Let’s talk about Jade! But first.. let’s talk family background! Chocolate Chip (second picture) was a CCA registered Sable Burmese male we had the pleasure of owning. Kona *now named Shug, and 18 years old* is a Natural Mink Tonkinese (3rd picture). Pretty babies!
Jade (first picture) was the first Tiffany *now called Tibetan* Tonkinese Michelle had ever seen! How cool is that? She would now be 15, and she was one of my favorite cats when I was little!
Our Tiffany’s are few and far between, but definitely a favorite around here! They are just so cute! Because we all love to have a daily “Awe” – I have attached a picture of one of our current Tiffany kittens who already has a home. CUTE!
Good afternoon, cat lovers! We get questions all the time about what the best diet for your cat is. We are always looking for the best thing for our kitties, and Michelle wanted to write about what she had read up on this past week! It is a long post, but settle in! *It is worth taking the time to read!*
A quick update about nutrition and potential threats to your pets’ health from feeding grain free and boutique diets. I regularly read Clinicians Brief, a journal for veterinarians. The May issue has an article by Dr Pierce, DVM, DACVIM at Colorado State university Veterinary teaching hospital reviewing the case of a very well cared for pet, Nora, with diet associated dilated cardiomyopathy, DCM (heart failure). She was in respiratory distress and had a cough with poor appetite, loss of muscle, and avoiding exercise.
Dr Pierce reports that the US FDA released a notice in July of 2018 and has since updated their investigation into diets of concern including diets containing peas, lentils, fava beans, tapioca, barley, chickpeas, other legume seeds, and potatoes and/or exotic ingredients like kangaroo, bison, venison, etc. The FDA warns that pet foods from boutique companies and small manufacturers with these ingredients or claims to be grain free are suspected to be linked to hundreds of cases of diet associated DCM. Furthermore, studies of pets with heart failure demonstrate poorer outcomes when fed grain free diets.
Kittens and cats will only reach their full potential if they eat great, fresh food. The analysis on pet food labels is a calculated estimate. Only feeding trials really establish that a food is suitable. Your cats require specific nutrients, not particular ingredients or a certain percent dietary protein or fat.
We feed Purina because Purina carefully sources and stores their ingredients, maintains a cat colony for real world food testing, does cutting edge research, and has control over their manufacturing process. In contrast, many so called premium brands actually are produced by another manufacturer whose profit depends only on fast production. This leads to poor quality and recalls in spite of premium sounding ingredients. Fortunately, the veterinary cardiologist was able to treat Nora, and after transitioning to a commercial , non-boutique, non-exotic protein diet, Nora did recover and is leading her normal life! Way to go Dr. Pierce! ~ Michelle
We hope this helps all our fellow kitty loving friends! What do you think about this health post? What does your furry friend eat at each meal? We would love to hear feed-back! *WINK WINK*
Please see our recommendations for our current foods here: Kittentanz Store
The world lost another Icon this week! Grumpy Cat has passed away. She was a cat that had the dwarfism gene and was prone to have urinary troubles. She passed away from complications from a UTI.
It is good to remember that an important role in maintaining your cats’ health is avoiding and managing urinary troubles. Whenever I hear of changes in a kitty’s litter habits, I first advise to see your vet for urinalysis, blood work, and physical exam to rule out health problems such as obesity, impacted anal glands, diabetes, urinary tract infection, or crystals, thyroid disease, and high blood pressure. Some cats simply find cattery life stressful, and these cats need to retire from breeding.
If your vet finds no physical problem, consider litter box basics: boxes should be large, immaculately clean, far from noisy appliances, and safe from toddlers or litter box bullies. Be sure your big cat has a really big litter box, too! Older cats need low sided, easy to find litter boxes located in areas without physical barriers such as steps or tall pet doors because old joints may become stiff and painful and old bladders may not have much control. Look for my in depth tips in Chapter 9 “Litter Box Woes.”
In some cats, anxiety can lead to Feline Idiopathic Cystitis, FIC, and even obstructions, FLUTD. Why? If another pet or child or even changes in routine frighten your kitty, kitty may respond by hiding with decreased drinking and/or holding urine which in turn may lead to discomfort urinating, crystals, or infection. We request antibiotics when no cause is found because sometimes the cat’s infection escapes detection. If antibiotics improve symptoms, there was infection, so be sure to prevent recurrence by flowing up with a recheck at your vet and making sure your cat gets plenty of fluids.
If your cat is straining and crying in the litter box, this is an emergency. Hours count. See your vet ASAP. Cats that are unable to pass urine for as short a time as 36 hours are in serious trouble. These cats may need surgery and will need substantial vet care to recover. We do not use such cats in our breeding program, and we recommend retiring your breeders that have health troubles.
Urinary Tract Infections, UTI, cause pain and difficulty urinating. Your cat may have blood in the urine, visit the box frequently, and/or urinate in places other than the litter box including on furniture and beds. Age matters. Infections in younger cats are often resolved with antibiotics and/or change in diet and environment, while UTI in cats over 10 years with no prior history of UTI is frequently secondary to another medical condition.*citation*
Some cats will have kidney or bladder stones or crystals without a detectable infection. Your vet will analyze the sediment and prescribe suitable diet to prevent the specific crystals your cat forms. Kittentanz recommends selecting suitable canned food and then adding more water because diluting the urine also helps to dissolve crystals and prevent future problems.
Once your cat has been diagnosed with a UTI or crystals, we strongly recommend changes in your care. Switch to a canned food diet with added water to help your kitty recover and to decrease the chance of another infection. Use Pretty Litter which turns red if there is blood in the urine and blue if there is UTI https://prettylittercats.com/
Consider your cat’s physical fitness. Fat, out of shape, cats can have trouble fully emptying their bladder, which predisposes to crystals and infections. Canned food diet in controlled portions and increased playtime will help these cats flush out their bladders and reach a more healthy weight.
Starting at 7 or 8, senior cats need to be screened every year for Chronic Kidney Disease, CKD. Many vets screen geriatric cats twice a year starting at about 12. One in 3 cats over 15 has CKD. If your cat hates going to the vet, then find a vet in your area who makes house calls. A simple way to monitor your elderly cat’s kidney output at home is to use Dr Elsey’s Health monitor everyday litter.
CKD in older cats is not cured, but good vet care and proper diet may extend the length and will improve the quality of your senior cat’s life. Once again, we recommend canned food diet because maintaining higher water intake will help your older cat feel better.
Your vet can recommend suitable foods. If your cat does not like one food, ask for others. There are many, many options, and you can even order a wide variety of prescription canned and dry foods online. Here are links to several flavors of a non-prescription canned food for young cats with recurring UTI:
It is Spring and the Easter lilly is going to be a common flower on tables everywhere this weekend. Lillies are beutiful but they pose great dangers for cats!
Lillies are a member of the lilium family and are really dangerous for our feline Family members.
Here are some tips from the Pet Poison Hotline!
Sources of poisoning: Many plants of the Lilium and Hemerocallis species are very poisoning. Commonly known as the Tiger, Day, Asiatic, Easter, or Japanese Show lily, these plants result in severe acute kidney failure.
Mechanism of action: The exact toxin has not been identified, but is known to be water soluble. All parts of the plant – the leaf, pollen, stem, flower are considered poisonous. Kidney damage (specifically, renal tubular necrosis) occurs within 24-72 hours of ingestion.
Common signs of poisoning: Signs of poisoning often develop within 6-12 hours of exposure. Early signs include vomiting, inappetance, lethargy, and dehydration. Untreated, signs worsen as acute kidney failure develops, and signs of not urinating or urinating too frequently, not drinking or excessive thirst, and inflammation of the pancreas may be seen with lily poisoning. Rarer signs include walking drunk, disorientation, tremors, and even seizures.
Antidote and treatment: There is not antidote for lily poisoning. That said, prompt veterinary attention is necessary. The sooner you bring in your cat, the better and more efficiently your veterinarian can treat the poisoning. Decontamination (like inducing vomiting and giving drugs like activated charcoal to bind the poison in the stomach and intestines) are imperative in the early toxic stage, while aggressive intravenous fluid therapy, kidney function monitoring tests, and supportive care can greatly improve the prognosis. IV fluids need to be started, ideally, within 18 hours for the best prognosis for your cat.
Threat: Just 2-3 leaves, or even the pollen groomed off the fur, can result in poisoning in a cat. If untreated, acute kidney failure will develop and be fatal. Thankfully, lily poisoning doesn’t cause kidney failure in dogs, but if a large amount is ingested, it can result in some gastrointestinal signs in our canine friends.
What about other types of lilies? Other types of lilies like Peace, Peruvian, and Calla lilies don’t cause deadly kidney failure, but they also can be mildly poisonous too, as they contain oxalate crystals which result in tissue irritation to the mouth, tongue, pharynx, and esophagus – resulting in minor drooling. If your cat is seen consuming any part of a lily, bring your cat (and the plant) immediately to a veterinarian for medical care.
Whenever I hear of changes in a kitty’s litter habits, the first advice I give our customers is to see your vet for urinalysis, blood work, and a physical exam to rule out health problems. There are many health reasons for a cat’s litter habits to change, such as obesity, impacted anal glands, diabetes, urinary tract infection, or crystals, thyroid disease, and high blood pressure.
If your vet finds no physical problem, consider litter box basics: boxes should be large, immaculately clean, far from noisy appliances, and safe from toddlers or litter box bullies. Be sure your big cat has a really big litter box, too! Older cats need low sided, easy to find litter boxes located in areas without physical barriers such as steps or tall pet doors because old joints may become stiff and painful and old bladders may not have much control. Look for my in depth tips in “Litter Box Woes.”
In some cats, anxiety can lead to Feline Idiopathic Cystitis, FIC, and even obstructions, FLUTD. Why? If another pet or child or even changes in routine frighten your kitty, kitty may respond by hiding with decreased drinking and/or holding urine which in turn may lead to discomfort urinating, crystals, or infection. We request antibiotics when no cause is found because sometimes the cat’s infection escapes detection. If antibiotics improve symptoms, there was infection, so be sure to prevent recurrence.
If your cat is straining and crying in the litter box, this is an emergency. Hours count. See your vet ASAP. Cats that are unable to pass urine for as short a time as 36 hours are in serious trouble. These cats may need surgery and will need substantial vet care to recover.
Urinary Tract Infections, UTI, cause pain and difficulty urinating. Your cat may have blood in the urine, visit the box frequently, and/or urinate in places other than the litter box including on furniture and beds. Age matters. Infections in younger cats are often resolved with antibiotics and/or change in diet and environment, while UTI in cats over 10 years with no prior history of UTI is frequently secondary to another medical condition.
Some cats will have kidney or bladder stones or crystals without a detectable infection. Your vet will analyze the sediment and prescribe suitable diet to prevent the specific crystals your cat forms. Kittentanz recommends selecting suitable canned food and then adding more water because diluting the urine also helps to dissolve crystals and prevent future problems.
Once your cat has been diagnosed with a UTI or crystals, we strongly recommend changes in your care. Switch to a canned food diet with added water to help your kitty recover and to decrease the chance of another infection. Use Pretty Litter which turns red if there is blood in the urine and blue if there is UTI https://prettylittercats.com/
Consider your cat’s physical fitness. Fat, out of shape, cats can have trouble fully emptying their bladder, which predisposes to crystals and infections. Canned food diet in controlled portions and increased playtime will help these cats flush out their bladders and reach a more healthy weight.
Starting at 7 or 8, senior cats need to be screened every year for Chronic Kidney Disease, CKD. Many vets screen geriatric cats twice a year starting at about 12. One in 3 cats over 15 has CKD. If your cat hates going to the vet, then find a vet in your area who makes house calls. A simple way to monitor your cat’s elderly cat’s kidney output at home is to use Dr Elsey’s Health monitor everyday litter.
CKD in older cats is not cured, but good vet care and proper diet may extend the length and will improve the quality of your senior cat’s life. Once again, we recommend canned food diet because maintaining higher water intake will help your older cat feel better.
Your vet can recommend suitable foods. If your cat does not like one food, ask for others. There are many, many options, and you can even order a wide variety of prescription canned and dry foods online. Here are links to several flavors of a non-prescription canned food for young cats with recurring UTI:
Catman!
