A cat forum. CatBanter

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » CatBanter forum » Cat Newsgroups » Cat health & behaviour
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

Do People Love Their Dogs More Than Their Cats???



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old May 17th 07, 06:23 AM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
[email protected]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 3
Default Do People Love Their Dogs More Than Their Cats???


It's raining and I thought i would post this for everyone.. as a heads
up!
I honestly didn't know how deadly a single mosquito bite could be, or
the horrible death it could lead to in a kitten or a cat
I thought it ONLY was a threat to my dog. Someone asked, Do you think
we love our dogs more than our cats? I said, No, i love my pets
equally! I think It's just that dogs and cats are different is all.
Gee, my kitten slept on my rotties head and even let the big bruiser
carry him around by the scruff of his neck, little dude did! They were
the best of buddies!! Now I keep looking at this map on
knowheartworms.org and they've updated it. I've read up on heartworms
through catwellness.org but just a little too late and then again for
the future, Not.
Funny, I watched a program on the news yesterday about how to take
care of our pets in the summer months. But they didn't even make
mention of mosquitoes. I'd wondered if anyone here knew about this, or
might be interested or care.
So Do you Love your fur-balls as much as your dogs? Or even if you
don't have a pet, probably know someone who does. Well, i think it's
worth sharing. I am sorry if my post is long but maybe it will benefit
someone else hopefully.

Harley Jones (also affectionately called "Baby Girl" was a loving and
shy indoor cat. She was born on May 1, 2005, under a porch in
Columbia, S.C. Ashley Jones and her husband Jared brought her home to
join their family, which included their five-year-old cat Dempsey, and
three-year-old dog Bear.

The Joneses treated Harley and their other cat for fleas, and
protected Bear from both fleas and heartworms. Unfortunately, they
would learn the hard way that, without heartworm prevention, the
disease could affect their felines as well.

One afternoon in October, shortly after Harley's first birthday,
Ashley came home for lunch and found Harley lying on the floor of the
kitchen, not breathing or moving. Earlier that morning, she had been
hopping up on her lap, eating and acting normal. Ashley was shocked
and upset to see her lying there. Hastily, she called the Columbia Cat
Clinic and drove Harley straight there.
Dr. Leigh Sheridan met them quickly in the examination room, gave
Harley a thorough exam and reported that she had died. Due to the
sudden nature of the death, Dr. Sheridan suspected heartworms, but
ordered a necropsy to be sure. The results confirmed her suspicions:
Harley died of complications from feline heartworms.
According to the American Association of Feline Practitioners
heartworm disease is contracted through a mosquito bite and causes
significant lung disease in cats. Many cats infected with heartworms
do not exhibit any signs and very tragically, the first sign of the
disease is that the cat suddenly dies. It is a very serious disease,
but very preventable.
"My husband and I felt helpless, and wished there was something we
could have done to prevent [Harley's death]," Ashley said. "We now
protect our other cat against heartworms and are proud to raise
awareness so that other cat lovers do not have to experience such a
tragic event."

  #2  
Old May 17th 07, 03:24 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
MaryL
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,779
Default Do People Love Their Dogs More Than Their Cats???


wrote in message
oups.com...

It's raining and I thought i would post this for everyone.. as a heads
up!
I honestly didn't know how deadly a single mosquito bite could be, or
the horrible death it could lead to in a kitten or a cat
I thought it ONLY was a threat to my dog. Someone asked, Do you think
we love our dogs more than our cats? I said, No, i love my pets
equally! I think It's just that dogs and cats are different is all.

snip

Thanks for posting this. I posted a reminder about heartworms and the
importance of heartworm medication to this group last spring and again this
year. I live in an area where we need to give heartworm medication all
year, but people in northern states have a protocol for specific months --
which is why I started posting in the spring. Your message (and the link
you provided) adds some specific content that shows how quickly death can
occur in a cat.

To answer your question: No, I don't think people love their dogs more than
their cats (certainly, not on this newsgroup). The people is that people
are generally unaware that this is a problem for cats as well as for dogs.
In fact, it is *worse* if a cat is infected because there is little that can
be done at that point. I think veterinarians and the media should be doing
far more to educate the public about the problem and about preventative
steps. (I use Heartgard once a month for my twosome.)

MaryL


  #3  
Old May 17th 07, 08:49 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
Lis
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 144
Default Do People Love Their Dogs More Than Their Cats???

On May 17, 10:24 am, "MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER
wrote:
wrote in message

oups.com...

It's raining and I thought i would post this for everyone.. as a heads
up!
I honestly didn't know how deadly a single mosquito bite could be, or
the horrible death it could lead to in a kitten or a cat
I thought it ONLY was a threat to my dog. Someone asked, Do you think
we love our dogs more than our cats? I said, No, i love my pets
equally! I think It's just that dogs and cats are different is all.


snip

Thanks for posting this. I posted a reminder about heartworms and the
importance of heartworm medication to this group last spring and again this
year. I live in an area where we need to give heartworm medication all
year, but people in northern states have a protocol for specific months --
which is why I started posting in the spring. Your message (and the link
you provided) adds some specific content that shows how quickly death can
occur in a cat.

To answer your question: No, I don't think people love their dogs more than
their cats (certainly, not on this newsgroup). The people is that people
are generally unaware that this is a problem for cats as well as for dogs.
In fact, it is *worse* if a cat is infected because there is little that can
be done at that point. I think veterinarians and the media should be doing
far more to educate the public about the problem and about preventative
steps. (I use Heartgard once a month for my twosome.)

MaryL


A few years ago, my regular vet was a woman who also did pathology at
a tertiary care veterinary hospital. She talked about how they were
finding more and more cases of heartworm-infected cats, and the pros
and cons of heartworm protection for cats. Her opinion was, not for
indoor cats, because the medication itself was a bigger risk than the
likelihood of infection. And even for indoor/outdoor cats, she was
ambivalent, because the heartworm-infected cats she was seeing had all
died from something else, but it was something she felt she had to
discuss with cat owners who did have indoor/outdoor cats.

But the thing is, she WAS doing pathology at a tertiary care
veterinary hospital, and seeing things that the average vet rarely if
ever sees. I suspect the average vet now is where she was on the
subject 5-10 years ago.

Lis

  #4  
Old May 17th 07, 09:04 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
MaryL
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,779
Default Do People Love Their Dogs More Than Their Cats???


"Lis" wrote in message
oups.com...
On May 17, 10:24 am, "MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER
wrote:
wrote in message

oups.com...

It's raining and I thought i would post this for everyone.. as a heads
up!
I honestly didn't know how deadly a single mosquito bite could be, or
the horrible death it could lead to in a kitten or a cat
I thought it ONLY was a threat to my dog. Someone asked, Do you think
we love our dogs more than our cats? I said, No, i love my pets
equally! I think It's just that dogs and cats are different is all.


snip

Thanks for posting this. I posted a reminder about heartworms and the
importance of heartworm medication to this group last spring and again
this
year. I live in an area where we need to give heartworm medication all
year, but people in northern states have a protocol for specific
months --
which is why I started posting in the spring. Your message (and the link
you provided) adds some specific content that shows how quickly death can
occur in a cat.

To answer your question: No, I don't think people love their dogs more
than
their cats (certainly, not on this newsgroup). The people is that people
are generally unaware that this is a problem for cats as well as for
dogs.
In fact, it is *worse* if a cat is infected because there is little that
can
be done at that point. I think veterinarians and the media should be
doing
far more to educate the public about the problem and about preventative
steps. (I use Heartgard once a month for my twosome.)

MaryL


A few years ago, my regular vet was a woman who also did pathology at
a tertiary care veterinary hospital. She talked about how they were
finding more and more cases of heartworm-infected cats, and the pros
and cons of heartworm protection for cats. Her opinion was, not for
indoor cats, because the medication itself was a bigger risk than the
likelihood of infection. And even for indoor/outdoor cats, she was
ambivalent, because the heartworm-infected cats she was seeing had all
died from something else, but it was something she felt she had to
discuss with cat owners who did have indoor/outdoor cats.

But the thing is, she WAS doing pathology at a tertiary care
veterinary hospital, and seeing things that the average vet rarely if
ever sees. I suspect the average vet now is where she was on the
subject 5-10 years ago.

Lis


Thanks for the information. The question of preventative medication (and
innoculations) is one that is very important. I no longer have my cats
vaccinated for rabies or leukemia because they are indoor cats, and there
have been a number of reports of sarcomas at injection sites.

My vet recommends heartworm prevention even for indoor-only cats (which mine
are), and I have been following that advice for a number of years. When we
first discussed it, he said that indoor cats are far less likely to have
heartworms (for obvious reasons), but they have a greater death rate if they
are infected. And, of course, mosquitoes can easily get indoors -- but
fortunately not in the great numbers that we see outdoors. He also said
that heartworms are far more common in dogs, but we are finding more and
more cases in cats (at least in this area -- East Texas).

MaryL


  #5  
Old May 18th 07, 04:05 AM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
Lis
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 144
Default Do People Love Their Dogs More Than Their Cats???

On May 17, 4:04 pm, "MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER
wrote:
"Lis" wrote in message

oups.com...





On May 17, 10:24 am, "MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER
wrote:
wrote in message


groups.com...


It's raining and I thought i would post this for everyone.. as a heads
up!
I honestly didn't know how deadly a single mosquito bite could be, or
the horrible death it could lead to in a kitten or a cat
I thought it ONLY was a threat to my dog. Someone asked, Do you think
we love our dogs more than our cats? I said, No, i love my pets
equally! I think It's just that dogs and cats are different is all.


snip


Thanks for posting this. I posted a reminder about heartworms and the
importance of heartworm medication to this group last spring and again
this
year. I live in an area where we need to give heartworm medication all
year, but people in northern states have a protocol for specific
months --
which is why I started posting in the spring. Your message (and the link
you provided) adds some specific content that shows how quickly death can
occur in a cat.


To answer your question: No, I don't think people love their dogs more
than
their cats (certainly, not on this newsgroup). The people is that people
are generally unaware that this is a problem for cats as well as for
dogs.
In fact, it is *worse* if a cat is infected because there is little that
can
be done at that point. I think veterinarians and the media should be
doing
far more to educate the public about the problem and about preventative
steps. (I use Heartgard once a month for my twosome.)


MaryL


A few years ago, my regular vet was a woman who also did pathology at
a tertiary care veterinary hospital. She talked about how they were
finding more and more cases of heartworm-infected cats, and the pros
and cons of heartworm protection for cats. Her opinion was, not for
indoor cats, because the medication itself was a bigger risk than the
likelihood of infection. And even for indoor/outdoor cats, she was
ambivalent, because the heartworm-infected cats she was seeing had all
died from something else, but it was something she felt she had to
discuss with cat owners who did have indoor/outdoor cats.


But the thing is, she WAS doing pathology at a tertiary care
veterinary hospital, and seeing things that the average vet rarely if
ever sees. I suspect the average vet now is where she was on the
subject 5-10 years ago.


Lis


Thanks for the information. The question of preventative medication (and
innoculations) is one that is very important. I no longer have my cats
vaccinated for rabies or leukemia because they are indoor cats, and there
have been a number of reports of sarcomas at injection sites.


That was another thing she was seeing lots of--injection site
sarcomas. Because of it, she was in favor of minimizing the number of
injections (no FeLV vaccine for indoor cats that had no contact with
indoor/outdoor cats, combining vaccines wherever possible [something
that's controversial itself]) and varying the site of injection as
much as possible, so that the same spot didn't get it all the time.

My vet recommends heartworm prevention even for indoor-only cats (which mine
are), and I have been following that advice for a number of years. When we
first discussed it, he said that indoor cats are far less likely to have
heartworms (for obvious reasons), but they have a greater death rate if they
are infected. And, of course, mosquitoes can easily get indoors -- but
fortunately not in the great numbers that we see outdoors. He also said
that heartworms are far more common in dogs, but we are finding more and
more cases in cats (at least in this area -- East Texas).


Rabies vaccination is mandatory here (Massachusetts, New Hampshire,
and I think all of the northeast). Carmen did say that her advice on
heartworm prevention for cats might be different, if she were
practicing in a different part of the country. Here, we worry about
Lyme and lepto.

Lis

  #6  
Old May 18th 07, 05:19 AM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
MaryL
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,779
Default Do People Love Their Dogs More Than Their Cats???


"Lis" wrote in message
oups.com...
On May 17, 4:04 pm, "MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER
wrote:
"Lis" wrote in message

oups.com...


That was another thing she was seeing lots of--injection site
sarcomas. Because of it, she was in favor of minimizing the number of
injections (no FeLV vaccine for indoor cats that had no contact with
indoor/outdoor cats, combining vaccines wherever possible [something
that's controversial itself]) and varying the site of injection as
much as possible, so that the same spot didn't get it all the time.


Lis


Ironically, that is the reverse of what the protocol seems to call for
(although I see the logic in what she said). Vets have been told to use
specific locations (although probably not exactly the exact spot) for
specific injections to help in determining which types of vaccines were
causing the sarcomas.

MaryL


 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Does God love dogs? [email protected] Cats - misc 2 February 28th 07 07:51 AM
almost no closed dark games will smartly love the dogs Upset Baby Cat anecdotes 0 September 11th 05 02:43 PM
it should monthly love without Frederic when the hot dogs join inside the wet night Profound Obese Pig Cat anecdotes 0 September 11th 05 12:22 PM
If you love cats, you'll love this site The Cat Album Cat health & behaviour 0 December 18th 04 01:15 PM
I love dogs but this ng is for cats. Pls do not post about dogs here. Kuisse0002 Cat health & behaviour 14 July 20th 03 01:58 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 10:53 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 CatBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.