thread just for the 's in the group.

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Labradorable

Purred: Fri Jan 16, '09 1:40pm PST


	CAT DIARRHEA Stool Color Guide Any of the following requires IMMEDIATE medical attention Bloody: red blood in stool might indicate panleukepenia (distempter). Black: possible bleeding high in the bowel. Mucous: slimy substance can indicate a severe bowel irritation. White: possible serious bowel infection. High risk of death. The following may require that you seek medical advice: Orange: could be too much bile in stool. Yellow: bacterial imbalance in bowel. CHECK FOR DEHYDRATION: It is critical that your cat does not become dehydrated. Be sure they are drinking plenty of water. If not, wrap your pet in a towel, securing the legs and using a syringe, slowly squirt 1/2 unflavored PEDIALITE and 1/2 water down the throat. This will help replace lost electrolytes etc. Be careful not to go to fast and choke the kitten. To check for dehydration, pinch the skin over the shoulders. If the cat is well hydrated it should snap back. If not, it will return slowly. Give the kitten that isn't eating NUTRIMALT PASTE to put in some calories and give energy. Cats and kittens with diarrhea need to drink a lot of water, be sure they have plenty available! BACTERIAL INFECTIONS CAUSING CRONIC DIARRHEA - We have had excellent success with bacterial intestinal infection problems using AZITHROMAX ANTIBIOTIC, helping tremendously in a matter of hours. Request this antibiotic from your vet if your pet has an intestinal bacterial infection. Once your veterinarian has ruled out parasites as the cause for your kitten or cat's diarrhea, you may want to try these suggestions that have worked for us religiously: Diarrhea is often caused by food moving too quickly through the digestive tract. Our personal favorite ingredient in stopping this rush through the system is OATMEAL. If you don't have Oatmeal, you can substitute WHITE RICE, not as good but it will do in a pinch. Oatmeal is a terrific fiber source, if you use rice, you will also need to add FIBER: PUMPKIN PUREE, PSYLLUM or RICE BRAN. Be sure to buy Pumpin Puree NOT Pie filling. Psyllium is found in the Pharmacy department as Metamucil (no flavor), Rice Bran in the cereal depatment. Fiber is vital in controling diarrhea. Our favorite protein to settle a kitten's stomach is WHOLE LIFE CHICKEN PURE MEAT TREATS, we soak in hot water to make a broth, adding oatmeal or white rice and a fiber source. The kitten can also snack on the dry meat treats if they like. To the above food, we begin adding PAU D' ARCO, a Rainforest herb to the food. It is anti-microbial, anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial. We buy Nature's Way capsules, available at health food stores and online, for kittens, 1/4 capsule mixed into food per day, for adult cats 1/2 capsule mixed into the food for the day. This has completely stopped even cronic kitten diarrhea in just a day or two for us. We start adding just a dusting of MEGA C PLUS to this diet. Not too much, you don't want to start diarrhea, just want to get the system built back up again. Keep the kitten on this diet for 5 days, then start adding a good quality canned food as described next. We put NUTRAMEDIX SAMENTO CATS CLAW drops in the kitten's water source to take away swelling in the intestine, remove pain and boost the immune system. PROBIOS will replace the good bacterial culture in the intestestine you must have to live and digest food! It's a vital part of recovery. You can use any good grade Acidophillus formula, people versions are just fine too. If you have canned food, use chicken, turkey or beef, beef liver formula - 1 part canned, 1 part oatmeal or rice. Let it soften. Add the Pau d'Arco and if using rice also adding Pumpkin Puree, Psyllium or Rice Bran. Make a few days worth ahead of time and store in the fridge if it makes things easier for you. When it's mealtime, take out a quantity the pet will eat and ad 1/3 canned food that the cat loves. Warm a few seconds in the microwave to bring out the smell and flavor. Add a bit of hot water if the fiber has absorbed it and made the mix too dry. Another alternative you may try is using canned food and 1/2 instant oatmeal. Just mix in the dry oatmeal with the canned food. The instant oatmeal will expand in the cat's system and absorb water as well as add vital fiber. We use EAGLE PACK Holistic Select Chicken and Lamb Formula with rolled oats (oatmeal) canned food. It's great as an everyday canned food for any cat with or without digestive issues. Lamb is a terrific meat for pets according to Dr. Wendell Belfield at Belfield.com, the makers of MEGA C. DRY FOODS TO HELP PREVENT DIARRHEA or CONSTIPATION: We have had total success using EAGLE PACK Holistic Select Anchovy, Sardine & Salmon Meal formula with Oatmeal Dry food and Duck with Oatmeal formula dry foods. Both use Oatmeal as their grain, It moves much more slowly through the system than rice and many other grains. All of our cats that love dry food and eat either the fish / oatmeal formula or the duck / oatmeal formula have normal healtlhy digestive tracts all the time. Their coats are also very low shed and like glass, soft and glowing because of all the health foods like blueberries & vegetables, vitamins and minerals in this food. For kittens, when their digestion settles down, we add EAGLE PACK Kitten Formula dry food which does contain some corn as well. Many vets carry and prescribe A/D brand foods formulated for sick individuals or animals with special dietary needs. PUMPKIN PUREE - Canned pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie mix, can help to balance both diarrhea and constipation in a cat. Mix a spoon into canned cat food. It is high in fiber and will balance a canned food meal. Diarrhea can also be caused by irritation in the digestive tract. Vets go both ways on this one. Some say it's a miracle while others say it is poisonous to cats! ALOE VERA not only enhances the immune system, but it relieves inflammation in the digestive tract. Give a cat 1/2 ml to 1 ml (cc) twice daily. You can also put it in their food. Aloe will also help with constipation. Organically grown fresh cut leaf is the best source. A whole leaf can be processed in your food processor and the juice extracted a perfect source. Juice is sold in health food stores. You can also find it in a dry state. Wellvet.com writes about it's effectiveness in many areas healing birds, cats and dogs. Edited by author Fri Jan 16, '09 1:40pm PST

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Labradorable

Purred: Fri Jan 16, '09 1:40pm PST


	URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS: Cats who don't drink enough or have diarrhea often develop problems urinating, you will see them running back and forth to the box but not going, stressing and pacing. Pick up CRANBERY CONCENTRATE capsules or gel caps at the health food store. Break one open and mix with a little water in a syringe and dose for 3 -4 days to make sure it goes away. It can also be hidden in canned food. Cranberry won’t let bacteria stick to the bladder and urinary tract, so it eliminates urinary infections right away. Acidophilus helps with such infections as well. *Antibiotics, stress & worming can destroy the good flora in the digestive tract. You and your pet have to have this good bacteria present in order to live, let alone digest food properly. There are many wonderful replacements available for ACEDOPHILLUS and the related GOOD BACTERIA. We use PROBIOS (240 gram canister) horse supplement dispersible powder sprinkled over dry food for horses, birds, dogs and cats - the cats really like the taste too. It's a wonderful product to use two or three times a week sprinkled on dry food to prevent upsets from occurring. Our vet gave us PURINA VETERINARY DIETS FORTIFLORA, a feline nutritional supplement for cats with diarrhea. They love the taste and eat food we sprinkle the packets on. Probiotics are good bacteria that can help boost the levels of beneficial bacteria in the belly, whereas antibiotics attack and kill infections and unwanted bacteria. Under certain conditions such as stress, the natural balance of beneficial bacteria in the digestive system is disrupted. The number of pathogens increase and the number of beneficial organisms decrease causing digestion upsets. Probiotics can restore the normal balance in the belly and improve the overall health of your pet. PLAIN PURE YOGURT with live culture, is a wonderful source of natural good flora and many cats love the taste. Just a tablespoon a day to establish a healthy culture, then a few times a week to maintain.

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Labradorable

Purred: Fri Jan 16, '09 1:41pm PST


	CAT CONSTIPATION - POSSIBLE BLADDER or URINARY TRACT BLOCKAGE This is a problem that we have only dealt with a few times. We have a long haired black Maine Coon cat that was approximately 10 years old when he had his first and only bout with constipation. Veterenarians will tell you that mid life is a common time to see this problem. The primary causes are dehydration, fur balls and cats on an all dry food diet or a poor quality dry food diet. Sometimes a cat's muscle contractions in their colon can slow and cause the problem. Our vet prescribed REGLAN for another cat, only there was no swelling of the abdomen with him. Reglan increases intestinal contractions and helps food to travel through the intestines. That worked great with the other boy. Seth however has a much more serious situation because of the swelling, there was the possibility of compaction or bladder blockage as well. We opted not to give him the Reglan and wait to ask the vet Monday Morning if it would help. Compaction is extremely serious. If you know your cat hasn't had a bowel movement in 24 - 36 hours, get the pet to the vet. They can determine just what is causing the problem and prescribe the proper remedy. They may want to sedate the pet and give an enema. Don't do this at home yourself, it is far too easy to seriously or even permanentely injure your pet. A compacted colon can allow waste to reenter the body and cause a host of serious illnesses. Compaction is serious enough to require a surgical solution if the problem is ignored for too long. It can also be a very painful condition. Make sure that the cat is in fact able to urinate. Especially neutered male cats can be straining to urinate because of a blocked urethra. Seek veterinary assistance right away if gentle remedies are not successful. Our Seth has always been a very long lean muscular slender cat, so when we looked down at him and it looked like he had swallowed a cantelope, we were shocked. His stomach was hard. Of course this was late on a Saturday afternoon. Not knowing at this point if our cat was badly constipated or infact compacted, this was our course of action: we opted for COD LIVER OIL, FLAX SEED OIL, PROBIOS powder in his WATER as well as a CRANBERY EXTRACT and repeat syringes of water throughout the weekend. Cranberry given every few hours throughout the day. Giving your cat a capsule of CRANBERRY EXTRACT opened up and the contents mixed into a small syringe of water will keep bacteria from sticking to the bladder and help treat an infection or prevent one if the cat is not drinking enough water to wash out the tract. Redose every few hours. We did see Seth urinating, so we were able to rule out a bladder blockage. NUTRIMALT PASTE often during the day for energy as well as FLEET BABYLAX suppository and MIRAMAX Stool softener and lubricator. Monday morning, he'll be at the vet to confirm that constipation is in fact the cause of his swollen abdomen and not any other illness. If constipation is the problem, the vet will be able to determine if there is a blockage and get it out. His swollen hard abdomen could also indicate liver illness and other serious conditions. It can also mean bladder or kidney problems. CATHEALTH.COM has a page with information about detecting bladder, kidney, urethra and related blockages which includes a swollen abdomen as a symptom. See also our section below on Urinary Tract Problems. Male cats that are neutered before 6 months of age don't have a chance for their urethra's to develop to full size. At young ages, this tube is a fine as a needle! It is easy for this tiny tube to become blocked with crystals. This can very well be the problem with a male cat that appears to be constipated. Bladder blockage is a critical situation as well and a vet can tell right away if the bladder is not draining.

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Labradorable

Purred: Fri Jan 16, '09 1:42pm PST


	HYDRATION - Since he was not interested in drinking or eating food, Seth was given a dose of NUTRAMEDIX SAMENTO CATS CLAW 6 drops in an eyedropper of water, twice a day. It takes a minute for the drops to activate in water. We keep this on hand for our cats and kittens with respiratory ailments. More about it in Cat Colds below. This special Cat's Claw is also very beneficial in healing intestinal tracts, liver and spleen function, antibiotic and so much more. Read all about it on the link page above. We kept filling up a syringe and giving him water since he wasn't drinking much of anything for himself. A casule of CRANBERRY CONCENTRATE was added to his water daily to prevent a urinary tract infection during all the trouble with his digestion. We continued this until he was well. Then again every few days for another few weeks. WATER FOUNTAINS: There are water fountains on the market for cats. Many cats love the oxygenated water and drink much more water out of these fountains than they would do out of a stale bowl. FUR BALLS CAN BLOCK THEIR COLON, AS CAN OTHER ITEMS EATEN - Because of his long hair and in the midst of a summertime shed, we assumed that he had comsumed a good deal of hair grooming himself. Because of his swollen belly, we did not know if he was stopped up or constipated. TREATMENTS: Give CANNED FOOD, WITHHOLD DRY FOOD or SOAK DRY FOOD IN WATER - Once the cat is normal again, slowly reintroduce a very high quality dry like the EAGLE PACK foods we suggest below in the Cat Colds section. Dry food can also be soaked in water and oils slipped in as well. COD LIVER OIL and OTHER FATS - Taken orally, this is a gentle lubricant. Flax Seed Oil, Olive oil, Vegetable oil can help as well. Tuna packed in vegetable oil may be something your cat would like the taste of. Butter or other animal fat may be appealing to other cats. ACEDOPHILLUS and the related GOOD BACTERIA. We use PROBIOS (240 gram canister) horse supplement dispersible powder sprinkled over their wet or dry food. This good bacteria has to be alive and thriving throughout the intestines in order for humans, dogs, cats, horses, birds, you name it, to digest and produce waste. Without it, you won't live. Our bodies naturally reproduce this flora, but when a body is under stress or has been subjected to antibiotics, the good bacteria is destroyed and we need to reintroduce a new crop. Plain yogurt is also a useful source of this bacteria. The Probios is also a great thing to mix with potent powdered vitamins with just a bit of water and shot down the throat with a syringe. The Probios masks the vitamin flavor very well. NUTRIMALT PASTE is extremely helpful and easy to dose for cats that won't eat. It has an oil base as well to help in lubricating their intestines. METAMUSIL (or other pure psyllium product) If your cat is just constipated, start by giving plenty of water and 1/4 tsp. of plain Metamusil or Psyllium in water. If your cat could be blocked by fur balls or any other obstruction, don't administer the Psyillium. It won't help with what is already in the colon, only what comes through now. It can actually make matters worse. PUMPKIN PUREE - Canned pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie mix, can help to balance both diarrhea and constipation in a cat. Mix a spoon into canned cat food. MILK - A little bit of milk can loosen up the system. Normally it's a no no for cats, but they do love the taste and it can loosen up their systems very effectively. EXERCISE - Many older cats don't exercise as often as the youngsters. Consider adopting a young cat or kitten would liven things up in your household and encourage your older cat to play and exercise. You can introduce your cat to wellness walks as described in the Cat Colds section below. Follow our Horus on a Wellness Walk. Exercise is Prokinetic and will increase intestinal contractions naturally. Don't force a compacted or cat in pain to exercise. Leave your wellness walk pace up to the individual cat if and when they want to. Most love a stroll through the garden with their person, just remember the harness and leash and avoid any potential negative encounters, like aggressive neighbor dogs... MIRAMAX(Polyethylene glycol) is an Osmotic stool softener and aids in lubrication. It pulls water into the intestine through the intestinal lining, which can dehydrate the cat. Be sure to give extra water and do not use long term! This is a once in a blue moon emergency product. It is not natural and safe like other treatments. We administered a scant 1/4 teaspoon in water for Seth. He's a 12 lb. cat. This product can be given if the cat could be compacted. It treats what is in the colon, softening and lubricating the contents. FLEET BABYLAX or GLYCERINE or MINERAL OIL & a NARROW PLASTIC SYRINGE - Fleet Babylax is a glycerine suppository you gently work into the backside of the cat. Put a glob of Vaseline on the end and work very slowly so prevent tearing the delicate tissues. Once inserted, gently squeeze out the contents. If swelling is involved or the problem is with a small cat, you may need to go the narrow syringe approach as below like we had to: Sunday noontime: As soon as we gave our Seth a small syringe of glycerine, he ran to his sandbox and had his first successful bowel movement! Not much, but a start. Sure enough, it was full of matted hair. The suppository tube was too large for us to insert into his rectum because he had swelling from straining to go to the bathroom over and over without any success. We purchased a slender long plastic syringe and cut it off shorter and smoothed the edge, to help go a bit further into his colon more gently because of the dramatically smaller circumference. We then put a small amount of glycerine or mineral oil into the syringe, covered the tip with Vaseline and slowly gently with almost no pressure pushed it just an inch into his colon. Once in the small amount of glycerine was delivered ever so slowly. He'll be at the vet first thing in the morning to make sure he isn't blocked and that the problem is in fact constipation and not any other cause for the swollen abdomen.

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Labradorable

Purred: Fri Jan 16, '09 1:42pm PST


	CAT COLDS & UPPER RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS SYMPTOMS: SNEEZING NASAL DISCHARGE RUNNY EYES COUGH ORAL OR NASAL ULCERS SNIFFLES FEVER HOARSE VOICE NO APPETITE OR ANY COMBINATION THEROF Most of the kittens and cats we rescue from pounds and rescues as well as many visiting the vet for other reasons, end up with colds and more severe upper respiratory infections which also involve the cat's lungs. Kittens always suffer the most from these colds and infections because they do not have the more developed immune systems that adult cats have. Cats that can not smell due to their stuffy heads, often times don't want to eat or even drink. Do everything you can to keep this from happening. Cats dehydrate quickly and it becomes more difficult to get a cat that has stopped eating to start up again. Painful ulcers can form on the cat's eyes, nose or in the mouth. In young kittens, pneumonia may result from an upper respiratory infection. ANTIBIOTICS - 90% of colds and upper respiratory infections are viral in origin. No antibiotics work against viruses. The reason your vet may prescribe an antibiotic for your pet is because these viral infections become complicated by secondary bacterial invaders. The antibiotics do work against bacterial infections. Chlamydia psittaci or felis is such an organism that is sensitive to the tetracycline family (such as doxycycline). When an antibiotics is prescribed, tetracyclines and their relatives are frequently chosen. Tetracycline use can permanently stain the teeth of immature animals, so often times they are not chosen for younger cats. See A LESS COMMON BACTERIAL CAUSE...below for a bacteria that does cause similar symptoms and can be killed off with a special antibiotic! HERPES & CALICIVIRUS TO BLAME: Almost all feline upper respiratory infections are caused by either the feline Herpes or feline Calicivirus. Neither of these infections is transmissible to humans or to other animals. Most feline colds last for a week to 10 days regardless of treatment. In cats, these infections are permanent, the Herpesvirus infections are recurring like all types of Herpes infections. In kittens Herpes infections are notorious for lasting a very long time. Stresses on their systems from things such as surgery (neutering/spaying or declawing), kennel boarding, or a new feline in the family can bring about a new Herpes upper respiratory spell. These episodes may recur for the life of the cat though as the cat matures, the symptoms become less and less severe and often may not even be noticeable to the owner. A cat with the Herpesvirus is contagious to other cats for a couple of weeks after a stressful event. Cats infected with Calicivirus are contagious for several months after infection but do not appear to have recurrences the same way cats with Herpes do. LESS COMMON BACTERIAL CAUSES of UPPER RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS: BARTONELLA HENSELAE - Severe cold symptoms like intense sneezing and thick mucus coughed out of the lungs, colds that don't want to go away can be caused by the Bartonella henselae bacteria. This is the same bacterium that causes "Cat Scratch Fever" in humans. It is found in multi cat environments, like pounds and shelters. Most cats exposed to this bacteria don’t exhibit any symptoms at all. You can ask your vet for a blood test for this infection that is not killed off by common antibiotics like Clavamox or Orbax. The blood test takes 5 to 7 days to get results. The treatment is three weeks on AZITHROMAX ANTIBIOTIC. It may take another week for all the symptoms to go away, but this antibiotic will clear up a cat with this far less common condition. Knowing of it's existence and asking your vet to check for it can save you and your cat a lot of wasted time and misery using common antibiotics that won't help. Especially if you know that the cat comes from a shelter, pound or multi cat environment! CHLAMYDIA - Chlamydis is a common cause of Respiratory Tract Infections - 'RTI', and Upper Respiratory Tract Infections - 'URTI'. URTI's cause nasal congestion and discharge and runny eyes. RTI's affect the lungs and can cause pneumonia. Chlamydia is a major health problem for breeders. It causes a flu like illness with sneezing, serous (clear) discharge from the nose and runny eyes, contributing to chronic runny eyes in cats. Researchers feel that it could easily be the cause of Fading Kitten Syndrome and Pneumonia in kittens. Young kittens stop feeding, develop a rattly chest and very often die from this condition. AZITHROMAX ANTIBIOTIC or Z PAK is a safe newer antibiotic that is also highly effective against chlamydia as well. CHRONIC RHINITIS or SINUSITIS often responds to Zithromax as well. Veterinarian Jennifer Fry addresses this problem in an Ask the Veterinarian. The dose is 1/4 of a 250mg tablet for a 7 pound cat, 1/2 tablet for a 10-12 lb cat. once weekly - many times 2 doses will do it. We suggest you ask your vet about using Azithromycin - Zithromax also known as Z Pak instead of other antibiotics right off the bat in case your cat has Chlamydia or Bartonella henselae bacterial infections. The name brand drug is very expensive, but in most cases, one cat would need only a 1/2 to 1 single 250 mg pill for the entire treatment - 1/4 - 1/2 one week, same dose the next. Generic versions of the drug are far less expenisive. Ask your pharmacy if they carry the Generic version when filling a prescription from your vet. If you go online, may we warn you that there are Canadian Pharmacies and we are sure many others who are simply middlemen, stock nothing and are selling a generic version out of India. Your wait to recieve product from India then through US customs is a month or so. NOTE! You may have to hold off on any herbal products, vitamins minerals and other drugs or medications while your cat is being treated with Zithromax or other antibiotics. Avoid sunshine as well while on Zithromax. Tell your vet / pharmacist what herbal products, vitamins minerals or drugs and medications your kitten or cat is taking to make sure a combination is safe. Azithromycin Drug Warning information. AZITHROMYCIN - ZITHROMAX DOSING: Researchers say that the dose for cats is 20mg Zithromax per kg body weight. Dr. David Richardson of the Ragajac Ragdoll Cattery in Australia wrote about the findings in Zithromax - The Modern Treatment of Feline Chlamydia. It is available in a syrup with 600 mg of Zithromax in 15 mls. An average size cat would be given 20mg 3 times = 60mg or 1.5mls of syrup. It is also available in 250 mg and 500mg tablets. The dose for an average 3kg cat would be 1/4 of a 250mg tablet - or 1/8 of a 500mg tablet. This also translates to: 1/4 of a 250mg tablet for a 7 pound cat, 1/2 tablet for a 10-12 lb cat. once weekly - many times only 2 doses (which lasts in the body two weeks) will do the trick for most illnesses. A single dose quiets down the symptoms in badly affected cats, but they may recur in a few weeks. Zithromax remains at an effective concentration within the tissues for a week, thus giving a single dose is like giving a seven day course of a shorter lived antibiotic. For cats with severe infections, and cats that have been symptomatic for weeks or months, Dr. David Richardson suggests repeating the 20mg/kg dose seven days after the initial dose. QUARANTINE: If only one cat is showing signs of illness, quarantine that individual from the rest of the cats in your house if you have multiple cats. Colds travel through a cat community just as quickly as colds travel through people communities. CHECK FOR DEHYDRATION: It is critical that your cat does not become dehydrated. Be sure they are drinking plenty of water. If not, wrap your pet in a towel, securing the legs and using a syringe, slowly squirt 1/2 unflavored PEDIALITE and 1/2 water down the throat. This will help replace lost electrolytes etc. Be careful not to go to fast and choke the kitten. To check for dehydration, pinch the skin over the shoulders. If the cat is well hydrated it should snap back. If not, it will return slowly. APPETITE STIMULATION - NOT WANTING TO EAT: It is critical the cat or kitten eats. Try a variety of foods. Once you have treated the cat or kitten with Azithromax and the head is clear and nose is back to work, the appetite should follow right away. We find that canned fish and canned raw or cooked liver will often get through to a sick cat. Canned cat food is great because it's 80% or so water, so they get their water intake as well as nutrition. Some cats are mad for raw or cooked liver, either beef or chicken liver seems to work fine. Some cats absolutely love smoked turkey. PURINA makes liver and fish flavored crunch treats available in every pet shop and grocery store that has triggered many of our rescues to start eating. If a cat is very ill and refuses to eat on it's own, we have resorted to Baby food in a jar. Beachnut makes a few varieties of turkey and fish with various vegetables. Just make sure it has only meat and vegetable in it, not onion powder or other cat toxins in it. First see if the cat will eat it on it's own. I'm sure any brand will work as long as it combines a meat source and a easily digestible grain like rice or vegetable like carrots. It's messy, but gets the cat eating. Often times a few spoons of food in the mouth will trigger the cat to eat on it's own. Our vet perscribed 4 mg. CYPROHEPTADINE, an antihistamine that stimulates the appetite. 1/2 to 1 pill 2-3 times a day. We have had success with just 1/2 a pill twice a day. Start with the least and work up to the amount your cat needs. NUTRIMALT PASTE is extremely helpful and easy to dose for cats that won't eat. It's great for healthy cats too, a skin and coat nutritional supplement. With the Nutrimalt paste, Squeeze out an inch or so on your finger for a cat, less for a kitten. See if the cat will lick it off itself, many love the taste. If not, with paste ready on your pointer finger, use the other hand to draw up on the cats top jaw with thumb and pointer just behind the canine teeth, then wipe the paste on the roof of the cats mouth behind the front teeth. You can also pinch the skin just behind the top of the head, behind the ears and tip the head back. Once dosed (this works for pills as well) close the mouth and keep it closed, stroke the throat in a downward motion and gently blow in the cat's nose to induce swallowing. Nutritional pastes provide calories to keep the kitten or cat energized. For non eaters, we use the Nutrimalt 3 - 4 times a day, the vitamin paste as directed, or a syringe of the Mega C plus vitamins and Probios as described below in a little syringe. FELOVITE II is a tuna flavor vitamin mineral supplement paste for cats. VEDCO NUTRIVED CHEWABLE VITAMINS are micro encapsulated kitten vitamins. Some like the roast beef - liver flavor and eat them like treats. If not, you can grind on up and put it on food or let the powder stick to the Nutrimalt paste when dosing it and give the kitten or cat both at once. The only thing we don't care for with these vitamin formulas is that they have almost no Vitamin C. You can add your own Ester-C to your cat's diet, build up to 500mg a day over a week or two's time. Just mix a tiny bit of water and Probios to mask the flavor in a syringe and shoot it down their throat at mealtime. It will most likely upset their stomachs between meals! Our favorite year round Cat Vitamins is a super strength Vitamin compound called MEGA C PLUS available in powder form or drops for infants. It's formulated to be used in canned cat food. We take one part vitamin powder to one part PROBIOS powder and mix with only a small bit of water in and shoot it down their throat with a little syringe. The Probios masks the vitamin taste very well and most don't mind at all. That way you don't have to make the canned food taste odd for the picky eaters and you can be sure that each cat or kitten is getting an equal dose for multiple cat families. We give treats after dosing, so the healthy cats look forward to their vitamin "shot" every day because treats follow! Be sure to give it at mealtime so that you don't upset their stomach. Here is an PET HEALTH INFO PAGE by Dr. Belfield including information about amazing results that have been attributed to the product with such health issues including treated cats testing Positive for FeLV, becoming negative after treatment! Mega C Plus is critical in treating feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), panleukopenia, upper respiratory infections, infectious feline anemia, etc. It is a very strong vitamin formula that you gradually built the cat up, starting with just a sprinkle on the wet food and gradually building to 1/4 teaspoon or so daily. When built up slowly cat's get used to the taste and expect it in their food. Or, you can use our method in a syringe as described above if they are very picky and won't eat. Too much too quickly can cause diarrhea, so slow and sure is the dosing here. We find that if you add a teaspoon - tablespoon of the Pumkin Puree to the canned food, they can handle the full dose vitamins much better. We use a heaping teaspoon in a can of cat food with the Mega C Plus vitamins with no diarrhea problems at all. A tablespoon of soaked Oatmeal as well, so much the better for keeping the stool solid. Dr. Belfield has some terrific books on Cat and Dog health that we find incredibly helpful in treating our gang. See NASAL SPRAY & ANTIHISTAMINES - DECONGESTANTS for suggestions that may help a great deal with food and water consumption. *COMFORT: Make the cat as comfortable as possible. They are as miserable as you or I with a bad cold. Be sure they have fresh food and water and a clean litter box nearby. Give them love and attention, but don't bother them too much, cats like to be quiet and alone or lay quietly in your arms when ill. An excellent therapy area is a small room in which you can control drafts and heat.

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Labradorable

Purred: Fri Jan 16, '09 1:43pm PST


	*MUSIC, VIDEO, TWINKLE LIGHT THERAPY: Playing Classical,New Age or Celtic, etc. music softly in your quarantine room will give your sick cat or kitten something to listen to. Even a book being read on CD or Ipod. We have a Kitty DVD that plays squirrels and birds and their sounds that entertains cats for hours. Give your sick cat a low impact source of entertainment. Below Horus watches his favorite DVD - VIDEO CATNIP on a Mac laptop. Some kitties are not as civilized about watching as he is, you may need to use a television monitor that can tolerate little paws batting the screen! We put twinkle lights all around the room so that a sick kitty can listen to music, and watch the soft lights twinkle.

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Labradorable

Purred: Fri Jan 16, '09 1:45pm PST


	FEVER: If your cat has the chills, it probably has a higher fever. Vets have medication that controls a fever, however, if you are in a situation where you have to wait for a vet, you may want to take the cat's temperature. To do this, use a small rectal thermometer or a human digital thermometer. Sterilize it by dipping it in rubbing alcohol. Allow to dry then apply petroleum jelly to the tip. Have the cat stand or lay on it's side and gently subdue the pet. Shake the thermometer until it is below 100. If using a digital thermometer, this does not apply. Insert the thermometer one inch and wait for 1-3 minutes for a traditional thermometer, a digital thermometer will give you a signal much more quickly. Take the thermometer out and read it. The average for a cat is 100.5 - 102.5 degrees. If the cat has a fever, move up your vet appointment to the soonest possible time! Lay a towel in the sink and lay the cat on it, cover the cat in another towel and put ice packs around the edges. Comfort and caress the cat while he lays in the therapy area. You'll see a cat on a hot day or one that has a fever lay down in the cool sink to bring down their own temperature. This can also help bring down the fever if you don't have any ice or frozen food bags or boxes. A damp wash cloth over the cat can help too. Don't wet down the cat. Don't rub him in alcohol. DO NOT GIVE YOUR CAT TYLENOL, ADVIL and other HUMAN MEDICATIONS! If you can't physically get the cat to the vet immediately, try to speak with your vet or an emergency vet on the phone to get their input. Some vets will tell you it's okay to give a cat 1/4 of a baby aspirin once every other or every three days. Other vets will tell you no aspirin at all. Aspirin IS toxic to cats, so do not in any way consider it a safe medication! Ask your vet if he she recommends it for your situation. We consider Aspirin a last resort for a raging fever, if no other natural method works and you can not get to a vet to help you. VAPORIZER - HUMIDIFYER: Bring your cat to a warm bathroom where a humidifier with some salt water solution has been prepared. Don't put salt in your vaporizer, it will ruin the unit! Let the cat breathe the steam for 15 min. 2 or 3 times daily. Putting a favorite treat in with the cat will keep it occupied while the therapy goes on and make it a positive experience. We have several cats with colds at the same time, so they kept each other company and were perfectly content to sit quietly on their perch during the entire time. NASAL SPRAY or DROPS - Opening stuffy heads and healing sore passages. Be sure to wipe noses often, kitties can't blow their noses on their own, so wiping away matter is very helpful in clearing stuffed up passages. OCEAN Saline Nasal Spray nothing with medication in it! 2 -3 drops in each nostril flushed open noses, flushes sinuses and the cat can breathe again very quickly. When they can breathe they smell and when they smell, they are stimulated to eat. The cats we have used it on do get used to it but it certainly isn't a favorite thing! Drug stores carry it. COLLOIDAL SILVER is a safe Health Food store over the counter antibiotic that can be put in the nose, eyes, drinking water, etc. 2-3 drops in each nostril for this too. It will cure an amazing number of ailments, from skin problems to scratched eyes (make sure that the bottle says okay for eyes, not all do!), cuts and skin irritations even in the most sensitive of areas. We use it orally to prevent a cat getting sick when we see the symptoms starting. Be sure not to contaminate the bottle by dipping in and out while treating a sick cat. Transfer a small amount to a sterile small eyedropper bottle and work from that instead, refilling as needed. Health food stores carry it. Since it's a natural antibiotic, it's great for soothing and healing nasal, mouth or throat ulcers caused by the viruses. Genghis Kahn and Horus had chronic stuffed heads and noses for a month and a half. At this point, we introduced the Colloidal Silver. After the second dose of colloidal silver drops in their nose, their breathing improved 50% overnight. Amazing results. They were given a drop in each nostril twice a day and two droppers a day orally until the sinus problem and cold symptoms were gone. PREVENTATIVE MEASURES: We also use Colloidal Silver orally and in the noses of cats that are starting to look like they're coming down with a cold. Usually within a few days, the symptoms are gone and the cold doesn't catch on. IMMUNE SYSTEM BOOSTING - for head colds, chest colds, bronchitis, cancer and any healing or aging issues: One of the very best Immune boosting products available today is TRANSFER FACTOR, awesome for cats, dogs, horses, pets and people too. Transfer factor is an all natural substance that works by "teaching" your own immune system to identify infectious agents that attack your body every day. 4Life combines it with other immune optimizing compounds including colostrum, noni and mushrooms and markets it in a variety of formulations. We use the TRANSFER FACTOR PLUS ADVANCED which offers the greatest immune boosting ability - 437%. Amazing product. Two capsules a day is the dosing we've used for cats and dogs. Used to heal cancers in dogs, cats, horses, failing elderly pets, upper respiratory infections and colds, recovering from serious injury such as paralysis and so much more. TRANSFER FACTOR information and veterinarian, researcher testimonials here. More information, case studies and Testimonials healing with TRANSFOR FACTOR here as well. We pulled an 11 year old Presa Canario dog with terminal aggressive, worst possible bone cancer through with this and some other awesome vitamin, mineral, herbal, botanical and dietary regiment. Amazing! He was given 2 weeks to live and in three months, there was no sign of the disease. A year later, still no cancer. Here's a link for easy to buy Transfer Factor Plus at a great price. We do pay for shipping, they have a free ground shipping offer, but we pay for shipping because these guys really expedite! The site is: Intohealth.com if your browser won't link to this odd path, paste in: http://www.intohealth.com/shop/product_view.asp?id=974851&StoreID=C1 7109924DB544C79ED3B1AFBDD56869&private_product=1 We found a very helpful product that offers a homeopathic remedy for such infections - PETALIVE RESPO-K . We use it along with the immune boosting elements listed next. One tiny tablet 3-5 times a day. Great for dogs too. We use MISSING LINK FELINE formula sprinkled on dry and wet foods to help kick the immune system into action. They like the taste and it's packed full of wonderful ingredients to boost and maintain the immune system. There is also a dog formula available. Vitamins: FELOVITE II is a tuna flavor vitamin mineral supplement paste for cats. VEDCO NUTRIVED CHEWABLE VITAMINS are micro encapsulated kitten vitamins. Some like the roast beef - liver flavor and eat them like treats. If not, you can grind on up and put it on wet or dry food or let the powder stick to the Nutrimalt paste when dosing it and give the kitten or cat both at once. The only thing we don't care for with these vitamin formulas is that they have almost no Vitamin C. You can add your own Ester C to your cat's diet, build up to 500mg a day over a week or two's time. Just mix a tiny bit of water and Probios to mask the flavor in a syringe and shoot it down their throat at mealtime. It will most likely upset their stomachs between meals! Our favorite year round Cat Vitamins is a super strength Vitamin compound called MEGA C PLUS available in powder form or drops for infants. We take one part vitamin powder to one part PROBIOS powder and mix with only a small bit of water in and shoot it down their throat with a little syringe. The Probios masks the vitamin taste very well and most don't mind at all. That way you don't have to make the canned food taste badly. We give treats after dosing, so the healthy cats look forward to their vitamin "shot" every day because treats follow! Be sure to give it at mealtime so that you don't upset their stomach. Here is an PET HEALTH INFO PAGE by Dr. Belfield about the amazing results that have been attributed to the product with such health issues including treated cats testing Positive for FeLV, becoming negative after treatment! Mega C Plus is critical in treating feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), panleukopenia, upper respiratory infections, infectious feline anemia, etc. It is a very strong vitamin formula that you gradually built the cat up, starting with just a sprinkle on the wet food and gradually building to 1/4 teaspoon or so daily. When built up slowly cat's get used to the taste and expect it in their food. Or, you can use our method in a syringe as described above if they are very picky and won't eat. Too much too quickly can cause diarrhea, so slow and sure is the dosing here. We find that if you add a teaspoon - tablespoon of the Pumkin Puree to the canned food, they can handle the full dose vitamins much better. We use a heaping teaspoon in a can of cat food with the Mega C Plus vitamins with no diarrhea problems at all. A tablespoon of soaked Oatmeal as well, so much the better for keeping the stool solid. Dr. Belfield has some terrific books on Cat and Dog health that we find incredibly helpful in treating our gang. NUTRAMEDIX SAMENTO CATS CLAW This is a bark native to the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest It is an incredible herbal botanical remedy - immune system stimulator and a body detoxifyer. Samento’s Cat’s Claw is a powerful immune system support product. It is beneficial for people and pets for the treatment of a wide range of immune system conditions such a cancer, arthritis, allergies, intestinal disorders, candida, herpes and more. Samento is a rare, very pure form of Cat’s Claw that has anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor and anti-oxidant properties. Much clinical research has been done on this product and the benefits it can provide. For example, a European study found that Samento activates the immune system by increasing lymphocytic (white blood cell) activity. Samento is also a powerful anti-inflammatory which makes it very useful for arthritis and other inflammatory diseases. It also helps to increase T-lymphocyte and microphage production and can be used as a broad spectrum infection fighter. We use 3 drops for kittens, 4-5 for teenage and adult cats in a syringe with a small amount of water twice a day. Water activates the drops, so wait 1 minute before administering it. LYSINE SUPPLEMENT - An oral application of Lysine interferes with the Herpesvirus reproduction. We use a scant pinch usually with the vitamin paste or hidden in wet food. This is available at your local grocery, drug store or health food store. INTERFERON-ALPHA - Another therapy that is frequently used is low doses of interferon-alpha. We have never used it but hear wonderful results with it. Consult your vet . ANTIHISTAMINES - DECONGESTANTS: We always opt for the natural approach first as above, using Colloidal silver and immune boosting vitamins, minerals and herbs first. Resort to any human medications as a desperate back up plan. We have used CHLORTRIMETON as a decongestant with a great deal of success in comforting sick cats and getting them to drink water on their own and eat. We have had sick kittens that had to be forced to take liquids, start drinking large amounts of water and nibbling on food after the first dosing of Chlortrimeton (chlorphinaramine). It is an over the counter medication you can purchase as pharmacies and grocery stores all over. Be sure it is not mixed with other medications and is in tablet form. Use it for no more than three or four days in a row. It's worked wonders for us. Double check with your vet for his or her recommended dose and to make sure that it is suggested for your situation and won't interfere with any medications the cat may already be on. We were told as a general rule to give kittens four to eight weeks old a scant 1/4 tablet, nine weeks to four months a generous 1/4 - 1/3 tab and average weight adult cats 1/2 a pill. Give them two doses per day for the 3-4 days maximum. We find that it takes only a day or two before they start breathing much better at which time you can discontinue it. We always try a natural alternative first before resorting to drugs. Ocean and Colloidal Silver drops in the nose are a great first choice, as is PetAlive Respo-K. BENADRYL is an antihistamine some vets will prescribe. We think it is more effective for itchy allergy situations than stuffy heads. Benadryl is quite effective when used in proper dosages. It is the anti-histamine (diphenhydramine). Stops itching Controls vomiting Good for motion sickness Can be used as a mild tranquilizer Good for snake bites Useful for vaccination reactions Good for bee stings and insect bites Be sure to use only the plain Benadryl capsule or pill form. formula. Giving Benadryl with other combination of meds could be fatal, so be sure to read the box. Don't use Liquid Benadryl, it is too high in alcohol for pets. Suggested dosage, but please first ask your vet and make sure any medication will not interfere with antibiotics or is deemed safe for that pet! Dosage every 8 hours Dogs under 30 lbs and Cats : 10 mg Dogs 30-50 lbs: 25 mg Dogs over 50 lbs: 50 mg GROOMING: Sick cats don't usually bother to groom themselves and their coats become sickly looking as well. Take a nice natural bristle brush, be it a pet brush or people hair brush and very gently brush your cat. It's very comforting and will often get some purrs and grooming attempts out of a sick kitty. Be sure to brush their belly, shoulders and legs too. You know how good it feels to have your own hair brushed! MASSAGE: Using your thumbs in an eyebrow to crown, left, right, left, right stroking pattern, massage the top of your cat's head. Like you, this will help with draining the sinuses. Very gently, stroke with your thumbs from nose under the eyes out as well. Most cats will make relieved grunting sounds as you work over these areas. Massage their neck, chest, shoulders, legs and paw pads, then in between the paw pads. Massage down the spine and very gently in circular motions massage the belly with your fingertips. This will also aid in digestion. To help open the air sacs in the lungs, with the cat either laying back up or on your lap supported between your legs, use cupped palms and with mild pressure pat pat pat on either side of the cat just behind the shoulders / legs, over the ribs where the lungs are. Cat's usually love this as well and it's great therapy for respiratory infections and preventing head colds from traveling down into the lungs.

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Labradorable

Purred: Fri Jan 16, '09 1:46pm PST


	CAT URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS FELINE LOWER URINARY TRACT DISEASE (FLUTD) WEAKENED BLADDER IN ELDERLY CATS If your cat is going back and forth to the catbox straining to urinate or only urinating a tiny bit, you have a serious urinary tract problem. Kidneys and bladder can fill to the point of rupture. These problems are excruciatingly painful for your cat. Usually seen in male cats that were neutered before 6 months of age. These cats urethra's never developed to adult size. Crystals form in the urethra which is as thin as a needle and block urination. The crystals are made up of magnesium ammonium phosphate. TAKE YOUR CAT TO THE VET AS SOON AS POSSIBLE so that they can drain his kidneys and bladder. If you have CRANBERRY CONCENTRATE available at Grocery and health food stores, empty the contents of a capsule or gel cap and mix with a small amount of water. Dose the cat with a syringe if available every few hours. If the problem goes away the cat has bacteria sticking to the urinary tract causing an infection. Continue dosing during the day to keep the urinary tract clean. Cranberry doesn't allow bacteria to stick to the bladder, etc. You can also use Cranberry as a weekly deterrent to the build up of bacteria and prevent crystals from forming by creating an acidic enviroinment in the urine. We found some terrific products that help to prevent ever having this problem. First is Belfield.com's CARPON, by the same makers of MEGA C feline vitamins we recommended in sections above. You can order all of their amazing products through a link off of the Carpon information page. When the experts discovered that the offending crystals blocking the urethra were composed of magnesium ammonium phosphate, they developed the low ash concept - preventing FLUTD by reducing the magnesium in cat diets. Recently however, scientists are dispelling this theory and adding magnesium chloride to cat diets. They found that is was not the magnesium in itself, but rather the alkaline quality of cat's urine which allowed crystals to form. Cats with acidic (non alkaline) urine did not develop crystals. The acidic urine dissolved the crystals and prevented new ones from forming. Carpon is cranberry extract in a pill form ready for crushing into food. It is a natural urinary acidifier that has no toxic side effects. Another terrific product is PET NATURALS BLADDER SUPPORT FOR CATS which combines ingredients to support bladder muscle strength as well as bladder emptying and bladder health. They too have a number of other wonderful products that prevent cat and dog illness through proper nutrition. This formula as well as others available on their site help elderly pets with urinary tract issues as well. STOMACH UPSET IN DOGS AND CATS RECURRENT VOMITTING INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE (IBD) COLITIS ... In cats, vomiting is often caused by ingesting hair while grooming. PETROMALT is an excellent paste that helps slick the ingested hair through the digestive system. It is available at virtually all pet stores and websites. When your pet vomits regularly, something else is wrong. Chronic vomiting often accompanied by diarrhea can be caused by the pet's food, a lack of enzymes produced by the body or inflammatory bowel disease. INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE can be caused by food allergies, bacteria and parasites. Your vet can test for bacterial infections or parasites and eliminate the problem. IF the IBD is caused by food allergies, it becomes a more difficult problem to treat and prevent. Dr. Wendell Belfield has some terrific info in his pet health pages. He recommends lamb as the meat of choice for such pets. The formation of oxidation causes free radicals to perpetuate inflammation and cause vomiting and diarrhea. Using their VITAL LIQUID for cats and VITAL TABS for dogs can help a great deal. He also recommends pet food for the problem. One of our young rescued male cats, Anubis a Tonkinese was having regular vomiting issues. He only likes fish flavored food, so we feed him the Eagle Pack Fish formula with Oatmeal. He will also eat a small amount of hardly cooked fresh liver a few times a week. We purchased digestive enzymes at a health food store, human grade capsules and give him 1/2 a capsule a day. These enzymes support his pancreas, liver function, etc. We also give him 1/4 tsp. of MEGA C powder and 1/2 tsp. PROBIOS and 1/2 - 1 Capsule of TRANSFER FACTOR all mixed together with a small amount of water and dosed in a syringe. We also give him 5 drops of NUTRAMEDIX SAMENTO CATS CLAW in a small syringe of water twice daily. This and the Transfer Factor turbo charges his immune system, the Samento Cat's Claw also removes swelling and comforts his stomach. It's an incredible treatment for people and pets with any cronic intestinal dissorder. He eats all his favorite foods and has not had a vomiting incident in 3 months. The vomiting stopped the day we began his regiment. The supplements that Anubis is taking will prevent a myriad of problems from developing in his life. It is an excellent regiment to maintain your healthy cats too. We have been treating our dog Merlin, an Australian Shepherd / Queensland Healer / Dingo / German Shorthair wtih the same elements and having terrific results. Merlin suffered chronic stomach and intestinal pain from Inflammatory bowel disease on a weekly basis. We began the treatment, the pain stopped after the second dosing of the Cat's Claw and it's been three months without a single reoccurance. PET ALLERGIES - SCRATCHING AND ITCHING WITHOUT FLEAS TRIGGERS - FOOD AND ENVIRONMENTAL Article by Susan Blake Davis CCN of askariel.com, a leading expert in Pet Nutrition and Holistic Pet Care Scratch Itch Scratch, Fleas??? Maybe Not Most people think that when their pet is scratching and itching, it must be fleas. But most concerned pet owners are routinely using preventative flea products and yet their pets continue to scratch and itch. If a pet owner is using flea preventative products and the itching still continues, then further investigation is warranted.The hot weather seems to be the worst of times for our poor pets. They chew, lick, scratch, scoot and tear their hair out. Their paws turn red and they get ear infections as well as hot spots. While it could be fleas, mites, parasites or mange, most of the time, it is allergies! Just as many of us experience hay fever and develop respiratory symptoms, our pets with allergies often develop skin issues. Allergies can be both environmental and food related. Conventional veterinary treatment for allergies involves treatment with cortisone, antibiotics, allergy shots, antihistamines, shampoos and topical treatments. All of these can be very helpful for our pets and give them much needed immediate relief. But many of our pets have much more chronic problems and the symptoms return as soon as the medicines wear off. This is where holistic veterinary care can become especially valuable. Holistic veterinary care involves the use of a hypoallergenic diet and supplements to address the pet’s underlying condition. Many times pets have a chronic yeast condition which weakens their immune system. Pets with allergy problems typically have digestive disorders and since a great deal of our immune system is located in the GI tract, there is a direct correlation. Minimizing allergy symptoms is often directly related to quieting the inflammation in the GI tract. Here are some general points about allergies you should be aware of: 1) Allergies are cumulative. In other words, a pet may have both food and environmental allergies but the symptoms only become noticeable during certain times of the year. This doesn’t mean your pet doesn’t have allergic reactions all the time. It just means that the situation builds up similar to a balloon that fills up with air until it pops. In your pet’s case, it may mean that all of a sudden your pet has hot spots or starts chewing on its paws or rear end during the hot summer months but most likely has underlying digestive issues all year round.. 2) Cats and dogs may display allergy symptoms differently . Cats may have respiratory symptoms, vomiting and other digestive disorders due to allergies as well as skin reactions. Dogs may have scratching, itching, chewing on fur, ear infections, scooting on their rear end and weepy eyes. 3) Most of the time, pets have BOTH food and environmental allergies. There is no one medication or supplement that will cure your pet’s symptoms. Skin problems are tough and require a comprehensive effort. Using the following protocol for your pet can be helpful:Topical treatment in the form of therapeutic baths (available from your veterinarian) and natural sprays (If your pet is allergic to grass, try washing paws after going outside) Special hypoallergenic diet—Keep the following ingredients out of your pet’s diet. There is no “one” allergy diet that works for everyone. Each pet is different. You will need to try a few diets and/or learn how to prepare a homemade diet. We offer consultations via telephone or in-person at VCA Arroyo and can assist you with this. Common Allergens in Pet Food: Corn Soy Gluten (found in wheat, barley, spelt and other grains) Milk Products Casein (found in cheese) Beef (problem for some dogs) Chicken (problem for some cats and dogs) Fish (cats can often be allergic) Peanut Butter (big allergen!) Air purifier—an air purifier can greatly help with environmental allergies. Try to get one that either has a hepa filter or ozone purifier. You and your pets can still benefit from an air purifier even if doors and windows are frequently left open. 4) Use supplements to help your pet cope with allergy season to reduce inflammation and overall discomfort. Be sure to include a generous amount of Omega 3s from fish and flax oil, bioflavanoids such as quercetin, digestive enzymes and an effective probiotic. There are also some homeopathic and Chinese remedies that are very helpful for controlling allergy symptoms. Ask Ariel has a full spectrum of products available to assist pet with allergies. 5) Finally, if your pet is suffering from allergies, please be advised that there is usually no “quick fix”. Medications such as prednisone, antibiotics and antihistamines can provide short-term relief but a comprehensive holistic protocol can help heal your pet for the long-term. Before using any holistic protocol, an initial visit to your veterinarian is warranted. This is because skin issues can be a sign of an underlying endocrine condition such as hypothyroidism or Cushing’s disease and/or your pet may have some serious infections that need to be addressed as well. A veterinarian exam, blood test and doctor’s diagnoses regarding the type of infections your pet has are critical to help your pet get well. Using a combination of both conventional and holistic veterinary medicine seems to deliver the best results for dogs and cats with allergies and skin problems. Click here for more information and products available at Ask Ariel. More suggestions in dealing with allergies: We've had great results in addressing environmental skin allergies using TRANSFER FACTOR PLUS, MEGA C and NUTRAMEDIX SAMENTO CATS CLAW. If you are using a Mac computer, use this link to order Nutramedix Samento Cat's Claw: We call these three elements the HEALING TRINITY. Another must is PROBIOS, good bacteria for the digestive tract. We sprinkle it on pet food,dry or wet, cats and dogs. Formulated for horses, but awesome for even birds! For more information on Transfer Factor, click here: TRANSFER FACTOR information and veterinarian, researcher testimonials here. More information, case studies and Testimonials healing with TRANSFOR FACTOR here as well. CAT or DOG SWALLOWED ANTIFREEZE EMERGENCY - Each year more than ten thousand dogs and cats are accidentally poisoned with automotive antifreeze. Ethylene glycol is toxic to all animals - including people, and one of the top ten poisons in dogs and cats in the United States. Ethylene glycol is the toxic element that makes up 95% of the product. It only takes a small sip of antifreeze to poison your pet. Cats are approximately four times as sensitive to the poison as dogs. One to two teaspoons full will poison a cat and three tablespoons full is enough to kill a medium size dog. The key is to get them treated before their liver and kidneys are destroyed. You can read about the Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment in this very informative site called 2ndchance info. Don't wait GET TO A VET AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN! This information may also help your vet in treating your pet. They will be flushing the kidneys and try to get as much of the toxins out as possible. Vodka and Bicarbonate of Soda (baking soda) has been used very successfully in treatment. The recommended dose is 2.5ml of twenty- percent (forty proof) ethanol per pound of body weight diluted in IV fluids. We give this as a slow drip over six hours for five treatments and then over eight hours for four more treatments. At the same time we give them sodium bicarbonate to reduce the acidity (metabolic acidosis) of the blood. We judge the amount of bicarbonate to give by monitoring the acidity of the urine. In dogs, but not in cats, a drug, 40MP (4-methylpyraxole) is marketed specifically for this condition and replaces alcohol. If you are more than minutes from getting to the vet, give the dose of vodka and baking soda orally immediately and start with syringes of water down the throat to flush the poison. Continue adding a 1/8 - 1/2 tsp of baking soda to the syringes of water to help keep the urine alkaline. Add the elements below as well. Fast action is the way to save your pet. GET TO THE VET AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE! Remember to give your vet the information on this page as well, it isn't all common knowledge and may help your doctor to save your pet. Dr. Belfield, in his Healthy Cat Book available on his site (Mega C Plus) says that he had terrific results using Vitamin C in healing Renal Failure. He suggests 500 mg of Sodium Ascorbate twice a day - it's the most alkaline of the vitamin C's. Use Ester C if you can't find it right away and get the pet started on it, then order his Mega C Plus and switch to his vitamins once they arrive. He also suggests a Vitamin B complex and Vitamin E. Go easy with the E, it's stored in the organs and is a fat soluable vitamin. Give 100 mg or so daily to help with healing. We suggest the treatment includes: Activated Charcoal Capsules to help absorb the poison and Cranberry Extract Capsules to help dissolve crystals formulating in the kidneys. The Cranberry is acidic unfortunately, but the baking soda will help make the urine alkaline. Both are available at the health food store. An herb called Salvia has been used for 30 or more years in China very successfully in healing patients with renal failure. Ask your health food store for capsules that target kidney repair and make sure that this herb is included. Samento Cat's Claw would also be incredibly benefitial in healing the liver and kidneys as well. The site we link to for this product is very helpful with special rush cases, just call in your order and tell them your crisis situation. This product is awesome for people as well!

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Abby NPC ~- CGC, TDI

Ban Breed- Specific- Legislation

Purred: Sat Jan 17, '09 8:25pm PST


	Can anyone recommend a decent canned cat food? I have an 18 year old kittie with bad teeth and I think he is having a hard time eating the dry. Something I can pick up possibly at PetSmart or Petco? Those are about my only options besides the grocery store.

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