HEALTH RELATED ISSUES

First aid kit:

Equipment:

1.       Your veterinarian's phone number and the number of an animal emergency clinic with directions on how to get there

2.       Phone number of a local poison control hotline or the National Animal Poison Control Center (888-426-4435; http://www.aspca.org).       Note that a consultation fee is charged.

3.       A Pet First Aid manual or chart for quick reference

4.       Sterile bandaging material, such as gauze bandages (1 inch roll) and non-stick dressing pads (2 inch square)

5.       Adhesive tape (1 inch roll)

6.       Roll of cotton wool

7.       Pencil or stick for a tourniquet

8.       Cotton balls

9.       Material for a muzzle (can be a discarded nylon stocking or an old thin necktie, for example)

10.     Thermometer (rectal or ear) *generally rectal temperatures are more reliable

11.     Syringes (without needles attached) for administering medications (3-ml and 10-ml)

12.     Eyedropper (plastic) for administering small amounts of medications

13.     Readily available towels, blankets and material for a stretcher

Medications:

1.       Hydrogen peroxide (3%) for wound care and to induce vomiting (only use when directly advised by a veterinarian); syrup of Ipecac can also be used to induce vomiting, if recommended by a veterinarian

2.       Milk of magnesia or activated charcoal for poisonings (only use when directly advised by a veterinarian)

3.       Kaolin liquid for diarrhea

4.       Broad-spectrum antibacterial eye and skin ointments (ask your veterinarian for advice on selection)

5.      Antiseptic such as Betadine^Ò to clean wounds

In the event that you have to evacuate to a friends house, hotel or shelter:

         1.      Crates for each animal for travel as well as confinement

        2.      Leash & harness for each animal for safety

        3.      1 week supply of food & bottled water for each animal

        4.      Your first aid kit !!!

Why we keep the kittens until they are 12 weeks old:

Most of us who have had cats have acquired kittens between 6 and 8 weeks of age. They are cute, cute, cute, and most people enjoy having such young kittens to watch them grow and develop. However, we may permanently harm kittens by separating them from their mothers so early. There are important mental, emotional, and developmental milestones that a kitten experiences between 6 and 12 weeks old. Separating the kitten from mother, siblings, and familiar surroundings at that age can cause undue anxiety, stress, and serious medical problems.

Maternal immunity is the antibodies kittens get in colostrum in the first 18-24 hours of life. After that time, they can no longer absorb large molecules such as antibodies from the gut into the bloodstream. This phenomenon is called "gut closure" and is a protective mechanism to prevent the kittens from absorbing bad guys like viruses and bacteria and toxins. Nursing after 24 hours of age does not provide further systemic immunity. There is some local activity of immunoglobulins in the digestive tract, but no further systemic immunity is acquired. This passively acquired maternal immunity is designed to protect the kitten until it starts to make its own antibodies. Kittens' immune systems develop between eight and twelve weeks of age, as the immunity acquired from their mother is wearing off, the immunity acquired from vaccination is just starting to become effective. During this time, they are more susceptible to various illnesses, such as upper-respiratory problems and diarrhea. Kittens generally receive vaccinations against panleukopenia, rhinotracheitis, and calici viruses at 6, 9, and 12 weeks of age. However, immunity from vaccination does not happen immediately it may take as many as 10 days before the vaccine is effective. Up until this time, kittens receive some measure of immunity through antibodies from their mother's milk, but this is also the age where they are beginning to wean. Their immune system switches from immunity from mother's milk to immunity from vaccination. During this time the kitten less able to fight off other illnesses because the immune system is being taxed already. The stress of going to a new home and being exposed to different germs can make the kitten more susceptible to illness during this time. In addition many social skills are learned form the kittens mother and siblings during this time...this is when they learn "how to be a cat!!!"

TRICHOMONOSIS IN CATS:

Trichomonosis, "tri-trich" or Feline T. foetus infection is characterized by a waxing and waning large bowel diarrhea that occasionally contains fresh blood and mucus. Diarrhea is semi-formed to cow-pie in consistency and malodorous. At times the anus may appear swollen, reddened and painful, involuntary dribbling of feces or rectal prolapse may be seen. In general, cats otherwise maintain good health and body condition. A consistent feature of T. foetus diarrhea is improved fecal consistency and disappearance of trichomonads during administration of antimicrobial drugs with return of diarrhea containing trichomonads shortly after drugs are discontinued. Misdiagnosis of Giardia is common in cats having T. foetus infection. Cats diagnosed with Giardia on the basis of direct fecal smear examination and that fail to respond to appropriate antimicrobial therapy should be closely re-evaluated for the possibility that the observed trophozoites were T. foetus. Please see the following link for more information:

 http://www.cvm.ncsu.edu/cbs/gookin_file2.htm

Feline Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM)

Feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a challenging and complex heart condition. Veterinary cardiologists struggle to treat cats with the disease because signs vary significantly from cat to cat and breed to breed. HCM causes thickening of the walls of the left ventricle and the papillary muscles that anchor the heart’s mitral valve. As the muscles thicken and the heart’s chamber volume decreases, the heart pumps a reduced volume of blood. Affected cats are at risk for development of heart failure or blood clots that can result in cardiac distress or sudden death. Some cats throw a blood clot to their back legs causing acute paralysis and pain. Cats with severe disease usually go into heart failure and have problems breathing due to the accumulation of fluid in or around their lungs. For some cats, the first and only sign is sudden death. Owners may first notice their cat having breathing difficulties, such as heavy breathing, rapid shallow breathing or open mouth breathing due to fluid in the lungs or chest cavity, indicating congestive heart failure. Many cats with HCM may have heart murmurs. HCM affects a wide range of ages, making it frustrating for breeders to determine which cats are safe to breed. Cats are usually middle-aged when clinical signs are first detected, but HCM has been found in cats as young as 6 months and as old as 13 years. The best clinical test for HCM in breeds without a direct DNA test is an echocardiogram, or ultrasound screening of the heart. In this test, high-frequency sound waves present an image of the heart. Echocardiography is a good way to detect moderate to severe HCM, but it doesn’t always detect the minimal heart changes in mild forms of the disease. Veterinarians suggest that any cat with clinical signs such as heart murmur or arrhythmia, an abnormal heart rhythm, should be screened. Since HCM can occur at any age, a normal echocardiogram does not guarantee that a cat is HCM-free. Annual screenings are recommended for all breeding cats, but this can be challenging. Echocardiograms are expensive and many breeders may not have access to quality ultrasound services. While no cure exists for HCM, cats diagnosed with the condition can be treated based on their signs. Thus, owners are encouraged to monitor their cats with regular veterinary checkups and follow their veterinarians’ advice closely. Among the medications used to treat cats with HCM are: • Beta blockers, which help slow the heart rate and decrease the severity of an abnormality that occurs secondary to HCM; • Calcium channel blockers, which may improve heart function by reducing heart rate and myocardial oxygen consumption; • ACE inhibitors, which are used in cats that are in heart failure. • Diuretics, which are used for managing pulmonary edema and pleural effusion. The good news is that identification of the disease in a cat allows veterinarians and owners to be more proactiveusing regular heart ultrasounds to monitor heart function. Early detection of problems associated with HCM, such as blood clot formation or heart failure, may make treatment more effective.

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