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Issue #4 Volume #3

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Coverpage


Feline Anorexia

More Lethal than its Human Counterpart

Each year 10 to 15 percent of human patients with anorexia nervosa starve themselves to death. According to the American Animal Hospital Association, cats can be affected by a similar syndrome that can lead to serious complications. Untreated, those complications claim the lives of more than 90 percent of affected cats.

Symptoms of anorexia in both humans and cats include weight loss and depression. Cats frequently have a history of vomiting as well. Although the exact cause of anorexia is not fully understood, a stressful event precedes the illness in over 40 percent of cats diagnosed with hepatic lipidosis, the most severe complication of anorexia. For example, cats may stop eating when they move to a new home or when their owners are frequently absent. "Cats often stop eating because they feel bad either physically or emotionally," says Dr. Janis Cleland, a veterinarian in Lilburn, Georgia. "It's up to your cat's veterinarian to try to determine the cause of the decreased appetite and to treat the cat accordingly."

Human and feline anorectic patients mobilize stored fats in their bodies to provide energy that is normally supplied by their food. In cats, unlike humans, this mobilized fat enters the liver, where it can be trapped if the cat can't break it down. This accumulation of fat in the liver is called hepatic lipidosis, which means fatty liver. As the fat accumulates, it starts a vicious cycle in which the liver becomes sicker and the patient more anorectic.

The most urgent concern for veterinarians and physicians is to encourage anorectic patients to eat. However, because cats and humans with anorexia may refuse to eat, treatment may include using feeding tubes to provide nourishment. Anorectic cats treated by feeding tubes have a far better outlook than those treated without feeding tubes. According to Dr. Mike Willard of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at Texas A&M University, "We've found that over 50 percent of cats that develop lipidosis will respond to aggressive nutritional support which typically includes some form of tube feeding. This is in marked contrast to what we saw 10 years ago when almost all severely affected animals died."

As with human anorexia, early diagnosis is the key to curing anorectic cats. You can help prevent anorexia in your cat by feeding it regular, nutritious meals and observing its eating habits. Be sure to take your cat to its veterinarian for regular health exams. If a change in appetite occurs, contact your cat's veterinarian for advice.

The American Animal Hospital Association is an international organization of more than 12,000 veterinarians who treat companion animals. Established in 1933, the association is well known for its high standards for animal hospitals and pet health care.

How to Give Your Cat a Pill

a bit of feline humor
-- by Peggy Althoff
  1. Grasp cat firmly in your arms. Cradle its head on your elbow, just as if you were giving baby a bottle. Coo confidently, "Thats a nice kitty." Drop pill into its mouth.

  2. Retrieve cat from top of lamp and pill from under sofa.

  3. Follow same procedure as in 1, but hold cat's front paws down with left hand and back paws down with elbow of right arm. Poke pill into its mouth with right forefinger.

  4. Retrieve cat from under bed. Get new pill from bottle. (Resist impulse to get new cat.)

  5. Again proceed as in 1, except when you have cat firmly cradled in bottle-feeding position, sit down on edge of chair, fold your torso over cat, bring your right hand over your left elbow, open cat's mouth by lifting the upper jaw and pop the pill in - quickly. Since your head is down by your knees, you won't be able to see what you're doing. That's just as well.

  6. Leave cat hanging on drapes. Leave pill in your hair.

  7. If you're a woman, have a good cry. If you're a man, have a good cry.

  8. Now pull yourself together. Who's the boss here anyway? Retrieve cat and pill. Assuming position 1, say sternly, "Who's the boss here, anyway?" Open cat's mouth, take pill and...Oooops!

  9. This isn't working, is it? Collapse and think. Aha! Those flashing claws are causing the chaos.

  10. Crawl to linen closet. Drag back large beach towel. Spread towel on floor.

  11. Retrieve cat from kitchen counter and pill from potted plant.

  12. Spread cat on towel near one end with its head over long edge.

  13. Flatten cat's front and back legs over its stomach. (Resist impulse to flatten cat.)

  14. Roll cat in towel. Work fast; time and tabbies wait for no man-or woman.

  15. Resume position 1. Rotate your left hand to cat's head. Pressits mouth at the jaw hinges like opening the petals of a snapdragon.

  16. Drop pill into cat's mouth and poke gently. Voila! It's done.

  17. Vacuum up loose fur (cat's). Apply bandages to wounds (yours).

  18. Take two aspirins and lie down.

Editor’s Note: If you have to give medication to an uncooperative kitty, ask your veterinarian if there is a liquid form of the medication available. Your veterinarian can also demonstrate the proper way to give a pill to your cat~all you have to do is ask!


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