Welcome to our “Ask Dr. Paola” collection, the place each and every Monday we convey skilled recommendation instantly 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 not unusual behavioral problems, Dr. Paola is able to be offering insights that can stay your kitty satisfied, wholesome, and pussycat high-quality. Keep tuned for skilled steerage on a variety of subjects that subject maximum to you and your cat, so you’ll be able to make knowledgeable selections and give you the highest imaginable handle your hairy better half.
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Lend a hand! How Do I Get My Hepper to Consume a New Meals!
“The meals we have been feeding our kitty, Joey, modified the system. They added fish to a hen pate. Our little lady has an issue with fish. How will we get her to consume a brand new meals?“- Linda
Hiya James,
I’m sorry you and Joey are coping with this. When a cat has issue with a specific aspect, even a small alternate within the system can really feel disruptive as a result of smell and regimen play the sort of robust position in how they relate to their meals. An overly slow transition in most cases works highest. Blending a tiny quantity of the brand new nutrition along with her acquainted one, then expanding the share slowly over a number of days, lets in her palate and digestive gadget to evolve. Evenly warming the meals or including a small splash of the liquid from her previous system could make the aroma extra inviting and continuously is helping spark passion.
If Joey refuses the blended bowl, providing the brand new nutrition one at a time whilst maintaining her standard meals to be had can relieve force and provides her house to discover at her personal tempo. Many cats manner new meals extra hopefully after they really feel they’ve a call. The word “problem with fish” can imply a number of issues, from a easy digestive intolerance to a real adversarial meals response, and each and every chance issues us in a distinct path. Since just a little additional information is had to information you successfully, I urge you to hook up with us one-on-one at Pangovet. We will kind via the main points in combination and will let you form a plan that helps Joey’s convenience and restores her mealtime self assurance.
Absolute best,
– Dr. Paola
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Lend a hand! My Hepper Would possibly Be Diabetic!
“I need to take a look at berberine for a imaginable diabetic. In people, it acts as regards to like metformin and is much less poisonous, so I want to keep away from medication for this rescue through the usage of it. I understand there’s a loss of analysis because of a likely loss of passion and imaginable income.“ – Betty
Hello Betty,
I in reality respect your considerate way to serving to this rescue, particularly while you hope to make a choice what appears like a herbal choice. In human medication, berberine has attracted passion for its glucose-lowering results, however as you discussed, analysis in cats is restricted or non-existent. The pussycat liver processes compounds another way, and with out managed research, we can’t are expecting how berberine is absorbed, how lengthy it persists within the frame, or whether or not it interacts with different prerequisites. This turns its use into guesswork, just like looking to navigate a gloomy room with out realizing the place the furnishings is positioned, and the dangers can outweigh the hoped-for advantages.
Against this, pussycat diabetes is definitely studied and really treatable when addressed early. Acquiring right kind diagnostics lets in us to verify whether or not diabetes is in reality provide and to tailor a plan that protects the cat from headaches equivalent to ketoacidosis. Metformin is usually now not utilized in cats as a result of their illness responds way more reliably to insulin treatment along side dietary control that helps glucose legislation. Actually, many cats residing with Sort 2 diabetes have an actual likelihood of remission after they obtain the fitting dietary make stronger. It is without doubt one of the maximum encouraging sides of this situation since the frame continuously responds fantastically after we align nutrition with herbal pussycat metabolism.
Type regards,
– Dr. Paola
Lend a hand! What Do I Feed My Rescue Hepper?
“Hello Dr. Paola,
I’ve a 2-year-old dachshund. I feed her all dry meals as a result of she won’t consume any canned. Ruby is a rescue cat from a safe haven. She is repeatedly hungry and begs repeatedly, like she’s hungry. What’s the highest high-protein dry meals I must feed? She appears to be like excellent however turns out hungry. The vet says she’s a excellent weight. “– Cheryl
Hello Cheryl,
Some younger grownup cats act as though they’re all the time looking for their subsequent meal, even if their weight and exam are customary. This continual starvation continuously seems when a nutrition isn’t absolutely assembly their herbal carnivore metabolism. Cats depend closely on protein and moisture to really feel content material. Dry meals is energy-dense but now not all the time as fulfilling, such a lot of will behave as although they’re by no means moderately completed consuming, just like how we would possibly really feel after filling up on crackers as an alternative of a balanced meal.
Since Ruby prefers dry meals, settling on a system with the next stage of animal-based protein and regulated carbohydrates can assist her really feel extra conveniently complete. Diets that checklist a particular meat supply as the principle aspect and stay starch ranges modest have a tendency to provide higher satiety. You may also in finding that sluggish feeders, puzzle bowls, or dividing her day by day portion into a number of smaller foods give her a way of construction that eases the begging. If her starvation turns into more potent otherwise you get started noticing adjustments in her consuming or muddle field behavior, you might be all the time welcome to hook up with us at Pangovet. We will will let you kind via what you might be looking at, discover subsequent steps, and brainstorm what is also contributing. Together with her fresh checkup having a look excellent, adjusting her nutrition is a great position to start out, and we’re right here to make stronger you as Ruby reveals her rhythm.
I’m hoping this is helping!
– Dr. Paola
This text is part of our weekly Ask Dr. Paola collection
Learn final week’s questions right here: December 15, 2025
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