Cat Care Tips: July 2008

07 July 2008

How to Treat a Cat That has a Scratched Eye

Cats are naturally curious and get into many places and things in the household. This means their chances of receiving a scratched eye or eye irritation are high. Some cats also can experience eye irritation from viruses, allergies, dust and dirt, fights, etc. An irritation can lead to a mild inflammation of the tissue around the eye (conjunctivitis) or severe damage to the cornea. Upper respiratory diseases are probably the most common cause of conjunctivitis in cats.When examining the eye, it is important to know that cats have a third eyelid located in the corner of the eye nearest the nose. This third eyelid can completely cover the eyeball and sometimes gives the appearance that part of the eye is gone. If it is raised and looks red, the eye is inflamed. Do not touch or manipulate this eyelid. All eye irritations should be treated by a veterinarian.

If you are unsure whether your cat has a scratched eye or an eye infection, some of the signs to look for include the cat squinting and rubbing or pawing at its eyes. The eye also will have a thick discharge or redness. If your cat has a scratched eye or an eye irritation, use the following cat care tips:

If the cat is scratching at the eye continuously, cut a large piece of cardboard into an Elizabethan-type collar.

Step 1: Approach the cat carefully. If your cat is nervous or anxious, restrain the cat if necessary.

Step 2: Flush the eye thoroughly (three or four times) with saline solution or plain water.

Step 3: You should help the cat prevent self-injury to its eye.

Step 3a: Dewclaw should be bandaged on the front paw on the same side as the affected eye.

Step 3b: If the cat is scratching at the eye continuously, cut a large piece of cardboard into an Elizabethan-type collar.

Step 4: Transport the cat to the veterinarian immediately.

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How to Treat a Cat That Has a Snakebite

Poisonous snakebites are rare in North America. Most snakes are nonpoisonous, and neither poisonous nor nonpoisonous snakes will attack a cat unless provoked. But cats are curious, and bites will occur.

If a cat has a snakebite, he or she might have pale or white cat gums and rapid heartbeat or rapid breathing. Whether your cat is bitten by a poisonous or nonpoisonous snake, you need to administer the proper cat care to help your four-legged friend.

Poisonous Snakebite

Some signs of a poisonous snakebite are two fang marks, pain, swelling, vomiting, difficulty breathing, possible paralysis, and convulsions.

Treatment must begin as soon as possible after the bite. If the snake was killed, bring it to the veterinarian for identification. Otherwise, try to remember identifying marks. Use the following tips:

Step 1: Approach the cat carefully. If your cat is nervous or anxious, restrain the cat if necessary.

Step 2: Clip the hair from the bite area on the cat.

Step 3: Flush the area thoroughly by pouring 3 percent hydrogen peroxide directly on the bite.

Step 4: Transport the cat to the veterinarian immediately.

Nonpoisonous Snakebite

Some signs of a nonpoisonous snakebite are a U-shaped bite and pain in the bite area. If the snake was killed, bring it to the veterinarian for identification. Otherwise, try to remember identifying marks and use the following cat care tips:

Step 1: If you are not certain the snake is nonpoisonous, and you cannot get to a veterinarian immediately, treat it as a poisonous snake bite. See the instructions above.

Step 2: Transport the cat to the veterinarian immediately.

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How to Help a Cat That Is Having Kittens

The beauty of birth is a rewarding experience, but most cats don't want onlookers during delivery. It is important in cat care to be ready in case complications occur. Despite all your preparations, the cat may have them someplace else.

In preparation for queening or a cat giving birth, the cat will become very restless and very vocal. Often a queen will dig around the queening box as if nesting and will lose interest in food. These signs may indicate birth will occur within 24 hours.

If any of the following situations occur, the cat needs immediate veterinary care:

Failure to deliver within three hours of intermittent labor

Failure to deliver within 30 minutes of continuous hard labor.

Heavy, bright-red bleeding during labor.

Brown or foul-smelling discharge during labor.

General weakness of the mother.

Failure to deliver by the 66th day of gestation.

Applying steady traction, gently pull the kitten at slight downward angle and steadily until the kitten is delivered.

Presentation of the first water sac with no delivery after one hour.

It is absolutely vital to provide a secluded place for the mother to have her litter. After delivery, the kittens should not be touched or disturbed. If a cat is having problems with the birthing process, use the following cat care tips.

If the Kitten is Stuck in the Birth Canal

Method A

Step 1: Grasp the kitten with a clean towel.

Step 2: Applying steady traction, gently pull the kitten at a slight downward angle. Continue pulling gently and steadily until the kitten is delivered.

Step 3: If you are unable to remove the kitten, or if the mother is uncooperative, contact the veterinarian immediately.

Peel the membrane off its face immediately.

If the Kitten Isn't Cleaned by the Mother After Delivery

Method B

Step 1: Put the kitten, covered in the fetal membrane, into a clean towel.

Step 2: Peel the membrane off its face immediately.

Step 3: Continue to pull the membrane from its body. The membrane will collect around the umbilical cord. Do not pull on the umbilical cord.

Step 4: Wipe any fluid off the kitten's nostrils and mouth. Rub its body vigorously with a towel to stimulate breathing.

Step 5: If there is heavy mucus in the mouth and nose, clean out what you can with your finger.

Tie a thread around the umbilical cord about one inch above the kitten's abdomen.

Step 6: If the kitten is still having trouble breathing:

Step 6a: Place the kitten on its back on a towel in the palm of your hand.

Step 6b: Cradle its head by closing your thumb toward your fingers.

Step 6c: Using your other hand to secure the kitten, lift your hands to head level and swing firmly down toward the floor. Repeat several times.

Step 6d: Vigorously rub the kitten again with the towel.

Step 6e: Stop when the kitten is actively moving and crying.

Step 7: Tie a thread around the umbilical cord about one inch above the kitten's abdomen. Leaving the tied position attached to the kitten, cut off the rest of the umbilical cord and fetal membrane.

Step 8: Place the kitten with its mother. She will take care of the rest. If she does not take care of the kittens, or if any other problem develops, contact the veterinarian as soon as possible.

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How to Treat a Cat That has Heart Muscle Disease

Few diseases can cause a seemingly healthy cat to suddenly be on death's doorstep. Cardiomyopathy or heart muscle disease is one of them.

Cats that have certain forms of cardiomyopathy may simply not act "right" and a veterinarian will be able to discover the problem by electrocardiograms, radiographs, and listening to the cat's heart. Another form of heart muscle disease may go unnoticed until suddenly the cat loses function of the back legs.

Some of the signs to look out for include difficulty breathing, lack of coordination or paralysis of rear limbs, and excessive crying with these other signs.

Veterinarians have no answers as to why cardiomyopathies occur, but research is continuing on this perplexing problem. If your cat is experiencing symptoms of cardiomyopathy or heart muscle disease, use the following cat care tips:

Step 1: Carefully wrap the cat in a blanket or towel so it feels secure.

Step 2: There is no effective home treatment. The situation is life-threatening, and the cat should be taken to the veterinarian immediately.

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How to Treat a Cat That Is Vomiting

Vomiting is one of the most commonly encountered problems in veterinary medicine. It is nature's way of permitting cats to rid his or her stomach of irritating substances such as spoiled food or other foreign material such as hairballs or plants. But not all vomiting is due to simple irritation.

More serious causes of vomiting are viral infections, obstructions caused by string or other foreign objects, and diseases of the liver, pancreas, or kidney. However, it is important to seek professional help if there are signs of bleeding, or if the cat is depressed and still vomiting after initial efforts at control have failed. If a cat is vomiting, use the following cat care tips:

Step 1: Remove all food and water for at least 12 to 24 hours.

Step 2: If the cat's vomit contains blood or is frequent, contact the veterinarian immediately. If not, proceed to Step 3.

Step 3: After 12 to 24 hours, feed the cat a mixture of small quantities of boiled chicken breasts, skinned and boned, with rice (50:50 mixture). Alternately, chicken baby food may be substituted. If this is held down, a transition to a regular diet should take place over the next two days by mixing in regular cat food, reducing the chicken and rice amounts and increasing the regular cat food amounts.

Step 4: Vomiting can be a sign of many diseases. Do not be fooled into thinking that it is just fur balls. If vomiting continues on a frequent basis, professional help must be sought.

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How to Treat a Cat That Has Urinary Tract Disease

An area of concern to cat owners and veterinarians is lower urinary tract disease, medically known as Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD). This disease is not limited to male cats but is of great danger to them because of their anatomy. The male cat has an extremely small tube (urethra) leading from the bladder through the penis.

In most cases the inflammation of the bladder causes the formation of a crystalline substance in the urine, which will clog the urethra of male cats and make urination impossible. This will be evidenced by the cat straining in the litter pan as if constipated and producing only small drops of urine, crying while straining, squatting outside the litter pan, and licking its genital area frequently.

If the cat is plugged and cannot urinate, the kidneys will lose the ability to remove the waste products from the blood. This causes a buildup of nitrogen byproducts in the blood known as uremia, which can lead to death. A blocked male cat that is vomiting is probably uremic and will die if not treated immediately. Call your veterinarian, regardless of the time of day or night.

Female cats also get FLUTD, and though the symptoms are the same as those of a male, females will not plug up, and the midnight emergency does not exist.

Some of the signs to watch for are a cat urinating outside the litter box; straining to urinate evidenced by going in and out of litter box and squatting for long periods of time; blood in urine; excessive licking of genital area; vomiting with these signs. If a cat is showing signs of urinary tract disease, use the following cat care tips:

If the Cat is Male

Place the palm of your hand on the cat's abdomen immediately in front of the rear legs.

Method A

Step 1: Approach the cat carefully. If your cat is nervous or anxious, restrain the cat if necessary.

Step 2: Check for possible obstruction of the penis, which is life-threatening.

Step 2a: Place the palm of your hand on the cat's abdomen immediately in front of the rear legs.

Step 2b: Close your fingers toward your thumb.

Step 2c: If the cat cries out in pain or you feel a large, firm object in the abdomen, which is the distended urinary bladder, the cat is probably obstructed; proceed to Step 3. If not, proceed to Step 6.

To provide some relief, use your fingers to gently roll the tip of the penis back and forth.

Step 3: Have an assistant use one hand to apply pressure on the cat's shoulders, forcing the cat firmly down, while he uses his other hand to hold one or both of the back legs.

Step 4: Lift the cat's tail to expose its hind end.

Step 5: To provide some relief, use your fingers to gently roll the tip of the penis back and forth. This will help to dislodge any crystalline obstruction. Success will be evidenced by production of urine.

Step 6: Contact the veterinarian immediately.

If the Cat is Female

Method B

Step 1: There is no effective home treatment. Contact your veterinarian, even though the condition is not life-threatening.

How to Treat a Cat That is Vomiting Hairballs

Cats are fastidious, and this often causes a hairball problem. Cats groom themselves by licking their fur. The cat's tongue feels like sandpaper to the touch because of its many small barbs. These barbs catch the hair as the cat licks itself, and the hair is swallowed. If enough cat hair collects in the stomach without passing into the intestinal tract, the cat will vomit in an effort to rid itself of it.

Place one or two teaspoons of white petroleum jelly on the cat's mouth and paws

If you want to check on whether your cat is experiencing problems with hairballs, the signs to look for include the cat vomiting long cigar-shaped material full of hair, a cat vomiting food immediately after eating and attempting to eat again, passing hair in stool, and rarely, a lack of appetite and weight loss.

If your cat has problems vomiting hairballs, use the following cat care tips:

Step 1: Remove all of the cat's food and water immediately.

Step 2: If vomited material is bloody or has a foul odor, contact the veterinarian immediately. If not, proceed to Step 3.

Step 3: Treat the cat by placing one or two teaspoons of white petroleum jelly on the cat's mouth and paws so it can lick it off. Do not give the cat mineral oil.

Step 4: Repeat the petroleum jelly treatment once a day while the cat is having difficulty. If the problem lasts more than two or three days, contact the veterinarian as soon as possible.

How to Treat a Cat That has Heatstroke

Cats can suffer heatstroke faster than you might think. A pet owner really needs to be careful to not expose a cat to extreme heat. Heatstroke is caused by the inability of the body to maintain its normal temperature because of environmental heat. It is often caused by keeping a cat in a hot area without adequate ventilation.

Prompt treatment is urgent. A cat's body temperature can get as high as 107 degrees Farenheit or 41.5 degrees Celsius. If you don't cool down the cat, he or she can experience severe brain damage or death.

Apply ice packs around the head; keep them there while transporting to the veterinarian.

Some warning signs to look for is a cat who is excessively drooling, lacking coordination, and rapidly breathing. The top of the cat's head also will be hot to the touch. If your cat is experiencing heatstroke, use the following cat care tips:

Step 1: Remove the cat from the hot environment.

Step 2: Immerse the cat in a cold bath or continuously run a garden hose on its body. Continue either treatment for at least 30 minutes.

Step 3: Apply ice packs around the cat's head. Keep them there while transporting the cat to the veterinarian.

Treat a Cat That Has Swallowed Thread, String, or Yarn

Cats that play with thread, string, or yarn are bound to swallow some sooner or later. A long piece of thread, string, or yarn, if swallowed, can cause a blockage of the cat's intestinal tract with subsequent perforation. This needs immediate surgical intervention.

Veterinarians often find cats have swallowed thread with a needle attached. Sometimes the needle ends up in the stomach and must be removed surgically. At other times, the needle gets caught in the throat or roof of the mouth. This will be evidenced by the cat choking and pawing at its mouth.

Cut off the material as short as possible

Some of the signs to watch for are thread, string, or yarn hanging out of the mouth or rectum; vomiting combined with history of playing with thread, string, or yarn; and loss of appetite with those signs.

If your cat has swallowed thread, string, or yarn, use the following cat care tips:

Step 1: Approach the cat carefully. If your cat is nervous or anxious, restrain the cat if necessary.

Step 2: If nothing is visible, proceed to Step 3. If thread, string, or yarn is hanging out of the cat's mouth or rectum:

Step 2a: Pull on the material lightly. If you feel resistance, stop. Do not continue to pull the material.

Step 2b: Cut off the material as short as possible and proceed to Step 3.

Step 3: Give the cat one tablespoon of white petroleum jelly. Using a small amount each time, rub the jelly on the cat's mouth and paws. The cat will lick it off. Do not give the cat mineral oil.

Step 4: If vomiting occurs or the cat stops eating, transport to the veterinarian immediately.