Fire station cat, Edna, has lived with the firefighters since she was a feral kitten
IN THE MEWS — SAN FRANCISCO by JeffyJeffyBadBoy
Employees and firefighters at a San Francisco Fire Station 49 are devastated after their beloved mental health specialist, firehouse cat Edna, was fired by San Francisco Fire Department administration for simply being a cat. Edna came to the station as a feral kitten and was part of the firehouse family. However, after five years of helping firefighter deal with stress, the department removed Edna from the facility because of an anonymous complaint.
A spokesperson for the department said they banished Edna due to concern about “the animal’s own safety and well-being.” Yeah, right. The statement claimed, that since the facility contains “medical supplies, equipment and pharmaceuticals,”the department stated that “having the cat in the facility compromised the sterility” of the supplies and equipment.
SF Fire Commissioner Joe Alioto Veronese is fighting to return Edna to work at station #40
Despite the #ednastays campaign, Edna was taken away from the station on Monday. One of the firefighters is stepped up to adopt her. SFFD is planning a “pet adoption day specifically for First Responders” so they can adopt a pet to cope with their stress. Wow, amazing compassion.
According to Dion Lim a reporter for ABC7 in San Francisco, SF Fire Commissioner Joe Alioto Veronese is fighting to return Edna to her rightful post. Apparently Commissioner Alioto knows fire station animals provide vital for emotional support to first responder. He will present a new animal policy to the fire commission at their meeting today. Commissioner Alioto says other stations have animal mascots. One station has a rooster. (And we know how sterile bird crap is.)
What would you like to say to the San Francisco Fire Department? Tell me in the comments below.
Check out Edna’s Instagram page fire_cat_edna.
Don’t forget to read important cat news at dustycatwriter.com, and Jeffy’sDailyMews on Instagram and Facebook.
Patron Saint of Veterinarians, Rescuers, People of Color, Television, Hair Dressers & Trekkies
What do veterinarians, people of color, Trekkies and hairdressers have in common? In times of need they can all call upon St. Martin de Porres. He is one of the coolest saints around. The Dominican brother is recognized as the first black saint from the Americas.
Officially, he’s the patron saint of barbers, hair stylists, innkeepers, Mexico, black people, people of mixed race, Peru, poor people, public education, public health, and television (yes, the boob tube). He stands for interracial and social justice and racial harmony. (Certainly use his intercession with today’s racial strife.) People also invoke his name for protection from rats. Unofficially he represents veterinarians, Trekkies, holistic healers and people who are bullied.
Juan Martin de Porres was born 435 years ago today, on Dec. 9, 1579, in Lima, Peru. He was the illegitimate son of a woman of color (a freed Panamanian slave) named Ana Velázquez and the Spanish knight, Don Juan de Porres. Papa never married his baby mamma, and wasn’t proud that little Martin inherited his mother’s dark complexion. The “nobleman” abandoned his family three years later, after the birth of their daughter, Juana. What a guy! After Dad disappeared, poor Ana struggled to feed her kids by taking in laundry. Eventually Don Juan stepped up and sent his son to a primary school for a couple of years, after which 12-year-old Martin apprenticed as a barber.
As a trainee, he learned more than how to coif a mullet and sculpt a soul patch. In those days, barbers’ finely honed blades also opened veins for cozy sessions of bloodletting. Martin learned to perform surgeries, dig out ingrown toenails, lance boils, set bones, dress wounds, treat disease and compound medicine from herbs. The training gave him the ability to care for the sick and destitute without charging a fee.
Just like Mr. Spock, St. Martin de Porres was able to be several places at once.
When he turned 15, Martin entered the Holy Rosary Dominican Priory in his hometown. At that time, Peruvian law prohibited descendants of Africans and Indians from becoming full members of religious orders. So Martin wore the monastery’s habit and performed worked in the infirmary as a barber-surgeon as well working on the farm and performing menial tasks in the kitchen and laundry.
In and outside the convent, Martin became known for his miraculous cures; he treated noblemen and slaves alike without regard for their race or social status.
When he turned 24, Martin took charge of the friary’s infirmary, where he worked until he died. He opened a children’s hospital for kids living in the slums and the Orphanage of the Holy Cross. Eventually the Dominicans ignored the racial restriction and allowed Martin to take vows as a Dominican brother.
A Real Dr. Doolittle
St. Martin’s compassion wasn’t restricted to humans. He was a 16th-century Dr. Doolittle, with the ability to communicate with animals. Like St. Francis, Martin treated animals as if they were brothers and sisters. Only a Hannibal Lecter would chow down on his family, so Martin never ate meat. Centuries ahead of his time, the barber-turned-veterinarian treated sick and injured cats and dogs at his animal hospital set up at his sister’s home in the country. He also founded a shelter for stray pets.
While officially St. James the Greater, St. Eligius and St. Blaise are the patron saints of veterinarians, people with sick kitties and poopy pooches might want to have a conversation with Martin de Porres. After all, this guy was a practicingvet.
Of mice and Martin
Even potentially plague-carrying vermin benefited from St. Martin’s mercy. A mischief of mice set up housekeeping in the priory’s linen wardrobe. (And we know, nothing conveys the concept of “holy” like altar linens covered in mouse poop.) The monks wanted to poison the furry invaders, but St. Martin had other plans. Reminiscent of St. Francis’ negotiations with the killer wolf of Gubio, Martin simply promised not to promote the mice to Glory if they would relocate to a little den at the end of the garden. Martin even offered to cater their meals. Then, in a Peruvian version of the Pied Piper, he led Mickey’s cousins to their new digs. The mice stayed away from the linens, and Martin kept his part of the bargain.
Beam me up, Marty
Martin is the official patron saint of television and (appointed by me) unofficial saint of Trekkies. Stick with me on this.
While Martin wanted to serve as a missionary, this was not to be. But stories persisted describing Martin visiting those in need through bi-location (meaning he could safely fold clothes in the laundry in Peru while treating a patient in Algeria).
Five centuries before Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott was a gleam in Gene Roddenberry’s eye, Martin managed to transport himself around the globe. The word “television” means “vision from afar” in Greek. A man who bi-locates certainly represents that concept.
You might wonder if being in two places at the same time has something to do with those herbs he learned to compound in barber school. Probably not. The claims of his visitations came from the people he helped. Even though Martin never left Lima, people said the saint appeared to them in Algeria, China, France, Japan, Mexico and the Philippines.
Locked doors couldn’t keep Martin from caring for the sick. During an epidemic, sixty novice friars living in a locked section of the convent fell ill. Several of them reported seeing Martin pass through locked doors like Captain Kirk in the “Tholian Web.” These claims were even verified by monastery superiors.
In icons, St. Martin is usually depicted along with a cat, dog, and a mouse eating from the same bowl. He’s also associated with a broom (because of his love of manual labor), a crucifix, a rosary and/or a heart.
Nov. 3, 1639, Martin teleported from his corporeal body for the final time. He died of quatrain fever at his beloved Rosary Convent at the age of 59. The man who was rejected by society, and even his own father, was carried to his resting place by church prelates and noblemen. He was canonized by Pope John XXIII in 1962.
So next time you go to the vet, feel bullied, or watch a rerun of Star Trek, you might have a conversation with St. Martin de Porres. After all, he communicated with animals and bilocated to exotic places. He’s not likely to let a little thing like a grave come between him and someone in need.
No nasty emails please. This was from my blog on the potential movie, Catnado. Syfy turned it down. No cats were harmed in the making of the photo. Photo by Dusty Rainbolt.
It’s hurricane season…again, and Hurricane Florence has North Carolina in her cross hairs. Regardless of where you live, or which disasters you could face, you need a disaster plan that include your pets?
On March 29, 2017 the weather in north Texas was crazy. I was happily dreaming, but I bolted to life when my severe weather app shrieked. “A tornado has been spotted in your area.”
This is what we woke up to. We had 11 minutes before the tornado made it to Flower Mound. Graphic courtesy of the National Weather Service Fort Worth.
My hubby went back to sleep, but I dashed downstairs to check the weather radar.The map displayed a little red triangle and an arrow aiming right for our home. The timeline said the tornado would reach Flower Mound in 11 minutes. Holy flying cat crap, Batman. My dog and cats looked at me as if to say, “So what’s the plan?”
The good news is: I have a disaster plan that includes my pets. The bad news is: I’d never actually tested it until now. The moment of truth approached along with the tornado. I grabbed a handful of designated emergency pillowcases, and then sprinted upstairs to roust my sleeping hubby out of bed. He monitored weather reports while I shanghaied unwilling cats into the pillowcases.
The cat’s out of the bag. Herman after the National Weather Service issued the all-clear. Photo by Dusty Rainbolt.
Thank God, two minutes before the estimated time of disaster, the National Weather Service canceled tornado warning. (The Flower Mound saved us again!) A few moments later 60 to 80 mph straight-line winds hit us, but other than losing some branches off our oak tree, we were fine. A block away, trees were ripped apart. Two miles from my home, Lewisville got nailed by an EF-1 tornado. When we got the all-clear, we opened the pillowcases. (The cats were literally out of the bag.) They trotted out in the open, confused, but relatively unruffled.
Although their house was undamaged, the crazy strong straight-line winds took down this live oak. Photo by Dusty Rainbolt.
While I discovered some kinks in my emergency preparedness plan, overall, it worked pretty well. Whew.
A few future tweaks include attaching zip ties to the pillowcases so we can secure the cats and better placement of flashlights. (I have a full-blown evacuation plan too involving checklists, pillowcases, carriers, go bags, emergency food and loading the car. Complicated, but at least I have one.)
Do you have an emergency plan for your pets? You may not have tornadoes in your area, but you may have to worry about earthquakes, lightning, floods, hazardous chemical spills, wildfires or attacks by cantankerous bigfoot gangs. No matter how safe you feel in your home, you’re at risk of something.
A few doors down this live oak was split down the middle by straight-line winds. Photo by Dusty Rainbolt.
Developing a practical disaster plan
I suspect most people never put a plan together because, according to articles on disaster preparation (including my own), a good plan is complicated and expensive. Don’t be overwhelmed. A simple plan beats no plan at all. So here are five things you can do to keep your pets safe during an emergency.
#1 Have a container for every pet.
Would it be better if you had a $70 carrier or crate for every animal? Of course. However, you may not have the finances or the space. Besides, when the carrier comes out, most cats hide because it usually portends a trip to the vet. A pillowcase makes a fabulous and free alternative in a life and death emergency. Kitties don’t have that negative association with a pillowcase. Pick ‘em up; drop ‘em in. Twist the open end. Taadaa. Contained kitty. (Next time I’ll use zip ties to keep them inside. That will free my hubby to do other things.) When it was safe, we opened the pillowcases. The cats were literally out of the bag. They emerged confused, but relatively unruffled.
Pillowcases made cheap and easy-to-use cat containers in an emergency situation. Photo by Dusty Rainbolt.
If you have 20 cats, get 20 emergency-dedicated pillowcases. I bought my large collection from a thrift store for fifty cents each. Now that’s affordable. Always keep them in the same easy-to-access location so you don’t have to rummage through the linen closet, dirty clothes hamper, the basement or clothes dryer to find them.
#2 Assign jobs.
My husband monitored the weather warnings while I rounded up the cats. He kept them secure in their sacks until we got the all-clear from the National Weather Service.
#3 Confine your pets when you get a warning.
Severe weather or a brush fire headed your way? Put everyone in a small room or bathroom with no (or few) hiding places. When you either have to take cover or bug out, you won’t have to track everyone down. Many cats and dogs hide when unfriendly weather or other threats approach.
#4 Post a list of all your pets.
Do a roll call as you gather your fur babies and check off whenever you locate and confine one. You don’t want to accidentally leave someone out.
#5 Practice different emergencies in your mind.
Yes, it would be better if you actually held emergency drills, but if you’re not going to physically go through the process, then at least mentally work the scenarios. Talk to your family and get their input and ideas.
In the event of a fire or tornado, seconds count. Simple preparations ahead of a potential disaster may save your pet’s life and even your own.
Do you have a disaster plan? What are your concerns about dealing with an emergency? Tell me about your emergency concerns or preparations in the comments section below.
_________________________________
About Dusty Rainbolt
Author Dusty Rainbolt is an award-winning veterinary journalist according to her answering machine. She is an associate certified cat behavior consultant and member of International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, as well as past president of the Cat Writers’ Association. Her books, columns, reviews and articles have been honored with more than 50 writing awards including three-time recipient of Friskies Writer of the Year. Her just-released cat behavior book, Cat Scene Investigator: Solve Your Cat’s Litter Box Mystery, is the consummate guide for dealing with a cat who sidesteps his/her appointed toilet. CSI, which provides science-based methods for determining the medical or behavioral causes of feline inappropriate elimination, teaches cat parents to view their cat’s litter box avoidance through the eyes of a detective to determine the cause and, ultimately, the remedy.
[Author’s note: This is one of the most impressive things I’ve tried in my 18 years of reviewing cat products. It gets 6 paws out of a possible five.]
Cats are masters of deception. I don’t mean their claims of starving only minutes after being fed, but their ability to hide pain. Because people openly complain about our discomfort, we look for similar signs in our pets. Cats, however, suffer pain from any number of causes in secret.
Why don’t they show they’re hurting?
Because in the food chain, every hungry predator bigger than Fluffy wants to eat him. Complaining their knees ache or their eyes feel like they’re on fire is as good as ringing the coyote’s dinner bell. It doesn’t matter that your kitty lives inside; instinct still forces him to stay painfully mum.
Research shows that 90 percent of cats over 12 years suffer from joint disease (i.e. arthritis).[1]90 percent! Another study found the X-rays of 22 percent of the kitties of all ages showed joint degeneration.[2] What other pain might your kitty be hiding?
And feline pain management is a challenge—far fewer options than dogs. Long term pain relief can cost a paw and a tail and in some cases could result in serious side effects.
Dealing with Feline Pain
Lil Bub is a celebrity endorser of the Assisi Loop
I recently discovered a new technology, the Assisi Loop 2.0, to treat pets’ inflammatory pain such as orthopedic injuries, degenerative neurological issues, post-surgical pain and swelling, inflammatory conditions and wounds.
I have to admit I’m a world-class skeptic, and I had a dilemma. How could I review this product? It’s difficult enough to detect feline pain. Without being a mind reader, how can I quantify my cats’ pain relief? It turns out, I didn’t have to be a pet psychic.
The Back Story
A couple of years ago, Assisi Animal Health sent me a sample of the Assisi Loop 2.0 in exchange for an honest review. Somehow, it disappeared on the way home from the post office. (So sorry, Assisi. I really am.) Recently, I had a tire blowout. I pulled out the spare tire and that’s when I found my two-year old unopened Assisi Loop. (It must have slid out of my mail bag.)
The Assisi Loop’s electromagnetic field extends 2/3 the diameter of the device on each side.
While trying to change the tire, my hand slipped and I slammed my index metacarpophalangeal joint (big knuckle) full force against the lug wrench. It was exquisite pain, a level of throbbing I simply can’t describe. My hand felt like it was on fire. Sitting in the driver’s seat waiting for the pain to subside, I thought, “Why not try the Assisi Loop?”
The instructions were straight forward. The unit is preprogrammed to provide 150 15-minute sessions. Push the button to turn on. If you can’t do 15 minutes, turn it off by pressing the button again until the green light goes off. Wait at least two hours before using it again or you risk reducing the battery life. Got it. Would there be any battery power left after two years in a hot Texas car? I doubted it.
I placed the Assisi Loop over my knuckle and pressed the button. The light came on, but I felt no sensation, no tingling, no pain relief. I wouldn’t have known it was on if not for the blinking light. Finally it stopped blinking. The treatment was over and my joint still ached. Oh well.
The Assisi Loop electromagnetic field penetrates fur, bandages and even a cast
However, a couple of minutes later, something surprising happened; the pain vanished. I thought perhaps the pain has simply run its course. I got back on the road and made it safely home. The following day, the throbbing returned. Not as intense, but painful nevertheless. Once again I tried the Assisi Loop with the same results.
Painful Conjunctivitis
Last week, my 6-month-old Siamese-mix foster failure, Ernie, was suffering from a painful bout of conjunctivitis associated with feline herpesvirus. The tissue surrounding his left eye was so inflamed, his eyelids were almost completely swollen shut. My vet ordered antiviral eye drops, but it would be five days before they arrived. Since conjunctivitis is inflammation, I thought this would be a good test for the Assisi Loop. (I’m sorry I didn’t take before and after photos.)
Ernie did not like the Assisi Loop next to his face, so I had to wait for him to go to sleep or slip it under his favorite basket
Hard to believe, but after three treatments I could see no visible inflammation. Of course, we still needed to treat the viral component of the conjunctivitis when the drops arrived, but he appeared to feel so much more comfortable. Extrapolating from this experience, the Loop will also be a godsend for cats struggling with bladder pain from interstitial cystitis and pancreatitis. (Assisi this could be a windfall. Please consider clinical trials of cystitis kitties!!) Our cat, Emily, recently recovered from pancreatitis. If she has a recurrence, she will also receive Assisi treatments.
How does it work?
The Assisi Loop® is an FDA approved non-pharmaceutical anti-inflammatory device (NPAID®t). It emits a targeted pulsed electromagnetic field (tPEMF) into the inflamed tissue, increasing the production of nitric oxide, a chemical essential to the healing process of soft and hard tissues (skin, tendons, ligaments, bones and organs.) inflammation occurs from orthopedic injuries, degenerative disorders, neurological issues, inflammatory conditions, wounds and post-surgical swelling. Our bodies naturally release this compound whenever we exercise, or we are injured to speed healing, reduce inflammation, and lower pain levels. Studies backing these claims have been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery. The technology has even been cleared by the FDA for treating post-operative pain and edema in people. (In 1998, the discovery of nitric oxide’s role in healing received the Nobel Prize for Medicine.)
The Assisi Loop’s electromagnetic field extends 2/3 the diameter of the device on each side.
The Loop need not directly touch the cat (or dog or horse) and can penetrate bandages, casts and fur to reach all the tissue in the target area. The Assisi Loop can be used alone or with acupuncture, chiropractic and pain meds. The Loop has none of the dangerous potential side effects of pain meds.
The Assisi Loop is priced at $269. It is available through some veterinarians or you can purchase it directly through Assisi Health Animal Health with a prescription. For more information check out http://www.assisianimalhealth.com.
Do your cats have problems with pain? Tell me about it in the comments below.
[1] Radiographic evidence of degenerative joint disease in geriatric cats: 100 cases (1994-1997). Hardie EM, Roe SC, Martin FR. JAVMA 220:628-632, 2002.
[2] Osteoarthritis in cats: A retrospective radiological study. Godfrey DR.J Small Anim Pract 46:425-429, 2005.
I wrote Cat Scene Investigator (Stupid Gravity Press) hoping it would help keep cats, who might otherwise be surrendered to shelters or abandoned, in their homes and to mend the human-animal bond damaged by litter box avoidance. Fortunately, the judges got it.
Best behavior book
Cat Scene Investigator received Muse Medallions for Best Behavior Book and Best Series of Illustrations. It also received the prestigious Dr. Jim Richards Cornell Feline Health Center Veterinary Issues Award. The Dr. Jim award goes to the highest quality entry on innovations in feline veterinary medicine that educates the general cat-owning public. Arnold Plotnick judged the category. He is a specialist in veterinary internal medicine and founder of Manhattan Cat Specialists in New York City. Dr. Plotnick said, “Don’t be fooled by the small size of this book. It is jam-packed with up-to-date info on every aspect of inappropriate elimination in cats, written in an engaging, down-to-earth style. This book is the perfect blend of charm, humor and science.” This award was a double honor; the late Dr. Richards was my dear friend and mentor.
The book also received The Fear Freesm Cat Enrichment Award, sponsored by Fear Free, LLC and the Hartz® Glamour-Puss Award. The Enrichment award goes to the work that best educates about how exercise, food puzzles, scent training and other activities that can benefit a cat’s emotional and physical well-being and the role that has in their overall health. Glamour Puss recognizes the best work on parasite control, skin disorders and grooming.
In addition, cartoons by Stephanie Piro appearing in CSI received both the Muse for best series of illustrations and Stephanie’s CSI cartoons received the Kuykendall Image Award for the competition’s “outstanding image.” The book’s cover photo by Weems S. Hutto received a Muse nomination.
Thank you Cat Writers’ Association, CWA judges and special awards judges.
Cat Scene Investigator sports a new look.
Save kitty lives; spread the word
This book will save lives. We simply have to get the word out. Please tell your vet and local shelter and rescue group about Cat Scene Investigator. If you know anyone who has litter box problems with kitty, please tell them about Cat Scene Investigator. The book is available in trade paperback and Kindle. You can purchase it through Amazon, boutiques and veterinary clinics around the country. Additional distribution is pending. If you would like to carry this fabulous resource at your clinic or shelter, contact Stupid Gravity Press for wholesale rates.
George dreads those late dinners after Daylight Savings Time makes us spring forward.
Oh joy. It’s spring. That means allergy season is upon us. Worse still, the second Sunday in March (this Sunday morning) prompts us mindless lemmings to “spring forward” into Daylight Savings Time. A few hours later my alarm clock will roust me from my bed kicking and screaming. It’s like having jet lag without the benefit of a trip. I guess you can tell I’m not a fan of the twice a year time change.
Daylight Savings Time is Hazardous to Your Health
While most of us love that extra hour of sleep we gain when the clocks fall back in November, our bodies never quite make the adjustment to the springtime sleep deprivation jump.
Research shows the time change may actually create health problems. According to a 2014 study published in the medical journal Open Heart, on the Monday following the change to Daylight Savings Time, the number of heart attacks increase by 24 percent over a normal Monday. There’s also an increase in suicide risk for vulnerable individuals. An Australian study concluded that male suicides increase in the weeks following Daylight Savings Time. A 2009 study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology found that, on the Monday after we spring forward, workers were more frequently injured than on a normal Monday. Also those injuries were more serious.
(Please Texas Legislature, get rid of this plague on Texans.)
Whining Session Over
Alright, I’m done complaining. My point is: there are real issues for people who have to alter their schedule to accommodate the time change. Humans are ruled by a circadian rhythm, our biological clock. When Daylight Savings Time disrupts your body’s natural schedule, you can experience anxiety. As it turns out, your cat and dog can, too.
The internal clocks of wild animals are ruled by natural sunlight, and the rising and setting of the sun. As a survival mechanism free-roaming cats are creatures of habit. They live by a strict time schedule throughout the day to prevent unfortunate encounters with adversaries. Indoor cats still rigidly cling to that need for a predictable schedule.
Fluffy’s daily schedule is inextricably linked to yours: feeding time, playtime, clean litter box time and bedtime. Since he can’t hunt for food, he’s concerned about when you get up to feed him, and when you get home…to feed him. If you arbitrarily start rising an hour earlier, he wonders, “What the rat?”
After all, the sun still rises and sets according to Fluffy’s Solar Standard Time. If you’re late returning from work (according to his internal clock), he may fear he’ll starve, and that’s stressful.
Reducing Fluffy’s Stress
Feeding Time
Instead of changing his schedule all at once, transition to the new routine over a week or so. Wake-up time 10 or 15 minutes earlier every couple of days. Between now and Sunday, feed Fluffy a few minutes sooner until he’s eating at the new feeding time. Or, slowly do away with a fixed dinnertime altogether. Vary it by 15 or 20 minutes either way. This will also help reduce stress later if you get caught in traffic or stop to have dinner with a friend.
Instead of a regular dinner hour, offer your kitty food puzzles. He can eat whenever hungry rather than dwelling on the fact that your 60 minutes late. He’ll get used to working for his food. Food balls also reduce stress, boredom and destructive behaviors.
Medication
If your cat takes medicine, call your your vet about changing the time you pill him. Most of the time, a one-hour change won’t cause a problem. That may not be true of cats who need insulin injections or seizure meds. Early doses of insulin could lead to low blood sugar levels. Insulin administration is based on Fluffy’s mealtime and should be given every 12 hours, so ask Doc about mealtime too. She can give you instructions about easing into a new schedule.
Litter Box Maintenance
We all want a clean bathroom. Since you’ll arrive home an hour later than usual, the litter box will go unflushed even longer, give it a quick scoop before you leave for work and again when you get home. Both Fluffy and your carpet will appreciate.
Snuggle Time
Let’s face it, Daylight Savings Time isn’t the end of the world for even the most sensitive of kitties. But giving Fluffy a little extra attention during that irritating transitionperiod will probably make adjusting easier for both of you.
How does the transition to Daylight Saving Time affect your cat? What do you do to help him? Tell me about it in the comment section below.
_________________________________
About Dusty Rainbolt
Author Dusty Rainbolt is an award-winning veterinary journalist according to her answering machine. She is an associate certified cat behavior consultant and member of International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, as well as past president of the Cat Writers’ Association. Her books, columns, reviews and articles have been honored with more than 50 writing awards including three-time recipient of Friskies Writer of the Year. Her just-released cat behavior book, Cat Scene Investigator: Solve Your Cat’s Litter Box Mystery, is the consummate guide for dealing with a cat who sidesteps his/her appointed toilet. CSI, which provides science-based methods for determining the medical or behavioral causes of feline inappropriate elimination, teaches cat parents to view their cat’s litter box avoidance through the eyes of a detective to determine the cause and, ultimately, the remedy.
Spot lost his fight with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy just one month first showing symptoms.
Early drug trial shows promise as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy treatment
According to researchers at the University of California at Davis (UC Davis), there’s promise on the horizon for kitties struggling with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). HCM is an inherited disease that causes the heart walls to thicken with potentially fatal consequences. The thickening of the ventricle (pump muscle), interferes with the flow of blood. This can cause the heart to beat too rapidly, too slowly or irregularly. The heart muscle can suffer from oxygen starvation that may cause heart cells to die.
In many HCM cases, fluid may accumulate in the lung causing rapid or labored breathing, open-mouthed breathing, or lethargy. Many HCM cats appear to be perfectly healthy with no observable symptoms. In some cats, the first hint of a problem is sudden death.
HCM occurs in one in 500 humans. It’s also the most commonly diagnosed cardiac disease in kitties, affecting a staggering one in seven cats. HCM is more prevalent in some cat breeds including Maine Coons and Ragdolls.
lack of treatment for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy Cats
Currently there is no cure or therapy that can change the course of the HCM. Veterinarians can only treat the symptoms with medications that are used to prevent blood clots, improve blood flow, control heart rate and reduce fluid accumulation in the lungs. According to the study, septal myectomy, a surgery that removes the portion of the septum obstructing the flow of blood from the left ventricle, can improve the symptoms and heart function, but it’s invasive, expensive and can only be performed by a specialist.
The heartbreak of cardiomyopathy
MeiMei, a white and brown tabby was rescued off the street by Brooklyn cat behavior consultant, Beth Adelman. When MeiMei was around 3 years, she was diagnosed with HCM. Adelman and their veterinary cardiologist treated the disease as aggressively as possible. “She took all the medications that humans take. The disease progressively got worse,” Adelman said. While medication treated MeiMei’s symptoms, it couldn’t halt the progression of the disease. Still, MeiMei survived a miraculous six years.
MYK-461 gives cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy like Spot hope.
Spot wasn’t as lucky, The Siamese-mix suddenly began displaying signs of illness when he was a few weeks shy of one year. An echocardiogram confirmed her vet’s fear; Spot suffered from an advanced case of HCM. Like Adelman, Spot’s owner also treated the disease aggressively as possible, however Spot lost his struggle only one month later.
Hope on the horizon
Now that we’re all depressed about the bad news; here’s the good news. In a breakthrough “proof of concept” trial involving five HCM cats, researchers found that the drug MYK-461 eliminated left-ventricle obstruction in all the test kitties. The study, supported by a National Institute of Health grant, was published December 14, 2016 in the scientific journal PLOSONE. This novel drug is the first in its class and actually addresses the functional changes that occur in human and feline HCM, rather than simply reducing the symptoms.
“This is an exciting discovery for both animals and humans,” Associate Professor Joshua Stern. He is chief of Cardiology Service at the UC Davis Veterinary hospital. “The positive result in these five cats shows that MYK-461 is viable for use in cats as a possible option to halt or slow the progression of HCM.”
“There has been little to no progress in advancing the treatment of HCM in humans or animals for many years,” Dr. Stern said. “This study brings new hope for cats and people.”
With such promising results, UC Davis researchers hope to conduct a clinical trial in the near future, which could determine if MYK-461 has the potential to become the accepted protocol for the care of cats with HCM.
Have you lost a human or feline friend to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy? Tell me about them in the comments below.
About Dusty Rainbolt
Author Dusty Rainbolt is an award-winning veterinary journalist according to her answering machine. She is an associate certified cat behavior consultant and member of International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, as well as past president of the Cat Writers’ Association. Her books, columns, reviews and articles have been honored with more than 50 writing awards including three-time recipient of Friskies Writer of the Year. Her just-released cat behavior book, Cat Scene Investigator: Solve Your Cat’s Litter Box Mystery, is the consummate guide for dealing with a cat who sidesteps his/her appointed toilet. CSI, which provides science-based methods for determining the medical or behavioral causes of feline inappropriate elimination, teaches cat parents to view their cat’s litter box avoidance through the eyes of a detective to determine the cause and, ultimately, the remedy.
The new SDMA test for kidney disease in cats can detect kidney failure months, maybe even years earlier than standard blood tests.
Exciting News! There’s a new test for kidney disease in cats and dogs. Last week, IDEXX Laboratories announced the introduction of the symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) that will detect feline and canine kidney loss months, maybe even years earlier than current screening.
The presently used blood panel won’t indicate elevated creatinine (waste products in the blood) levels until the cat has already suffered a 75% kidney function loss. According to IDEXX, the SDMA shows up in blood tests when there is only 25 to 40% kidney loss. IDEXX says the test should be run alongside BUN and creatinine panels and urinalysis.
By the time Balew started showing symptoms, she was already in end-stage kidney failure.
IDEXX plans to include the SDMA test in all routine lab test at no additional cost. IDEXX will begin offering SDMA screening to a small group of vets in March and will fully roll out the test this summer.
An Oregon State University study showed that SDMA identified kidney disease four years earlier in one animal. On average, the research SDMA detected kidney disease with only 40% function loss. In some cases, the animals had only suffered 25 percent of function loss. This will allow vets to discontinue any medications that may not be kidney friendly, switch the pet to a renal diet, increase fluid intake and monitor the kidneys more carefully. Early diagnosis and treatment may slow the progression of the disease.
Take your cat to the vet if you see symptoms of kidney disease
Symptoms of failing kidneys include: weight loss, loss of appetite, increased water consumption, as well increased urination, occasional vomiting, reoccurring bacterial bladder and kidney infections, mouth ulcers, bad breath, constipation, lethargy, and/or a brownish-appearing tongue. If you notice any of these symptoms, take your cat (or dog) to the vet as soon as possible.
Fortunately with the new test vets should be able to catch kidney disease well before the onset of symptoms and before extreme kidney function loss.
It’s Super Bowl Sunday; so as you prepare the snack and ice down the beer, keep in mind Super Bowl Pet Safety. Like any other holiday, it’s a time for family and friends get together to drink, eat and cheer for their team. Unfortunately, many of those same party foods can be dangerous for your pet. Here are a few tips to keep your kitties safe and comfortable during the festivities.
Remember kitties don’t appreciate chaos. Keep your pets away from open doors. While guests are coming and going, your cat or dog may dart outside.
Sequester your cat to a quiet room with his food and water, litter box, some toys a towel or tee shirt with your scent and his favorite toys.
Give your pets water only. Alcohol is toxic to dogs and cats. Even a few ounces of beer can cause ethanol poisoning.
Feed your pets only their food or appropriate treats. Many traditional Super Bowl delicacies contain garlic, onion, salt and avocado which can cause a variety of serious health problems. If you enjoy a bowl of hot wings, dispose of the bones in an outside trash can. Bones can cause intestinal obstructions. Also don’t let guests give your pets chocolate or sodas or anything containing Xylitol.
If you must share in the festivities, let them indulged in some commercial pet treats or some turkey baby food (without garlic) or some low-sodium deli turkey.
Good luck. May the best team win. Keep Super Bowl pet safety in mind and everyone wins (sort of.) As for me, I’ll record the game and watch the commercials. I’m looking forward to watching the Puppy Bowl. Go Dachshunds. Go Kitties.
