Welcome to our “Ask Dr. Paola” collection, the place each Monday we deliver skilled recommendation immediately from Dr. Paola Cuevas (MVZ) to assist our readers higher perceive their cat’s well being and well-being.
Whether or not you’re a brand new puppy guardian or a seasoned cat lover, Dr. Paola is right here to offer solutions on your maximum urgent questions. From diet pointers and preventive care to troubleshooting commonplace behavioral problems, Dr. Paola is able to be offering insights that may stay your kitty satisfied, wholesome, and tom cat wonderful. Keep tuned for skilled steering on a variety of subjects that topic maximum to you and your cat, so you’ll make knowledgeable selections and give you the absolute best imaginable take care of your bushy significant other.
Have a query? Ship it in right here!
Lend a hand! My Momma Hepper Is Very Skinny!
“Pricey Dr. Paola,
My feral Momma Hepper (who isn’t even a 12 months outdated) has had her 5 small children, and I’ve
gotten her to let me puppy her. She’s a super momma. However she has gotten so skinny. What can I give her to achieve some weight? I can get her “fixed” once kittens are weaned, and they’re consuming cat meals!! Occurring 7 weeks! “
– Sandra
Pricey Sandra,
You might be doing one thing truly significant for this younger momma cat, particularly since she continues to be rising herself. It is vitally commonplace for nursing queens to change into fairly skinny as a result of generating milk is like operating a marathon on a daily basis whilst nonetheless seeking to nourish their very own our bodies. Her calories and protein wishes at this time will also be two to 3 instances upper than customary.
Among the finest and evidence-based technique to assist her regain her situation is to feed a top quality kitten meals, both canned, dry, or a mixture of each, presented freely all over the day. Kitten diets are extra energy-dense and richer in protein and fats, which helps each milk manufacturing and her personal restoration. If she prefers rainy meals, that may additionally assist with hydration and is regularly extra palatable. You’ll be able to call to mind it as giving her “baby formula for adults”; it’s concentrated diet designed for progress and prime call for. Keep away from dietary supplements like dairy or selfmade additions, since those can disappointed her digestion and don’t supply balanced diet.
For the reason that kittens are already consuming on their very own, their our bodies will have to start to recuperate quickly, particularly as soon as nursing decreases. Stay contemporary water to be had all the time and observe that she is consuming properly and staying shiny and aware of her kittens. If she turns out susceptible, stops consuming, or continues to drop extra pounds, you’ll want to have her evaluated through a veterinarian to rule out any underlying considerations. You might be not off course, and as soon as she is spayed, her frame could have a miles more straightforward time keeping up a wholesome weight.
Sort regards,
– Dr. Paola
Lend a hand! Will have to I Be Including Taurine to My Hepper’s Meals?!
“Hello Dr. Paola,
Avishai is a Maine Coon, and we upload taurine to his meals. What are your ideas about this? He’s simply over a 12 months outdated and wholesome. We’ve got him on Royal Canin rainy and dry kitten components, and being a Maine Coon and a gradual grower, we plan on retaining him on it for 15 or 16 months outdated. Thanks in your recommendation. “
– Denny
Hi Denny,
Avishai appears like he’s doing really well, and your way to his diet is considerate and suitable. Maine Coon cats mature extra slowly than many different breeds, so proceeding a growth-support vitamin a bit of longer aligns effectively with their herbal construction.
Taurine is very important for cats, specifically for the center, eyes, and reproductive well being, but if a vitamin is already entire and balanced, it supplies precisely what their our bodies want. Any further taurine that exceeds his necessities isn’t saved in huge quantities; as a substitute, it’s processed and excreted basically thru urine. As a result of this, including extra does no longer translate into further well being advantages in a wholesome cat, and it’s most often useless until there’s a explicit clinical indication. That stated, there is not any hurt to having an excessive amount of, instead of on your pockets.
Your present way with a mixture of rainy and dry meals helps each hydration and effort wishes very effectively. As you still optimize his vitamin, you should believe a correctly formulated contemporary vitamin categorised for all existence levels, as those can be offering extremely digestible vitamins when balanced accurately. A very powerful factor is keeping up that dietary steadiness so his stable, gradual progress continues in a wholesome and sustainable means.
Perfect,
– Dr. Paola
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Lend a hand! My Hepper Is Itchy!
“Hello Dr. Paola,
Seraphina is itchy. She has one balding spot on her again between her shoulders, and I’ve spotted some tiny scabs at the back of her ears. There are not any fleas. I comb her day by day with a fine-toothed comb and no flea poop. Is there an over the counter spray I will use on her? I feel she would possibly have allergic reactions like me. Thanks.”
– Heidi
Hello Heidi,
You’re noticing precisely the type of main points that assist us slender issues down. The mix of itchiness, small scabs across the head and ears, and a thinning or bald spot alongside the again is an excessively conventional tom cat pores and skin response development. Whilst allergic reactions can play a task, in cats those indicators are regularly related to parasites or secondary pores and skin infections, even if fleas don’t seem to be observed.
Because of this we depend on easy diagnostic assessments like a pores and skin scrape and cytology. I like to recommend you are taking your cat to the vet to get a pores and skin scrape, which permits the veterinarian to softly acquire subject matter from the outside of the surface to test for mites underneath the microscope. Mites are microscopic parasites that survive or throughout the pores and skin, and in contrast to fleas, they can’t be observed with the bare eye. Differing types could cause intense itching, particularly across the ears, head, and neck. Cytology, which makes use of tape or a slide pressed in opposition to the surface, is helping establish micro organism, yeast, and inflammatory cells, giving us a transparent image of whether or not an an infection is contributing to these scabs.
As a result of those underlying reasons can glance so identical, over the counter sprays are generally no longer the most productive first step. They’ll soothe briefly, however don’t cope with mites, infections, or maximum allergic triggers, and in some instances can additional aggravate the surface. A centered way according to what’s if truth be told discovered on the ones easy assessments will deliver her aid a lot more successfully.
Sincerely,
– Dr. Paola
This text is part of our weekly Ask Dr. Paola collection
Learn ultimate week’s questions right here: Might 4, 2026
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