Cats are not small dogs — their needs, health and care differ.
Tooth resorption is a common, painful condition in cats. It is a progressive breakdown of the hard tissues of the tooth, forming cavities that make the tooth sensitive and fragile, until complete resorption and/or crown fracture.
Who is at risk? 20–75% of cats are affected, sometimes as early as age 2; risk rises with age.
Cause? Unknown to date (diet and genetics suspected). It cannot be prevented or slowed.
Signs: pain is subtle — reduced appetite, refusing dry food, drooling, less grooming; sometimes a missing tooth or bright-red tissue at a tooth’s base.
Diagnosis: dental radiographs under anesthesia are the only certain method, as many lesions affect only the roots.
Treatment: extraction is the only effective treatment. Have middle-aged cats evaluated yearly.
Whether indoor or outdoor, vaccination is the best prevention against viruses common among cats. The core vaccine (feline panleukopenia, calicivirus, herpesvirus/rhinotracheitis) protects against respiratory and digestive diseases that travel through the air or persist in the environment — you can bring them home unknowingly.
The rabies vaccine is among the most important: a fatal disease, transmissible to humans, with no treatment available. For cats that go outside, protection against feline leukemia (FeLV) and feline AIDS (FIV) is advised — incurable diseases. Better safe than sorry.
Usually caused by a benign thyroid tumour, hyperthyroidism leads to excess hormone production. It mainly affects cats (very rare in dogs) and impacts several systems, especially the heart and kidneys.
Early signs: weight loss despite increased appetite, increased thirst and urination, hyperexcitability, sometimes excessive licking. Diagnosis is by blood test. Several treatments exist (radioactive iodine, surgery, tablets), all offering a longer, better-quality life.
It can be tempting to treat our pets with our own medications. But cats are not small humans! Acetaminophen is very dangerous, even at a very low dose, because cats lack the enzyme to process it properly. The molecule becomes toxic and can be fatal.
Always be careful with human medications (even some ointments!) and ask your veterinarian before giving any.
Detecting pain in a cat is a challenge: less active and more independent, their behaviour changes are subtle. A cat that no longer jumps onto furniture may be hiding joint pain; refusing the litter box, pain lifting a paw; a hunched back or squinting eyes, abdominal pain; new aggression, discomfort.
If you notice any change, however subtle, consult us. A cat eating well and not vocalizing is not necessarily comfortable.
