Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook, Third Edition

657 Pages·2008·8.35 MB·English

Cat Owner’s Home
VETERINARY
Handbook
This book is not intended as a substitute for the medical advice of veterinar-
ians. Readers should regularly consult a veterinarian in matters relating to
their cat’s health, and particularly with respect to any symptoms that may
require medical attention.
In writing this book, we have described the signs and symptoms that will
lead you to a preliminary idea of what is happening with your cat, so you can
weigh the severity of the problem. Knowing when to call your veterinarian is
very important. Delays can be dangerous.
At the same time, we have sought to provide guidance for the acute or
emergency situations that you must handle on your own until you can get
your cat to a veterinarian. Life-saving procedures such as artificial respiration
and heart massage, and what to do in the event of poisonings, obstetrical
problems, and other emergencies, are explained step by step.
But a veterinary handbook is not a substitute for professional care. Advice
from a book can never be as helpful or as safe as actual medical advice. No
text can replace the interview and the hands-on examination that enable a
veterinarian to make a speedy and accurate diagnosis.
However, the knowledge provided in this book will enable you to more
effectively cooperate and better understand your interactions with your vet-
erinarian. You’ll be more alert to the signs of health problems and better able
to describe them. You’ll know more about basic care for your cat, and you’ll be
prepared in an emergency. Together, you and your veterinarian make a great
health team for your cat!
Cat Owner’s Home
VETERINARY
Handbook
Third Edition
Debra M. Eldredge, DVM
Delbert G. Carlson, DVM
Liisa D. Carlson, DVM
James M. Giffin, MD
Edited by Beth Adelman
Copyright © 2008 by Delbert Carlson, DVM, and James M. Giffin, MD. All rights reserved.
Howell Book House
Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Cat owner’s home veterinary handbook / Debra M. Eldredge ... [et al.] ; edited by Beth Adelman. —
3rd ed.
p. cm.
Rev. ed. of: Cat owner’s home veterinary handbook / Delbert G. Carlson, James M. Giffin. 2nd ed.
©1995.
Includes index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-470-09530-0
ISBN-10: 0-470-09530-X
1. Cats—Diseases—Handbooks, manuals, etc. I. Eldredge, Debra. II. Adelman, Beth. III. Carlson,
Delbert G. Cat owner’s home veterinary handbook.
SF985.C29 2007
636.8'089—dc22
2007035470
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Third Edition
Cover design by José Almaguer
Wiley Bicentennial Logo: Richard J. Pacifico
Book production by Wiley Publishing, Inc. Composition Services
The smallest feline is a masterpiece.
—Leonardo da Vinci
F I Q
INDING T UICKLY
A special Index of Signs and Symptomsis on the inside of the front cover for
fast referral. Consult this index if your cat exhibits any unexplained behavior.
It will help you identify the problem.
The detailed Contents outlines the organs and body systems that are the
sites of disease. If you can locate the problem anatomically, look here first.
The general Index begins on page 596 and gives you a comprehensive
guide to the book’s medical information. Where a page number is in bold, it
indicates more detailed coverage of the subject.
Cross-referencesnote pertinent supplementary information.
A Glossary on page 576 defines medical terms used to best explain the
subject or condition. Many of these words are now being used commonly
among veterinarians and their clients. Glossary terms will usually be found in
italics in the text. (Italics may also be used for emphasis.)
vi
In memory of James R. Richards, DVM, director of the Cornell University
Feline Health Center, president of the American Association of Feline
Practitioners, director of the Dr. Louis J. Camuti Memorial Feline Consultation
and Diagnostic Service, co-chair of the Vaccine-Associated Feline Sarcoma
Task Force, author, educator, communicator, and a man who worked endlessly
for better feline health and care.
He treated everyone as a personal friend and a respected colleague. He
understood the importance of communicating what we know. Although he
was much in the public eye, it was never about him and always about the cats.
He inspired everyone who knew him. He was a friend of everyone who was a
friend of cats.
There are some people whose passing makes even the angels weep.
July 19, 1948–April 24, 2007
vii
A
CKNOWLEDGMENTS
This book has been a team effort and a labor of love. Editor Beth Adelman
has cracked the whip, but gently, and virtually coauthored this rewrite.
Researcher Marcella Durand found obscure facts and neat photos. Technical
editor Dr. Lorraine Jarboe added from her vast store of cat knowledge.
Sophomore student Valerie Toukatly added artwork, as did the incomparable
Wendy Christensen. Chris Stambaugh saved us with her technical expertise.
Thanks to Roxanne Cerda, who pushed and prodded me into doing this. And
thanks to my family, who have all dodged around piles of cat veterinary arti-
cles, books, and brochures throughout the house.
A special thanks to all the cats of my life—most especially my beloved
Sam, who graced my life for 22 years. From my first cat, Fredericka the
Freeloader, to my current orange guy, Firecracker (born on the Fourth of July),
my cats have provided me with endless hours of entertainment and company.
All of these cats—client cats, shelter cats, cats of friends, stray cats—have
added to my enjoyment of life. Special love to Venus de Milo, my classic
three-legged black beauty; Jenny, the feline ballerina and opera star; Tiger,
who thought she was a dog; and C2, who loved me despite the fact that I was
her veterinarian. Sharing space with another species is not always easy, but
with a cat it is always interesting!
—Debra M. Eldredge, DVM
viii
C
ONTENTS
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxvii
Chapter 1: EMERGENCIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Handling and Restraint. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Picking Up a Cat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Restraining for Treatment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Restraining Collars. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Transporting an Injured Cat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Artificial Respiration and Heart Massage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Artificial Respiration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
CPR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Shock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Anaphylactic Shock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Acute Painful Abdomen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Broken Bones. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Burns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Cold Exposure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Hypothermia (Low Body Temperature). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Frostbite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Dehydration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Drowning and Suffocation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Electric Shock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Heat Stroke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Poisoning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
General Treatment of Poisoning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Drug Poisoning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Antifreeze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Rodent Poisons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Poison Baits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Insecticides. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Petroleum Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Lead. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Corrosive Household Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Garbage and Food Poisons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Poisonous Plants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Toad and Salamander Poisoning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
ix
x • CONTENTS
Insect Stings, Spiders, and Scorpions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Treating Stings and Bites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Snake and Lizard Bites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Pit Vipers (Rattlesnakes, Cottonmouths, and Copperheads). . . . . . . 45
Coral Snakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Lizards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Treating Snake and Lizard Bites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Wounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Controlling Bleeding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Puncture Wounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Treating Wounds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Home Wound Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Chapter 2: GASTROINTESTINAL PARASITES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Deworming Your Cat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Deworming Kittens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Deworming Adult Cats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
How to Control Worms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Ascarids (Roundworms) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Hookworms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Tapeworms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Other Worm Parasites. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Trichinosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Strongyloides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Whipworms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Flukes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Stomach Worms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Protozoal Parasites. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Giardiasis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Toxoplasmosis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Coccidiosis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Trichomoniasis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Chapter 3: INFECTIOUS DISEASES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Bacterial Diseases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Salmonella. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Campylobacteriosis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Clostridium perfringens. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Tetanus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Helicobacter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Tularemia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74