Author: virtuavet

17-Year-Old Cat Treated for Multiple Diseases at the Same Time

Circe stopped crying at night. Maybe she was uncomfortable. Maybe her illnesses were wearing at her sanity. Maybe she was yowling for help. Persistence, medicine, and patience gave this cat – and her mom – her life back!

Dehydrated Siamese Cat with fur sticking up on his back“My Cat’s Eating All the Time, Losing Weight, and Crying all Night.”

Circe’s (pronounced Sir-Sea) mom beseeched Doc Truli to understand, “I feel like I’m losing my mind.  She won’t let me sleep and I’ve tried every kind of food to make her happy, but she’s still hungry.”

Doc Truli examined the 17-year-old skinny seal point Siamese cat.  Circe butted her head into Doc’s hand and arched her back with her whippy Siamese tail straight up in the air; she danced on her tippy toes all over the examination table.  Doc predicted these signs of friendliness masked extreme nervousness; Circe would erupt in kitty violence if she felt restrained or threatened.

Vertebra bones jutted out along her back.  Her big blue eyes looked sunken into her skull.  Her skull outlined against the examination room light.  Her petite little paws carried half the weight from 10 months before at her annual check up.  The little cat’s ribcage stuck out like a spring-loaded drum around her spastic heart beating 300 beats a minute!  Circe was one sick cat!

“Circe is very sick.  She needs hospitalization and a full medical work-up.  My nurse will go over the diagnostic and treatment plan with you before we do anything further,” said Doc Truli.

“How can I avoid putting my cat through all of those tests?”

“But she’s so energetic.  She eats.  She purrs.  Doesn’t that mean she’s not that sick?  Do I really need a bunch of tests?  Can’t we just start with one test and, if we find the answer, we don’t have to put her through the other tests?” said Circe’s mom.

Doc hears this almost every day.  Probably, if you just found VirtuaVet, you are asking yourself the same questions.  Maybe you don;t have the money for “lots of tests.”  Maybe you’re hoping for some direction without personal data about your cat.

“Here are the reasons she needs all the tests I am prescribing,” said Doc Truli,” First, she lost half her body weight.”

“That’s just this week.  That’s why I brought her in, she used to eat anything I gave her and now she just wants to eat the juices from the canned food.”

“She did not lose 50% of her body mass in 1 week.  It’s very tricky to notice weight loss in a cat that you see every day.  The weight changes are subtle and gradual.”

“My cat can’t be dehydrated.  She drinks a lot of water.”

Doc Truli showed Circe’s mom the skin turgor test, so she could see the abnormal skin reaction with her own eyes.  Still., it’s hard for someone to believe something so obvious that they never knew before that minute!

Doc Truli pulled the skin up on this Siamese cat's back, and it NEVER went back down again!
Can you see the skin never went back down?

“But, do we really have to do all these tests?  Can’t we just start with one?  I don’t want to put my cat through all these tests!”

Diagnostic Tests for a Sick Cat with Severe Weight Loss

  • “Minimum database” consists of Complete Blood Count, Blood Chemistries, and Electrolytes, urinalysis
  • Feline leukemia and feline AIDS virus tests, even for cats who are indoors all the time
  • fecal parasite examination
  • Thyroid Level
  • Blood Pressure
  • Urine Culture and Sensitivity (15% of cats 10 and older have a hidden urinary tract infection.)
  • Full body radiographs (2 views)
  • Probably abdominal ultrasound

If You Have Pet Insurance, You’re Liable for Only 10-20% of the Bill!

Probably, depending upon where you live, you’re looking at 1-2 week’s pay.  If you live in the US, 3% of you have pet insurance.  If you live in the UK or EU, 75% of you have pet insurance.  If you have pet insurance, you will spend a few days’ pay, instead of weeks!

Most people at this point say (or think), “That’s too expensive!  Isn’t there anything I can do at home to help without spending so much?”

The Two Most Common Misconceptions About Cat Medicine

1.  Can’t I just do some tests? and 2. Can’t we just try antibiotics and see if my cat feels better?

No, and no!  Okay, honestly, maybe your cat will have the first disease tested for, and no other diseases.  Maybe your cat has a deep kidney infection, and nothing else wrong.  In that case, a few tests and some antibiotics, fluids, and special feeding instructions might just get you through.  Now, while no research proves the likelihood of multiple diseases at the same time, Doc Truli is here to tell you: Cats Get More Than One Disease at a Time!!!

Comorbidity

Circe had Hyperthyroidism, renal disease, hypertension, hypercalcemia, anemia, and now inflammatory bowel disease with bouts of pancreatitis.

This list of ailments is not unusual in an elderly cat.  Cats often have comorbidity (fancy doctor word for several diseases that seem to occur together.)  There’s even an officially recognized disease called “triad disease” with pancreatitis, hepatitis and diabetes at the same time!

Do you think one test would have helped Circe?  Do you think she would have come back to the hospital several times a week for weeks and weeks if one thing was treated at a time?  Do you think Circe would be alive, gaining weight, and eating her cat food normally today?  No, she would not.

In fact, this cat is still doing well one year after diagnosis.  Her hyperthyroidism is under control, her kidneys are stable.  The hypertension resolved when the thyroid and kidney disease stabilized.  Once her blood pressure came down from 280/160 (!), her appetite returned.  Her options for food that helped her inflammatory bowel disease expanded and she was able to discontinue her Budesonide medication for the inflammatory bowel disease.

We never figured out why she had hypercalcemia.  More than half of the time, cats have idiopathic hypercalcemia, which means science cannot find the cause.  The high blood calcium did complicate the kidney disease treatment.  A very good medication to lower the toxicity of parathyroid hormone that is overproduced in kidney disease cannot be used when the calcium and phosphorus in the blood are significantly elevated.  Still, Circe improved with the personal, hand-crafted treatment only the full application of medical technology and knowledge can provide.

Circe stopped crying at night.  Maybe she had been uncomfortable.  Maybe her illnesses were wearing at her sanity.  Maybe she had been yowling for help.  Persistence, medicine, and patience gave this cat – and her mom – her life back!

10-Year-Old Shepherd Mix Dog Coughing Blood

Here are images, first of a normal dog chest seen from the side and the top-to-bottom view, and then Marley’s x-rays. Can you spot the problem?

German Shepherd Mixed Breed Dog Coughs Up Blood

dog-chest-tumor-x-ray, tumor as large as the heart in the back of the chest
oval thing on left=heart, on upper right=tumor!

Marley, a 10-year-old male, neutered black and tan German Shepherd Dog Mix, wagged his tail and smiled at Doc Truli.  Marley did not get up.

“How’s Marley’s arthritis?” asked Doc Truli.

“It’s the same, good days and bad days.  He takes the glucosamine, omega 3’s, the painkillers, and the special food you prescribed.  But, I’m worried about this new cough he has,” said Marley’s person.  “He coughs and sometimes a little blood comes up.”

“That’s very concerning,” said Doc Truli. Continue reading “10-Year-Old Shepherd Mix Dog Coughing Blood”

Top Ten Curable Problems a Stray Dog is Likely to Suffer

This little girl had a litany of common street dog ailments and medical needs, while being basically healthy and completely treatable. We named her “Sweetie.”

white american bulldog teenager with black nose looks at Doc Truli
american bulldog beauty!

A Dog Found Running the Streets

Wonderful, caring receptionist finds frightened stray American Bulldog-looking dog by the neighborhood supermarket.  Beautiful, neglected 10-month-old white and black-spotted American Bulldog female looks up at Doc Truli with melty-brown big, trusting eyes.  That’s got to be one of the hardest parts about treating stray dogs: almost all of them are trusting and forgiving.  Dogs are amazing!

This little girl had a litany of common street dog ailments and medical needs, while being basically healthy and completely treatable.  We named her “Sweetie.”

Top Ten Curable Problems a Stray Dog is Likely to Have

  1. Intestinal worms.  Especially hookworms and roundworms.  Sweetie had hookworms.  Treat with prescription-strength dewormer.
  2. Unspayed.  Spay ASAP.  Spaying and neutering makes a dog less likely to roam.  If you find a stray, they were roaming when you found them!
  3. Fleas.  A good bath in any foaming shampoo kills the fleas, you don’t need toxic flea shampoo.
  4. Ticks.  Pick them off or get a prescription tick dip at the vet’s.  Ticks can require 2 or 3 dips until they are gone.
  5. Bacterial Dermatitis.  Sweetie had bumps and crusts of scabs here and there all over her body.  She needed some prescription antibiotics.  With a vet’s prescription, Publix offers 2-week’s worth of Cephalexin, an appropriate antibiotic for most bacterial skin infections in dogs, free!
  6. Starvation.  Sweetie was about 5.5 kg (12 lbs) underweight.  Add food!  She gained 2 kg (about 5 lbs) in 4 days!
  7. Ringworm.  Sweetie was infected with ringworm fungus, particularly on her ears.  Check out this classic ringworm picture!  Ringworm gets into your home easily.  The microscopic fungal spores rub off everywhere the dog goes and they can be carried on air currents everywhere dust can be found.  Environmental contamination is a big deal!  Keep the stray dog in a bathroom or crate until you see the vet!  Ringworm is also Zoonotic, meaning the ringworm infects people, too!  Wash your hands after touching the dog and do not sleep with the dog until it is cured, whatever you do!  If you notice itchy spots or red bumps on your skin, see your doctor right away!  Diagnosis and Prescription Ringworm Treatment from the vet are mandatory to keep your family safe from ringworm!
  8. Perfectly circular pink, bald, itchy spots on a dog's ear pinna, or ear flap.
    Ringworm Fungus on a Dog's Ear

    Mange.  Most stray dogs have come in contact with mange mite-infected wildlife, other dogs, or cats.  The mite insects are too tiny for you to see with your eyes, but they cause crusted, super-itchy lesions on the paws, ear edges, face, around the eyes, and sometimes thick piled-up scabs all over the body.  A really terrible mange infection will cause most of the fur to fall out and thick folds of dark pink, angry, sore skin to crust over and just hang in folds.  A dog can die from severe generalized mange , as the skin is the largest organ, and the largest immune system defense of the body.  See the veterinarian for safe and effective mange treatment; do not be lured into toxic home remedies!

  9. Thunderstorm phobia and Separation Anxiety.  If your stray dog is in good shape.  Nails trimmed, collar on, no fleas, not skinny, odds are the dog ran away.  And odds are he or she ran away because of a panic attack. Watch carefully and schedule a veterinary appointment if you see signs you dog is anxious, vocalizing, soiling the house, or shaking during storms or during the first ten minutes when you leave the house.
  10. Loneliness.  The #1 Reason to Keep a Stray Dog: Share the Love you and Your family have to give.  It will come back to you 1000 times!

Sweetie received Lyme-Sulfur Dips weekly and Prescription medication for the ringworm.  After 4 weeks, Doc Truli spayed her.  She is still looking for a forever home as of October 3, 2010!

10-Year Old German Shepherd Dog Needs 9 Teeth Removed

The tartar is so thick and crusted and caked onto the tooth surfaces that it looks like one big continuous shiny brown glop of muddy cement dentures.

nine tartar and calculus encrusted teeth extracted from a suffering german shepherd dog's mouth lined up on a gauze pad
The Dirty Nine

This Shepherd’s Sewer Mouth Made Professional Nurses Faint!

Abigail’s mouth smelled like a toilet from across the examination room.  The 10-year-old German Shepherd Dog looked normal.  She acted normal.  She even walked normally.  But, if she licked your hand in greeting, you could not get that smell off your hand for 48 hours, no matter how many times you washed!

Abigail suffered horrible, horrible dental disease.  This dog had one of the top ten worst mouths Doc Truli and the nurses had ever seen.  Luckily, Abigail’s mom suspected there was a problem and came ready for dental surgery.

“I know her mouth is bad…” said mom.

(That’s worlds better than the usual shocked response Doc gets from pet parents, “How can it be that bad, he’s eating just fine.”)

Veterinary Technician Student Blown Away by Tartar

Doc Truli hosts clinical technician students from the local veterinary technician college.  “Wow!  My teacher would love to have those teeth so we can use them in class!” said the Thursday student.

“For what?” asked Doc.

“Our teacher mounts the teeth in a fake plastic dog jaw and we clean the teeth in the dental lab for practice,” said the student.

“Okay, well, I’ll ask Abigail’s mom if she wants to donate the teeth for teaching purposes after we get this mouth cleaned up,” promised Doc Truli. Continue reading “10-Year Old German Shepherd Dog Needs 9 Teeth Removed”

How to Make a Dog Tail Cover

The fur gets in the way, the skin oils repel the stickification, and the patient can tear the bandage off with his or her teeth. Hmmm…

black and tan burnished belgian malinois smiles up at his handler
Happy, energetic working dog

Dog Tail Bleeding is Difficult to Stop

If you don’t have this problem, you probably will not get how important this advice is for some poor dog out there in the world!

Bald spot with thick, cracked skin on tip of dog's tail bleeds when he wags it
The bald area has bumps and cracks that bleed when the wagging tail hits walls and the sides of the sleeping kennel.

Some dogs wag their fool tails so hard, they crack the skin open near or at the tip, and the tail bleeds like crazy all over the house and just never seems to stop (because they keep on wagging!)  Some dog kennel managers call it “Pointer tail” because so many Pointers do this.  Other dogs with skinny, whippy tails do it, too. Greyhounds, Dalmatians, American Pit Bull Terriers, American Bulldogs, and even some furry breeds, like Belgian Malinois and German Shepherd dogs (especially if they are excited, high energy working dogs wagging and spinning in the squad car all day!)

Once the sore opens up on the tail, it can be incredibly difficult to heal.  Some dogs require tail amputation just to cure the bleeding and prevent recurrence of the problem.  Successfully bandaging the tail can mean the difference between surgery or no surgery.

Bandaging a Dog Tail Tip is Incredibly Tricky

You can’t just put an adhesive bandage on a dog tail and have it stick.  Actually, you rarely can stick a bandage on a cat or dog at all.  The fur gets in the way, the skin oils repel the stickification, and the patient can tear the bandage off with his or her teeth.  Hmmm…

However, done right, the tail can be bandaged for weeks until the sores heal. Continue reading “How to Make a Dog Tail Cover”

Doggone Anesthesia

How do I avoid Anesthesia for my Older Dog?

Anesthesia can age an already older pet. There may be groggy hours or days of recovery, digestive upset, stiffness or achyness from positioning during the procedure. You may be wondering if anesthesia is the only way to go? And if it is, what can you do to help your dog bounce back better than before the anesthesia? A holistic house call veterinarian with over 20 years experience, Dr Truli offers tips and alternatives you may not have already thought of.

  1. Get a second opinion

    1. After 20 years of surgeries, Dr Truli’s Tampa Bay area practice is now 100% house calls with no surgery. “If I recommend surgery, I make zero money from that recommendation. You know I truly feel the surgery is in your pet’s best interest,” says Doc Truli.

      90 pound (50 kg) German Shepherd Dog has 6 ruptured intervertebral discs seen on magnetic resonance imaging of his lower back, resulting in hind leg paralysis.
      Partly paralyzed German Shepherd gets electro-acupuncture to help his back. Surgery is very risky with 6 ruptured back discs in a row! (see the wires on his side?)

  2. Get a proper diagnosis

    1. diagnosis: vomiting versus regurgitation “Vomiting involves active abdominal retching. If it ‘just comes up’ especially after your pet has just been sleeping, it is likely regurgitation. Why does it matter? If it is vomit, we look in the abdomen for the problem. If it is regurgitation, we look in the chest,” says Doc Truli. You might be getting x-rays of the wrong part of the body!
    2. diagnosis: diarrhea versus constipation “Diarrhea and constipation can look identical. Your dog is doing the squat-walk around the yard and nothing comes out. Most people assume it is constipation. Usually it is diarrhea. Opposite treatment,” says Doc Truli.
    3. diagnosis: coughing versus choking “Coughing can look like choking. Choking is a life-threatening emergency. If you think your dog is choking, do not hesitate to go to the pet ER,” Doc Truli.
    4. diagnosis: bacterial skin infection versus yeast infection versus skin cancer “Bacteria, yeast, ringworm, mites and skin cancer can look identical. You need proper non-invasive testing,” says Doc Truli.

  3. Ask explicitly about alternatives to surgery

    1. alternative: new medical treatments “Will acupuncture work just as well as or better than surgery?” asks Doc Truli. What else might work?

      You can feel acupuncture points when you know how to relax and trust your senses.
      Beau has 2 brain tumors identified on MRI. They are inoperable. He enjoys his acupuncture and it helps him sleep soundly through the night. The specialist gave him 2 weeks to live. We just celebrated week 5!
    2. alternative: rest and painkillers “Does the surgery improve the outcome, or is it the same? Many times knee surgery can be avoided with rest, painkillers and physical techniques like professional massage and exercises for healing,” sys Doc Truli.

      Long-haired miniature dachshund gets acupuncture to help her back pain.
      Acupuncture has been proven at least as effective as back surgery in many studies.
    3. alternative: how many dogs get better on their own? If you do nothing, will your dog get better? The classic example is ear hematoma surgery. A dog will likely get better on its own without surgery, but it can be painful and take longer than if you have a surgery performed.

  4. Can the procedure be done with local numbing?

    1. local anesthesia reduces need for deep anesthesia
      1. many skin tags and small lumps and skin biopsies can be performed with local numbing. A calm, complaint dog that does not mind laying on a table under surgical lights is the ideal patient for non-anesthesia procedures.

        A fleshy little 5 mm skin tg hangs off the notton left eyelid on this German Shepherd Dog. This is a tempting surgery to do without anesthesia. It would be a big mistake!
        This eyelid lump looks easy to remove. But part of good surgical planning is anticipating and planning for every possible problem. Like “Shepherd no like! Syndrome” rendering surgery impossible mid-way through the procedure.
    2. your dog needs help to decrease anxiety and pain with local anesthesia “Local anesthesia numbs the sensation from the area. But most dogs do not understand the hospital environment and feel anxious. Anxiety increases perception of pain,” says Doc Truli

  5. Can the procedure be done with light sedation?

    Upside-down Olde English Bulldogge plays with a big plastic ball in her jaws.
    Can surgery be done with light sedation? You tell me!!
    1. light sedation: lump removal small lumps in a calm dog, especially on an easy to heal area like the trunk of the body or the top of the head are candidates for non-anesthesia surgery
    2. light sedation: diagnostic testing
      1. ultrasound usually no sedation is needed. Some dogs fidget or pant and must have a light sedative so the ultrasonographer can see the computer images.
      2. allergy skin testing is performed with light sedation. It may be more difficult to explain to your itchy dog why they are being shaved in a dermtologist’s office than explaining skin testing to your child.
      3. diagnostic biopsy, especially bone marrow biopsies can be quite painful and scary. Sedation is considered necessary for bone marrow biopsies.

  6. Does my dog need anesthesia?

    a nice afternoon in the cool autumn breeze lifts an old dog's spirits.
    This girl would likely not survive surgery. Happy Patient after massage, acupuncture and injections to help severe arthritis & weakness.
    1. anesthesia: would the procedure be less stressful for my dog?
      1. tumor removal in a nervous dog. Will your dog remember the procedure and never accept a veterinarian’s help again unless zonked by sedation? Perhaps it is better to let your dog sleep through this episode, instead of developing a mental complex.
    2. anesthesia: would the procedure be faster?
      1. if your dog needs to be held still. Think about your dog standing and sitting, standing and sitting, panting, spinning, while your veterinarian tries to suture closed an incision on your dog’s side. It is likely to take an hour instead of 10 minutes!
    3. anesthesia: would the results be better?
      1. more thorough visualization
      2. ability to move the body parts and get to the area “I admit, back in the day, sometimes I wish I would have put certain dogs under anesthesia instead of taking 4 nurses and an hour to do a 1 nurse 10 minute procedure with only local anesthesia,” says Doc Truli.
    4. is the procedure impossible without anesthesia?
      1. dental x-rays. Nope. No. It is not possible to take diagnostic quality dental x-rays in an awake dog. Why? If you ever had dental x-rays, remember when they said, “Now hold your breath for a minute?” That’s why.
      2. painful surgeries: bone, knee, hip, back. Just grueling. Only battlefield conditions would make me want to do these surgeries without anesthesia.

  7. What can I expect my dog to go through if they do not have the surgery?

        1. Always ask yourself and your veterinarian: is the surgery better the problem in the first place? For example, bilateral mastectomy on a 12 year old dog with pre-cancerous lumps. An intensive, extensive large surgery might make her weaker.
        2. “I saw a dog years ago with a large red lump on the top of his nose. It was a mast cell tumor. Surgery was needed to cure it. But the family did not want his nose disfigured and frankly, it was an expensive surgery. The dog lived 3 more happy years, then suddenly passed from cancer-related disease. 15 was pretty good!” says Doc Truli.

          I planted the roots from a spring onion when I ate the tops. A monarch butterfly attached a cocoon to the spring onion stalk. I ws right there when the new butterfly emerged. It was a little slow and dazed at first and then slowly flapped and dried the new wings. It fly away after 5 minutes.
          Just because it’s cool: 1 minute old Monarch butterfly just emerged from its cocoon on my spring onion stalk.

Call or email Dr Truli today! Call toll-free (877) 378-7854 or email DrTruli@VetVMD.com

Limping 10-Month Old Doberman-Shepherd Puppy

Most of these puppies will actually stop eating because they are experiencing so much pain. Karl had lost 5 pounds and was skinny. He couldn’t afford to loose any more weight.

large-breed-puppy-panosteitis
Shepherd Puppy, temporarily happy because he saw a treat!

Puppy in Pain

Karl doubted he was in the right place.  The 10-month-old black and tan mostly Doberman Pinscher-German Shepherd puppy sat on the ceramic tile floor and turned his nose to the side.  He did not want to look Doc Truli in the eye.  Karl was a strong, sleek, beautiful puppy.  Except for his right front leg.

From across the veterinary examination room, Doc Truli could see Karl’s right front leg did not touch the floor.  The puppy sat with his right leg crooked and flinched in pain if anyone reached toward the foot.

“Doc, he’s been limping for a few days now.  We thought he injured his leg, but wouldn’t it be getting better after a few days?” said Karl’s person.

“He should feel better if a sprain or injury caused the limp.  Karl’s in severe pain, and I think I know why,” said Doc Truli. Continue reading “Limping 10-Month Old Doberman-Shepherd Puppy”

Professional Tricks to Give Your Cat Medication

Can you use a breath strip to give a cat medicine?

black short haired kitten eating with his head plastered into a small blue bowl
Nom nom nom

How to Give a Cat a Pill, and Other Meds like Liquids

Pill Pockets

Pill Pockets are a brand of treat designed with a hole in the center of a soft, yummy chewie treat.  You place the pill in the center and pinch the treat “shut.”  Greenies Brand makes two flavors for cats: salmon and chicken.  These Pill Pockets are incredibly, overwhelmingly tasty to most cats.

“My cat, Mitsy learned to spit out her thyroid medication.  I almost gave up medicating her until we found pill pockets.  No expense of custom compounding, and she thinks it’s a treat!” says Doc Truli.

Possible down-side to Pill Pockets: if your cat has food allergies (they have a new one for that!), digestive issues, or pancreatitis, your veterinarian can advise you whether pill pockets will be safe for your cat. Continue reading “Professional Tricks to Give Your Cat Medication”

10 Ways to Get Painkillers Into a Cat

Do not insult your cat by thinking he or she is a small dog, or a small human. Cats need special handling!

grey and white long haired cat
grey and white long haired cat

Help!  My Cat Refuses to Take Medicine!

VirtuaVet Offers 10 Quik Tricks to Give Cats Medicine

  • Pill Pockets
  • Piller
  • Pencil With Eraser Tip, sticky butter, dexterous fingers
  • Compounded Liquid Formulation with Eyedropper
  • Compounded Flavor Chewies
  • Crush medicine and mix with tuna juice, give via eyedropper (ask veterinarian or pharmacist if crushing is okay for that medication)
  • Transmucosal
  • Transdermal compounded
  • Gelatin Capsules
  • Melt-in-Your-Mouth Strips Continue reading “10 Ways to Get Painkillers Into a Cat”

10 Quik Subtle Cat Pain Signals

VirtuaVet Presents a Weeklong Series Devoted to Helping Cats in Pain, starting with Subtle Signs of Cats in Pain

dilute tortoiseshell shaded silver himalayan cat peers out at Doc Truli through the table legs.
If you come any closer, I'll run.....

This Week On VirtuaVet: Helping Cats in Pain

VirtuaVet Presents a Weeklong Quik Series Devoted to Helping Cats in Pain

10 Quik Signs of Subtle Ordinary Cat Pain

  • Drooling (stomach pain, mouth pain)
  • Taking longer to aim a jump (back, hip)
  • Jumping and missing (back pain)
  • Squinting. No, cats don’t squint to see better!
  • Hesitating to touch paw down (shoulder or paw pain)
  • Licking fur until it’s bald on sides (kidney stones)
  • Holding one ear down (earache)
  • Blinking and tearing (eye pain)
  • Not eating (fever, aches and pains)
  • Meowing in the litter box (bladder or urinary tract pain)

Read more about cats in pain at VirtuaVet’s How to Tell If Your Cat is in Pain

VirtuaVet Interactive

Does your cat have a possible symptom that worries you? Leave a comment for Doc Truli and she’ll get back to you!