Tag Archives: cat

Black and white kitten.

How to choose your kitten

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How to choose your  kitten

 

Cats are fast becoming the most popular household pet, with around 19% of households in the UK owning a cat, that’s 8.5 million cats in the UK alone. Cats make amazing companions, but are a big responsibility, so before getting a cat or kitten an owner needs to make sure they can be committed to the cat for the rest of its life which on average is 15 years.

 

  • The basics:

So how do you find  a healthy kitten? As a rule kittens should be at least 8 weeks old before they leave their mother. Kittens that leave their mother younger than this are more prone to behavioural problems. They should also be inquisitive and not shy away from people. Try making a noise (dropping keys) and see the reaction from the kittens, they may jump, but shouldn’t run and hide. Also look for a kitten with a nice temperament that approaches you, likes being stroked and picked up.

Squeak and Minnie cats

Squeak and Minnie, two black and white kittens.

 

  • In terms of health:

Bright eyes. Kitten’s eyes should be clear and bright, some kittens can have runny eyes. Usually this is a simple problem that can be cleared up by medication, but it’s still something to think about.

 

Normal breathing. Kittens that cough, sneeze, or show other respiratory issues are doing so because they’re sick. Usually this is flu, but sometimes it can be more serious.

A healthy weight. You want a kitten with a bit of fat on its body and good muscle tone. Skinny kittens where the bones can be seen can have serious problems, but also bloated bellies can be a sign of worms.

Lots of Energy. Kittens should be full of energy and show an interest in playing with toys and with other litter mates.

Has a clean tail end. Check under the tail too! There shouldn’t be any blood, diarrhoea, or any other nasty-looking problems.

A healthy coat. A major sign of a healthy cat is a shiny, thick coat. An unhealthy coat may look dull, feel thin, or even have bald spots. Also check the coat for fleas as these are common in kittens and a severe infestation can cause anaemia.

Ears. Check the kittens ears, they should be clear and clean. Dark brown deposits can be a sign of mites and this can normally be treated by a trip to the vets.

  • The most popular breed of cat is the Domestic Shorthair Cat or “Moggy” which has many different colours, the most common are black, ginger, tortoiseshell and tabby. Did you know that tortoiseshell cats are always female? There are many different pedigree breeds, which  have  a range of different personalities and sizes, some of which are listed below:
  • Persian
  • Siamese
  • Burmese
  • Birman
  • Ragdoll
  • British Shorthair
  • Russian
  • Oriental
  • Maine coon
  • Bengal

 

For a full list and more information on specific breeds please visit: http://www.icatcare.org/advice/cat-breeds

Kino

Pet of the Month. January 2017.

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Our Pet of the Month for January 2017 is the incredibly lucky Kino, a beautiful long haired ginger cat. He was originally bought into the Hounslow branch of Young Vet’s in October 2016 with a sore leg, under further investigation, X-rays revealed an air gun pellet lodged in his front paw. The pellet was removed and the wound was cleaned and stitched. Whilst under anaesthetic a complete body X- ray was taken of Kino and another pellet was found from a previous incident, this one was lodged in his abdomen. Luckily it had missed all of Kino’s vital organs and it was decided by head vet Matthew Wilson to leave this pellet as the wound had completely healed and was causing Kino no pain or distress. Fast Forward to January 2017 Kino was back visiting Young Veterinary Partnership for another mysterious injury this time to a hind leg. Following investigation from veterinary surgeon Frankie Sanders Hewitt, Kino was found to have new fragments from another pointed air gun pellet, which had broken 2 of his toes and required further surgery to remove these. Kino is back at home recovering with his owners, visiting us regularly for bandage changes and to check the wound is healing without infection.

 

Get well soon Kino. All the team wish you a speedy recovery!

 

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kinos-bandage

 

pellet

 

kino2

Feliway cat den.

How to help your pets cope with fireworks

fireworks dog

    fireworks dog

 

Every year we receive a number of requests for help from owners who are worried about how their pets react to fireworks. Both cats and dogs can suffer from noise related phobias around this time and it is important to plan in advance if you want to tackle this problem.

After the fireworks begin, your pet may begin to show odd behaviour such as restlessness, making excessive noise or hiding away in a corner. If you have noticed any of these signs in the past, there are a few things that you could do to reduce their stress this year.

* Keep all of your pets inside during firework displays. Ensure that any windows or cat flaps are shut and that the curtains are drawn.

* Take your dog for a walk before the fireworks begin so that they are not startled whilst they are outside.

* It is important for you to remain in the house with your pet during any firework displays, but try not to act any differently towards them. If you act normally, your pet will feel calmer.

* If your pet prefers to hide somewhere in the house, just let them hide and they will come out when they feel safer.

* Try offering your pet a distraction. Treats or a toy can help them to feel more relaxed, but do not try and force them to play.

* Do not punish your pet for their behaviour during firework night, as this can lead to worsening anxiety.

It is important to stress again that if your pet prefers to hide, do not try to force them to sit with you. If you have enough time, try creating a safe place for them to hide in before the fireworks begin. You could use your dog’s crate or bed if they have one, or if you have a cat, a large cardboard box will do. Try and line them with blankets or towels that your pet is used to sleeping on, as these will smell comforting. Do not force your animal into the safe place, as again this can make them feel uneasy.

Ensure that each pet has a separate hiding place and that cats have an opportunity to hide away from each other. Note that some cats actually prefer hiding somewhere high up, like on top of a wardrobe. Never shut your animal in a cage, or inside one room, as they will feel trapped.

There are also some supplements that you could try to help keep your pet calm.

* For dogs – ADAPTIL is a product that contains Dog Appeasing pheromone. It is a copy of a pheromone that a bitch releases to comfort her puppies and should help to reassure and calm your dog. It comes as a plug –in, a spray or a collar. Adaptil should be started 2 weeks before firework season for maximal effect.

Dog den.

How to help make your dog feel safe during fireworks season.

* For cats – FELIWAY is a product that contains facial pheromones. These are pheromones that your cat will leave on an object when they rub their head against it, and will make them feel safe and secure. This comes as a plug-in or a spray. Feliway should be started 2 weeks before firework season for maximal effect.

* For both dogs and cats – ZYLKENE is a supplement derived from milk proteins that can help to make your pet feel more relaxed. These supplements should be started at least 1-2 days before any fireworks are expected.

If your dog is very anxious we do on occasion dispense tranquilizers, but we would advise that the above methods are tried if possible also.

It is possible to try to desensitize your pets to firework noises using a download available from itunes called ‘Sounds Scary’ although this may take some weeks to have  an effect.

If you are worried about your pet’s behaviour and would like some advice, please do not hesitate to call us.  Please also visit www.zylkenepet.co.uk, www.feliway.com/uk, or www.adaptil.com/uk.
Enjoy a safe Bonfire night!

Young Veterinary Partnership

www.youngvets.co.uk

Stella

TB in cats

You may have seen the recent articles about TB (tuberculosis) in cats, and people.This is a very rare occurrence, and the recent reports relate to an outbreak last year  in 9 cats in Newbury, Berkshire. The symptoms in the cats were varied, but included weeping infected wounds, pneumonia, loss of appetite and enlarged lymph glands. It is thought that the cats became infected from wildlife carrying the disease.  TB is spread by a bacteria (Mycobacterium bovis), which mainly affects cattle and badgers, which is why all milk is now pasteurised to remove the possibility of picking up TB from cow’s milk.  It appears that in this outbreak people became infected from their cats which makes it a zoonotic disease  (a zoonosis is a disease passed from an animal to a person), which is very unusual.

The risk of your cat being infected by TB is extremely low, but if your cat has non healing wounds, skin nodules or  has lost their appetite, you should make an appointment with the vet.

Click here for a BBC article about the outbreak.

Pet of the Month – October

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Our Pet of the Month for October is an incredibly lucky little cat called Skitz. He was brought in to the vets as emergency after been attacked by an animal. On arrival there was evidence of an injury to the right fore limb as it was swollen. He was put on intravenous fluids for the shock of the attack.

Once he was more stable he was sedated to take x-rays of the injured leg. X-rays showed that there was a complete fracture of the right radius and fracture of the ulna. A survey x-ray was also taken to check there were no internal injuries. Skitz was also showing possible nerve damage to the back legs from a crushing injury but after a couple days he regained nerve function.

It was decided that the best treatment for Skitz was to wait for the swelling to go down before we could operate on the broken leg. So after several days Mr Young repaired the fractures by placing pins inside the fractured pieces of bones to hold them together. The pins are held in place by an external fixator cement bar to ensure the bones will heal in the correct position. This type of fracture repair allows all his weight to go through the bar whilst the bones heal.

Skitz treatment was complicated further by the fact that he had an over-active thyroid , which can affect bone healing, so Skitz had his thyroid glands  surgically removed at the same time as his fracture repair.

 

Skitz needed a few days after surgery to recover in the hospital, when he was  encouraged at least once a day to go for a walk to use the leg.