Q: Yesterday I noticed some fish bones in the cat food I give to
my two kittens. I threw out the food and didn’t give them any of
it, but I wasn’t sure if this was right. Are these bones harmful to
cats that eat them?
Q: Yesterday I noticed some fish bones in the cat food I give to my two kittens. I threw out the food and didn’t give them any of it, but I wasn’t sure if this was right. Are these bones harmful to cats that eat them?
A: Many canned foods made for cats and dogs contain connective tissue and bones in their mix. Separating these out during production would be too costly. People who see this material for the first time sometimes worry that it will be a problem if their pet eats it. But thorough cooking softens all these bones rendering them safe, if swallowed.
By the way, this extremely thorough cooking process can also leach out some of the nutrients in the food as well. Many of the cheaper foods are not as nutritious, partly because of this process. Talk with your veterinarian about what food he or she recommends for your cat. If you feed an inexpensive brand of food, your pet may not be getting enough of the essential nutrients he needs and he might benefit from som vitamin supplementation.
Q: My 8-year-old cat has cancer in his ear. The vet said we may have to remove his ear. Will he need chemotherapy? What is the life expectancy of a cat?
A: You didn’t say in your letter, but I’ll wager that your cat has a white-tipped or an all-white ear. The non-pigmented skin in these areas is easily affected by the ultraviolet rays of the sun. White ears can easily sunburn and with time, develop a cancer called squamous cell carcinoma. Squamous cell, by far, is the most common cancer seen on the nose and ears of cats. Because of this, white-eared cats should be kept indoors out of direct sunlight to protect them from this potentially devastating disease.
Surgical treatment for this kind of cancer is usually all that is needed, particularly if the diagnosis is made early. The surgeon simply removes the cancerous area, performing a surgery similar to an ear-crop. If there isn’t any extensive tissue damage, the amount of ear removed can be minimal and the surgical treatment will not be severely disfiguring.
The good news is that chemotherapy is usually not required. And after he heals, life can be good again.
Cats, on the average, live anywhere from 13 to 19 years. Because your 8-year-old could otherwise live another five years or more, I would recommend you have him treated. He may sport a new look after surgery, but he should be able to remain healthy and happy otherwise.
Q: I have an 11-year-old indoor neutered male cat. Recently, I noticed one of his teats appears quite swollen, the size of a pea. It is also discolored, but it isn’t painful and isn’t oozing like an abscess. What’s causing this? Should I be concerned?
A: While this swelling is probably the result of an infection, there is a possibility of a more serious problem here. Mammary cancer is not common in cats, and it is even more unusual in male cats.
This is probably an infection from a bite or a claw wound happens frequently in kitty-cats. Oftentimes, these infections swell and develop into abscessed wounds that can be discolored and distorted. Sometimes these abscesses do not surface easily and need surgical treatment.
Your veterinarian will excise the lesion to drain out the infected material inside. Deep abscesses like this can be fairly benign inasmuch as they don’t make the kitty feel ill, and they don’t cause any pain.
But your description leaves the impression that this might possibly be something different. Any unusual swelling like this arouses suspicions of cancer and should be evaluated by a veterinarian. I think you’ll feel better knowing the answer, so go in for a checkup right away.
