So, you have a new kitten or are thinking about getting one of those precious balls of fluff that steal into our hearts and make us feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Of course, we want the very best for our new little friend. That's why our motto here at the Lytle Vet Clinic is " Caring for your pet .. together" and with your help, we intend to keep your new kitten healthy and happy. Here are a few guidelines we suggest to ensure a healthy kitten.

Kittens are usually weaned at the age of 6-8 weeks. Regular cat food does not contain all the nutrients your growing kitten needs; so we suggest feeding it kitten chow until it is a year old. Sometimes very small kittens have difficulty with the crunchy texture of the kitten chow. Mixing the chow with a small amount of warm water will make a softer chow that usually the very young kitten can manage. Fresh water should be available to the kitten at all times.

At the Lytle Vet Clinic, Prevention, is the best way to keep your kitten healthy. Most of us don't want to hear about the bad things that might happen to our pets. That is why the vaccinations against the various diseases that are feline-related are of prime importance to the health of your kitten.

All kittens should be tested for feline leukemia, a highly contagious and incurable disease in catsKittens can be born with this disease so it is wise to have your kitten tested even if you own the mother. Feline Leukemia is transmitted through the saliva. Cats most at risk are those that share food and water bowls, go outdoors, fight or come from multi‑cat households.

Intestinal parasites like hookworms, roundworms, tapeworms and coccidia are commonly found in our area. We routinely deworm kittens twice during their initial series of vaccination, and then on an annual basis to prevent infestation which can cause profound diarrhea weight loss and anemia.

To protect the health of your kitten, we recommend the following schedule:

6 weeks FCVR plus Dewormer

9 weeks FCVR & FELV plus Dewormer

12 weeks FCVR, FELV & Rabies plus Dewormer

At 12 weeks your kitten is old enough to begin heartworm preventative and flea control We carry the best heartworm preventative and a wide variety of excellent flea control products. We would be happy to help you choose the product that would work the best for your kitten's environment.

When your kitten becomes one year old, the recommended vaccinations include a FCVR and a Rabies vaccination.Cats that go outdoors will need a FELV vaccination every year. Strictly indoor cats will need a FELV vaccine every 3 years.

Explanations of the diseases that we vaccinate for are described here for you.

FCVR Vaccine: This is a combination vaccine which immunizes against four different feline diseases.

1. Feline Panleulkopenia which is also known as feline distemper, a highly contagious, widespread disease that can appear suddenly. The symptoms include fever, appetite loss, weight loss, depression, severe vomiting and diarrhea, dehydration and death.
   
2. Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis is caused by a herpesvirus and is a respiratory disease that affects the upper air passages and lungs. It produces fever, sneezing, coughing, appetite loss, eye and nose irritation and discharge. Very young kittens sometimes die from severe secondary bacterial infection, Cats that survive a case of Viral Rhinotracheitis often become chronic carriers, spreading the infection to other cats that they contact.
   
3. Feline Calicivirus is also an upper respiratory infection which is often contracted along with Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis. The symptoms are similar, although Feline Calicivirus mainly affects the lungs and oral cavity, causing viral pneumonia and ulcers to appear on the tongue. Cats may remain carriers for years after contracting and surviving the disease.
   
4. Pneumonitis is primarily characterized by eye inflammation. This upper respiratory infection is caused by Chlamydia psittaci and can be complicated by secondary infection.

FELV Vaccine: This vaccine protects against a number of fatal conditions not strictly classified as leukemia. Among them are various forms of cancer and malignancy. The virus suppresses the immune system and leaves cats susceptible to other infectious diseases. Cats transmit FELV through saliva, so cats allowed to roam freely are at the greatest risk.

Rabies Vaccine: Protecting against an always fatal infection, the Rabies vaccination is of utmost importance. This viral infection is transmitted through saliva from biting and all warm-blooded creatures, including humans, are susceptible to contracting this infection. It causes severe damage to the central nervous system and typically progresses to paralysis and death.

Mammary Tumors in Dogs
General Information

Mammary tumors are the most common tumor in female dogs. Malignant (cancerous) or benign (non‑cancerous) tumors can occur. The cause of these tumors is unknown, but there is a hormonal influence on tumor development and rate of growth.

Treatments for mammary tumors include surgery, irradiation, and chemotherapy. The type of treatment used is determined by the kind of tumor and the degree to which it has spread.

Important Points in Treatment

1. Surgical removal of these tumors is the treatment of choice. A sample of the tissue will be submitted to a pathologist to determine whether the growth is cancerous.
   
2. Various blood tests and radiographs (x-rays) may be necessary to determine if the tumor has spread to other parts of the body.
   
3. Medication: Give all medication as directed. Call the doctor if you cannot give the medication.
   
4. See your Vetrinarian for Diet, Activity and Other special instructions.
   
5. Surgical patients: Inspect the incision daily. Report any abnormalities to the doctor.

Notify the Doctor if Any of the Following Occur

• Your pet is reluctant to eat or drink or seems depressed.
• Vomiting occurs and persists after the first few hours home.
• Your pet removes the sutures or otherwise damages the incision.
• There is swelling or drainage from the incision.
• There is a new enlargement of the mammary glands.

Cranial Cruciate Ligament Rupture
General Information

A ligament consists of tough, fibrous tissue connecting two bones. In the knee, rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament allows the femur (thigh bone) to slide back and forth over the tibia (shinbone).

The rupture first causes pain, then abnormal wear and tear of the joint, leading to arthritis. This sequence of events occurs most frequently in overweight, middle-aged to old dogs.

Depending on the severity of the rupture, treatment may consist of limited exercise and rest or surgical repair of the torn ligament.

Important Points in Treatment

1. Activity: Restrict your pet's activity for "See your Vet" days. Do not let your pet run unrestrained. On-leash walking is the only activity permitted outside the home. Prevent jumping whenever possible. Begin increasing exercise gradually after "See your Vet" days/weeks.
   
2. Diet: Ordinarily no special diet is required for healing. If your pet is overweight, weight reduction can speed recovery and possibly prevent further injury. The doctor will discuss weight control with you if necessary.
   
3. Care of the splint/bandage: Certain surgical corrections require use of a splint or bandage for 1 to 6 weeks after surgery. If your pet has a splint or bandage, extra care is needed to protect it. Do not let the apparatus become wet. In damp weather, place a plastic bag over it when you walk your pet. Do not allow unrestrained exercise. Your pet will be evaluated for bandage removal in "See your Vet" days.
   
4. Incision: Check the incision daily and report abnormalities to the doctor. Your pet will be evaluated for suture removal in "See your Vet" days.

Notify the Doctor if Any of the Following Occur

• Your pet seems to be in pain or is uncomfortable.
• Your pet chews or damages the splint/bandage or stitches.
• Your pet's health changes.

Feline Urologic Syndrome
(Urinary Obstruction)
General Information

Urine produced in a healthy urinary tract contains a great deal of dissolved minerals. In cats with feline urologic syndrome (FUS), mineral crystals collect in the urinary tract, especially the bladder and its outflow tract (urethra). The accumulating crystals irritate the lining of the urinary tract and may clump together to form "stones" in the bladder or obstruct the outflow or urine. Obstructions are relatively common in male cats and may be fatal if not treated promptly.

Signs of FUS include excessive licking of the genitalia, frequent voiding of small amounts of urine, urinating in unusual locations, blood in the urine, straining or evidence of pain during urination, and unproductive attempts to urinate. Total urinary obstruction results in depression, lack of appetite, vomiting, and eventually coma and death.

Despite intense study, no single cause for FUS has been discovered. We are, however, aware of several factors that may lead to FUS. These factors include bacterial and viral infections, diet, obesity, reduced physical activity, low water consumption, and prolonged urine retention. Castration does not cause FUS.

Important Points in Treatment

1. FUS is an emergency, and prompt treatment is essential. Many cats require hospitalization for treatment. Treatment is designed to relieve the obstruction, flush the crystalline material from the urinary tract, treat any infections, correct any fluid imbalances, and institute preventive dietary therapy. Despite treatment, some cats die from irreversible kidney damage.
   
2. While most cats respond to prompt treatment, the obstruction recurs in some cats within a few days or weeks. In some male cats with recurring disease, surgical enlargement of the urinary tract opening (perineal urethrostomy) is desirable.
   
3. Medication: Give all medication as directed. Call the doctor if you cannot give the medication.
   
4. Diet: Dietary control is essential to treatment and prevention of FUS. Diets designed to treat or prevent FUS contain minimum mineral levels and cause increased water consumption and production of acidic urine. Acidic urine tends to prevent formation of mineral crystals.
   
5. See your vetrinarian for special feeding instructions

Notify the Doctor if Any of the Following Occur

• Your cat strains and/or cries when urinating.
• Your cat frequently passes small volumes of urine.
• Your cat has blood in the urine or urinates in unusual places.
• Your cat refuses to eat, seems depressed, or vomits.

Predatory Behavior in Cats

With the exception of lions, most members of the cat family are solitary hunters that hunt alone and primarily at night. The cat's earliest association with human beings, about 11,000 BC, was probably uninvited but tolerated because of its usefulness in rodent control. Predatory aggression in domestic cats today continues to provide a valued service. Predatory behavior in cats is both instinctive and learned.

Hunting techniques are practiced by most normal kittens in the form of play. For example, kittens born as barn cats learn to hunt by observing their mother and perfect their skills by trial and error. Some housecats without prior experience instinctively react to prey animals that accidentally cross their path. Not all cats, however, are "'born hunters."

Presentation of Prey to Owners

Owners may be horrified when their cat presents them with a half‑eaten mouse, chipmunk, squirrel, or bird, or worse, a wounded one. Prey presentation is neither a gift nor the cat's token of gratitude for hospitality and care. Rather, this may be redirected maternal behavior, causing a cat to return to its "den" with prey for its young. The queen will normally bring dead prey, even regurgitating halfdigested food, to her newborn litter. As the kittens grow, she will return with live prey to provide real teaching tools for her kittens' education.

Bringing their prey home may be a remnant of ancestral behavior. A cat's instinct may be to carry its prey to a sheltered area but not to consume it. Some cat owners proclaim that it is cruel to restrict a cat's natural instinct to hunt. Yet the same owners may be disturbed by their pet's success in capturing the birds that gather at the birdfeeder or fountain in their own back yard.

Prey presentation is neither a gift nor the cat's token of gratitude

Preventing Predatory Behavior

The only practical way to resolve undesirable predatory behavior in cats is to prevent it. The instinct to hunt, particularly once a cat has become an experienced hunter, can be so strong that it lasts a lifetime. As long as a cat has the opportunity to hunt, it will hunt. Cats permitted to roam outdoors will express instinctive predatory behavior. Hunting may be part of a cat's outdoor activities, regardless of how well it is fed at home. Indeed, some outdoor cats prefer to hunt their own food and are finicky eaters at home.

It may help to attach bells to a breakaway collar (in addition to important identification tags). Though many cats learn to stalk their prey without ringing a single bell, multiple bells can help warn unsuspecting targets.

If you allow your cat to roam, you can prevent it from entering your home with its prey. You can install a magnetic cat door with triggering magnet collar or a cat door that allows the cat to exit at will but requires your presence to permit its reentry. This allows you to regulate unwelcome guests. Remember, though, that your pet can be injured in its attempts to capture prey and is susceptible to the health risks associated with roaming outdoors.

Digging
Functions of Digging

Digging with the front paws is normal behavior in both cats and dogs.

• It is seen during play in kittens and in puppies who are exploring the texture of surfaces in their environment.
  
• Cats and some dogs exhibit digging just before and after elimination of urine or stool. Cats vary in the amount of digging before and after elimination, and whether they cover their waste with litter.
  
• Digging can have social significance. Dogs often kick away soil with the hind paws after elimination. This serves to disseminate their odors and so may be a form of marking behavior. It may be more common in dominant dogs
  
• Some dogs, especially the northern breeds, dig to create a resting place in soil or snow. Some hunting breeds, such as terriers, were developed because of their instinct to dig.
  
• Dogs also dig holes to store food or bones that may be retrieved at a later time, similar to a pattern seen in their wild relatives.
  
• Digging is often displayed during periods of excitement and serves to release anxiety. For example, digging associated with anxiety caused by a pet's separation from its human family may be an attempt to escape and rejoin them.

Destructive Digging
To reduce digging, increase the amount and variety of your pet's daily exercise, social interaction, and play

Excessive digging behavior can become destructive, causing damage to carpets, wooden floors, shrubbery and grass.

• It is often helpful to increase the amount and variety of your pet's daily exercise, social interaction, and play.
  
• Prevent access to the pet's favorite digging area. Limit your dog's range within your yard by penned areas or tethering (for short periods no longer than 10 minutes or so without supervision).
  
• Be sure to provide more interesting playthings so that there are attractive alternatives to digging.

Digging can be a difficult instinct to curb and it is important to have realistic expectations. Sometimes, working toward increasing your pet's activity in general and social interaction, combined with damage control as suggested above, is the best that can be done. With time, as your pet matures, this undesirable behavior can generally be expected to subside.