Mealtime Montras to live by

What meat does your cat seem interested in? -if you are cooking fish for dinner, are they right there watching?  If you make a chicken breast sandwich, do you have sudden helpers?  One of my cats LOVES liver.  I just have to open the container of fresh beef liver, and the cat appears out of nowhere.  A little close observation will usually yield YOUR  cat's answer.

"What should I feed my cat."  (I am asked this question several times every day.)  This is not a simple question to answer, as many cats will not eat what is good for them (but with persistence, you may be able to change their minds.)  Good cat nutrition is essential to keeping your cat healthy, and their weight under control.

It makes sense to feed the protein source that your cat actually wants.  It also makes sense to ROTATE different protein sources if you can.  Most beef/lamb/poultry products in cat food manufactured in the USA are sourced from the USA.  This may not be true for fish.  Fish sources could be international (China...) so be aware of this.  Some higher quality canned cat foods are made from human-grade meat sources, ALWAYS a good thing.   If your cat has skin allergies, you may want to stay away from beef.

"How much protein should be in my cat's food'"  The pet food companies will tell you that 35% is enough protein for your cat. And they will tell you that plant protein is fine.   Mother nature says 90%+ and MEAT is more appropriate for a carnivore.  Cats do best with high protein and low carbohydrate foods, what nature intended them to eat. 

Read the label:  If the food is called "Chicken Medely"  or Beef Stew", it could contain any and all meat sources.  Read the label closely.  Try to chose foods with only MEAT based proteins.  Rice gluten or Soy protein are PLANT based proteins, a cheap protein source, but NOT OK for a meat-eating animal.  By-products, altho a meat based protein source, should never be a first choice.

"How much should I feed." - Please do not follow the recommendations made by the pet food company.  Their primary goal is to sell more cat food, not feed YOUR cat appropriately.  The average 10# cat should be fed between 200-250kcal per day total.  You need to add in treats to this number.  AND you need to find out how many calories are in the food you are feeding.  The internet is the best reliable source for this information.  Or next time you are at the Fox Valley Cat Clinic we will help calculate this for you.

"Can I supplement with table food?"  YES, if you stay within the calorie limit, and feed this as a supplement, not a well balanced meal.   It must be human grade non-processed lean lightly cooked MEAT.  Chicken, turkey, beef liver, beef, pork, chicken gizzards/liver/heart.  Small chewable pieces, not seasoned.  NOT sandwich meat (processed), NOT sausage (processed), NOT ham (cured in salt).  I don't recommend dairy products like ice cream or cheese, as these are not sources of protein.

Do you want BRAND recommendations?  Feel free to stop into the clinic.  I have a large number of the most popular brands catagorized into EXCELLENT, GOOD, FAIR and DO NOT FEED, and we will happily share this with you.

Thanks for reading my blog- if you found it helpful, please share it with a friend :)
Dr. Maureen Flatley
Fox Valley Cat Clinic

Sad Mews: Feline Leukemia in Neenah stables

I am sorry to report that recently I tested a young barn cat from a horse stables outside of Neenah, and he was positive for Feline Leukemia Virus.  This farm has dozens of free roaming cats and kittens, none of which are vaccinated against anything.  This kitten was brought to the Fox Valley Cat Clinic by a good samaritan because he was acting very sick, and indeed he was.  He was sufferring from Feline Infections Peritonitis along with being FeLV+.  And yes, this poor little guy did die.  

I was so saddened by this series of events, that I contacted and enlisted a local cat rescue group to help me with this bad situation.  But,  even though  we were willing to trap, leukemia test, and spay/neuter all of his cats and release the healthy ones back to his stables, and find donations to pay for it all-in hopes of stopping the spread of this deadly cat disease, the owner of the horse stables said ABSOLUTELY NOT.  He was totally closed to the idea of strangers on his property, and was not concerned about the health of these cats, as "they were not his responsibility". 

I realize that I am preaching to the choir, but this attitude is beyond my comprehension.  Please forgive my frustrated venting, but apparently in this situation, that is all I can do.  I know all who read this will understand.  Maybe tomorrow we at the Fox Valley Cat Clinic can save the world (one cat at a time :)
Dr. Maureen Flatley

Life is Good for Crabbie

Living in the country has its charms.  Unfortunately, stray cats are an uncharming fact of life if you live in the country.   Most of these cats are feral, and take off when I approach.  That was Crabbie The Calico's  first response 15 years ago. 

But she hung around thru the summer of 1996, and proceeded to have a litter of kittens under my grainery (much to my chagrin).  So I tamed the kittens once they started to explore their larger world, handled them, socialized them  and placed them into good homes.  And then live trapped Crabbie and spayed/ vaccinated/ leukemia tested her and released her back into my yard. 

And she still hung around.... 

So I started to feed her, and occasionally gave her a pat  with leather gloves.  Crabbie started coming when I called her (for food).  When winter came, my husband (who is a real softie) made up a bed for Crabbie in our garage -fleece blankets, heated water bowl, private litter box.  Crabbie could come and go as she pleased, but chose to spend most winter nights munching from her private foodbowl in the insulated garage.  She started sitting on our kitchen porch if she wanted the garage door opened.  She would be sitting there when I came home from work.   She continued to spend time under our grainery with a variety of wild critters over the years:  rabbits, wood chucks, opposums, and ofcourse other strays.  

This is Crabbie Cat's 15th year as our outside feral cat.   She now runs to us when we call, loves her head scratched, gets daily canned food, tolerates topical flea protection, and sleeps on our deck in the sun when all is quiet in our yard.  She just finished her annual tranquilization/ physical exam/ vaccinations/ grooming/ annual labwork at the Fox Valley Cat Clinic, and she is in amazing health for her age.  This is the first year I let her wake up from her tranquilizer in a carrier in my house (but away from my house pets). It was too cold in the garage for an old lady cat.  I  may not be able to save the world, but for one feral calico- Life is Good.
Dr. Maureen Flatley

Caution when handling outside cats -one word: RABIES

Recently there have been several cases of animal rabies in the news.  Whenever I hear a story about a rabid animal, it reminds me of a conversation I had many years ago with a client that did not believe that rabies was real.  She asked me, "if you've never seen a rabid animal, how do you know rabies really exists."  I was rendered speechless (my mouth may even have dropped open :).  This must have been a good dose of reality to a young veterinarian, for this conversation is still fresh in my mind.

Rabies DOES exist in Wisconsin.  And it exists in racoons, foxes, skunks and bats in the wild (to name a few), and in cats, dogs, horses, and cows and people.  And, RABIES IS FATAL (the only exception if the young girl in Fon Du Lac several years ago).

Another fact that may suprise you is that MANY people that let their cats outside, do not give rabies vaccines.  I see this at the Fox Valley Cat Clinic (and discuss it) DAILY in the exam room.  You are putting your family at risk if your cat goes outside without a current rabies vaccine.  Putting the "why would you let your cat roam outside unattended" aside, rabies is a very real threat to any outside animal, even in Wisconsin.

So, here is the point I have been moving towards -cat lovers need to be very cautious about handling ANY outdoor cat.  Please assume any stray is NOT current on rabies vaccination, and therefore a potential carrier of the disease. All it takes is a bite or scratch to your skin.   I ALWAYS wear leather glove when approaching an outdoor stray, as a precautionary measure, and you should too.  Even a kitten.  Any animal that is afraid or startled will bite.  PLEASE don't put yourself in the position that a very good client of mine found herself in last month:  having to euthanize a stray cat that she was trying to rescue because she got bit in the hand, therefore the cat HAD to be tested for rabies  ( which requires microscopic testing of brain tissue -gruesome, but true.)

Takeaway facts.  Rabies kills people.  Rabies is easy to prevent.  Wear gloves around ANY stray cat.
Dr. Maureen Flatley

What is wrong with Butch?

     Meet Butch.  He is one on my diabetes mellitus patients .  He is a gentle friendly fellow who is a delight to work with.  Sadly, last week Butch suddenly stopped eating, stopped playing, and  did not want to move around at home.  Appetite is often the first sign that a cat is sick, and this is especially true with a diabetic cat as they usually have a ravenous appetite. 
     Upon examination, Butch's leg muscles were too weak to support his body, and although he was purring and kneading, he was not himself.  To identify exactly what we were dealing with, I ran a complete blood workup on Butch.  While waiting for the test results, Butch accepted an IV catheter and fluids  to help with his hydration, and was willing to eat small amounts of soft food with some persuasion.  The lab tests showed a dramatically low potassium level in his blood.  Potassium is an essential electrolyte in blood that is in part responsible for muscle strength.
    Cats with hypokalemia (low potassium in the blood), are at risk for severe muscle weakness.  Certain medical conditions such as kidney disease or diabetes may lead to low potassium because of potassium loss in the urine.  A chemistry panel evaluates the potassium level as well as kidney function, liver function and blood sugar.   Without a chemistry panel many diseases, like hypokalemia for example, can go undiagnosed.
     Butch received IV potassium during his  hospital stay at the Fox Valley Cat Clinic and oral potassium supplement at home over the last  week.  I just recheck Butch yesterday, and he looked like he was feeling much better -playing with his cat friends at home and eating up a storm, and even putting some needed weight back on.  Kudos to Butch's owners for being great cat owners and quickly recognizing that Butch was in need of medical care.  We at the Fox Valley Cat Clinic love you Butch!  Great to see that your spunky attitude is back and that Life is Good!
Dr. Maureen Flatley

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