RVing With Cats

!±8± RVing With Cats

I know it seems like you see more rv'ers with dogs but there are those of us who have cats!

As far as I am concerned, cats are much easier to have in a RV. Just think you do not have to take a cat outside like a dog, you do not have to take them for walks and they do not take up as much room as a dog. Oh, one more thing, they do not bark or howl!

Cats do, however, or most cats want to get outside if they can. So when you open that door - they are gone if you do not watch them. Of course, there are exceptions like my kitty. Missy. She is only eight months old and so far doesn't try to get outside when the door is open like my older cat, Bandit. Now as long as I can remember Bandit has always tried to get out and has succeeded a few times, too.

Therefore, if you want to take them outside for a while put them in a crate or a screen house that has a floor. You can put them on a leash and take them for a walk. I have done that a lot with Bandit and you would not believe the number of people who tell me they never saw a cat on a leash going for a walk before. Well, you get to meet people that way.

I also tie a rope to the leash and attach it to the 5th wheel and Bandit will walk around as much as he can or just lie down. Of course, I still watch him but I do not have to walk him this way. He did learn to pull backwards and get his head out of the leash. He did this for quite awhile and I would catch him doing it and he finally just stopped.

The only hard thing for us is to find a vet when Bandit needs food because he is on a special cat food that you can only get at a vet's office. In some states, they will let you buy it but in others, you have to have a prescription from your own vet. Even in the same states, we have found it is different - one city they will let you buy it but not another one. Figure that one out!

I love quotes and here are a few cute cat ones. I hope you enjoy them.

"Dogs come when they are called: cats take a message and get back to you later."

Mary Bly

"The trouble with sharing one's bed with cats is that they'd rather sleep on you than beside you."

Pam Brown

When God make the world, He chose to put animals in it and decided to give each whatever it wanted. All the animals formed a long line before His throne, and the cat quietly went to the end of the line. To the elephant and the bear He have strength, to the rabbit and the deer, swiftness: to the owl, the ability to see at night, to the birds and butterflies, great beauty; to the fox, cunning; to the monkey, intelligence; to the dog, loyalty; to the lion, courage; to the otter, playfulness. And all these were thing the animals begged of God. At last, he came to the end of the line, and there sat the little cat, waiting patiently. "What will you have?' god asked the cat.

The cat shrugged modestly. "Oh, whatever scraps you have left over. I don't mind"

"But I'm God. I have everything left over."

"Then I'll have a little of everything, please."

And God gave a great shout of laughter at the cleverness of this small animal, and gave the cat everything she asked for, adding grace and elegance and, only for her, a gentle purr that would always attract humans and assure her a warm and comfortable home.

But he took away her false modesty.

Lenore Fleischer

RVing With Cats

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Inflammatory Bowel Disease In Cats

!±8± Inflammatory Bowel Disease In Cats

Chronic cases of diarrhea in cats are a familiar headache for many veterinarians. Symptoms can wax and wane over a period of time, which can complicate the veterinarians assessment of the response to treatment in some cases. Many, though not all of these cats, will have inflammatory bowel disease (IDB). This article will focus on how a veterinarian is able to diagnose IBD, and what the treatment options are.

There are many possible underlying causes when a cat presents with vomiting, diarrhea or weight loss:

Parasites (worms)Viral disease (Coronavirus, Leukaemia virus)Bacteria (Salmonella, Campylobacter)Protozoa (Giardia, Tritrichomonas)Dietary (food intolerance, food allergy)Cancer (lymphoma, adenocarcinoma)Inflammatory bowel diseaseHormonal or metabolic (hyperthyroidism, kidney failure)Drug or toxin inducedMotility disorders

The veterinarian should take a full history from the owner, to avoid spending time and money on unnecessary testing. Factors to be considered are age, diet, appetite, worming history, weight change and the nature of the vomiting or diarrhea. It is important to differentiate vomiting from regurgitation, which is usually an esophageal problem, and to differentiate small intestinal diarrhea from large intestinal diarrhea by the frequency and consistency of the feces.

The veterinarian will then carry out a full clinical examination, before embarking on a basic approach to the diagnosis as follows:

Blood and urine tests to rule out disease elsewhere in the body which has a knock on effect on the gastrointestinal tract.Bacterial culture of the feces to rule out Salmonella & CampylobacterParasite check on the feces to rule out wormsXrays to rule out an obstruction by a foreign body or a tumorUltrasound examination of the abdomen to measure gut wall thicknessBland prescription diet for 4-6 weeks (e.g. Hills Z/D, Royal Canin Sensitivity Control)Intestinal biopsies via endoscopy or surgery.

IBD is a diagnosis of exclusion, so all of the differentials previously mentioned must be ruled out in order to make the diagnosis.

What is inflammatory bowel disease?

IBD is a term used to describe the inflammation of one of the layers in the intestinal wall. This swelling of the gut wall may occur with many other intestinal diseases, but when no cause of the inflammation is found after doing thorough testing as described above, the condition is described as idiopathic IBD (essentially, IBD of unknown cause). IBD is thought to be an overreaction to bacteria or dietary ingredients within the gut.

Are certain types of cats affected more than others?

Any age of cat can be affected, and pedigree breeds may be more commonly affected than domestic shorthair cats.

What are the treatment options once IBD has been diagnosed?

DIET

Many cats can be managed by diet alone in the long term. Diets can be hypoallergenic, high fiber or low residue. Sometimes all three of these types of food need to be trialed before the most effective one is selected. Cats are often resistant to dietary trials, and this is the main reason why many cats are given drugs to treat their IBD, the cat will just not eat the specific diet.

Hypoallergenic foods usually contain a new protein source that the cat has not encountered before such as capelin & tapioca, duck, venison or hydrolyzed protein. Diets high in fiber are recommended for colonic disease.

DRUGS

Drugs are a last resort, if the cat is still showing symptoms despite various food trials or if the cat refuses to eat the prescription diet.

Options are:

Anti inflammatory or immunosuppressive drugs Prednisolone, a corticosteroid given at 2-4mg/kg, is the most effective drug.

Budesonide This is also a steroid, with fewer side effects on the rest of the body but it is unlicensed.

Chlorambucil Sometimes given in addition to a steroid if the steroid alone working.

Metronidazole This reduces the number of bacteria in the gut, so theoretically will reduce the triggering factor for the inflammation.

Cyclosporine Normally used in dogs, this modifies the immune system. It has only been tried in a small number of cats, with mixed results.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease In Cats

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Cat, Venison & Rice Dinne, 5.5 oz ( Value Bulk Multi-pack)

!±8± Cat, Venison & Rice Dinne, 5.5 oz ( Value Bulk Multi-pack)

Rate : | Price : $77.83 | Post Date : Nov 05, 2011 18:52:37
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48 units of Cat, Venison & Rice Dinne, 5.5 oz.

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