Cats: K.I.S.S.

 K.I.S.S. -- Keep It Simple Stupid

This principle suggests trying the simple solutions first and then moving to more complex solutions.  For example, if a persian in Spring throws up.  Most likely, it's a hairball, so try a hairball remedy.

Until you try that and it fails, there is no reason to suggest major things like pancreatitis, IBS, strictures, or cancer.

Cats: HCM

 THE major heart problem for cats is HCM, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.  For some purebreds, namely Maine coons and American shorthairs, there is a clear genetic component.  With Maine coons, they ate looking for a second gene even.  But it is a disease that can strike any cat from my posh persians to my moggies.  And 50% of the time there are no symptoms. 

For a thorough article on it, please read:

http://www.manhattancats.com/Articles/Hypertrophic_Cardiomyopathy.html

Reading Vet Books

I guess I'm weird -- not that this is a news flash -- because I read vet books -- that is the part that startles me.  Sure, vet books are full of a lot of unfamiliar terminology, much of it very specialized, Hey, there are veterinary medicine dictionaries and many online sources...

It just seems to me if you want to know something, and really understand what is going on, go to the experts... and in the case of cats and their health, that would be vet books.

Cats: Antihistamines

 A handy table of antihistamines for cats.  Some are OTC and others are by prescription.

Cats: Vaccinations and Titers

A well written article on titers and vaccines by some of the top experts in the field.

AVMA: titer or revaccinate

Titer testing, through the Kansas State University, costs around $50. In most states, a titer test is NOT accepted in lieu of rabies vaccination. 

Cats: Feline Gestation

Summarized from "Current Advances in Gestation and Parturition in Cats and Dogs", Catherine G. Lamm, Chelsea L. Makloski, Vet. Clinics Sm Animal 42(2012) 445-456

In cats, the normal gestation range is given as 52-74 days, depending on the breed.  As cats are induced ovulators, the luteinizing hormone only surges 24-40 hrs after copulation.  If the copulation is not observed, it is difficult to determine when ovulation occurs.

After 5 days (post breeding) the fertilized ovum enters the uterus with the outer layer (zona pelucida) being shed 10-12 days after breeding.  Implantation occurs at 12-13 days.  Heart beats can be detected at 16 to 25 days.

Pregnancy diagnosis can be made by palpation for the gestational sacs 21-25 days post breeding.  After 35 days, however, the sacs flatten and palpation becomes more difficult.

Ultrasound is the most sensitive and reliable method of pregnancy detection.  With skilled technicians, fetal structures can be detected 11-17 days post breeding.  It is less reliable to determine the number of fetuses.  Heart rates can be monitored from day 25 onwards, and should be greater than 193 beats/min.  Fetal movement can be observed at 28 days.  After 40 days, the gestational age can be estimated using the foloowing two formulas:

Age = (25 x head diameter cms) + 3
Age = (11 x body diameter cms) +21

Mineralization occurs at 38-40 days.  Xrays can then be used to determine the number of fetuses.  Once mineralization begins, age of the fetuses can be estimated as seen in the table.

Use of hormones to determine pregnancy is dependent on the hormone.  Progesterone is not reliable.  Relaxin is specific to pregnancy as early as about 25 days.  Prolactin is not reliable as it will spike in pseudopregnant animals.

Unlike in dogs, queens need a slow increase in calories beginning at 14 days.

Queens may have normocytic, normochromic anemia as well as mild neutrophilia.  Other changes in bloodwork include decrease in proteins, increase in lactate dehydrogenase, increase in cholesterol, and decrease in creatinine. 

For high risk pregnancies, monitoring of progesterone levels should be used.  If a decrease in progesterone level is seen, females can enter pre-term labor, which may be stopped with exogenous progesterone or terbutaline.

Termination of pregnancies can be done either by spaying or, if fertility needs to be maintained, by using a variety of compounds such as estradiol cypionate.

Cats: Hyperlipidemia

General background on hyperlipidemia -- note there are two different kinds, high glycerides and high cholesterols.  It can be caused by increased production (doubtful), increased mobilization (again doubtful in a kitten), and decreased clearance (which makes the most sense here).  To separate physiological from pathological, test after 12hr fast.  HypOthyrdoism keeps being mentioned as a potential cause.

Treatments for hyperglyceridemia:  a low fat diet, <25% fat (raw chicken), omega 3, chitosan...

Treatments for hypercholesterolemia:  soluble fiber,

http://veterinarymedicine.dvm360.com/hyperlipidemia-dogs-and-cats

Cats: Exposure to Rabies

One of the most contentious topics in any cat group is the subject of vaccines and whether are not to vaccinate.  Often someone will remark that they have to vaccinate because of the local law.  Some people are unaware that the requirement for rabies vaccination depends on the locality.  Where I live, rabies vaccinations are required by county law for dogs only.  I have friends who live in areas where rabies vaccinations are also required for cats.  The variation in requirements depends in large part on the incidence of rabies in wildlife in an area.

Please keep in mind that the rabies vaccine is NOT for the health of the dog or cat, but to protect humans from the rabies.  This article, Rabies Postexposure Prophylaxis, by M. Gayne Fearneyhough, BS, DVM (p 557-572 in Vol 31, No 3, Vet. Cl. of NA: Small Animal Practice, May 2001) looks at the treatment of humans after they have been bitten by a potential rabid animal.  As I do not particularly care about human medicine, this is a very brief summary.

One statement of interest in this article is "many parts of the western United States are free of terrestrial rabies", which, if you look at the 2010 CDC map for rabies infections in dogs and cats, my area, southern CA, has no cases (despite heavy testing) whereas a state like Pennsylvania is solid yellow in the east.  This explains why my Eastern friends are so adamant about rabies vaccines and here it's a minor concern.

The chart below is the decision tree recommended for humans:

Perhaps the most interesting section had to do with post-exposure treatment in domestic animals.  I have lived under the assumption that if a cat was bitten, that was a death sentence.  Apparently not.  At least 2 studies, one of 713 animals and another of 632 animals (dogs, cats, cattle, horses, sheep, goats, pigs, and 1 llama) were treated.  The first study had a 99.7% survived and 99.5% in the second.  So, yes, a cat bitten by a rabid animal CAN be successfully treated. The main problem mentioned is that the animal may survive but may not be free of rabies. I would think a second problem is to find a place that would quarantine the cat and provide treatment for several weeks.

Cats: Vaccine-Related Sarcomas

This was a relatively short article and one topic, thankfully, that I have never experienced.  Since many of my cats do come from unknown backgrounds, I do suspect that some are at risk, but so far, so good. 

Recent Advances in the Treatment of Vaccine-Sarcomas, by Gregory K. Ogilvie, DVM
p 525-533 in Vol 31, No 3, Vet. Cl. of NA: Small Animal Practice, May 2001...

The article focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of the sarcoma and not on the fact that vaccines seem to cause sarcomas.  The latter is assumed by the article. The article doesn't mention, but from other sources the sarcomas are linked primarily to FeLV and rabies vaccines.

Physical exam -- The sarcoma appears as a lump or thickening either at the injection site or, interestingly, on the underside of the cat (migration of vaccine agent).  The lump can appear from days to years afterwards. This timing, days to years, is a bit scary since I do not know the vaccine history of many of my cats.

Evaluation -- The first step is a needle biopsy to confirm that it is a sarcoma.  The next step is xrays to determine if it has metastasized.  Enlarged lymph nodes may need to be biopsied.

Treatment of small tumors -- The recommendation is for a 2cm cuff around the tumor and 1 skin layer deeper.  2cm on both sides is HUGE!  The author mentions the inconclusiveness of both chemotherapy and radiation therapy, and from other sources, this does not seem to have changed significantly in recent years.

Treatment of large tumors -- The author recommends surgical reduction of the tumor followed by radiation treatment.

Metastatic sarcomas -- Chemotherapy seems to be the solution but at the time of writing there was no clear recommendations.

Patient Management -- The author stresses the need to give the client pain meds, anti-nausea meds, and appetite stimulants to help the cat.  Also, the client should be given written instructions and educational material because owners often are very upset when told their cat has cancer.

Prognosis -- For small, non-metastatic tumors, the prognosis is good.  Otherwise, the outcome is usually not good as the tumor recurs.  Who does the surgery and how extensive it was drastically influences the outcome:

"The median time of tumor control was 94 days.  Median tumor control for tumors treated with excision performed at a referral institution (274 days) was significantly longer than that for tumors excised by a referring veterinarian (66 days).  A radical first excision yielded significantly longer median tumor control (325 days) than did a marginal first excision (79 days)..... Few cats (13.8%) receiving only surgical treatment had long-term (>2 years) survival, suggesting that radiation and chemotherapy are highly indicated as adjunctive therapies."  And this is an interesting statement about radiation and chemotherapy given what the author said previously about the inconclusiveness.

These vaccine-related sarcomas are the reason the new vaccine protocols recommend vaccinating for rabies and FeLV in the legs or even tail -- those parts can be amputated to save the cat from the sarcoma.  To me this is very drastic and makes me ever so grateful that I don't have to vaccinate for rabies of FeLV.

Cats: Adverse Reactions to Vaccines

One of the major objections to vaccines by many people who do not vaccinate their cats has to do with reactions to the vaccines.  I know from personal experience with my cats that most cats have little reaction to vaccines, but for others, the reactions can linger for 3-5 days, cause vomiting, and cause stiffness.  I have also heard of much stronger reactions, to the point of death.  (I also acknowledge that some of the reactions may be overstated by upset owners, but still....)

This article, Vaccine-Associated Adverse Events, by E. Kathryn Meyer, VDM (p 493-514 in Vol 31, No 3, Vet. Cl. of NA: Small Animal Practice, May 2001) was interesting for several reasons.  First because it explained how the reactions are noted in the licensing of vaccines.  And second because of the range of reactions which the author admits to.  This latter is especially interesting because in personal conversations with various vets, I have been clearly told that there are none or almost no reactions to vaccines.

General Background on How Vaccine Reactions are Studied

Prelicense Studies:  These are trials conducted by the vaccine manufacturer, involving a small number of animals.  With cats and Chlamydia for example, there are 20 vaccinated cats and 10 control cats.  To get a label claiming prevention, the vaccine must be 80% effective.  Each vaccine batch must be in vitro tested for potency. 

The duration of immunity (DOI) determines the revaccination interval, but DOI studies are not required to support vaccine label recommendations for boosters.  This seems a bit inconsistent to recommend boosters without any evidence that boosters are needed.

The safety of a vaccine is determined by a larger field trial, which may or may not capture adverse reactions which are rare.  If there are adverse reactions observed, these are NOT required by law to be on the vaccine label.

Postlicense Studies:  “systematic monitoring of canine and feline infectious disease, with the exception of rabies, is not routinely performed”.  So, in essence, one cannot say that statistically the use of the herpes vaccine has decreased the incidence of the disease, although common observation would say it does. 

Reactions after licensing also do not have to appear on the vaccine label (except in certain specific cases with dog vaccines) and manufacturers are leery of doing so because it creates the image that their vaccine is unsafe.  The postmarketing surveillance is mainly by passive systems in that the vet contacts both the manufacturer and the USDA, but the few vets do this and in most cases (97%) they will report problems only to the manufacturer.  In 2001, the USDA Center for Veterinary Medicine was going to publish a rule requiring industry reporting of adverse reactions.  It does not seem this rule was ever published because (a) I could find no reference to this rule in vaccine discussions after 2001 and (b) as late as last year, reporting of vaccine reactions still was on a voluntary basis by the individual vet.

Adverse Reactions

Systemic Reactions: Nonspecific Systemic Reactions
This is anorexia, lethargy, fever, and soreness from 1-36 hrs after inoculation.  Most cases are mild, but a few are severe, and are presumed to be an immune response to the vaccine.  In a clinical study, the rate was 1.2% with cats older than 1 year and cats receiving multiple vaccines at greater risk.  The implications of this seem to be that a previous vaccination as a kitten may very well prime the immune system to react to the vaccine.  Also, this seems to be in alignment with many holistic vets' recommendation not to give multiple vaccines at one time.  For example, vaccinate for FeLV one month and rabies the next month, instead of all at once.

Systemic Reactions: Anaphylaxis
This is a reaction involving the lymph system (IgE mediated) involving the skin, intestines, and lungs.  The reaction can last up to 48 hrs and may require steroids, antihistamines or epinephrine.  In a study, 0.26% of cats had an anaylaxic reaction with 66% of those involving the intestinal tract, 22% respiratory, and 12% skin.

Systemic Reactions: Autoimmune Disease
Interesting, there are no reports of vaccines triggering an autoimmune disease in cats, only in dogs.  The time frame was 2-14 days and involved problems like hemolytic anemia.  My personal, non-vet opinion, is that some of the autoimmune diseases, such as IBD, are actually triggered by over-vaccination, but as the author clearly stated, there is no evidence for this view.  Then again, proving causation between a vaccine and a long-term immune problem would be difficult at best.

Systemic Reactions:  Immunosuppression
One study showed that some kittens vaccinated with an intranasal modified live panleukemia vaccine became immunosuppressed which lead to a systematic infection by Salmonella. When I think about this, this is not surprising since a vaccine works by challenging the immune system.  If the immune system is working to fight off panleuk then other bacteria and viruses can easily be overlooked by the immune system.

Systemic Reactions:  Vaccine Virulence
Modified-live vaccines (MLV) can cause reactions similar to the disease.  Calici and herpes MLV are well known to cause sneezing and sniffles 4-9 days after proper vaccination.  Calici MLV can cause ‘limping calici’.  With pregnant cats, MLV can cause fetal abortion or developmental problems. There are reports of MLV for rabies not being inactivated enough that it actually causes rabies.

Systemic Reactions: Product Contamination
Each batch of vaccine is tested for other viruses, fungi, mycoplasma, and bacteria.  Vaccine contamination still does occur and when it does, it affects a large number of animals.  But there are no specific statistics on how wide-spread the problem is.

Local Vaccine Reactions:  Pain
In cats, lameness lasting for a few days to several weeks is not uncommon since vets are now vaccinating in the hind limbs.  The lameness is from an inflammatory response.

Local Vaccine Reactions:  Benign Swellings
These swellings are not considered an adverse reaction by many vets, but the normal reaction.  Rabies vaccines in cats accounted for 72% of reported ‘benign vaccine lumps’.  In a small study of 9 cats, all cats developed them after rabies, only 1 after FVRCP, and none after FeLV.

Local Vaccine Reactions:  Injection Site Sarcomas
This was a topic of a separate article and will be dealt with there.

Local Vaccine Reactions:  Vaccine Site Alopecia
Most reports of hairloss at the injection site are related to rabies vaccine.

Local Vaccine Reactions:  Abscesses
With cats, the reports were linked to ringworm vaccinations.  As a side-note, the ringworm vaccine was never common and now seems to be unavailable in the US.

Local Vaccine Reactions:  Intranasals
Problems involving the FVRCP vaccine include nasal ulcers, oral ulcers, and eye ulcers.

Cats: The Use of Colloidal Silver

Isabel

I have persian cats.  And as anyone who has had one knows, these cats have a tendency to have slightly runny noses.  Usually it's just clear liquid, but it can be slightly white.  It's not really a nasal infection as the snot isn't green and there's no fever.  It may be related to herpes but with some cats, even lysine doesn't help that.  I've even wondered if it's fungal.  Vets either don't consider it a problem or want to use steroids on it to cover it up.  It is a problem since some cats, like Isabel, are hesitant to eat if their noses drip.  And I refuse to keep a cat on steroids for life.  So, I've been trying to find something that will help.

One thing I'm thinking about using is colloidal silver.  I have used this on cuts, scratches, and ringworm with good results.  It does seem to have some antibacterial and antifungal properties.  I know people use it as a nasal spray and some people claim it is helpful for sinus issues.

To me, a natural extension would be to try colloidal silver as a nasal wash in a cat.  So, I posted this in a cat group hoping to get some suggestions on dosage, like I had with the MiraLax.  This sadly was not what I got.

It seems there are two camps when it comes to colloidal silver -- those that think it will cure everything, and those that think it will cure nothing.  And the two groups hate each other.  Yes, hate...  It's like all rational discussion goes out the door and what is left is grand pronouncements.  The 'cure nothing' group sees the words colloidal silver and then begin the automatic response to colloidal silver regardless of the question asked.

According to the "cure nothing" group, colloidal silver is also dangerous because:

• high doses can cause kidney damage in rats
• it's not a mineral found in the body
• high doses over long periods can turn skin bluish
• it may interfere with other drugs

Now these were all presented as reasons not to use 1-2 drops in saline as a nasal wash for a cat.  1-2 drops is not a high dose, so I'm pretty sure the bluing and the kidney damage won't happen.  And since the cats are not on other drugs, it will not interfere with anything.  As for the argument that it's not found in the body, so?  Most drugs are not found in the body but that doesn't stop them from being useful.  These dangers might be relevant for ingesting colloidal silver, but not really as a nose drop.

In all this was a quote from the Mayo Clinic stating that there was no reasonable research to support the claims.  Likewise there is no research to show that the claims are false.  There is no research.  Period.  End of discussion. So what was the discussion about if there is no research?  It should have then been based on actual experiences, but it was based on accusations for and against.  So was the discussion helpful?  No, because neither side listened to the other... Heck, some didn't even understand I had asked about nose drops!

Luckily, there is more than one cat group!  In another group (Fancier's Health Group on Yahoo, fanciershealth@yahoogroups.com), someone posted this:

I used Water OZ Silver full strength sucked up into a very small eye dropper found in the Rescue Remedy Pet Stress Reliever. One squirt in each nostril 3 X daily for 1 week, then 2x daily for two additional weeks. This cleared a upper respiratory infection that two rounds of antibiotics would not touch in a rescue cat that sneezed out 3 inch snot strings.

Does it work?  I have seen it work on skin problems.  

Will it work as a nasal wash?  I don't know...  But I will try it.  I can't see that it will hurt the cats -- annoy yes, hurt no.

In the end, the whole discussion left me wondering if there is any value in trying to have a discussion.  I'm sure some people would like to have a nice discussion -- based on facts and experiences -- but the problem is those that feel strongly about a topic will drown out all others by virtually shouting irrelevant ideas.

Cats and Medicine: When is it not worth it?

I got into a bit of an argument with someone recently over giving cats medicine.  This owner was doing everything possible to help her cat and was following all the vet recommendations with the result that the cat was on 8 different medications daily plus fluids.  I commented that sometimes we need to focus on the quality of life and not just the quantity.  I further explained that for some cats, no medication is best even if that is not the 'right' medical decision.

This was then translated by someone else to mean I didn't love my cats nor did I see them as part of my family.

And that struck me as wrong... Somehow I managed to bite my tongue, but just barely...  From my perspective, there are several scenarios and each one must be treated differently.

1. Willing cat with fixable problem.
2. Willing cat with stable problem.
3. Willing cat with terminal problem.
4. Unwilling cat with fixable problem.
5. Unwilling cat with stable problem.
6. Unwilling cat with terminal problem.

Bodhi peeking out of a crinkle bag

By willing cat, I mean a cat that does not fight the pilling, syringing, etc.  The cat may not enjoy it, but he doesn't put up much resistance.  For these cats in group 1 or 2, yes, medicating them makes sense. They either get better or they stay the same.  For example, Bodhi got an URI and he got antibiotics, which, since he's a kitten, he thought the pink medicine was okay.  With Anya, she needs occasional eye drops for her herpes and in general she's fine with them.  The medicating of these two cats did not or does not upset them or otherwise bother them.  A willing cat with a terminal problem I think comes down to the owner's willingness, the amount of discomfort for the cat, and honestly, the attitude of the cat -- if all parties are willing, then fine.  My dear Maggie was like this -- she had cancer which had metastasized and was a very compliant patient who wasn't ready to die.  Some cats will endure receiving a large number of pills and liquids without any problem.

Wendy

By unwilling cat, I include those cats that fight the medication process. (I'm not talking feral cats -- that's a whole other set of problems.) For an unwilling cat with a fixable problem, most of the time it does make sense to treat the cat.  There will be a period of stress with giving the medication for a few days to a couple of weeks, but then the cat is fine and back to health.  For example, Wendy had a scratch on her eye.  She is nearly impossible to pill or put eye ointment on, but for 5-7 days, she got it because I knew in the bigger picture, she would get better.

Now here is where I start getting in trouble.  I personally don't think it's worth it for the cat in the big picture to force medication on him if he is dying and there is no hope.  To me, that is creating not only extra stress in his life, but creating a living hell for his last few days or weeks.  Yes, do small things to keep the cat comfortable, but that is it.  If the cat is so uncomfortable without medication, then perhaps euthanizing the cat is the best choice.  My angel Bertie hated the medications, had not hope of recovering, and so, as hard it was, I let him go.

The big question is the unwilling cat with a stable problem.  Again, I usually get in trouble for my ideas about this.  I would work on helping the cat adjust to the process, give it a sufficient amount of time, and if the cat adjusted great, and if not... well, I guess I would try to decide if my interventions are helping or hurting.  Clancy has CRF among other things and when it comes to pilling, injection, or doing much with him, it usually ends with me bleeding.  But over months, I have gotten him to take a herbal pill by using pill pockets.  Giving him sub-Q fluids is still exciting, but we are getting it done although maybe not as frequently as we should.

Robbie

If I'm not in trouble enough... I also include in 'unwilling cats' those cats that may not fight the medicating, but which you can see are upset and literally depressed by the whole experience.  Robbie is probably soon to be in this category.  He has the pre-cursors to intestinal lymphoma.  There is a well-tested treatment that might buy him more time.  He would need a biopsy (not just a needle biopsy either).  He would need to go to a vet 1-2 times a week.  He would need blood tests every 3-4 weeks.  He would...  The list goes on.  And I can tell you, his spirit would die -- he might live longer, but he would die inside.  He is terrified of cat trips and vet offices.  He gets depressed after each trip to a vet.  So, dragging him to a vet weekly would be nothing short of torture in my book.  I love him and would like him around for longer, but I can't do this to him.

There's two basic points I'm trying to make in all this.

• Just because we can do something medically for a cat may not mean it is actually right to do it for the cat. 
• Perhaps by not doing something to the cat, the owner is actually loving the cat more by respecting the cat.

Alpha Lipoic Acid Toxicity in Cats

I tell people over and over -- cats are cats and not short fuzzy people, so just because something is okay in people, it may not apply to cats.  And then I go do it!  Geesh!!!

Dante

Dante, my 20+ yr old cat, is diabetic.  I control it mainly by food and supplements.  One of the the supplements I was giving was alpha lipoic acid.  It does a number of good things in humans and has almost no side effects IN humans, so I assumed it would be fine for him.

Last night I was reading about feline nutrition and came across a statement -- "dl-alpha lipoic acid is highly toxic to cats".  My jaw dropped open.  I reread it 5 times, then looked for any references which it didn't give because this was common knowledge, I guess.  So, I looked it up this morning.  And yes, indeed, it is toxic.  At distressingly low levels -- 30 mg/kg.  Dante weighs about 11 lbs or 5 kgs, so about 150 mg.  Maybe less.  I was using 150 mg capsule, divided up for 2-4 days, so at the most he was getting 75 mg, which is under the tested level, but maybe not under the effective level.  (The researchers tested at 0, 30, and 60 mg/kg levels.)  There was hepatocellular toxicity at the 30 mg/kg level, but maybe lower?  Until someone comes back and tries 10 mg/kg or 20 mg/kg, there will be the question of where the toxicity level lies.

The good news is it effects the liver, which can and does regenerate.  The other 'good' news is I gave it to him off and on, but mainly off because I never could remember to do it.  So, my laziness and forgetfulness may have saved him.

For a summary of the research, see Lipoic acid toxicity research

When NOT to Vaccinate

I've had several discussions in the last week about vaccinating cats.  I've been surprised by some of the comments by people who really should know better.  (And I will ignore the "it's unethical not to vaccinate" comments until another time.)

Let's assume you are going to vaccinate your cat.  Your cat, your decision.  There are some clear and (I thought) obvious times/situations when you should not vaccinate:

• If the cat is sick with say an URI or even UTI.  Vaccines may be ineffective when a cat is sick because the immune system is already taxed to overcome the illness.  Almost all vaccines say to vaccinate only healthy cats.

• Right after a cat has been sick.  Yes, the cat is over the URI and shows no symptoms.  This does not mean the immune system is back to normal.  It takes 2-6 weeks for the immune system to return to normal, depending on the illness.

• When dealing with any immune system problems.  (This will raise some eye brows.)  Vaccines stimulate the immune system.  If a cat has, for example, IBD or even severe allergies, both immune related disorders, the vaccines can trigger an increase in the immune-related problem.  

• Cats over 12 years old.  Most older cats have a decreased immune system to begin with.  By forcing the immune system to deal with 3-4 major diseases (which is what a vaccine really does), can easily overwhelm the immune system and lead to major problems.

• When the cat is being spayed, neutered, etc.  The cat's immune system will work at preventing a bigger problem (infection) and may not adequately respond to the vaccine.

• After a cat has had a severe reaction.  If the cat was vomiting and listless last year with the vaccine, it's really not going to better this year.

• Very young kittens.  The mother cat's milk has antibodies in it so the young kitten has her immunities.  Once the kitten is weaned, the antibodies fail. Depending on the kitten, the immunity from the mother can last 6-12 weeks.  Vaccinating early during this time can be ineffective at best, and according so some researchers, can impair the immune system for the life of the animal.  (The immune system is not fully developed until around 5-6 months.)  The best option would be to have titers done to assess antibodies, but few vets know how to do this.

• When the cat was vaccinated for it last year.  Even the AVMA now recommends every 3 years on most vaccines.  Some researchers have shown vaccines can easily last 8-10 years!  So, subjecting a cat to repeated vaccines does nothing to strengthen immunity, but may instead lead to weakening and overwhelming the immune system. 

Personally, I don't vaccine my cats.  Many of my cats have been vaccinated because the shelters I adopted them from did it and would not release the cat without the vaccinations.  But I have always associated certain problems with these vaccinations.  For example, Clarissa was vaccinated with a 4-in-1 shot about 3 days after finishing her antibiotics for an URI and at the same time she was spayed.  Talk about hitting her immune system hard!!!  She did have a reaction to the internal stitches.  She has a reaction to raw meat.  She has a reaction to cooked fish.  How much of her food allergies are related to her vaccinations?  I can't prove causation, but my gut instinct says they are related.

Now, I know all this goes against what most vets say.  So why do vets not follow these guidelines?  There are many reasons.  Most vets believe the idea that vaccines are safe and effective, with little side-effects.  Selling vaccines is a major source of income in many vet practices.  Some vets have never thought about how vaccines work and their effect on the immune system since they were in vet school.

While I understand I am in the minority when it comes to vaccinations, I would just like people to take a few minutes and think before they have their cat vaccinated.  

Western vs. Holistic Veterinary Medicine

I mentioned a while ago that I lean towards holistic veterinary medicine, including herbs, homeopathy, etc.  I've heard some people say, "Yes, my vet is holistic".  But when I listen to what their vet does and what I see a holistic vet does, the two vets are miles apart.  So, maybe I should more clearly define what I mean by holistic vet.

Vets come in two main types:

1. traditional, western medicine vets
2. holistic medicine vets

The traditional western medicine vets are the ones most people take their pets to.  They are trained basically to use medicine and surgery to cure a specific problem.  And for some problems, such as a broken leg or a ruptured eye, nothing beats this approach.  Problem, treatment, cure!

The problem with this approach is that many cat problems are not simple.  Take for example Isabel.  She has a runny nose again, slightly dirty ears, and demands that I hand feed her.  The western medicine approach would be to treat her nose as one problem, her ears as another, and ignore her need to be hand-fed (because there's no medicine for that).

Isabel

Holistic medicine is suppose to look at the whole cat, and not just the 'diseased' part of the cat.  A good holistic vet would look at Isabel and immediately point to a general immune system problem.  The nose and ears are just symptoms of a deeper problem.  And the hand-feeding?  Yes, that goes along with it because her need to be hand-fed seems related to her emotional state which relates to her physical state.  A holistic vet looks at the big picture and works to bring the cat closer to the ideal.  If that means not immediately curing or suppressing symptoms with say steroids so that a long-term cure can be had, then a holistic vet will do it.

Just as there are specialties in western medicine, there are holistic specialties.  Some include:

• homeopathy
• acupuncture
• Reiki
• herbs
• nutrition
• Tellington touch
• Chinese herbs

The problem today is 'holistic' is a new buzz word for pet owners and vets are jumping on the holistic bandwagon.  Some of the vets are doing it right -- they go and get additional training and work on adding new skills, such as acupuncture or homeopathy, to their practice.  But some join professional groups and call themselves an expert in herbal pet medicine with no intention of ever using herbs.  It is a way for a vet to attract the growing numbers of pet owners who want an alternative to traditional medicine.  It is a dishonest practice that gives all holistic vets a bad name!

Wendy in her condo

As for my vets -- yes, plural -- the place I use in town is a traditional, by the book western medicine vet.  Both vets have serious questions about feeding raw, so we don't talk about it.  But when a cat needs immediate diagnosis, such as when Wendy was having severe vomiting and diarrhea, they do have x-rays, ultrasound, and in-house bloodwork to get answers.  Unfortunately, their treatment plans and my ideas on treatment are usually not in sync.

Now my main vet is also a western trained vet, but she has gone on to be certified as a classically trained homeopathic vet and is exploring other alternative medicines. She is a holistic vet in the purest sense. Her practice is small, without some of the bells and whistles, but when it comes to complicated, long-term problems, she has all the tools needed.  She doesn't use herbs or Tellington touch, but she is more than open to both being effective and she encourages me to use it when it is appropriate.  I will be taking Isabel up to her and working with her to improve Isabel's immune system (and energy level) -- we won't be directly treating her ears or nose.  An office call is usually 45-60 minutes long and she even asks questions about how the cat seems to feel emotionally.  She works hard at understand what is going on with a cat at the deepest level.

Two very different ways to practice and to think about veterinary medicine.  Each has it's place.  And my cats benefit from the best of both vet worlds.

How I Discovered Holistic Vet Medicine

For many people, when the cat gets sick, they take the cat to the local vet and the vet treats the cat.  It's only when this treatment 'fails' that the owner may question the vet or the general approach to veterinary medicine.

And such was my case.  I had Emily, a Persian mix, and for some reason, she stopped eating.  After about 10 days, she became jaundiced and I took her to every vet in town.  Each one told me the same thing -- "Best to euthanize her now because she has less than a 10% chance."  Finally, I took her to the local vet college and they agreed to treat her to show her students how a cat dies from liver failure.  Not a great prognosis.

So, for a few days, I followed all the directions.  And she got worse -- much worse.  The solution was to give me more medication to treat the side-effects of the other medication.  Still she got worse.

In a desperate attempt to save Emily's life, I called an animal healer and then a holistic vet.  The healer suggested several herbs and a raw liver mix and then insisted I call this one vet.  So I called.  We were on the phone for about an hour.  He asked me some "weird" questions which didn't seem relevant and then prescribed a homeopathic remedy which I had no clue what it was.  I had nothing to lose, so I tried it.

Nothing happened the next day -- she got neither better nor worse.  Then Saturday, she began to act perkier and to throw up every half hour, for most of the day.  On Sunday, she didn't vomit and let me force feed her and was even more perky.  Whatever that little white powder was worked!  (She made a full recovery and lived another 15 years.)

This is my story.  And it's not dissimilar in broad respects to how other people have turned to alternative treatments.  Cat is gravely ill -- try any alternative possible.

But this whole episode with Emily had two significant effects on me and the way I treat my cats:

1. These alternative medicines, be they herbs or homeopathic remedies, do actually work.  From what I have seen, they work a lot better for some conditions, such as IBS or mild URI caused by viruses.  And most alternative medicines have few, if any, side-effects.
2. I don't trust most vets.  Vets do make mistakes -- some are honest mistakes, others are driven by money, and a few because the vet doesn't look at the individual cat.  The more educated I am, the better I can check that the vet doesn't make mistakes.

Book Review: All My Patients Are Under The Bed

All My Patients Are Under the Bed by Louis J. Camuti
ISBN: 0671242717


This book is about Dr. Camuti, a veterinarian in New York City whose practice is mainly cats. This book is a collection of stories, short anecdotes, and remembrances from his 50+ years of practice.

Overall, the book was entertaining.  The true character of Camuti as a crusty old vet comes through clearly.  The good doctor had some interesting patients and owners to deal with, including many well-known celebrities. I found myself chuckling in a number of places, when the doctor, the cat, and the owner are having difficulties. And since the chapters were short with breaks in them, it made for a delightful bedtime reading.

On the down side, the writing could have been better. I suspect it was written from tape recordings as it has a rambling, disjointed style in many places. The chapters are only slightly centered on one topic. 

While the writing wasn't the best, the stories were fun and about cats, so I probably will reread this book at some point. (  )