Obesity

If your cat loves treats, but you see her weight increasing, consider vegetables as treats. It may take some experimentation to find out what shell eat, but many cats like veggies. Two ounces is about 20 calories. Cut them up to the size of kibble and put it in a bowl. Hint: Some cats really like zucchini.

As reported in Pet Food News, a Nielsen survey listed ingredients owners want to avoid when choosing a food for their pet, although the rationale the owners used for making the choices is not readily clear.

Your cat has a ravenous appetite but never gains weight and might even be losing weight. In addition, you may notice the litter box has more deposits than ever before-often soft and slimy with a worse odor than usual. Your cat may be suffering from a malabsorption/maldigestion disorder. Malabsorption means the cat cant absorb the nutrients. Maldigestion occurs when your cat is not producing the enzymes needed to digest her food. Digestion Gone Awry …

Things just got easier for cat owners everywhere. We now have an FDA-approved ointment that targets unintentional weight loss in cats.

My cat is 2 years old and is having a problem urinating. He has been on a daily antibiotic for a month and has recurring bladder infections every month or two. One of my concerns is that hes on antibiotics so often that they will kill his immune system. My other concern is whether theres any hope for him. Can you help us?

People love to give their pets treats and pets love to eat them. Whats not to like? The catch is when your cat is on the round side and needs to lose some weight. You would still like to reward her for good behavior and possibly use some treats for training. What are good options?

My 12-year-old female spayed cat has chronic constipation that we have been having difficulty treating. I want her to be happy, comfortable, and healthy, and Im concerned that if we are not able to provide her with relief, her condition will progress and her quality of life will diminish. Can you provide any insight into how we may best achieve relief for her?

Cats, just like humans, get overweight via two paths. They either eat more calories than they should or they dont exercise very much. Many cats have both factors as contributors to their weight problem. Also, just as in humans, feline obesity is associated with health problems, including diabetes, arthritis, and cardiovascular disease. Some diabetic cats can actually go into remission and lose their need for insulin administration with diet control and careful weight loss. Arthritis pain may decrease with appropriate weight loss, as there is less of a burden on the cats joints. Cardiovascular status may also improve as a cats heart does not have to pump so hard to provide oxygen and nutrients to an increased body mass.

In an effort to see what difference diet might make to an obese cats blood glucose control, researchers fed three diets-one high in carbohydrates, one high in fats, and one high in protein-to healthy-weight and obese cats and measured plasma levels of glucose, insulin, free fatty acids, and triglycerides. The study, published by BMC Veterinary Research, was done at the University of Zurich.

Were fortunate that many cats live well into their teens or even to 20 years of age or more. We generally define senior cats as any cat over 10 years of age. Geriatric cats can remain active and comfortable, but they are prone to certain health conditions. Being aware of these problems, reacting right away to changes, and providing recommended preventive care can all help keep your cat well into her later years.

Hundreds of projects are underway across the U.S. and perhaps thousands worldwide using citizen scientists. Theyre volunteers who collect information, usually in cooperation with professional scientists, in fields from computer science to medicine, ecology, outer space and beyond. Rather than the big breakthrough, the results of scientific studies often can indicate whats ineffective in treatment. That was the case when Craig Webb, DVM, Ph.D., at Colorado State University led a clinical trial of a diabetes mellitus treatment.

Sometimes a cats bout of vomiting simply needs to run its course, similar to food poisoning or a viral GI bug in people. However, vomiting could indicate a significant medical problem, and if youre concerned, it is always better to err on the side of caution and check with the veterinarian. Vomiting can be due to factors that directly affect the gastrointestinal tract or to indirect effects from other conditions, says Meredith L. Miller, DVM, ACVIM, a lecturer in small animal medicine at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.