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.
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 ...
The most important supplement I recommend for cats is Omega-3 fatty acids. They have deep and profound effects on every cell, organ, and tissue in your cat's body. Omega-3s are needed by every cell membrane, and they also have major anti-inflammatory effects. Helping your cat’s immune system keep inflammation in check is absolutely crucial to good health. I recommend MOXXOR green-lipped mussel oil as a truly superior Omega-3 supplement. The capsules are tiny and easy to give your cat, and the pure oil and antioxidants are the most concentrated, powerful ...
Pro-declawing veterinarians are running out of excuses to keep on performing this damaging, unnecessary, multi-amputation surgery on cats. One of the last bastions is a seeming concern about human health. People who are on blood thinners or immunosuppressive drugs, or people with HIV, fragile skin, or other medical conditions that make them susceptible to infection, proponents say, must declaw their cats to save themselves. But there is no human medical condition that justifies declawing a cat. Here's why: Perhaps most obviously: there are people with all sorts of medical conditions in all the countries where ...
My good pal Dr. Karen Becker has homemade recipes for flea, tick, and mosquito repelling spray... you can mist them directly on the fur, or spritz it on your hands and stroke on the fur. Shake well before applying. Store in the refrigerator. Apply every four hours as needed. These are effective, but you should still hand-check for ticks just in case, since they can carry so many diseases. Dogs: 8oz water 5 oz apple cider vinegar 10 drops Neem oil 10 drops Catnip oil 5 drops of ONE of the following ...
Lilies are beautiful, and lovely to see in the spring. They're especially common now, as Easter approaches. BUT... Lilies are extremely dangerous for cats. If your cat goes outside and brushes against a lily in your neighbor’s yard, the tiny amount of pollen that sticks to her fur, when she licks it off, is enough to cause acute, fatal kidney failure. Symptoms may include: Poor appetite Lethargy Vomiting Diarrhea Unusual thirst Inappropriate urination Scanty or absent urination Seizures Death Many plants are toxic to pets, especially bulbs, including: Lilies (any plants in the Lilium ...
With all the media attention, and 80 zillion products on store shelves, you've probably gotten the message about Omega-3 fatty acids. But did you know that they're just as important for cats and dogs as for people? The anti-inflammatory effects of Omega-3s EPA (eicosapentanoic acid) and DHA (docosahexanoic acid) have been thoroughly researched, and are abundantly proven to be beneficial for dogs and cats. (If you'd like more background info, please click here for a general article on Omega-3s. I've been a big fan of Omega-3s for many years. In ...
This might surprise you: it's very likely that the indoor air in your home is more polluted than the air outside! There are many factors, most of which are totally within your control. Some factors present a serious health hazard for your cat! Read on to find out more Air fresheners have become ever more varied and more popular over the years. Indeed, the number of sprays, plug-ins, scented candles, and other fragrance delivery systems has exploded; up to 75% of American households use them. But very little attention has been ...
Photo credit: Liz West The barbaric procedure of cat declawing is under serious fire, as well it should be! After being banned in eight California cities by the end of 2009, there have been efforts--led by the Paw Project--to get declawing banned elsewhere. Until recently, those efforts had failed relatively early in the process. It's been said that "Laws are like sausages — it is best not to see them being made." Indeed, it's messy. I've been involved in legislative processes in Colorado and California, and the typical abysmal ...
The fish used in pet food may contain all kinds of toxins and drug residues, including persistent organic pollutants that actually stop the body from eliminating it and other toxins. Another common toxin, domoic acid, may be an unrecognized factor in chronic kidney disease.
By Guest Author Chloe Bloom and Jean Hofve, DVM (Revised 6/3/20) For many years now, we have known how dangerous tobacco smoking is to health. The list of ways it can harm smokers seems to grow longer every year, as more and more research is conducted. Children, as well as pets, are at risk from smoke in their environment. Second-Hand Smoke It’s fairly well known that smoke from cigarettes (and all other tobacco smoke sources such as pipes and cigars) can harm non-smokers via passive intake, or “second-hand” smoke. Children ...
There are some 38 feline species in the world, including the domestic cat. Many are rare, and some are so incredibly elusive they're almost never seen and little is known about them. This video highlights 10 of these exquisite, small wild cats: My mammalogy professor was fond of saying that if you "undress" any cat, the underlying animal is virtually identical across all sizes and species. Sure, there are a few functional adaptations here and there, like the non-retractable claws and large nose of the cheetah, but as the saying goes, "A cat's a ...
Many thanks to Susan Thixton at TruthAboutPetFood.com for letting us reprint her excellent article here, which applies 100% to cat food as well as dog food. The multiple rounds of heat processing that pet food undergoes causes many deleterious changes that can harm our pets. And it's worse than most people even imagine. How many times are Ingredients cooked in Kibble Pet Foods? Do you know the processing involved in the manufacturing of kibble pet food? How many times are the ingredients cooked? The answer might surprise you. Pet food ...
Here's a handy chart to compare pets' vs. people's ages:
With many thanks to our special guest author, Amber Kingsley! Cats have been our companions for many thousands of years, dating back to the days of ancient Egypt where they were worshipped and given elaborate burials. Soon they spread throughout Europe, first to Italy and later to England. In this distant past, they were always appreciated for their keen ability to keep the rodent population under control. We’ve all heard those common expressions about cats that are pretty far-fetched: for example, that they have nine lives, or that black cats are ...
