Ask Dr. Paola – Monday March 17, 2025

The station Ask Dr. Paola – Monday March 17, 2025 by Dr. Paola Cuevas MVZ (Veterinarian) appeared archetypal connected Catster. Copying implicit full articles infringes connected copyright laws. You whitethorn not beryllium alert of it, but each of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, truthful they aren't considered nationalist domain. However, we admit that you similar the nonfiction and would emotion it if you continued sharing conscionable the archetypal paragraph of an article, past linking retired to the remainder of the portion connected Catster.com.

Welcome to our “Ask Dr. Paola” series, wherever each Monday we bring adept proposal consecutive from Dr. Paola Cuevas (MVZ) to assistance our readers amended recognize their cat’s wellness and well-being.

Whether you’re a caller favored genitor oregon a seasoned feline lover, Dr. Paola is present to supply answers to your astir pressing questions. From nutrition tips and preventive attraction to troubleshooting communal behavioral issues, Dr. Paola is acceptable to connection insights that volition support your kitty happy, healthy, and feline fine. Stay tuned for adept guidance connected a scope of topics that substance astir to you and your cat, truthful you tin marque informed decisions and supply the champion imaginable attraction for your furry companion. ‎

Have‎ a ‎question? Send it successful here!

Help! My Cat Has a Crusty Growth connected His Chin!

“Dear Dr Paola, 

Mr Crowley is simply a mini-panther and helium has helium tiny bumps connected his trunk wherever determination shouldn’t be, but what truly concerns maine is simply a crusty, sticky maturation connected the extremity of his chin, astir the size of a pea which tin not beryllium seen. I lone felt it and it truly concerns me. Thanks,“ – Steve

Hi Steve,

I wholly recognize your concern. Any unexpected changes successful Mr. Crowley’s skin, particularly a crusty oregon sticky growth, merit attention. The chin is simply a communal country for feline acne, which tin pb to clogged follicles, tiny bumps, and adjacent secondary infections. However, since you picture the maturation arsenic firm, sticky, and crusty, determination are different possibilities to regularisation out, including an infected follicle, a cyst, oregon adjacent thing much analyzable similar eosinophilic granulomas AKA “rodent ulcer” oregon a benignant of tegument tumor.

The small bumps connected his trunk could beryllium related oregon a abstracted issue, specified arsenic allergic dermatitis, insect bites, oregon different benignant of tegument reaction. Since skin conditions tin person a wide scope of causes, and astir necessitate circumstantial treatments, the champion attack would beryllium to person him seen by a veterinarian. They whitethorn execute a tegument scrape, cytology, oregon adjacent a biopsy if needed. In the meantime, debar touching the area, and if helium uses integrative bowls, I urge switching to stainless steel, arsenic integrative tin harbor bacteria and often contributes to tegument irritation.

I genuinely anticipation it’s thing elemental and treatable for Mr. Crowley, but fixed the crusty texture and persistence of the growth, an in-person exam would beryllium the champion mode to guarantee helium gets the attraction helium needs.

Best wishes, Dr. Paola

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Help! My Cat is Suddenly Sneezing!

“Hi Dr Paola!

I person noticed my feline Shushu, who is 11, started to sneeze a fewer times a time a fewer days ago. Additionally she had a cough occurrence this greeting (around 10 seconds) which did not repeat. No sputum/discharge noticed. She is sleeping astir of the days, inactive has a large appetite and zoomies. What could it be? Should I sojourn her vet for this? I’m disquieted it could beryllium cigaret fume owed to idiosyncratic smoking successful the house, oregon possibly a cold, a virus, oregon adjacent dust? Thank you truthful much!! “ – Cana

Hi Cana!

It’s large that you’re paying specified adjacent attraction to Shushu’s health, particularly arsenic she gets older. Occasional sneezing successful cats tin beryllium triggered by a assortment of factors, including biology irritants similar dust, cigarette smoke, oregon adjacent household cleaning oregon other scented products. Since idiosyncratic successful the location smokes, this could beryllium a imaginable irritant affecting her respiratory system, arsenic cats are rather delicate to airborne pollutants.

That said, the information that she besides had a brief coughing episode raises the anticipation of an underlying respiratory issue. Viral oregon bacterial infections, allergies, oregon adjacent aboriginal signs of asthma could beryllium astatine play. While her appetite, energy, and behaviour look normal, which is reassuring, her property makes it important to show her closely. If the sneezing and coughing continue, go much frequent, oregon if she develops nasal discharge, oculus irritation, oregon immoderate changes successful breathing, a veterinary sojourn would beryllium omniscient to regularisation retired infections oregon inflammatory conditions.

For now, reducing imaginable triggers similar fume vulnerability and particulate could help. Try keeping her successful a well-ventilated, smoke-free area, and see utilizing an air purifier and a humidifier if the aerial is dry. If you announcement immoderate worsening signs oregon an summation successful frequency, a veterinary check-up would beryllium champion to guarantee her respiratory wellness is afloat assessed.

I anticipation this helps!

Dr. Paola

Image Credit: KanphotoSS, Shutterstock

Help! My Cat Is Losing Hair!

“My boyfriend’s feline Beckham is losing fur successful patches, particularly wherever helium scratches a lot. His tegument is mostly pinkish with immoderate faint achromatic spots. I besides saw a achromatic bug successful his fur and the tegument adjacent his belly pouch looks infected. Since he’s not my cat, I tin lone instrumentality him to the vet if it’s serious. Also, helium scratched maine profoundly and it took six months to heal – could helium person fixed maine an infection? –  April

Hi April,

Beckham’s fur loss, itching, and tegument irritation dependable concerning, particularly with the beingness of a achromatic bug successful his fur. This powerfully suggests a parasite infestation; most apt fleas. Cats with flea allergies tin person aggravated itching, starring to overgrooming, hairsbreadth loss, and adjacent secondary tegument infections. The achromatic bug you saw could beryllium an big flea, and the achromatic spots connected his tegument mightiness beryllium hyperpigmentation from chronic irritation. If the tegument adjacent his belly pouch looks infected, red, swollen, oregon oozing it’s apt a secondary corruption from bacteria taking vantage of the irritated skin, this requires veterinary attention.

Since you mentioned Beckham scratched you profoundly and it took months to heal, there’s a anticipation you contracted an infection, particularly if the coiled was inflamed, dilatory to close, oregon worsened implicit time. Cats tin transportation Bartonella (also known arsenic feline scratch disease), on with different bacteria similar Pasteurella that tin origin slow-healing wounds. If you inactive person immoderate lingering effects oregon concerns, get checked by an MD.

As for Beckham’s worsening infection, helium does request veterinary care. A vet needs to regularisation retired complications like fungal oregon bacterial infections. Taking attraction of everyone’s wellness is highly important. Ensuring Beckham gets a due aesculapian valuation volition not lone enactment his well-being but besides assistance support the wellness of those astir him. I anticipation helium receives the attraction helium needs soon!

Wishing Beckham immoderate alleviation and hoping your scratch is afloat healed by now!

Sincerely,

Dr. Paola

The station Ask Dr. Paola – Monday March 17, 2025 by Dr. Paola Cuevas MVZ (Veterinarian) appeared archetypal connected Catster. Copying implicit full articles infringes connected copyright laws. You whitethorn not beryllium alert of it, but each of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, truthful they aren't considered nationalist domain. However, we admit that you similar the nonfiction and would emotion it if you continued sharing conscionable the archetypal paragraph of an article, past linking retired to the remainder of the portion connected Catster.com.