http://meowblog.cats.org.uk/2016/03/how-can-i-reduce-dander-veterinary-faqs.html
Do you have a burning question for a vet about your cat? Have a read through the advice below from Cats Protection vet Vanessa Howie, all covered in her recent live Q&A on Facebook.
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| Photo by Brendon Connelly via flickr / Creative Commons |
Question: What’s the best way to try and reduce my cat’s dander or dandruff? Constant (assisted) grooming with a brush? Is there something in their food that can help? Or other coat products?
Answer: If your cat is suffering from excessive dander/dandruff then I would recommend that you get your cat examined by your vet. Supplements which contain omega 3 and 6 may help to condition the coat and reduce dandruff formation. You may find our skin disorders leaflet helpful too.
Question: My 18-year-old cat was recently diagnosed with dementia. She is yowling most nights from about 4-6am and just sitting staring at a bookcase. She’s also quite vocal before and after going to the toilet. Can you help please?
Answer: Sorry to hear that your cat has been diagnosed with dementia. There is medication and a number of supplements that may help improve brain function, I would recommend that you talk to your vet about these. I would also recommend maybe keeping a light on overnight (particularly if your cat’s vision is deteriorating with age) and keeping routines and the house layout the same to avoid confusion. You may find our elderly cats leaflet helpful.
Question: One of my cats, Rory, seems to wash himself more than needed to the point where he has created small bald patches. There are no scabs or dry skin though. Why is he doing this?
Answer: I would recommend that you get your cat examined by your vet in the first instance. There are a number of reasons a cat may begin overgrooming, including having a skin allergy, being in pain or stress. Ruling out skin parasites such as fleas is the first thing to do and your vet can advise on the best products to use both on your cat and in the environment – they can also check for fleas and flea dirt on your cat. Have a read of our skin disorder leaflet (linked to earlier) for more information.
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| If your cat is overgrooming you need to find out the underlying cause. Photo by Douglas O’Brien via flickr / Creative Commons |
Question: My young cat seems to drink a lot of water. He does also eat a lot of dry food though, is this a problem?
Answer: Cats that eat mainly dry food will drink more than a cat that eats either only wet food or a mixture of wet and dry food. Wet canned food tends to contain around 75 per cent water so a cat will obtain a large proportion of their daily water requirement from the food. However if you feel your cat is drinking in excess I would recommend that you get him checked over by your vet. Measuring how much water he is drinking in a 24-hour period will be useful for the vet to know.