Body Parts – the Feline Heart The heart is the main organ in the circulatory system. Its job is to pump blood throughout the body, supplying oxygen and nutrients to the tissues. Similar to the human heart, the feline heart has four chambers. The two chambers on the top of the heart are the atria (plural for atrium). The…
Cat feet are fascinating. They function as shock absorbers when landing after aerial acrobatics. The pads on the paws are thick, with a substantial amount of adipose (fat) tissue just below the pad surfaces. This acts as a cushion, allowing for cats to walk quietly. To me, however, the most impressive parts of the feet are the claws. All members…
Body Parts – the Adrenal Glands I would venture that most people have heard of the adrenal glands. I would also bet that if asked about what the adrenals do, most folks would correctly guess that they make adrenaline, the “fight or flight” hormone that makes your heart race before that first big plunge on the roller coaster. But…
I’m sure you’ve heard of them, but do you really know what they are, or what they do? I’m talking about the lymph nodes, important structures that we don’t think about much, but play a crucial role in a cat’s ability to fight off infections. Lymph nodes are small, oval shaped organs that are dispersed throughout the body. They…
Body Parts – The Stomach by Arnold Plotnick, MS, DVM, ACVIM If you can’t stomach the thought of an article about the stomach, then this column may not be for you. But have no fear, I will make this material easy to digest. The stomach is an important part of the gastrointestinal tract. Food that is swallowed is propelled by…
Body Parts – The Kidneys by Arnold Plotnick, MS, DVM, ACVIM Like all mammals, cats have two kidneys, one on the left, and one on the right. They are shaped like…kidney beans, of course. Blood flows into the kidney through the renal artery, and leaves via the renal vein. As blood passes through the kidney, toxins are filtered from the…
Feline Body Parts – The Liver “Liver Me This” by Arnold Plotnick, MS, DVM, ACVIM Published in Catster Volume 1, No. 3, Sept/Oct 2015 “What am I? Chopped liver?” You’ve probably heard this figure of speech before, the speaker implying that he’s worthless. I can assure you, as a cat veterinarian, that the liver (unchopped, at least) is anything but…
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…
As many of you know, in addition to my veterinary work, I also am a writer. I have this blog and I am the former medical editor and contributor to Catnip magazine. I was the Ask the Vet columnist for Cat Fancy for many years. Sadly, Cat Fancy is no more, and was replaced by a new magazine, Catster. I am…
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…
I was examining a young female cat that had been adopted a few months before from a rescue organization. The owner had brought her in for behavioral issues. “She’s been making trilling noises, and she sticks her rear end in the air, and is rolling around on the carpet all squirmy”, said her owner. “She’s also become super-affectionate. I have…
I took a few photos of my polydactyl cat Mittens
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.”…
We had just gotten back from a ten day vacation to Morocco, so this seemed a little indulgent, but Mexico is inexpensive, and we hadn’t been to the beach in years. After my Morocco trip and before this Mexico trip, I did take one more photography class, and the added instruction did make a difference. So this blog post is…
Hard to believe, but our last day in Morocco is upon us. Today’s agenda is to explore as much of Tangier in one day as we can, and then head back home to our own cats, who we miss a lot. We started the day at the Gran Café de Paris. With its tufted brown leather seats impeccable service, and…