Pet Insurance Blog – Pets Best Insurance

Blog posts Categorized under ‘Cat Health Info’

Cat Disease: Hyperthyroidism – Part 1

Posted on: May 24th, 2013 by

Dr. Jane Matheys is a veterinarian and blogger for cat insurance provider, Pets Best Insurance.

Hello. I’m Dr. Jane Matheys from The Cat Doctor Veterinary Hospital and Hotel in Boise,Idaho. Today I’ll be answering some questions about cat health from questions posted on the Pets Best Insurance Facebook page.

I’ve got several questions here about hyperthyroidism in kitties. The first one is from Marissa and she says:  “My cat is 12-years-old and was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. She got very lethargic from the anti-thyroid medication, even on a very low dose, so we stopped it. She does not like her y/d thyroid food, and if she does eat it, she vomits. Are there any other options?” (more…)

Pet Grooming: 3 Tips for Treating Nails Cut Too Short

Posted on: May 21st, 2013 by

Veterinary advice for pet insurance provider Pets Best Insurance for dog and cat toe nails cut too short.

By Dr. Fiona, a veterinarian and guest blogger for pet insurance provider, Pets Best Insurance.

Dog and cat toenails can bleed! When performing pet grooming, it can be disconcerting to accidentally trim a nail too short and cause it to bleed. But don’t despair if this happens to you, here’s how to help:

1. Apply corn starch or flour to help stop the bleeding.

2. Then apply pressure to the nail with a clean cloth for at least 3 to 5 minutes.

(No peeking underneath until the full time has passed). (more…)

3 Ways to Reduce Cat Hairballs

Posted on: April 26th, 2013 by

A cat with cat insurance gets brushed by his owner.Dr. Jane Matheys is a veterinarian guest blogger for the highly rated pet insurance provider, Pets Best.

Nothing can be done to totally prevent hairballs in cats, but there are things you can do to reduce the likelihood your cat will have hairballs or reduce their frequency.

1. Regular Cat Grooming

The more fur you remove from the coat, the less fur that ends up in the stomach. Comb or brush your cat on a daily basis. I like to use a slicker brush or a fine-toothed comb such as a flea comb. Make sure that your grooming tool is removing the dead fur underneath the coat and not just glossing over the surface. If your long-haired cat won’t allow brushing, consider taking her to a professional groomer for a “lion-cut” once or twice a year.

2. Special Diet

You can try feeding your cat a specialized “hairball formula” cat food. These high-fiber formulas are designed to improve the health of your cat’s coat, minimize the amount of shedding, and encourage hairballs to pass through the digestive system. (more…)

Cat Health: Are Hyperthyroidism and Chronic Kidney Disease Connected?

Posted on: April 18th, 2013 by

A senior cat suffering from hyperthyroidism and kidney disease.

Dr. Jane Matheys, a veterinarian, guest blogs for pet insurance provider, Pets Best.

On the Pets Best Insurance Facebook page, Bonnie asked a question about cat health. She asks, “Are hyperthyroidism and chronic kidney disease linked in a causative manner, or are they just associated as many older cats develop both?”

Geriatric cats are prone to both hyperthyroidism and chronic kidney disease, so it’s not surprising that these conditions frequently coexist. The prevalence of concurrent kidney disease in cats with hyperthyroidism is estimated to be about 30-35%1, 2.

For a long time it has been unknown whether a true cause and effect relationship existed between the two, or if they are simply common in the geriatric feline independently. Recent research is slowly helping to make this less of a mystery, and it’s now known that thyroid function can definitely influence kidney function. (more…)

2 Ways Vets Measure Your Dog and Cat’s Health

Posted on: April 8th, 2013 by

Dr. Fiona, DVM, is a guest blogger  for the highly rated pet insurance provider, Pets Best Insurance.

Hi. I’m Dr. Fiona Caldwell; I’m a veterinarian at Idaho Veterinary Hospital. Today, I’m answering some questions from the Pets Best Insurance Facebook page. This question comes from Donald, who asks: How do you assess the health of my pet?

This is a great question. I think it really allows me to explain what your veterinarian is doing when you have those annual exams, and why are they important.

There’s basically two big ways that we can assess the health of a pet:

-One is with a physical exam, and

-Another is with regular blood work

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On a physical exam, specifically the things I’m looking for is your pet’s body condition. Is it overweight? Is it too thin? I’m looking for lumps, bumps, and masses. I look for oral health; it’s a huge issue in pets. Dental disease can be a source of infection, so we want to make sure your pet’s mouth looks really good. (more…)

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