Medical

3-in-1 Vaccine

Vaccines protect your cat from specific viral and bacterial infections. The 3-in-1 vaccine protects cats from Pan Leukopenia (cat distemper), Calicivirus, and Rhinotracheitis (a flu like virus). Kittens should be vaccinated at 8 weeks, 12 weeks, and 16 weeks.  Unvaccinated cats older than 4 months need to be vaccinated 2 times within a 3 – 4 week period to build up their immunity. After that it is recommended once a year.

Rabies Vaccine

The rabies vaccine protects your cat from contracting rabies and can be given at 12 – 16 weeks of age. The first follow up rabies vaccine is given 1 year later.  This vaccine can be given as a 1 year or 3 year vaccine with their first rabies vaccine being a 1-year.

Ear Mites

These tiny parasites are a common problem and can be transmitted from cat to cat. If your cat is scratching her ears or shaking her head, he may have ear mites. They look like brown spots (they look a lot like coffee grounds!) or clumps of dirt in their ears.  Call your veterinarian for treatment.

Upper Respiratory Infection (URI)

Cat Calicivirus and Cat Herpesvirus are responsible for 80 – 90% of upper respiratory infections. Sneezing, watery eyes, a runny nose, a fever, and discharge from the nose or eyes are all symptoms of a URI. If left untreated, URI can be deadly, especially to kittens and senior cats. Most cats are exposed to these diseases through out their life. Cats become infected by direct exposure to infected individuals, either from sneezed droplets, or from contaminated objects such as food and water dishes. Also, cats that are under stress have a compromised immune system and are more susceptible to a URI.

Pan Leukopenia (Cat Distemper)

Pan Leukopenia, also known as Cat Distemper, is a highly contagious and deadly viral disease. Signs that your cat may exhibit if she has Pan Leukopenia include extreme listlessness and a loss of appetite. Fever, vomiting, and diarrhea are frequently seen, but some cats die suddenly with few clinical signs. A high percentage of cats, especially kittens, die from this infection. This virus is shed in the feces or vomit of an infected cat and can survive extreme temperature and humidity.  It is spread by exposure to the infected feces or vomit (by sniffing or licking – a common cat behavior).  Immunity induced by the vaccine is excellent as vaccinated cats are usually protected from infection and disease.

Feline Urinary Tract Disease

This is a disease of the lower urinary tract, affecting the bladder or the urethra. Signs your cat may exhibit if she has Urinary Tract Disease include frequent trips to the litter box, crying, blood in the urine, and straining to urinate. Call your vet if you see signs of these behaviors.  About 5% of cats are infected with Feline Urinary Tract Disease and special diets can help prevent this condition. If your male cat looks constipated, he may have a urethral obstruction and can’t urinate (this is rarely found in female cats). This can be fatal is not treated quickly.

Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV)

FeLV is shed in very high quantities in saliva and nasal secretion, but also in urine, feces, and milk from infected cats. Cat-to-cat transfer of the virus may occur from a bite wound or during mutual grooming. Transmission can also take place from an infected mother to her kittens, either before they are born or while they are nursing. FeLV does not survive long (a few hours) outside the cat’s body under normal household conditions. As kittens mature they increase their resistance to FeLV infection.  For example, the degree of virus exposure sufficient to infect 100% of young kittens will infect only 30% or fewer of adults. Nonetheless, even healthy adult cats can become infected if sufficiently exposed. FeLV adversely affects the cat’s body in many ways. It is the most common cause of cancer in cats, it may cause various blood disorders, and it may lead to a state of immune deficiency that hinders the cat’s ability to fight infection.  There are 2 stages of FeLV:

• Primary Viremia – the early stage of virus infection. During this stage, some cats are able to mount an effective immune response, eliminate the virus from their bloodstream, and stop the progression to the secondary stage.
• Secondary Viremia – this stage is characterized by a persistent infection of the bone marrow and other tissue. At this stage, they are infected for the remainder of their life. The life expectancy for FELV cats is 2 to 3 years after becoming infected.

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)

The primary mode of transmission for FIV is through bite wounds. Casual, non-aggressive contact is not an efficient route of spreading FIV. As a result, cats in households with stable structures where housemates do not fight are at little or no risk for acquiring FIV infections. On a rare occasion, an infected mother cat transmits the infection to her kittens, usually during the passage through the birth canal or when the newborns ingest infected milk. Infected cats can appear normal for years, however, the infection eventually leads to a state of immune deficiency. Early in the course of the infection, the virus is carried to nearby lymph nodes, where it reproduces in the white blood cells. The virus then spreads to other lymph nodes throughout the body. An infected cat’s health may deteriorate progressively or be characterized by recurrent illness interspersed with periods of relative health. An FIV cat can live many months to many years with the disease.

Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP)

FIP is a disease caused by a corona virus infection. Many different strains of corona virus are capable of infecting cats, but most do not produce serious disease. FIP producing strains are distinguished by their ability to invade and grow in certain white blood cells. The infected cells transport the virus throughout the cat’s body. Infected cat’s shed corona virus in their saliva and feces. Most cats become infected by inhaling or ingesting the virus, either by direct contact with an infected cat, or by contact with a virus contaminated surface like clothing, bedding, toys, or bowls. The virus can survive for a number of weeks in the environment. Initial exposure to the FIP virus usually results in no obvious clinical disease, although cats may exhibit a mild upper respiratory disease or mild intestinal disease. Most cats that undergo the primary infection completely recover, although some of them may become carriers. Only a small percentage of exposed cats develop the lethal disease – weeks, months, or perhaps years after the primary infection. The major forms of FIP are:

• Effusive (wet) FIP – This is characterized by the accumulation of fluid within the abdomen (extended stomach) and/or chest. When fluid becomes excessive, the cat has difficulty breathing.
• Non-effusive (dry) FIP – Fluid accumulation is minimal, although weight loss, depression, anemia, and fever are always present. Signs of kidney failure, liver failure, pancreatic disease, neurological disease or eye disease may be seen in various combinations.  It is difficult to diagnose because each cat can display different signs.

Cats that are most susceptible to FIP are young cats (less than 2 years), older cats (over 10 years), and cats in poor physical condition (cats that have an existing infection or cats that are highly stressed.) Blood tests performed can detect the presence of corona virus antibodies in a cat. A positive test result only means that the cat has prior exposure to a corona virus and has developed antibodies against it. A healthy cat with a high titer (count) is not necessarily more likely to develop FIP or be a carrier than a cat with a lower titer. In all cases, a tissue biopsy is the only way to absolutely confirm a diagnosis of FIP.  Once the clinical signs appear, cats with the effusive (wet) form of FIP will live a few days to a few weeks. Cats with the dry form of FIP can die within a few weeks, but survival for up to a year is possible. Many different strains can infect cats, but most do not produce serious disease, usually less than 1 to 5% of corona virus-infected cats develop FIP.

Zoonotic Disease

These are diseases that are transmitted between humans and cats. Transmission of the disease is by the following means:

• Saliva (secretion) from an infected cat
• Feces (excretion) from an infected cat
• Fleas or Ticks from another animal
• Food or Water that has been contaminated by the infected cat.

Most zoonotic diseases pose a minimal threat, however, individuals who have immature or weakened immune systems such as infants, individuals with AIDS, the elderly, and people undergoing cancer therapy, are more susceptible to zoonotic infections than others.

Zoonotic Disease: Feline Scratch Disease

Feline Scratch Disease is the most common zoonotic disease associated with cats. It occurs when a person is bitten or scratched by an infected cat. People with Feline Scratch Disease will usually have swollen lymph nodes and also may experience fever, headache, sore muscles and joints, fatigue, and poor appetite. Healthy people generally recover with no lasting effects.

Zoonotic Disease: Salmonella

People usually get Salmonella by eating contaminated food such as under cooked chicken or eggs. However, cats and other animals can carry and pass Salmonella bacteria in their stool. This is more commonly found in cats that feed on raw meet or wild birds and animals.  Salmonella can cause diarrhea, fever, and stomach pain beginning 1 to 3 days after infection.  It is usually resolved on its own. Keeping cats indoors and feeding them cooked or commercially processed food can prevent cat Salmonella infection. Wearing gloves and washing hands thoroughly after cleaning litter boxes can prevent human infection.

Zoonotic Disease: Fleas

Fleas are the most common external parasite infection for cats.  While fleas cannot thrive on humans, their bites can cause itching and inflammation.  Cats may become infected with tapeworms when fleas are ingested while grooming. Checking their feces for worms and proper flea treatment (especially if there is a dog in the house) is essential.

Zoonotic Disease: Roundworms

Cats become infected with Roundworms when they consume infected worm eggs from soil in the environment (generally through normal grooming), nurse from an infected mother, or consume a prey animal (usually rodent) that is carrying developing worms. Anti-parasitic medications for kittens and annual fecal exams for adult cats can reduce environmental contamination and the risk of human infection.

Zoonotic Disease: Ringworm

Cat Ringworm is contracted by coming in contact with contaminated soil. It is a fungal infection that appears as a dry, gray, scaly patch on human or cat skin. In most cases, a cat contracts Ringworm from soil that is brought into the home by a human’s shoe. Ringworm is transmitted to humans by contact with the infected animal’s skin or fur.  Infected cats continually drop fungal spores from their skin and fur. These spores care capable of causing infection for many months and are difficult to eradicate from the household. To reduce the spread of ringworm, keep the animal confined to one room until they are free from the infection and then thoroughly clean and disinfect the household. On average, the cat is not clear of the fungus until 3 weeks after the appearance of the last spot. Most cats will be partially shaved and bathed in medicated shampoo to prevent the spread of the disease. You should always wear gloves and change your clothing after you have contact with an animal infected with ringworm. 

Zoonotic Disease: Cryptosporidiosis and Giardiasis

These infections may be associated with gastrointestinal tract disease and can cause diarrhea in both cats and people.  Cats and people are usually infected by a common source, not by each other.  For example, contaminated water in the home that both the cat and human are using.

Zoonotic Disease: Toxoplasmosis

People with weakened immune systems or infants whose mothers are infected during pregnancy can develop Toxoplasmosis. People commonly become infected by eating raw or undercooked meat or by inadvertently consuming contaminated soil on unwashed or undercooked vegetables. Cats commonly become infected by eating infected rodents, birds, or anything contaminated with feces from another infected cat. An infected cat can shed the parasite in its feces for up to 2 weeks. The parasite must then mature from 1 to 5 days before it becomes capable of causing infection. However, it can persist in the environment for many months and continue to contaminate soil, water, gardens, sandboxes or any place where infected cats have defecated.

Unfortunately, pregnant women or immunosuppressed individuals are often mistakenly advised to remove cats from their household to reduce the risk of Toxoplasmosis. However, people are highly unlikely to become infected by direct contact with their cats. Basically, proper hygiene can prevent Toxoplasmosis. Humans should wear gloves when handling potentially contaminated material (gardening or raw meat) and make sure to wash their hands before and afterwards.  Sandboxes should also be covered when not in use to prevent wandering cats from playing in them. Pregnant women or immunosuppressed individuals are safest when the other household members clean the litter box.

Zoonotic Disease: Rabies

Rabies is a viral disease that results from the bite of an infected animal.  Rabies attacks the central nervous system and is almost always fatal. In humans, a rabies infection is a result of being bitten by an infected animal such as a bat, raccoon, or a stray animal. Rabies is a public health concern and your animals should be vaccinated.

Symptoms of an Illness

These are some of the signs that your cat is not feeling well so you should call your vet:

• Continual diarrhea
• Continual vomiting
• Not eating or drinking
• Lethargy – reduction in their level of activity or play
• Lack of interest in grooming
• Loss of color in gums
• Loss of elasticity in fur
• Straining in their litter box

Ongoing Medical Care

It is advised that you take your cat into the vet for an exam and a fecal once a year. Medical care will be based on the age, as well as the physical and mental condition of your cat.

Vaccines and Cancer

Sarcomas are not a new form of cancer. In 1991, vets began noticing a higher than expected number of sarcomas occurring on cats bodies where vaccines are commonly injected. The benefits of vaccines out way the low risk of developing a sarcoma.  If you detect a lump and it meets the following criteria, you need to see your vet immediately:  

1. It persists for more than 3 months after the vaccination.
2. It is larger than 2 centimeters in diameter (about the size of an olive).
3. It is increasing in size 1 month after the vaccine. If this is the case, consult with your vet on what options are right for your cat. Some things to consider:

• Make sure your vet is rotating the location of the vaccines
• See if a blood test can be run to check the titers or level of immunity prior to vaccinating
• Talk to your vet about the benefits of 1 year or 3 year vaccines.
• Talk to your vet about what vaccines your cat should get based on your cat’s lifestyle and environment.

Declawing

Declawing is consistent with amputation. When you declaw a cat, you physically remove the nail and a part of their toes.  Declawing alters the alignment of their spine. It involves a very painful surgery and recovery period.  Some cat’s personalities and behaviors change as a result of this painful surgery. Scratching is an innate behavior and should be addressed by providing your cat with the proper equipment and place to scratch. At Happy Paws we don't declaw.

General Grooming

You should brush your cat’s coat at least once a week to keep its coat shiny, sleek, and clean. Also, trimming the nails regularly reduces the likelihood of damage caused by sharp claws and lessens the possibility of the nail growing into the pad and causing infection. Trim their nails as needed (every 1 -4 weeks). You should check the elasticity of their fur and the color of their gums at least once a week and more often if their behavior changes.

Age

A 1 year old cat is physiologically similar to a 16-year-old human, and a 2-year-old cat is like a person who is 21. After that, each cat year is worth 4 human years.

• 10 year old cat = 53 year old human
• 12 year old cat = 63 year old human
• 15 year old cat = 73 year old human