Vet Q&A-Cat

My cat has a bald spot on her ear that has developed what looks like a scabby scar.

Hello. I am sorry that Juliet isn't feeling well. The picture you have provided looks like it could be a bunch of different things including a wound that is being scratched at, pyoderma (skin infection), self-trauma scratching (ear mites or fleas being the underlying cause, look in the ears for gunk), ringworm, etc. I would recommend having your Juliet seen by a vet. Alternatively, you can get a cone for Juliet to prevent her from scratching at it, and just keep it clean with warm water wash once a day, and monitor if it heals. If it isn't healed after 3-4 days I would have it seen by a vet. Good luck with her!

our cat has recently started hiding and stashing her dry cat food in places like under bed pillows or in shoes....what could this mean?

It's not unusual for cats to hide food, and it could be that Lucy is hiding it to eat later, or trying to keep another animal in the house from eating it. She is trying to hide the scent of the food so no one else can get it, and she likely will go back to eat it later. Cats who live in the wild will do this, and it can be an instinctive behavior.

My pregnant cat had tapeworms. Can we give her dewormer while she's pregnant. What type do you recommend?

Praziquantel, the medication most commonly used to treat tapeworms, is safe to use during pregnancy. I would however recommend consulting a veterinarian before giving any drugs to Stashie to make sure she is healthy enough for the medication. Tapeworms are most commonly transmitted through fleas, so you may want to inspect her for fleas as well.

I have only given my cat baths when i accidentally got essential oils on her fur cause of the possible toxicity of it. She doesnt ÷love÷ baths well as you probably know most cats dont. But do you think if i got her more exposed to baths she would like them? And can you explain why most cats dont like baths?

Every cat has a different personality. There are some cats that may be used to baths if done on a regular basis BUT not every cat is going to do this. Cats don't like to be wet in general, so this is why they don't like baths. Once again though, there are cats who do like baths. They are all individuals! I hope this answers your questions!

How long do I need to wait before giving my cat tapeworm medicine since she was given round worm dewormer

Unless your vet gave you specific instructions, the dewormers are different medications and do not interact, so they can be given at the same time. The only reason to separate the dewormers would be if there is a large worm infestation and the deworming is likely to cause diarrhea. To be on the safe side, you could wait 2 days after the roundworm medication to give the tapeworm medication. I have included links below to the most common roundworm and tapeworm dewormers. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1862 http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=531 Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.

My cat's fur seems to be slowly turning orange. At first, the white fur on her belly slowly changed into the color, but now it seems her greyish body is doing the same. Her skin seems to be healthy and a good color, but I'm just wondering why her fur is changing? (Since she's only 5-7 months old, I don't really think it's aging)

A common cause of light colored hair turning orange or rust colored is from saliva staining. This can occur when a cat or dog is licking excessively. In cats, this can be cause by a range of medical things, including fleas, mites, ringworm, and allergies. It can also be a stress response. I would recommend that you have Zelda checked out by a vet to make sure that her skin is healthy - sometimes we will see something that you may not have realized was abnormal. If they do not find a medical cause, they can discuss Zelda's home environment and help you identify things that you could change to help with feline stress. Here is an article that discusses overgrooming in cats: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2565 Here is a product that can help stressed out kitties if other causes of itching have been ruled out by a vet: http://pet-supplies.drsfostersmith.com/search?view=grid&cartcount=0&wishcount=0&division=dogs&w=feliway&x=0&y=0

My cat has these little black worm looking things on her fur.. we thought it was dirt but then we looked at it with a microscope and they moved! My other cat does not have them and I don’t know what they are?!

Hi, thanks for using Boop by Petco! From your pictures the black squiggly thing looks like "flea dirt" or flea poop. When you wet it on a white paper towel it melts to blood. They usually don't move though unless you had a flea. I would start a good flea preventative like Comfortis, Bravecto or the Seresto collar. I hope this helps and I wish you and Livvy the best!

Hello, this is my cat tiger 4 months old we accidentally cut her skin while cutting a matted hair it wasn’t bleeding and she didn’t show any signs of pain the first pic shows after we cut it the second pic is after we cleaned ot up with water and iodine is it healing or getting worst ? Her veterinarian said she don’t need stiches just clean the wound . I’m worried that this could kill her , what do i do now ? And if it’s infected how to i treat it at home ?

It appears that the wound is healing properly. I think it unlikely that she will die from this superficial wound. Continue to clean it daily with warm water, and prevent licking since this will delay healing. You can use a topical ointment like Neosporin. If the area around the wound suddenly gets red, swollen, or it oozes a creamy discharge, then Tiger may need evaluation by a vet and a round of oral antibiotics.

My cat has excessive ear wax build up in one ear. What could be the cause?

Poor Kiara! Normal cat ears should not have any visible wax at all - so if you are seeing yellow, brown, or black waxy material in the ear, this means that she either has an ear infection or ear mites. Treatment will depend on what type of infection is present, so I would recommend taking her to the vet for an exam when you are able to. He/she can take a sample of the discharge for analysis to determine the problem and will prescribe appropriate medication to treat it depending on what is found.