PetMeds^® Blog

As more and more clients are exploring vegetarian life styles, the exploration of vegetarian recipes is becoming more common in both canine and feline guardians. While I’ve seen a few diets out there that can supply all of the nutrients a cat needs in vegetarian format, I certainly question the validity and safety of such diets, as cats are obligate carnivores, meaning that they require meat and certain animal derived amino acids like Taurine in their diets.

True vegan recipes for cats are almost impossible to make even by researchers, as well as being extremely costly. While dogs are more omnivorous, it is possible for a vegetarian food to reasonably be used. Some excellent home made recipes can be found in the Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats by Richard Pitcairn, DVM, PhD.

There are a few vegetarian commercially available pet foods for dogs such as PetGuard, which comes from a very reputable company. If clients insist on following homemade recipes found on the internet for vegetarian recipes, a board certified veterinary nutritionist should be consulted (i.e. www.balanceit.com) to ensure adequate level of nutrients.

As a veterinarian I am always looking for natural alternatives and years ago I was drawn to Zymox, especially given the concern of overuse of antibiotics and the development of bacterial resistance to commonly prescribed oral and topical medications. Most ear infections may usually be a secondary manifestation of underlying allergies. And given how common ear infections are in our dogs and cats today, the cost involved in needing a prescription for topical antibiotics can be expensive. That’s why I find products such as Zymox Otic and Zymox Otic HC to be a wonderful and economical nonprescription alternative for our animal companions with frustrating ear issues.

Making use of the fact that certain enzymes derived from milk have the ability to kill bacteria, fungi, and viruses, this product literally digests pus, wax, and discharge in the ear canals.  The product is best used NOT at the time of using other ear cleaners or topical antibiotics, because these other products like Otomax or Mometamax will often inactivate the effective bacteria and yeast killing enzymes in the Zymox Otic products. Zymox Otic is not for use in the eyes or topically on the skin as a topical antibiotic for skin infections.  Both Zymox Otic products can indeed be used as preventatives for ear problems in both dogs and cats.

Topical Revolution is a simple monthly topical parasiticide for many external and internal parasites (fleas and heartworms), and has been increasing in use in recent years because of its many possible potential applications. Unlike many of its competitors like Frontline or Advantage, topical Revolution does require a written prescription from a veterinarian. I have found it most useful in controlling fleas, ticks and ear mites in dogs and cats.

Veterinary dermatologists often are now frequently using it off label every 2 weeks for a total of 3 treatments in many itchy dogs to treat any possible hidden scabies mange mites, which are often difficult to find on even multiple skin scrapings at the vet office. Topical use in cats has also helped in protecting cats from the intestinal parasites roundworms and hookworms. While it’s labeled for efficacy against heartworms, in my opinion I still stick with the tried and tested prescription monthly heartworm preventative medications such as Interceptor and Heartgard. This is because in my experience over the years I have seen a few rare pets test positive for heartworms when relying exclusively on Revolution for heartworm prevention. I often get questions about safety issues around people, but as long as you allow the product to completely dry, which occurs up to 2 hours after applying, there seems to be no risk to humans. Also, animal guardians can be free to bathe their pets anytime after this two hour mark, as this product is labeled as water proof. While supposedly being safe to use in pregnant animals, I personally never like or recommend applying topical pesticides to pregnant animals.

Super Joint Enhancer is one of the more versatile and economic nonprescription joint supplements on the market. I have found it to be often as effective as some of the more expensive supplements often prescribed by veterinarians such as Cosequin. With its combination of glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM, this wonderful synergistic combination of nutrients is often quite helpful in managing inflamed and diseased joints.

Most pets will take this tasty beef and pork chewable tablet. And for those finicky pets and even cats, this product also comes in a soft chew.  It is safe to use in any aged pet, and while there is no data on using glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM supplements in a preventative fashion, there are rarely any side effects to using this product as part of a good nutritional program.  Being a nutritional supplement, it is not regulated by the FDA, however, it is safe to use with many prescription drugs given by veterinarians such as Metacam, Rimadyl, Deramaxx and Tramadol. I find the use of nutritional supplements like Super Joint Enhancer most effective when combined with other supplements such as the antioxidant Proanthozone, and essential fatty acids such as Nordic Natural Omega 3 fatty acids.

I have only seen rare digestive side effects such as excessive gas or diarrhea, but most pets tolerate this product just fine.  If you are considering using it in a diabetic on insulin, first check with your veterinarian, as in occasional situations, using glucosamine products can sometimes make sugar regulation more difficult.

While many feline guardians are familiar with the viruses Feline Leukemia Virus (known as FeLV) and Feline Immune Deficiency Virus (known as FIV or Feline AIDS), a very elusive, yet fairly common virus known as Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) can also dramatically affect the health of infected cats leading to serious illness and often death.

Unlike the more common FeLV and FIV infections where testing is fairly straightforward, with FIP there still remains a lack of definitive diagnostic tests in detecting this infection, despite years of research. While many cats with what is called the “wet form,” will often present abdominal fluid/distention or chest fluid and difficulty breathing which has a characteristic straw-colored appearance and can be tested for by most laboratories for virulent FIP virus to confirm the diagnosis.  However, with the other common form known as the “dry form” of FIP, diagnosis is much more difficult.

Symptoms of the dry form of FIP are very general and nonspecific and can include just about any chronic sign of illness, especially general symptoms of weight loss, fever and inappetence. The fever is not typically responsive to antibiotics, given the viral cause. If the digestive tract is affected, thickened bowel loops as well as periodic or chronic vomiting or diarrhea can occur, as well as localized symptoms of the nervous system and eyes. FIP is a type of virus known as a corona virus in cats, of which there are many types, most of them often not causing any illness or disease.

Despite decades of research, the blood testing for antibodies to the corona virus FIP is not specific for the dangerous variant of this corona virus, and many tests can show up as false positives or negatives. The only way of definitively diagnosing this disease (when no fluid is present in the chest or abdomen) is for a biopsy to be completed of the affected tissues. There is also recent thinking that the many types of corona viruses that cats may carry may change or mutate into the more virulent disease causing FIP to form when under certain conditions of emotional or physical stress. It is believed to also form following simple surgical procedures like spaying or neutering, and in situations of crowding, giving shots or vaccinations and poor nutrition. The disease is highest in pure breed cats, although any breed can be affected.

The active disease seems to be most common in cats under one year of age, although there is also a spike in incidence in older cats, whose immune systems are more delicate.  Many cats can be hidden carriers of all sorts of corona viruses, including the FIP strain. However, there is no way of predicting which cats will become clinically affected in the future.  Treatments to date have yielded very poor results. Vaccination developed back in the 1990s has not performed well in the field in my opinion, and there is some evidence that vaccinating cats may in fact predispose them to worse symptoms of disease, if they should later contract the actual FIP corona virus.

Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) is one virus that needs to always be on our differential list of causes of chronic disease symptoms mentioned above. However, there remains much research to be done by the veterinary profession, both in terms of accurately diagnosing this viral disease, as well as in treating it; which to date has been very unrewarding.