The mystery of celery and its effects on your cat

Those of you that follow Fox Valley Cat Clinic on facbook may already know about my unscientific study.  If not, this is your chance to be a part of my research. :)

I am interested in the effects of celery leaves on your cat compared to catnip.  Sounds crazy?  I have a good client that recently told me a story about his cat's suprising response to fresh celery leaves.  This cat treats celery leaves as if they were catnip by acting silly, rolling, rubbing and  vocalizing.
Having never heard of this response before, I thought I would experiment on my menagerie as well as ask others to report their results of similar celery leaf experimentation at home.
The results?  So far, no other cats are interested in celery leaves.
Please feel free to test this out at home and report back to me.  Perhaps our test group is not large enough...?
Dr. Maureen Flatley

Appleton stray cat carries International Mystery

Today I was stumped by an egg. An egg in a stool sample from a young stray Appleton shelter cat.  After 25+ years of examining parasite eggs under a microscope, I thought I could not be stumped.  But this week, after some head scratching and internet researching and some denial, I sent this sample to Marshfield Lab Parasitology Dept for expert identification. The test results.....( Drum roll please.....)

This stray cat's  fecal analysis revealed many tapeworm eggs called Diphylobothrium Latum.  The mysterious question is why is this Wisconsin cat  carrying a tapeworm found only in foreign parts like Thailand, Japan, Russia, Norway, Scotland?

Detective work unearthed the facts.  This tapeworm, called the Fish Tapeworm, has an interesting life cycle.  It starts as an egg in a mammal (cats, dogs, and yes, humans).  The egg finds its way into the water supply and is ingested by a small water kritter, and up the food chain into large tasty fish (like salmon).  If this salmon is ingested uncooked or undercooked, the parasite grows to adulthood in the fish-eating mammal (Fluffy, Fido, or you/me).  A trip to the local grocery's fish section solves the International Mystery:  shrimp from Thailand, cod from Norway, salmon from Scotland - we now have a global food supply at our fingertips.  And also  international  parasites :)

The moral of the story is two fold.  Even your indoor cat could be carrying parasites so have an annual stool sample checked as recommended.

AND always, always, always cook fish completely before consuming....(sushi-eaters beware!)
Dr. Maureen Flatley

Dog Cats and Why we LOVE them.

Peabody is a dog-cat. If you have met Peabody (he lived at the Fox Valley Cat Clinic for the first year of his life before retiring to my home in 2010), you would probably agree. The "dog-cat" personality is fascinating to me because in many ways these cats are more canine than feline.   Dog-cats are social creatures, enjoying strangers, kids, and dogs and new cats.  They come when called.  They fetch toys (and actually bring them back).  Peabody can be held like a baby for an indeterminate period of time.  Although it has not been tried, I am certain he would willingly accept being dressed up like a doll.  He willingly accepts bathing, nail trims, grooming -anything that involves human contact.

So in a species noted for their aloofness,  where does this social trusting personality come from?  In Peabody's case, I believe it was created.   He was brought to me at 6 weeks of age by a local rescue.  He was severely ill from feline distemper, and required long days of forcefeeding , and medicating.  He was too weak to use a litterbox, clean himself or eat on his own.  It was weeks of TLC and constant gentle handling  before his strength gradually returned.  Every day he got stronger, and more responsive.  He started to purr and kneed anytime he was handled.  When not being handled, he would talk, and talk, and talk until being handled again.  Looking back on his early life, I believe that the constant care he required to regain his health allowed him to develop this social, interactive dog-like personality.

So, it was a happy-ever-after story for one tiny sick little resuced tabby named Peabody the dog-cat.
Dr. Maureen Flatley

The 4 RULES of STRING

Most cats LOVE playing with a dangly, twitchy, bouncing string.  Some cats take play too far.   Take Jake, for example.  Jake was helping his owner embroider some Christmas gifts.  Enter the  Rayon Embroidery Thread......It came on a spool that rolled.....It was RED and SHINY.....like a snake.  It was fun to chew.  It felt good against my teeth...OOOOPS!  I swallowed some!

 48 hours later, really sick cat, scared owners.

Does any of this sound familiar?  Have you ever pulled a string out of your cats mouth?   Here are FOUR things to know about "string foreign bodies" that may prevent your cat getting into Jake's situation.

ONE:  If the string is "organic", it may digest.  Cotton is organic.  If you hold the string tight and pull, and it breaks, it is probably organic.  MOST thread and yarns are MAN MADE fibers -nylon, polyester, rayon -this is the stuff they make fishing line out of -This thread will not break when pulled.  And it will not digest.  SO, if you let your cat play with string or yarn -BE SURE IT WILL BREAK when pulled!

TWO:  Often, a string that is swallowed will pass thru the GI tract.  You may see tell-tale evidence in the litter box.  If you do, consider yourself lucky, but FIND THE SOURCE of the string and eliminate it.

THREE:  If you EVER see a string hanging out of the rectum of your pet (cat OR dog), NEVER PULL ON IT!  You should cut it short, and wait for the rest to pass on its own.  Pulling can cause damage to the intestines if the string is a MAN MADE FIBER (see rule one.)

FOUR:  IF your cat likes to chew/ swallow foreign material, I can guarentee that they will NEVER learn their lesson.  You will need to police their environment 24/7 to keep them away from whatever they love to chew.  You may need to put the embroidery thread, or yarn or fishing rods under LOCK AND KEY (really)! 

Jake is now home from the Fox Valley Cat Clinic, recovering nicely from his stomach and intestinal surgery.  I am certain that Jake's owners have learned their lesson, but I am pretty sure that Jake will soon be up for a quick game of "dancing thread!"

From my cats to yours, a Wish for a  Holiday full of purrs and happy feet, a warm nap with your favorite person,  a squirrel outside your window, and a tummy full of your favorite meat.
Dr. Maureen Flatley

An Ode: In Memory of Franklin

This piece first appeared in the Portland Oregonian on September 11, 1925.  It was given to me, framed, as a gift in 1995  in memory of a special patient of mine.  I am now sharing it with you after the passing of a very special dog in my life-Franklin. 

"Where shall I bury my dog?"

There are various places in which a dog may be buried.  I am thinking now of a Australian Shepherd dog, whose coat was flame in the sunshine, and who, so far as I am aware, never entertained a mean or an unworthy thought.  This dog is buried beneath an apple tree, under four feet of garden loam, and at its proper season the apple will strew petals on the green lawn of his grave.  Beneath an apple tree or a cherry tree or any flowering shrub of the garden, is an excellent place to bury a good dog.  Beneath such trees, such shrubs, he slept in the drowsy summer, or gnawed at a flavouous bone, or lifted his head to challenge some strange intruder.  These are good places, in life or in death.  Yet it is a small matter.  For if the dog be well remembered, if sometimes he leaps through your dreams actual as life, eyes kindling, laughing, begging, nudging, it matters not at all where the dog sleeps.  On a hill where the wind is unrebuked, and the trees are roaring, or beside a lake he knew in puppyhood, or somehwere in the flatness of the farmer's field where most exhilarating cattle graze.  It is all one to the dog, and all one to you, and nothing is gained and nothing is lost -if memory lives.  But there is one best place to bury a beloved dog.

If you bury him in this spot, he will come to you when you call -come to you over the grim, dim frontiers of death, and down the well-remembered path, and to your side again.  And though you may call a dozen living dogs to heel, they shall not growl at him, nor resent his coming, for he belongs there.  People may scoff at you, who see no lightest blade of grass bent by his foot fall, who hear no whimper, people who may never really have had a dog.  Smile at them, for you shall know something that is hidden from them, and which is well worth the knowing.  The best place to bury a good dog is in the heart of his master. 

Going RAW (with your cats diet).

Raw diets  are quite popular with some  people, and with many cats.  There are those who believe that a raw diet is the best thing since sliced bread.  Many veterinarians however extol the dangers of raw diets with words of Salmonella poisoning and zoonotic disease potential.

My opinion has changed with my recent study of Traditional Chinese Medicine.  You see, the Chinese have believed for 1000's of years that "you are what you eat".  In  Chinese Medicine, it is believed that different foods and herbs have varying potentials to help keep the body balanced.  Some foods support a deficient condition (like chronic renal failure in an old cat) and some foods are more appropriate for an excess conditions (like some types of cancers).   Balance is an essential key to good health, and our diet is a large part of what keeps us healthy. 

The face is that raw diets are a feline's natural diet.  The healthy gastrointestinal tract of the cat is specifically designed for this diet, with a very acidic stomach and relatively short intestine, allowing a shortened transit time.  This decreases a cats risk of infection from eating a raw diet.  However, a raw diet, being unprocessed, requires a very healthy GI tract to breakdown, and also requires more energy to metabolize.  Therefore, while being a VERY APPROPRIATE diet for the young healthy cat, it is not an appropriate diet for EVERY cat.   For example, cats that have gastrointestinal disease  may not tolerate a raw diet, until the imbalance in the GI tract is addressed.   Cats that have a weakened GI tract due to old age or chronic disease may not have the extra metabolic energy required to break down and utilize an  unprocessed and "cold" raw diet. 

Raw diets, if fed as a sole source of nutrition for your cat, need to be well balanced with essential vitamins, minerals and essential amino acids for health.  Some premade raw diets ARE balanced and some ARE NOT.  Be sure to label read. If its nutritionally balanced, it will say so.  If your inspired to make your own raw diets, do your research thoroughly first, including consultation with a veterinary nutritionist.  How to contact a Veterinary Nutritionist.

When chosing a raw diet, it is best to stick to the motto "feathers and hooves".  This means chicken, turkey, duck, beef, venison, lamb.  No raw fish -there are a variety of reasons for this: about feeding your cat fish.

Transitioning to a raw diet, as with any new diet, should be done slowly, over a period of 2-4 weeks.  This allows the gut's flora to accomodate to the food change.

At my house, my 2 young healthy cats, Posie and Peabody, enjoy a meal of Nature's Variety raw medallions as part of their diet 3 times a week.  My dog Franklin, who I am managing for a cancer condition, has been on an  exclusively raw diet for over 1+ years, and doing very well!  Consider adding a raw meal into your weekly rotation of food for your pet.
Dr. Maureen Flatley
Fox Valley Cat Clinic

5 Things to Do If You Vacation Away From Your Cat.

A very good client of mine went on a 10 day vacation, leaving her 15 year old cat home alone.  The neighbor was to check on Kitty daily, offering fresh food and water. But, the worst thing happened:  the neighbor forgot.  Kitty went without food OR water for at least 7 days.  When her owners arrived home, Kitty was alive but dehydrated and listless.  With medical attention, Kitty was able to recover from this episode, but the owner was heartsick about what her beloved cat had endured. 

Kitty inspired me to cover this topic today.  Here are 5 things to think about before your next vacation.

Keep in regular contact with your pet caregiver while on vacation. In this day and age of twitter, facebook and gmail, daily contact is easy and convenient and reassuring.  A daily "doing great today" or quick camera picture of Fluffy sleeping on the bed is proof positive that things at home are going well.

Notify your veterinarian of your plans.  If a stranger needs to bring your cat in for a medical problem while you are away, this advanced notification will streamline the process.

Put all of your pet care instructions in writing each time you go away.  Include how much to feed and how often, how often to scoop the box, what to expect as far as appetite and activity level, what to watch for that would indicate a call to the vet is needed (and leave the clinic name and number).

Consider a professional pet sitter, or a boarding facility- especially if your cat is geriatric or has medical problems.  There is much less risk of an unnoticed problem developing if a professional is watching your cat.  For example, at our boarding facility we document the appetite, urine and stool output twice a day for each boarder .  A professional would be able to identify a problem early, before it became serious.

Have a back up plan in place.  If a problem develops with your pet, what will you do.  What if your pet caregiver can't follow thru with care while you are gone.   It is essential that you leave an emergency phone number no matter where you are going.  Perhaps leave a phone number of a close family member in case you can't be reached, or aren't able to return early if necessary.  Have the pet caregiver contact your veterinarian if they have questions about care while you are gone.  These plans may not be needed, but are much easier to put into place before you leave on your trip. 

We all deserve a vacation, but it is so important to know that our pets are healthy and happy while we are off traveling!

If you have found this helpful, please feel free to share it with your cat loving friends.
Dr. Maureen Flatley
Fox Valley Cat Clinic

East meets West in Menasha

As some of you know, I have gone back to school.  I am studying to become Certified in Chinese Herbal Veterinary Medicine.  Since I have started integrating Chinese Herbal Medicine into my practice I am suprised to find a ready acceptance to a more natural, holistic approach to treating my patients. 

What is Herbal Medicine?  Herbal therapy is the use of therapeutic medicines derived from whole plants.  Herbs are used to move the Qi (energy) thru the appropriate meridians as well as tonify (strengthen) the Yin or Yang, guiding the body back to its natural state of balance.

What are Herbal Formulas?  Herbal formulas are a carefully chosen complex grouping of plants that act together in a very specific way in the body.  These plants are processed into a powdered extract that is a very strong and effective treatment for a variety of diseases.  The herbal formulas can be used alone or in combination with western medicines to increase the therapeutic effects of treatment, or allow a lower and safer dose of medicine to be effective.

How is an Herbal Extract given to my cat?  Herbal medicines come in several forms.  Powders can be mixed directly into canned food, mixed with liquid (water, milk, broth) and given orally by syringe, or  put into capsules and given like a pill.  Or you can mix with cheese, yogurt, ice cream, tuna, butter -whatever your cat will eat readily.  Most cats will take the herbal prescription in food if you start with a very small amount and gradually work up to the recommended dose.

What kinds of diseases can the herbs treat?  Chinese Herbal Medicine can be used to treat a great variety of medical conditions including:  skin allergies, chronic vomiting, chronic colitis or diarrhea, weight loss,  asthma, hyperthyroidism, diabetes, renal disease, chronic cough, arthritis, and liver disease, just to name a few!
Dr. Maureen Flatley