CAT URINATING PROBLEMS

This is a very common problem with our feline friends. Your cat can show signs of problems urinating by going more often, straining when they do urinate ( squatting in the weeing position and staying there for a long time), peeing in unusual places or you may see blood in your cats urine.

The cause of these types of signs can be due to a bacterial infection - mostly in the bladder (cystitis) or due to the formation of small crystals in your cats bladder that can rub and irritate the bladder or urethral wall. The formation of the crystals in the bladder can be a very serious problem for male cats. Male cats urethra's ( the tube that brings the urine out from the bladder) are very small, the crystals can move into the urethra and actually block it partially or completely. These poor guys can't urinate and if left untreated will lead to death very quickly.

The question has to be asked why do domesticated cats have so many problems with urinating? The answer is not a simple one and what follows is my opinion only. A big part of our own protection from urinary problems is we pee very regularly , in doing this we flush out bacteria and debris that could cause problems. Cats as a general rule don't urinate often. They have a very efficient water saving system, so they don't produce large volumes of urine compared to us . When this occurs the urine sits in the bladder for a long time, before being voided - this can lead to bacteria proliferating and the formation of the crystals that cause so many problems.This problem of not urinating often is exacerbated by feeding your cat dry food. Cats obtain a lot of their water intake via their food ,so feeding a dehydrated food pellet will lead to the reduced formation of urine, causing stagnation of the urine in the bladder which leads to all the urination problems in cats. The formulation of the dry foods, also causes the formation of the crystals in cats bladders. The crystals are mostly made up of minerals which seem to form very regularly in cats fed dry food. Felines living in the wild and feeding on raw meat do not have these crystals forming , so it is a problem caused by people feeding cats an unnatural diet. As stated in previous newsletters cats are carnivores so they need a lot of raw meat in there diet to stay healthy - meat contains a lot of water so helping maintain a healthy water balance in cats.

Female cats are more prone to bacterial infections in their bladder, this is due to the anatomy of the urethra - it is larger and more open to the outside ,making it easier for bacteria to enter and get into the bladder.

If your cat has urination problems here are the steps to take to help.

1. Don't feed dry food at all - use raw meats

2. Make sure your cat has a lot of opportunity to urinate - let them out often and keep the litter tray clean.

3. Add a pinch of salt to the food daily - best is some canned food so can mix in easily. This will increase water intake and with it increased urine production , more peeing and less chance of problems developing.

4. You can use a urinary acidifier. These help dissolve the crystals and stop bacteria growing. You can buy products with Ammonium Chloride -100mg twice daily. You can even use Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) to make your cats urine more acidic.- not easy as doesn't taste very nice.

IMPROVED PACKAGING

After receiving feedback that some of the parcels we have sent were arriving in poor condition, with the products inside being damaged, we have improved our packaging. The delivery charges on bulk quantities is calculated on the total weight, so the lighter the external packaging the less expensive the delivery charges.We perhaps have taken this too far and are now placing more orders in cardboard boxes. If using a padded bag we are now placing in extra bubble wrap to give better protection.If your order doesn't arrive in good order please let us know.

ADVANTAGE STILL AT LOWEST PRICES EVER.

We still have available at very low prices all sizes of Advantage. Some sizes are getting low in numbers, so if you want a real bargain, order Advantage for your pets flea control now. Advantage is a product that controls fleas very well and cost wise the best value product available.

DELIVERY CHANGES

When we started to use DHL Global Mail service to have the parcels delivered to you, we were assured that the registered post service that came with it,did not require customers to sign for the delivery. We have found out that in fact this is incorrect, a signature is required on delivery. We tried to stop the need for this by placing on a notice NO SIGNATURE REQUIRED, this unfortunately is not working for all deliveries.We have received a lot of feedback telling us that having to sign for the delivery is causing a lot of problems. We have just modified the system so that only orders $100 and over in value will now be sent with registered post.This will help stop a lot of the problems that have been occurring.

NO PRESCRIPTION REQUIRED

We still receive on a regular basis the question - do you have to send a prescription to receive the pet products we have available.The answer is no. All the products we sell are available over the counter,so there are no restrictions in place.The main thing to remember is,do not start your dog on heartworm prevention if older than 6 months and has never been on prevention medication before.In this case you will have to have your dog tested for heartworm before prevention medication can be given.

CERTIFECT - THE BEST TICK CONTROL PRODUCT AVAILABLE

Just a reminder we have available Cetifect a topical liquid similar to Frontline Plus and manufactured by the same company - Merial Animal Health, available at low prices.If you live a tick area(ticks can carry some nasty diseases) Cerifect was designed to offer superior protection compared to any other product available.

VOMITING COMFORTIS OR TRIFEXIS


Both these products are becoming very popular choices for people for their pet's flea control and with Trifexis(Panoramis) the extra heartworm and intestinal worm control.Some dogs have a tendency to vomit after these two products have been given orally.It is recommended that you always give these medications with food. The other trick is to give half of the tablet on one day and the other half the next day.This is perfectly fine to do , your dog will still be protected but with far less chance of any vomiting.

TIPS HOW TO GIVE MEDICATIONS - TABLETS

Our pets unfortunately get sick at times like we all do. Treatments often involve having to give tablets orally ( down their mouth). This can be difficult and exacerbating at times, so here are a few tips to make giving medications easier.

1. Often your vet can prescribe flavored tablets, many pets will readily eat these - always ask if they are available.

2. Some treatments come in liquid form which can be easier to give.

3. Never try to medicate cats by yourself. Place on a table and have someone behind them holding the front legs firmly down - less struggling results and less chance of being scratched.

4.There are plastic devices called pill poppers that you can use to give cats tablets.They are available at your vets. One is shown in the picture above.

5.You can crush up tablets into a fine powder - ask your vet if this is OK to do as some medications can't be crushed.Mix the powder in with your pets favorite food.With cats often canned fish is best and dogs beef mince works well.Always use a little bit of food ,so your pet will eat it all. It is always best to feed the food with the crushed tablet, when they are really hungry, so there is more chance of them eating it.

6.You can hide the tablet in food for dogs - sausages, cheese, cube of meat,ice-cream.

7. When just giving your dog the tablet by hand be sure to move the upper lips over the upper teeth - as shown in the above picture. When you do this they have less chance of biting down , if they do they will bite their own lips, which most are smart enough not to do.

8.For dogs you can use jam,peanut butter,margarine or butter. Wipe the tablet with the spread on your dogs tongue and often they will just eat it.

To discontinue mailings, click here