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Shelby | 5 years ago
Hi , I Have A Cat Which Is 5 Years Old He Has Been Going To Vets On …

Hi , I have a cat which is 5 years old he has been going to vets on and off for about 2 years now with urinary tract infections I have got him on a special diet which is royal canin dried food and wet food specifically for cats with urinary problems I have a water fountain and leave my tap on all the time, fresh bowl of water daily, noticed he has been going in and out of the cat litter tray this morning and doing anything , I am tired of this keep happening and Bet he is too. What advice could you give me ? Much appreciated

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    The best way to get the best help both long and short term is to have a clear precise diagnosis. This means it is important to know if we are dealing with calculi, inflammation, stress. Etc. Often there are multiple things that cause the issue so identifying which and how they contribute is very helpful on finding the treatment or cure. In some cases what you are already doing and diet exercise, supplements and mental stimulation are all that are needed. In others surgery like a PU can solve the issue. Please ask your vet about all of these or seek a feline specialist or internal medicine specialist. I hope this helps. Good luck.

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Kayce | 5 years ago
My Kitten Had A Nasopharyngeal Polyp Removed A Month Ago, What Can I Expect In The Future?

After many attempts to resolve one of my foster kitten’s URI, I learned about nasopharyngeal polyps and low and behold that was the problem with Lindy. My vet’s team removed the bulk of the polyp behind Lindy’s soft palate with a CO2 laser rather than with traction using forceps, the doctor estimated she removed 90%. I see you have had much experience with these nasty growths. Lindy is a foster and I am getting ready to turn her over to the adoption center to find her forever home. I’m not exactly sure what to write about Lindy’s polyp and what might happen in the future. I hear they can recur. Do you have any advice to give me. Thanks so much.

3 Responses

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    If your kitten begins to have loud breathing or making snoring sounds, or if you notice open mouth breathing or any kind of discharge from the nose then I would go back to the vet. In my experience these recur about 10% of the time. Good luck. If you don’t mind I would love to have you share her story on our storylines page. It helps other people learn from the members experience and also helps understand prices in vet med. if you have any questions just let me know.

    Good luck.
    Krista.

    1. Kayce Post author

      Join the discussion…Hi Krista – thanks so much for your response. Yes please share my story. The vet removed the polyp at the same time Lindy was being spayed. I think the polyp removal added about $200.00 to the bill. I normally use a low cost spay/neuter clinic for my foster cats but because of Lindy’s unique situation I paid the my vet’s cost for spay so her total bill for the day’s surgery, spay and polyp removal, was $700.00. My vet was wonderful working through this problem with me but it was the first time she and her colleagues had encountered and removed this type of polyp. I bet they find a lot more of them now that they know they are out there. Thanks again.

    2. Kayce Post author

      Join the discussion…Thanks again and I just made a donation. This gives me great peace of mind.

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Alyvia | 5 years ago
My Cat Has Herpes & Has Had Worms In The Past. She Has Had 3 Litters Of …

My cat has herpes & has had worms in the past. She has had 3 litters of kittens before. The first litter was 3 stillborns. The second litter was only 2 babies (one of them being boo of course.) The third happened recently about 4 weeks ago & there was 3 of them (we’re not sure if it was the same father as the last two.) The kittens seemed very healthy but with having other outdoor cats we had to often give them flea baths & even then the fleas would still be there & climb up to their faces but obviously we were hesitant getting their faces. Their mother fed them very well (I could even say maybe over fed them) & they got plenty of rest. The only concern I would say I noticed is how one of them only seemed to use three of her legs, but I didn’t think much about it because I assumed she was young & just still learning how to walk. Then all of a sudden a few hours before she passed she kind of just really wanted nothing to do with anything & just keep sleeping. When I saw she was dead later I noticed brown squiggly things on her, I figured it was either flea eggs or some type of worm. It couldn’t have been the same worms her mother used to have because those were white. We obviously took her away from the others, and then their mother seemed to not want much to do with the two ones still alive. She’s done this in the past when she had her stillborns, she was depressed for a while. I figured it could either be that or my mother read online that it could be because she knows they’re sick & she doesn’t want anything to do with it. So me & my family purchased kitten formula, a bottle, & turkey wet food made specifically for kittens. We’ve made an effort to feed them 15 ml of the formula every 4 hours. We also provided them with warm blankets and shelter since they are lacking their mothers body heat. One of them was acting like the kitten that had just passed, just really not up for doing anything. The next morning we saw them & they seemed fine, then we check on them about 15 minutes later & that same kitten was from before was dead. We’re now making an effort to really keep an eye on this one & do everything we can. He was doing so well this morning, & we’ve been holding him to our chest for more intense warmth & continued to feed him 15 ml of formula every 4 hours. Now for the past 4 hours or so he’s starting to look really lazy like the other two. We’re scared he’s not going to make it very long

3 Responses

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  1. Sarah

    Good morning. My advice would be to get to a vet. I would also advise spaying this cat in an effort to prevent this same event from repeating itself as this is the third time you’re going through this. Best of luck.

  2. Laura

    I agree with Sarah. You need a vet for the litter as well as for your queen – spay her, speuter the kittens when they’re ready for their new homes. Stop the cycle of producing sick cats.

  3. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I’m sorry to hear about your kittens. There are so many things that this could be. It’s really almost impossible for me to even speculate. I think it would be really helpful to provide basic medical care. Like parasite control and treatment and vaccines. And yes of course spaying and neutering to prevent future litters and the high mortality associated with them. I would guess that it is probably a few simple things. Parasites, disease, exposure are the big killers for cats and kittens. I applaud your compassion but I think it’s time to start providing more medical intervention. If it helps it was a story much like yours that compelled me to become a veterinarian. I was determined to never watch another pet die without being able to intervene and do all I could to save them. I wish you all well.

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Sandra Sellers | 5 years ago
I Could Use Some Advice To Keep My Dog From Eating Cat Poop. We Have 1 Dog …

I could use some advice to keep my dog from eating cat poop. We have 1 dog and 2 cats. On our first floor there is a mudroom with a pet gate with a cat door. The cats have their litter boxes on one side of the mudroom and food on the other side. This arrangement has worked for 8 years. My daughter’s young cat has had digestive issues for her entire life and would poop on the floor outside the box once a week. We tried all different kinds of boxes and litter and probiotics and food but no changes. She also hates the feel of litter. We tried all kinds and newspaper and towels and pee pads…you name it.
For a month she decided to poop on my daughter’s bed twice a week…which of course was a cleaning nightmare. Sometimes she pooped on the bed while my daughter was sleeping in it.
Finally we found a limited ingredient food that worked along side of a probiotic and her poops are now more manageable for her, less painful I’m guessing and pretty regular. We added a litterbox upstairs to my daughter’s bedroom but she would never use it. We moved it to the large hallway outside my daughter’s room where it was darker and more private and she still didn’t use it. Purchased cat attraction litter and after 1 week she finally used the upstairs box to poop. I held my excitement but it’s been 3 weeks now and no more pooping on the bed. Her poops are also a lot less messy and stinky. Now my problem is if she goes at night the dog jumps right up and eats it. I caught her doing this twice but she was too fast to stop. Other times you can smell that she must have pooped but it’s gone. She’s only going upstairs so I don’t want to take the box away. She’s so picky with boxes and how she sits in the box and how it smells a covered litter box won’t work. There isn’t way to put a gate up in that hallway as it’s a super old house and shaped weird. I’m afraid any change to the box will stop all the good progress. My dog probably gets to the litter box before us about half the time–so it’s not every time. My dog is healthy, eats well, is up to date on everything and is well taken care of. Thanks for your patience with the long explanation.

2 Responses

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  1. Laura

    Clevercat litterboxes are a LIFESAVER. Not even my long-nosed Doberman can get into them. That said, now that the cat’s using the box reliably, can you move it to a room with a gate? You can also get free-standing gates for oddly shaped entries…we use one in our puppy pre-K class to block an egress point, and it works very well.

  2. Laura

    OH and as far as your dog’s nutrition is concerned…for some reason, most dogs REALLY LIKE cat poop. I’m not sure why, Dr. Magnifico might have an idea, but this seems to be a thing even with dogs which wouldn’t normally do this. I agree it’s gross, and I hope you can find a solution which works for your situation.

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SAMANTHA | 5 years ago
Cat Nail Quick Exposed, Urgent Issue?

My cats nail quick is exposed and her nail is not covering it. It is no longer bleeding. Do I need to take her in to see my vet in person immediately or will it heal itself?

1 Response

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  1. Sarah

    Good morning. Glad the bleeding has stopped. You may want to check with the vet- keeping it clean until it is fully healed may be a challenge. Especially with the need for the litter box. You might be able to bandage it somehow to help keep it protected and clean. That would be my biggest concern- infection. Your vet may prescribe antibiotics to help. If your cat will let you clean it regularly, your vet might just suggest monitoring it.

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Jasmine | 5 years ago
SO I Noticed My Kitten Has A UTI And I Couldn’t Afford To Do A …

SO I noticed my kitten has a UTI and I couldn’t afford to do a bladder express surgery so I brought him home and I came across a video of sometimes you can express the penis to see if the calculi comes out and if it does you don’t need a catheter. So I gave it try at home and some white stuff came out like salt and he peed so much! What a relief but then this morning he was straining again and I helped him again and more white stuff came out (they look like white salts) I am trying to figure what is this white stuff and I am thinking it’s the magnisum that I am giving him since he can’t walk due to Bengal polyneuropathy. How can we flush him out ? Does he need surgery to remove these white specs? What antibiotics should we get to help him with pain? I need help please

2 Responses

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  1. Sarah

    It looks like that is crystals. I would advise you getting to the vet and talking to them. Until then, I would make sure he is hydrated and drinking LOTS and possibly continue expressing and hopefully more will continues to come out. Even if he starts urinating on his own, I would get a visit to the vet. Let us know how Hong’s are going.

  2. Jasmine Post author

    What kind of medication should I get ? If he is able to expel them would he be okay? He is able to pee but he keeps straining I believe trying to expel them out ? if he is expelling these crystals can it do harm to his penis?

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Jessica | 5 years ago
I Have An 18 Month Old Male Cat, Chubbs :) – He Was A Stray That We Took …

I have an 18 month old male cat, Chubbs 🙂 – he was a stray that we took in from the neighborhood as a kitten, vaccinated and neutered and we just adore him. On Monday this week, I noticed he was having urinary issues – lots of in and out of box and no action. Our vet was full so we drove about 30 minutes to another town to take him to an emergency vet. Vet told me that he did not have a urinary blockage, but his urinalysis showed evidence of infection and crystals. A chicken and the egg situation he said. They gave him subQ fluids, antinausea med, anti-inflammatory med and send us home with a supply of pain meds and antibiotics. He was low key the next day, but seems back to normal as of yesterday. However, still lots of urinary urgency and frequency attempts with dribbles here and there, but is producing actual normal appearing size voids 3-5 times a day. No blood, no howling. Bowel movements seem a little looser, assuming from antibiotics but no diarrhea. Is this expected behavior? Can male cats have partial blockages that wax and wane like this? Will this continue on for 1-2 weeks while treating the UTI component? Emergency vet told me to follow-up with our vet in ~2 weeks for repeat urine.

1 Response

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  1. Sarah

    I would call your vet and see if you can schedule an appointment before the two weeks just to get your own vet up to speed and see if there are any changes in diagnosis. Err on the side of caution. I can tell you from experience- getting these things taken care of sooner rather than later and staying ahead of the game, is a LOT less expensive in the long run. Best of luck.

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Payton | 5 years ago
Is It Normal For A Kitten To Lick Ears???

Is it normal for a kitten to lick ears???

2 Responses

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Your kitten is licking your ears? I’m not sure its normal but I’m also not sure that it isn’t. We have a clinic cat who is also obsessed with licking our ears when we hold her. So far it’s been a decade doing this at a vets clinic and I wouldn’t call her normal. But she’s not medically impaired. She’s just a little ear weird. But we love her anyway. As always if you are concerned please mention it to your vet.

  2. Sarah

    Good morning????
    We had 2 kittens years ago when I was still in elementary school that did this. Our vet at the time said that it might be because they left their mother too soon. (These kittens we hand raised because their mom was run over down the road from our house) they would cuddle up into the crook of our neck, under our hair and try to lick behind our ears. I know it sounds gross and strange, but they were babies. The male grew out of it, the female never did- so anyone on our sofa with long hair was fair game in her eyes.

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Mary | 5 years ago
I Have A Persian Cat 7 Yrs She Isn’t Breathing That Well. I Personally Think She …

I have a Persian cat 7 yrs she isn’t breathing that well. I personally think she is stuffed up or has something in her airway causing her to breathing problems. I’ve spent $2000 on testing with no results and I can’t continue to go bankrupt to fix her. Is there anyone in the San Tan Valley area who will give her a cat scan for reasonable price and cure my cat. Thanks.

1 Response

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  1. Sarah

    Good morning-
    My first step would be to discuss the situation with your vet candidly. Explain you frustration in having tried to find out what is going on, and the cost, yet still having no positive results. Ask them if they feel a specialist might be the best route to go at this point. Secondly, i would discuss payment options with them, and the specialist if one is recommended. Your vet knows your cat, their patient, best. They know you have her best interest at heart, and hopefully they are in a position to work with you regarding payment. Best of luck.????????

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Mary | 5 years ago
I Have A Persian Cat 7 Yrs She Isn’t Breathing That Well. I Personally Think She …

I have a Persian cat 7 yrs she isn’t breathing that well. I personally think she is stuffed up or has something in her airway causing her to breathing problems. I’ve spent $2000 on testing with no results and I can’t continue to go bankrupt to fix her. Is there anyone in the San Tan Valley area who will give her a cat scan for reasonable price and cure my cat. Thanks.

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I would ask for a referral to a feline specialist and explain your financial concerns. I also think that even if you could scrape together the funds for a ct scan it is unlikely to cure your cat. It will just provide more information towards a diagnosis. It doesn’t treat them. Also talk about allergies, perhaps shaving your cat down and anything you can try medically and inexpensively to help improve her breathing like an antihistamine steroid or even a bronchodilator.