Chronic Disease Management

A recent study showed that eighty-percent of kitties over the age of twelve have some degree of arthritis, the same painful condition that we humans can get in our joints as we age. While cats don’t have the luxury of taking ibuprofen or acetaminophen (both of which are deadly to cats), there are other NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatories) that can help with acute pain, a new monthly monoclonal antibody injection for reducing arthritis pain in cats, and some wonderful non-pharmaceutical modalities that can help your cat get back to jumping up on the kitchen counter: environmental modification, physical therapy, massage, acupuncture, and non-pharmaceutical anti-inflammatory devices. Let ZenCat find the best way to manage your kitty's chronic arthritis pain before it become debilitating. 

Not sure your kitty is suffering arthritis pain? Here is a great resource to help you assess your cat: https://www.zoetispetcare.com/checklist/osteoarthritis-checklist-cat

As with people, diabetes is the scourge of the obese kitty. But as with people, proper nutrition holds the promise of putting diabetes into remission. Some cats develop insulin resistance, and others have a condition called acromegaly, which makes controlling their blood glucose nearly impossible – if you’re having difficulty getting your cat’s diabetes under control, we can test to be sure s/he isn’t suffering from these conditions, as well. Most diabetic cat owners I’ve worked with are bothered by the excessive drinking and urinating (known as polyuria/polydypsia, or PU/PD), but as long as we can get the blood glucose to stay mostly below the kidney’s blood glucose threshold of 255, we can reduce PU/PD.  Diabetes is no fun for you or your cat, so let’s work together to get kitty’s blood glucose under control.

For newly diagnosed diabetic kitties that have not received insulin, there is a new oral treatment that may eliminate the need for twice-daily insulin injections.

Hyperthyroid is curable with radioactive iodine treatment, and treatable long-term with methimazole. But radioactive iodine is expensive, and not all kitties enjoy taking pills. There is transdermal methimazole, and the smaller, more-palatable Felimazole available, and an iodine-free prescription diet that can bring your cat into a euthyroid state – let’s work together to find a solution to your cat’s hyperthyroidism.

Early detection and careful monitoring of kidney function are the keys to keeping your cat happy and healthy in the face of this irreversible condition. I have many, many weapons in my arsenal against the effects of CKD, so let’s work together to figure out which ones will help your kitty enjoy many happy years beyond a CKD diagnosis.

While heart disease isn't reversible, there are many treatments that will bring your precious kitty months-to-years of good-quality life. Let ZenCat create a treatment plan that will achieve optimum wellness in spite of this diagnosis.

The list of chronic conditions our precious cats face knows no end, but ZenCat has holistic solutions for helping your cat live his best life.