Obesity

Diabetes mellitus commonly strikes older, obese male cats. In its most common feline form, the pancreas doesnt produce any or enough insulin, a hormone that regulates the flow of glucose used as fuel for a variety of metabolic processes. The patient lacks nourishment, and excess glucose remains in the bloodstream, potentially damaging organs and blood vessels.

Did you get your cat from a shelter instead of a referral from a friend or relative? Does he sleep with you? Is he a senior? You just might be the typical cat owner in the U.S., at least among those described in the American Pet Product Associations latest owners survey.

Most of us think we give our cats the appropriate amount of food, but lets be honest here: Do we take into account the treats that we slip them? Or people food? A few morsels of canned tuna - at 56 calories per ounce - can add up and we suddenly have an overweight cat. The latest report from the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention estimates that only 38 percent of cats in the U.S. are of normal weight; 28 percent are obese and 29 percent are overweight.

Pets were evaluated as ideal, overweight or obese. The APOPs survey also found that 54 percent of dogs were overweight or obese. The findings were nearly the same in 2014, when the association cited a fat pet gap, in which another of its surveys revealed that 90 percent of owners of overweight cats and 95 percent of owners of overweight dogs incorrectly identified their pet as normal weight. No one wants to think their pet is overweight, and overcoming denial is our first battle, said APOP founder Ernie Ward, DVM.

Fur, primarily made of the protein keratin, grows from follicles in the skin. While human follicles each grow a single hair, animal follicles may grow many. Each follicle has an oil gland to lubricate the skin and hair, and to keep the coat lustrous. If your cats coat turns dull and dry, you may suspect a medical problem and make a veterinary appointment. Meanwhile, you might also want to check the labels on his food.

Your cats gastrointestinal tract, like yours, is home to billions of bacteria. A healthy GI tract allows the absorption of food, while excluding toxins and disease-producing organisms. Yet malfunctions can sometimes occur. Perhaps your cat slipped outside and ingested a mouse or bird containing parasites that can cause vomiting and diarrhea.

Q: My 11-year-old male domestic shorthaired cat has just been diagnosed with diabetes. I am feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of managing this condition and concerned for his well-being. Can you tell me a bit about this condition, his prognosis and how it can be managed?

The Food and Drug Administration has awarded Anil Thachil, BVsc, Ph.D., in the Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine a grant to investigate the quality of commercial raw meat diets for pets.

If you want to compare the calories in treats to the daily calories that your cat requires, this chart can help. It also —...

When your cat is happy, you are happy. When your cat has delicious chewy treats, he is usually pretty happy. But cat owners oft forget that their furry friends only need about 200 calories a day. At about 1.5 calories per piece, a single handful of Meow Mix is over 25 percent of your cat's daily intake.

Cats have long endured the reputation for being fussy eaters. Weve known for a decade that, with some exceptions, most cats lack the taste receptor gene for sweets. Now a study suggests that they may have a legitimate reason for avoiding another flavor.

Chronic kidney disease is common in older cats, with nearly a third of them over 12 affected and the prevalence increasing with age. The disease is incurable, involving the gradual loss of kidney function; however, owners can help slow its progression.