A Michael Broad Blog
There is a story in the Australian news media about the rise in tick paralysis in Gold Coast dogs and cats. I immediately discovered that it is an incredibly serious disease. Certain species of tick cause paralysis in their hosts. In the US tick paralysis is most common in the Pacific Northwest, the Rocky …
AUSTRALIA: A study published in 2020 highlights two major health problems concerning stray cats, namely parasites and the quality of the food that they eat. Stray cats are not feral cats. They are domestic cats that have strayed from their home for one reason or another. They might have got lost for instance. They …
Someone asked the question whether fleas don’t exist at a certain elevation above sea level. It’s a good question because my reference book on veterinary treatments for cats states that all cats can be affected by the cat flea “except for those living at higher elevations, because fleas do not live above 5,000 feet”. …
This is unpleasant: a tabby rescue kitten who acquired a blanket of gorged ticks all over his head. It is horrendous to look at. I hope you find it acceptable to view. There is a video but I am not allowed to present it here. The video screenshots do it justice. The vet nurse …
Full-time indoor domestic cats should not get mange but they might. Mange is caused by an external parasite called a mite which lives on and in the skin of the host animal. There are a variety of species of mite. The word “mange” is an umbrella term to describe the itchy condition caused by …
Other associated questions are: “Where do ear mites come from? and how do cats get ear mites?” Ear mites (Otodectes cynotis) are about the size of a pinhead. Indoor cats get ear mites from another cat or a dog who has access to the outside. Kittens can get them from their mother while in …
Do ticks cause pain in cats? The answer is, yes, but they cause pain indirectly because they transmit diseases to cats and it is these diseases which cause pain. The act of a tick attaching itself to the skin of a cat or dog is not in itself painful or is not discomforting enough …
GENTLE WARNING: THE PICTURES ON THIS PAGE ARE A BIT OFF-PUTTING. There are 8 possible or potential causes of lumps underneath your cat’s skin. What comes to mind immediately are those nasty botfly larvae a.k.a. warbles, which live their lives under the skin of a host animal such as a cat with a little …
