Feline Health

Your Cat’s DNA Can Help Scientists Better Understand Chronic Kidney Disease

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orange-cat

Written by Carolina Gonzales, R&D Coordinator at Basepaws*

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major feline health issue affecting approximately one in 30 cats. It often goes undiagnosed until the illness reaches a more advanced stage. The set of signs and symptoms of CKD are caused by a progressive degeneration of functional kidney tissue. Although we do not know the exact cause of CKD, the disease progression can be slowed down with proper care and your cat can live a happy life. The challenges associated with CKD diagnosis and timely management make clear the urgent need to provide accessible and affordable testing options that screen for CKD in cats and can help early diagnosis of the disease.Continue Reading

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How the Assisi Loop Helps Archie With Hind Limb Paralysis

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This is a sponsored post*

Archie was rescued when he was five weeks old. “We got a plea from the shelter about a kitten with hind limb paralysis that would be euthanized if not pulled by a rescue,” said Carol Gonzales, the Director of Baby Kitten Rescue in Los Angeles, CA.  “We quickly realized he was not completely paralyzed in his back legs and had some use of them, even though he mostly dragged them to get around.”Continue Reading

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Senior Cats and the Assisi Loop: A Purrfect Combination

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This post is sponsored by Assisi Animal Health

Cats are living longer and healthier lives, thanks to improved veterinary care, better nutrition, and the fact that most pet cats are indoor cats. The definition of an older cat is usually preceded by the term “senior” or “geriatric.” Cats 10 years or older are considered senior. Aging is not a disease. It is a slow and gradual process, and there are plenty of things you can do to help keep your senior cat happy and healthy well into her golden years.Continue Reading

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Your Senior Cat Can Help Discover the Genetics Behind Feline Longevity

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cat-looking-up

Written by Carolina Gonzales, R&D Coordinator at Basepaws*

Basepaws, a leading innovator in pet biotechnology, is committed to research and discovering new knowledge that will help veterinary professionals provide better care for their patients. We are developing a unique category of screening tools that combines genomic, microbiome and health history data to identify pre-clinical indicators associated with health-related outcomes.Continue Reading

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DNA Testing Can Tell You About Your Cat’s Health and Genetic Makeup and Help Advance Science

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white-cat

Have you ever wondered about your cat’s genetic background? Maybe you’d like to learn more about which breeds make up your rescue cat? Maybe you’re curious about whether or not her coat color influences her personality? DNA Testing can do all that. More importantly, it can identify genetic health conditions so you can be proactive about preventing them from manifesting. Having a DNA test done on your cat not only benefits you and your cat, it can also contribute to our scientific understanding of the feline genome and thus improve the health of all cats.Continue Reading

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These Websites Can Help You Determine Whether Your Cat is in Pain

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Cats are masters at masking pain. Their ability to hide pain goes back to their wild origins. In the wild, a sick animal becomes prey. While acute pain may be more obvious, chronic pain from conditions such as arthritis can be challenging to discern for even the most dedicated cat parent. Even veterinarians often overlook signs of feline pain.Continue Reading

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Why You Should Consider Pet Insurance

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Could you easily afford to pay $1000 to $3000 if your cat had a sudden medical emergency? Could you cover the cost of a prolonged illness, which can easily run into several thousand dollars? Can you easily pay for your cat’s annual or bi-annual exam, preventive lab work, and dental cleaning? Costs for routine exams vary depending on location, and can range anywhere from $50 to $150. A routine dentistry can cost $500; add in a few extractions or other problems, and you’re looking at $1500 and more.Continue Reading

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Your Cat Needs Regular Exercise

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cat-yoga-exercise

Cats have a reputation for being lazy and sleeping for much of the day. The average indoor cat sleeps 12 to 16 hours a day, which makes it even more important to provide plenty of opportunities for exercise during their waking hours. Exercise is nothing more than extended playtime, and it’s up to cat parents to make sure cats get plenty of it.Continue Reading

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Ask the Cat Doc: Managing Pain, Dark Spot Above Nose, Fungal Infection and More

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Welcome to our regular “Ask the Cat Doc With Dr. Lynn Bahr” segment! Once a month, Dr. Bahr answers as many of your questions as she can, and you can leave new questions for her in a comment.Continue Reading

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When it Comes to Your Cat’s Litter Box, Simple is Better

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cat-litter-box

After receiving and turning down the umpteenth pitch to feature or review yet another “innovative” litter box, I feel compelled to share my views on litter boxes, which is pretty much summed up in the headline of this article: simple is (usually) better!

Most of the new litter boxes are designed to either make cleaning the litter box easier, or to hide the litter box. Neither of these two reasons have anything to do with what cats want or need, and everything to do with human sensibilities. Continue Reading

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