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About Jean Hofve DVM

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So far Jean Hofve DVM has created 295 blog entries.

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The following policy applies to Little Big Cat, Inc. at www.littlebigcat.com. Little Big Cat is committed to protecting the privacy and security of its online visitors. We adhere to privacy principles and only collect the minimum amount of personal information needed and look after your personal information responsibly. We date our privacy policies so that you can see when our policy has been updated. We consider the following, among other things, to be personally identifiable information: first and last name, e-mail address, street address and phone number. We do not collect personal information about individual visitors to our website. Site ...

2020-05-17T09:49:46-07:00
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Grain-Free Dog (and Cat) Food, Taurine, and Heart Disease

FINAL UPDATE 12/27/22  The FDA has closed its investigation into this matter, saying there is "insufficient evidence" to establish a causal link between diet and DCM in dogs. They will not be providing any further updates.  NOTE: We now know that, as suspected all along, the purported link between grain-free pet foods and heart disease was entirely speculative. I can say with confidence that grain-free foods DO NOT cause heart disease in dogs or cats. There was and is no scientific evidence to support FDA's original theory, much less its naming ...

2022-12-30T22:31:45-07:00
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Science Proves that Raw Diet Beats Kibble

Thanks to our good friend Dr. Karen Becker over at Mercola.com for this excellent article! Story at-a-glance Big Pet Food wants you to believe your dog is no longer a carnivore and can “thrive” on a diet high in starch A 2013 study is often used by processed pet food advocates as “proof” dogs are no longer meat-eaters. All the study actually proves is that a dog’s body has some capacity to adapt to the food it eats Just because a minority of dogs do fine on starch-rich diets doesn’t ...

2018-05-23T22:37:39-07:00
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A Declawed Cat’s Story

Many, many thanks to our friend Barry for this saga. Unlike most pet parents and veterinarians, he was astute enough to truly see and understand what declawing has done to his adopted kitty, Spark. I asked him to share his experience to all of our readers, and we are proud to present it here. I have had pets my whole life. Most often that has been cats or dogs, but growing up on a farm I learned respect for all life. I take the responsibility of pets very seriously. I educate myself ...

2018-05-23T22:57:50-07:00
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“New” Declaw Technique Shot Down by Facts

In January 2018, the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association published a letter from Dr. Kerry Yoon of Hawaii, who claims to have invented a "new, painless" declaw procedure. He is so confident that his special technique is "painless" that he has NEVER given any pain meds to the hundreds of cats and kittens he has mutilated. I'm sure many humane-minded veterinarians wrote in to complain, but JAVMA chose only two letters of opposition to publish. I am pleased that mine was one of them. Both letters are presented ...

2018-03-16T10:02:41-07:00
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Sleeping with Pets

Many thanks to Kellen Smith at Tuck.com for allowing us to reprint this excellent article, which is one of many helpful insights. Many of us allow our pets to sleep with us, but is it healthy? Are there health risks to letting your dog or cat share the bed with you? How does it affect your relationship with your pet? Below we’ll cover the trends and facts about sleeping with your pet, the benefits and risks, and tips for establishing bedroom boundaries with your furry family members. How common is ...

2022-05-20T12:48:39-07:00
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How to Travel with Your Cat (The Ultimate Guide)

UPDATED 7/05/10 Many people travel with their cat, as can be seen by the YouTube videos that depict people taking their cats on hikes, boat trips or bike rides. While it can be fun, it requires a lot of careful planning and consideration of feline and human needs. This guide will help you travel with your cat successfully. Things you Need to Pack Just like humans, cats also have a list of items they need to take with them on vacation. In order to keep Fluffy healthy and happy and ...

2019-07-23T18:11:18-07:00
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Anti-Declawing Handbook for Cat Lovers

Good news! We are getting closer every day to stopping declawing! To help cat lovers and animal advocates understand the truth about declawing that so many veterinarians lie about, Dr. Jean has written a detailed, fully-referenced e-book called the Cat Lover's Anti-Declawing Handbook, updated as of December 25, 2021. Click here to download the free PDF  Please download freely, and send to anyone who needs it. Give it to your veterinarian; send it to your legislators! The file is less than 6 MB, so it should be accepted by all ...

2021-12-25T10:15:51-07:00
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What Cats Should Eat

Updated for 2022! How do you know which food is the best to feed your cat? The answer depends on many factors, including your cat's age and health... as well as the your wallet! However, whatever your budget, if you learn the basics about how to assess the quality of any given cat food, you’ll be able to find a few foods that suit your cat. In order to answer the question, “What should cats eat?” Dr. Jean has just updated and expanded her Amazon.com best-selling ebook, aptly called What ...

2023-01-14T00:03:04-07:00
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Top 10 Cat Medical Conditions – And How to Prevent Them!

Veterinary Practice News publishes an annual "Top Medical Conditions in Cats," based on insurance claims made to pet health insurance companies. For 2017, the list includes:  1. Bladder or urinary tract problems (aka feline  cystitis, FIC, or FLUTD  2. Periodontitis/Dental disease  3. Chronic kidney disease  4. Vomiting        5. Hyperthyroidism   6. Diabetes  7. Diarrhea  8. Lymphoma  9. Upper respiratory infection per cat 10. Allergic dermatitis One notable addition to the list this year was lymphoma, a cancer of the lymph glands, which are all over the body. This cancer ...

2017-11-28T02:51:22-07:00
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Cat Feeding Myths

I admit, it really irks me when companies who know nothing about feline nutrition give bad advice to their customers. This is the case with Assisi Animal Health, which manufactures a device called the Assisi Loop. Now, the product is a good one and I've heard great reports about it. But they should stick to what they know! Here are a few of the things they got wrong in a recent article published by Business Insider. "Your first look at a bag of cat food should ensure that it has the American ...

2017-08-31T10:50:25-07:00
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Vaccination Update

Recently I did an interview with Jenny of Floppycats.com on vaccines. We talked about the how, when and why, kittens, Ragdolls, titers, and whether and which vaccines are needed or not. You really want to know the new info about titers! Listen (or read the transcript) here: http://www.floppycats.com/vaccines-for-cats-an-interview-with-dr-jean-hofve.html For complete information on cat and dog vaccines, see our comprehensive article on Vaccination.

2017-07-12T20:14:58-07:00
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Pet Insurance: Is It Worth It?

Great thanks to Lisa L. Richman for allowing us to reprint her newly updated analysis of pet insurance! Back in 2012, I read an op/ed piece in Wall Street's MarketWatch written by contributing author Jeanette Pavini that suggested pet insurance was a waste of money. I wrote an article with an opposing opinion and was recently asked to update it. This is the 2017 version of the original Monday Medical post. ___________________ First, despite Ms. Pavini's 2012 claims that per insurance isn't worth your hard-earned cash, there are an increasing number of affordable ...

2017-06-06T08:47:47-07:00
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