Disorders of the Feline Esophagus (and the Difference between Vomiting and Regurgitation)

Common occurrence: I examine a cat that was brought in for a gastrointestinal problem.  I asked the client what her main concern was, and she said that the cat was regurgitating frequently.  I asked if the cat was truly regurgitating, or if he was vomiting.  She said, “I didn’t realize there was a difference”. I would venture that most people…

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Cats eating food

Therapeutic Diets in the Management of Feline Medical Conditions – (What to Feed a Cat that is Unhealthy)

Most cat parents ask me what the best diet for their healthy cat is. These days, it is becoming more difficult to answer this seemingly simple question. Many people feel that cats should be fed canned food only, and that dry food is terrible for their cat. Other people feel that the composition of the food is much more important…

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Feline Upper Respiratory System

Feline Asthma

My first appointment of the morning was to see Gypsy, a 5 year old neutered male Siamese owned by Gail H. The chief complaint written in the appointment book was the vaguely worded “hairball problem”. In the exam room, I asked Gail to elaborate. “He’s been trying to cough up a hairball for weeks”, said Gail, “but nothing comes up.”…

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Dr. Plotnick’s Response to *50 Things That Your Veterinarian Won’t Tell You*

There’s a post from the Reader’s Digest website that is making the rounds. It hasn’t gone “viral”, but I’m seeing it pop up on a lot of the newsfeeds that I subscribe to. It’s entitled “50 Things That Your Veterinarian Won’t Tell You”. They make it sound like you’re getting some super-secret scoop on what really goes on behind the…

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Tortie Cat at the Veterinarian

How Pet Owners Can Best Help Veterinarian Make their Diagnoses

Being a cat veterinarian is like being a pediatrician. We can’t ask our patients what’s wrong. We have to figure it out. And nowhere is the role of a cat owner more important than at a veterinarian’s office, where a good history can sometimes mean the difference between life and death.  Veterinarians are faced with a variety of diagnostic challenges…

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Potential New Treatment for Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP)

Of all of the infectious disease that cats can acquire, feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is perhaps the most devastating. FIP is a viral disease caused by a type of virus called a coronavirus. Most cats are exposed to, and become infected with, the coronavirus as kittens. At worst, kittens may get mild diarrhea. Many show no clinical signs at all. …

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Pica – When Cats Eat Weird Things

“Tom”, an 8-month old male domestic shorthaired kitten, presented to my hospital with a complaint of lethargy and unusual ingestive behavior. According to his owners Pat Galloway and Peter Webb, the normally rambunctious kitten had become lethargic over the past two days, spending most of his time sleeping. The cat’s appetite had markedly decreased, although he was still gaining weight…

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