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Posts tagged "vaccine"


This won't hurt a bit... Brownpau/Flickr

In honor of National Cat Day, we're answering some of your most pressing cat-health questions. Paw Nation spoke with Christine Bellezza, a veterinarian and the acting co-director of the Feline Health Center at Cornell University, to get the scoop on healthy kitties.

What are the most common cat health problems?
It depends on the age of the cat and the general status of the cat. Indoor cats versus outdoor cats, vaccinated cats versus unvaccinated cats, shelter cats versus pet cats -- each has different problems more common to them.

In general, upper respiratory diseases are some of the most common diseases you would see in cats. Other common health problems include viral disease such as panleukopenia [feline distemper] in unvaccinated cats or kittens. Internal parasites like roundworm, hookworm and tapeworms are a problem, especially for young cats. External parasites like ticks and ear mites are also very common.

In older cats, kidney disease and hyperthyroidism are common, and there is a fair amount of cancer in cats as they get older. Also, obesity is a huge problem in cats. We see diabetes, arthritis, and other problems in obese cats.

How can you tell if your cat is too fat?

Healthy weight for an individual cat might be anywhere from 7 to 14 pounds, depending on the cat's build. Owners should be able to run their hands down the cat's side and feel the ribs easily without having to push through a layer of fat. When they look down at the cat, the cat should have a waist, a slight indentation. The cat shouldn't look like a basketball.

Indoor cats are at risk because they move around a lot less. People can schedule regular play sessions. Set aside five or ten minutes twice a day to play with the cat. Feathers on a wand or toys on a string are great for cats to chase. One of the most important things is not to free-feed cats dry food. Schedule mealtimes and feed them set amount of foods.
    

dog flu

"Can I get some chicken soup please?" Photo: rogue3w/Flickr


After a kennel closed in Virginia due to a dog flu outbreak, panicked headlines screamed, "Protect Your Dogs from Deadly Canine Flu."

Despite a smattering of recent cases, vets have assured us you can hold off from forcing your dog to clean their paws with hand sanitizer, wear a surgical mask, or even get the much talked about canine flu vaccine.

The dog flu strain, dubbed H3N8, has floated around the horse population for decades but jumped to dogs in 2004. So far there have been relatively few cases around the country. Dr. Jean Dodds, a veterinary vaccine researcher and founder of pet blood bank and diagnostic lab Hemeopet, told Paw Nation that there were big scares a few years ago, but the cases -- mainly in kennels and shelters -- petered out.

The symptoms of dog flu -- cough, runny nose, fever -- are exactly like kennel cough, so if you suspect your dog is sick, you'll need a lab test to determine the culprit. The new H3N8 vaccine, which was approved in late June, is effective in reducing the severity of symptoms, but it's not a magic bullet that can prevent your dog from getting the virus or spreading it.

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