Holistic Pet Health

Cat or dog, you’ve come to the right place! Holistic veterinarian Dr. Jean Hofve and cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy are here to help!

Cats, Sickness, Stress, and the Environment

A fascinating study out of The Ohio State University was published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (J Am Vet Med Assoc 2011;238:67–73). Here’s part of OSU’s press release about it: EVEN HEALTHY CATS ACT SICK WHEN THEIR ROUTINE IS DISRUPTED COLUMBUS, Ohio – A cat regularly vomiting hairballs or refusing to eat probably isn’t being finicky or otherwise “cat-like,” despite what conventional wisdom might say. There is a good chance that the cat is acting sick because of the stress caused by changes in its environment, ...

2017-02-21T13:51:32-07:00January 13th, 2011|
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Feline Acne

© Caroldermoid 2006 It's not just for teenagers anymore – cats can get acne too! You may see your cat rubbing his chin against the furniture or other corners more than usual. You might notice little black specks around your cat's lips or chin (especially in a cat with a light-colored face), or you might not have a clue until you see an oozing abscess draining from the jaw. Often the chin will become lumpy with "pimples." Feline acne usually involves a bacterial infection. However, other conditions can ...

2017-12-18T22:28:13-07:00November 18th, 2010|
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Feline Conjunctivitis

  Updated June 6, 2025 Many cats have chronic problems with conjunctivitis (inflammation of the eye membranes). Often, the problem comes and goes. The symptoms of feline conjunctivitis in cats are red, swollen, watery, crusty, or goopy eyes. There are many ways to prevent and treat this painful condition. Causes of Conjunctivitis in Cats Causes include viral and/or bacterial infection, congenital defects (small or absent tear ducts), facial conformation (Persian features), and scarring from previous infections. Unlike humans, allergies are rarely involved--cats don't get "hay fever." The most common cause ...

2025-06-06T11:55:51-07:00November 18th, 2010|
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Feline Diabetes Basics

By Jean Hofve, DVM Has your cat been diagnosed with diabetes? Are you looking for the most accurate and up-to-date information on this condition in cats? Are you interested in alternative treatments? Do you want to know how to prevent the disease from developing? The following information is excerpted from my ebook,  Feline Diabetes: Your Comprehensive Guide from a Holistic Veterinarian. What is diabetes? Diabetes mellitus is a chronic health condition, in which the pancreas does not secrete enough insulin, and/or the body becomes resistant to insulin, causing blood glucose to ...

2014-09-20T11:41:13-07:00November 18th, 2010|
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Fish Oil and Hyperthyroidism — Is There a Link?

By Jean Hofve, DVM A reader recently quoted part of one of our newsletters in an email, and (in addition to the subject of her email, which was our warning about alpha lipoic acid) expressed concern about Omega-3 fatty acids and their potential association with high iodine levels and feline thyroid disease. She was wary of fish oils, and although I can see how her concern came about, the basis of many of her worries is unfounded. I'd like to set the record straight. Iodine is stored in the body ...

2014-01-13T19:53:32-07:00November 18th, 2010|
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Flower Essences for Animals

By Jean Hofve, DVM Flower essences (remedies) are specially prepared extracts of the flowering parts of certain plants. They work through biofield energy to heal stress and disease from the inside. Flower essences were first developed by Dr. Edward Bach, an English physician who gave up his busy practice to study and prepare the 38 flower essences which now bear his name. We frequently use essences to help with mental, emotional, and behavioral problems in animals. Since Dr. Bach's time, many other essences have been created around the world, not ...

2023-10-06T16:44:49-07:00November 18th, 2010|
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Geriatric Cats

By Jean Hofve, DVM Just like humans, cats are prone to a number of medical problems as they get older. With diet, supplements, and extra care, many of these conditions can be prevented, delayed, or managed, to give your cat a good quality of life in her older years. Arthritis A study found that 90% of cats over 12 years had radiographic (x-ray) evidence of degenerative joint disease (DJD or arthritis). This came as somewhat of a surprise to the veterinary community, since few cats are ever clinically diagnosed with ...

2017-02-21T18:37:38-07:00November 18th, 2010|
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Hairballs

There's nothing quite like the shock of stepping out of your warm bed onto a cold, squishy, slimy hairball! Perhaps we should feel flattered that our beloved feline companion has left a piece of herself as a special gift for us, but frankly, most of us would rather bond with our cats in another way! Nature gave cats lots of wonderful, soft fur. Normally, when kitty grooms and ingests the dead, loose hair, it passes through the gastrointestinal (digestive) tract and comes out in the stool. A carnivore's gut is ...

2024-07-22T16:33:36-07:00November 18th, 2010|
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How to Care for Your New Kitten

Kittens, like all animal babies, need special care. It is important to provide lots of love and, as well as more practical items like toys, a litter box, and an adequate scratching pad or post. Be sure to kitten-proof your house, removing small or delicate items to prevent damage by curious little paws and teeth. Kittens are great climbers, so think vertically!

2012-07-04T07:35:09-07:00November 18th, 2010|
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How to Keep Your Cat Pest-Free

Are you… •    Using oral or topical flea & tick preparations or collars? •    Dosing your pet with heartworm medication? •    Using ant, roach or other pesticides inside or outside your home? •    Letting your cat roam on chemically treated lawns? •    Using weed-killers or insecticides on your indoor or outdoor plants? All of these chemicals have potentially toxic side effects. Cats are extremely sensitive; adverse reactions can be deadly. Even more concerning is the recent focus on topical (spot-on) flea and tick products. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ...

2015-03-01T11:43:21-07:00November 18th, 2010|
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Indoors or Outdoors?

By Jean Hofve, DVM Are you thinking about allowing your cat to go outside without restriction? To make the right decision, you need to know the facts. The average lifespan of an indoor cat is 15-18 years. For a cat allowed outdoors, the average life is only 2-5 years. There are many dangers that can harm or kill an outdoor cat. (However, there are safe alternatives to simply opening the door; see our article on Outdoor Safety for more info.) If your cat roams outside, or you're considering allowing it, ...

2016-08-27T02:56:14-07:00November 18th, 2010|
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Introduction to Homeopathy

By Jean Hofve, DVM Homeopathy is a system of medical treatment developed in the late 1800s by a German physician and chemist, Dr. Samuel Hahnemann. His system follows the theory that "like cures like" proposed by Aristotle. For example, the substance Ipecac in large doses will cause nausea, salivation, and violent vomiting in a healthy person. In contrast, Ipecac prepared homeopathically can cure those same symptoms in a sick patient. In addition, homeopathy uses the principle of the "minimum dose". Homeopathic remedies are made from natural substances such as plants ...

2010-11-18T14:33:00-07:00November 18th, 2010|
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Living with FIV

By Jean Hofve, DVM Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) is a relatively "new" cat disease; it was first discovered in domestic cats around 1975. Since then it has been found that many big cats (more than 80% of Serengeti lions, for instance) also harbor this virus. In big cats, the disease seems to be benign and rarely causes overt signs. FIV in domestic cats In domestic cats, FIV is primarily transmitted by bite wounds. Thus, it commonly affects mainly outdoor cats, and male cats much more frequently than females. It is ...

2016-06-06T09:48:40-07:00November 18th, 2010|
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