Stray Cat/ Vet Question...help!

naughtoj

naughtoj

Cathlete
Ok, I have two questions..

I have a cat that has been hanging around in my backyard for about a month now. Apparantly he likes my yard better than any other (might be the Friskies, LOL) cuz he never leaves. Anyway, he may be a neighborhood cat belonging to someone else, but it is clear that he DOES NOT ever go home!! Well, I think he has ear mites. He scratches at his ears and black flecks fly out when he shakes vigorously (YUCK). Anyway, I want to help him. Is there any way I can without taking him to the vet. I don't know if I could get him in a carrier, and I know my husband is going to freak when I tell him I want to take some unknown cat to the vet. But..........if he is going to hang around, and this is contagious, shouldn't I deal with it since I have one indoor cat? Anything you can do for ear mites WITHOUT having to put multiple drops in their ears. He won't hold still...x(

Question #2

My cat was sick last week with something that caused her to lick her lips alot and she lost her "voice". We took her to the vet and they said something about her having gingervitis and that a few of her teeth were likely being "resorbed" and that that was a very painful condition for some cats. Supposedly, it is also very common. Well, they want to schedule some sort of cleaning and possible extraction, costing around 200-400 dollars, depending. Last week they put her on Metacam, a pain reliever and antiinflammatory as well as Interferon, an immune booster. She seems better and because money is tight I want to know...........will this condition come back and make her sicker if I don't deal with it now? I am asking if this procedure really has to be done or if they are just trying to "sell" me something.

Any help from animal lover and better yet EXPERTS would be great. Thank you!!!
 
Ok as for question 1-- I don't think there is anything you can do without taking the kitty to the vet.

As for question 2-- here is my main concern with not doing the procedure. One of my cats has very bad teeth. We brush, we clean, we do all kinds of thing. However, despite our efforts, he couldn't eat as much, and we took to the vet. His gums were black way in the back where we couldn't see and his teeth were very yellow. The vet thinks it runs in his genes, hence the brushing not working. ANYHOW.... if we didn't have the same procedure done your vet is talking about, the infection in his gums (aka gingevitis) could've spread to his blood and killed him. Now we were also concerned that the vet may be over dramatizing, but we got a second opininon and the vet said the same thing.

Since having his gums cleaned and a few particularly bad teeth removed, he's been much better. We still have to give him special drops and brush his teeth more then a normal cat, but it is maintaining his mouth well-- rather then fighting a losing battle that could've killed him.

Hope that helped!
:)
Susan

PS Please let me know how your kitty is doing!
 
For question #2, I agree with what the above poster wrote. I also had an older cat with gum disease and teeth that needed to be scraped. He had problems eating etc. He was so much better after the cleanings. I don't remember the price but if your vet feels your cat needs it, I would do it.

Also, I think there is nothing you can do with the stray besides take him to the vet. As far as using your carrier, I would worry that the cat has a transmissible infection such as feline leukemia virus or something else and would not use my cat carrier for it unless you are planning on tossing it immediately after use. I wouldn't risk spreading anything to the cat you already have. If you do take the cat to the vet, you might consider also having it tested for these diseases and giving it shots in the event you decide to adopt it. It won't hurt the cat to have been given its immunizations twice if in fact it already had shots.
 
For question #1, I think the vet is the only answer. The poor thing may be suffering from unknown illnesses that only a Doc can diagnose.

For question #2, my kitty had to have dental work done for a similar condition. We were moving cross country and I needed a health certificate for him to fly. The vet discovered that he had an infection in a back tooth. He had gingivitis around several teeth but this tooth had cracked. The bacteria took hold and the tooth had to be removed. we also had a full mouth cleaning to remove the plaque buildup. What an ordeal! The poor baby had a complex for a month. He won't let us brush them so we just keep an watch on things. If the plaque builds up, we will take him back for a full cleaning.

Good luck with your stray friend.
 
I purchased an OTC ear mite drops for a new kitten we found and couldn't get in to see the vet right away. Worked terrific, but it took two of us.. one to hold her head still, the other to put the drops in. Prior to putting them in, cleaning the ears with some soft cotton. Two or three times a day. The kitten was ear mite-free when we finally got in w/ the vet.
 
As far as using your carrier, I
>would worry that the cat has a transmissible infection such as
>feline leukemia virus or something else and would not use my
>cat carrier for it unless you are planning on tossing it
>immediately after use.

YOu woulnd't have to throw it out, just clean it out with bleach.

Also, if take the cat to the vet (which is the best solution for ear mites if you can't clean his ears yourself) you might consider going the whole Good Samaritin route and having him neutered (though if he's hanging around in your yard a lot, he may already be). Just a though (I've done that with stray cats that have come to my yard! One came one time and never returned. Hmmmm...I wonder why!)
 
Hi Janice!

Obviously not an expert here, but in regards to question #2, my Mom's cat had a similar condition (or maybe the same, I don't remember) as your cat. The problems with his mouth & teeth had progressed to the point where he had the WORST bad breath and finally stopped grooming. When she took him to the vet they gave him a bath and I think took out two teeth and put him on some medication. I know I'm not much help because I don't remember everything. But I do remember it was around $400 for everything and he is a much happier and healthier kitty now.

:) Nicole
 
Alright, well, apparantly it is off to the vet!

I don't know if I can get the stray/neighborhood cat into the carrier. I would like to get him fixed.......especially if he never is going to leave, LOL, but I am worried that technically he "belongs" to someone else and I hate to return him ball-less.LOL.
Well, I can try the drops..........I purchased some, but tried one drop and he went freako.

I HATE being such a huge cat lover. Gets me in a LOT of trouble sometimes!

Thanks for the advice everyone..:D
 
Question 1 - ear mites are best treated with prescription medication, so yes, a trip to the vet is in order.

Question 2 - Definitely have the dental procedure done. These teeth can literally "dissolve" out of the cat's gums and it can be very painful. While I'm glad the metacam and interferon helped, the primary problem is still there.

Good Luck with both!!
 
An interesting aside--I know a neurologist that was asked by an area zoo to examine a gorilla who had become lethargic and exhibited other neurologic symptoms (the zoo did not have a vet that specialized in neurology). It turns out the gorilla had severe gingivitis and tooth decay. The infection spread to his brain and the problem was so advanced that efforts to treat it failed and the poor thing died. :-(

Michele
 
>I don't know if I can get the stray/neighborhood cat into the
>carrier. I would like to get him fixed.......especially if he
>never is going to leave, LOL, but I am worried that
>technically he "belongs" to someone else and I hate to return
>him ball-less.LOL.

If these possible "owners" (yeah, right) aren't responsible enough to get him neutered themselves, I'll bet they wouldn't even notice!

What are they going to do, come over and complain that he no longer sprays all over? That something seems to be missing?

Do it! (I mean "have it done," not "do it yourself," LOL!)
 
Yes, I know dental infections/problems in cats as well as in humans are nothing to screw around with as they can cause major problems. I figured everyone would have this response..:)

Hey Kathryn, I'm with you......My husband said we just can't go fixing someone else's cat and I said, "Like they are going to notice his balls are gone!" LOL. Plus, I have fixed other cats before and they still look like they have their balls. In my lifetime I have fixed probably around 15 cats, totally out of my pocket. More $$ too if you count immunizations, blah, blah. That number would be MUCH MUCH higher if I could get the darn cats into the carriers easier. It is a huge undertaking just to plan a vet trip for 90% of the cats I have cared for!

Thank you Edie for the straitforward advice. I know you are a vet? That helps. I rescheduled the dental appt for next Wed and have to now figure out a way to get the neighborhood cat ("Moochie") into a carrier...:eek:
 
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