Friday, November 15, 2013

Feline Diabetes

Diabetes, or high blood sugar is a metabolic Disease that affects many elder, Heavy felines. Parallel to adult onset diabetes in humans, cat diabetes Comes when the Older cat pancreas no longer produces a sufficient amount insulin or the cells of the felines body lose their capacity to aid it correctly.

There are many Symptoms that indicate diabetes in felines which include, extreme thirst, increased urination, many more trips to the litter box then usual, and starved craving, many times accompanied by extreme weight loss. If your feline develops any of these Signs, see a veterinarian at once. Creating an operational management program for a diabetic feline requires expert experience, whether you go for a traditional or holistic approach. Unless feline diabetes is brought under control, it can cause vomiting, loss of craving, weakness, dehydration, poor dry skin and hair coat, liver disease, many numerous metabolic disturbances, and may possibly ultimately head to death.

 

Feline Diabetes
Numerous veterinarians believe that felines fed a nourishing, appropriate diet from when they are kittens are much less likely to develop feline diabetes. Veterinarians successfully nurse many diabetic animals with a natural diet that they would catch in the wild and with supplements only, without insulin. Cats diabetes is typically managed through prescription type of diets and insulin medications, either injected or taken orally.

One of the keys to triumph in dealing with your diabetic cat is to feed your animal a whole natural food diet and stick with it. Which in essence means no junk and no snacks that alone would be 50 percent of the solution. There is evidence that diabetes is in part a problem of pancreatic insufficiency and of breaking down foods. The use of digestive enzymes is beneficial to enable animals to process food more effectively.

There are elements that have proven benefits against feline diabetes like a combination of chromium, vitamin E, and selenium. Chromium stimulates insulin action. Insulin must initially mingle with chromium in order to effectively release the tissues to glucose and the production of energy. There are experiments that show that insulin is nearly ineffective devoid of sufficient chromium to create energy. Processed cat dry food is typically deficient in chromium. Studies also reveal that chromium supplementation reduces blood sugar. Vitamin E and selenium are valuable antioxidants that can help care for the blood vessels and other tissue from accelerated corrosion impairment caused by lofty blood sugar levels.

An additional valuable mineral nutrient is vanadium in the form of vanadium sulfate. This trace mineral can mimic the property of insulin or build up its efficiency in the felines body, hence tumbling both blood sugar level consistently. You don't want to cause such a harsh drop that you create a hypoglycemic effect that is low blood sugar.

If you found this article helpful and want more information, please go to http://catkinsdiet.com/felinediabetes.html

Brian Fleming has created the website catkinsdiet.com to help cat owners cope with cats that have developed feline diabetes, while teaching others how to properly feed their cats to avoid any health issues in the future.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3724659

Monday, November 11, 2013

Cat Teeth Cleaning Tips

Most people are intimidated when they consider the thought of cleaning their feline's teeth. But fear not, this may be easier than you think. Basically, the subject falls into two categories: preventive maintenance/home care and veterinary dental cleaning.

Let's start with basic home dental care for your kitty. Cleaning cat teeth is best accomplished in prevention, and should be ideally started as a kitten. Even though a kitten's teeth do not need cleaning, you should begin by desensitizing your cat to having your fingers in his mouth by rubbing the gums along the top of his teeth. Do this every 1-2 days. Don't despair if you have an adult cat, they can be trained as well.

 

Doing the finger-in-the-mouth exercises will prepare your cat for the dental care that you can do at home. Basically, there are two schools of thought on this: prevention of plaque by altering the pH of the mouth with a zinc-based product, or actual tooth cleaning with brushing or rubbing the teeth.

First, let's talk about prevention: there are some great products available that actually change the pH in the mouth by using zinc, to keep plaque from forming. These products can be put directly into the cat's mouth on the gum line with an easy swipe of your finger or a cotton swab, or added to the cat's water bowl.

The second technique for cleaning cat teeth at home, is simply brushing them. At little research will uncover scores of cleaning kits that include wands, brushes or finger cots as well as feline approved toothpastes. A combination of these practices used at least 3 times per week will accomplish the best results, and can often thwart the need for a full dental at your veterinarian's office.

The following are some helpful hints to aid you in your dental routine: Make it a positive experience for your cat. Use a soft voice and praise every good behavior. Wrap your kitty in a towel, much like a cape is used in a beauty shop. This will keep unwanted paws and claws from interfering. Start slow, maybe with just one section of the mouth at each sitting. Depending on your cat's personality and tolerance level, it is better to do less with positive results, than more with disastrous results.

Ok, if all of the above is just too stressful to think about with your wild-child-kitty, then professional help is available. Most veterinarians that have surgery capabilities in their clinics are equipped for cleaning cat teeth. This generally includes scaling of the teeth and extractions. Prices on dentals will vary greatly depending on where you live and the severity of the cat's need for dental care.

If you chose veterinary dental care, expect your veterinarian to possibly do some preliminary blood work if you have an adult or senior cat. Whenever using anesthesia, it is often a good idea to check for problems that may be underlying such as an infection or heart anomalies. You will probably be asked to withhold food and water after midnight, the night before his cleaning. Most dentals are same-day outpatient procedures.

Just remember, the best way to succeed at cleaning cat teeth is to be consistent, positive, and rewarding to your cat. Remember to praise, praise, praise every positive step!

Steve Weber is an avid pet lover and has more information on his web site about cleaning cat teeth.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3770743