Many of you have probably read or heard about a few recent cases of COVID-19 infection in domestic cats, or a laboratory study that showed that cats can be experimentally infected with the coronavirus that is currently circulating in humans.  Although cats are biologically susceptible to this virus, the risk of a cat getting infected is extremely small.  Luckily, all of the infected cats have only had mild respiratory disease so far and there have been no feline fatalities.  There is NO evidence that cats can spread the virus back to humans or to other cats within their household.

The primary way to protect your cats is to protect yourself by staying home as much as possible, washing your hands frequently, and covering your face when out in public. Keep cats protected from catching the virus from other people by keeping them indoors.  If you become ill with COVID-19, protect your pets by excluding them from your bedroom, washing your hands before touching them or their food, and avoiding kissing them or getting them close to your face.  Please refer to the CDC guidelines at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/animals.html.  The CDC does NOT recommend re-homing your cats if you become ill.  Please do not relinquish or abandon your cats due to fear of COVID-1 and please speak out strongly if you hear friends or acquaintances discussing this.  

We also want to touch on the subject of cats and disinfectant.  The COVID-19 virus is not thought to survive well on fur, so please do NOT attempt to disinfect your cats if someone else pets them or when they come back into the house from being outdoors or at our office.  The risk of your cat carrying the virus home is very low.  Any disinfectant on your cat's fur will end up being groomed off and swallowed and could cause serious illness. In particular, Lysol and its generic equivalents are very toxic to cats, so NEVER spray or wipe your cat with a disinfectant or put it on your cat's bedding. Bleach is also harmful and is not effective on fur anyway.

When your cat is in our care, we wear masks and wash our hands frequently, so we are taking precautions to protect your cat, you, and our fellow staff members.  Please don't attempt to disinfect your cat's carrier while they are still in it.  If you are concerned about the carrier bringing home viruses, feel free to wash or disinfect it as soon as you get home and release your cat back into the house, then wash your hands immediately.

Your cats should be a source of comfort during this uncertain time.  Please take the simple precautions outlined by the CDC and enjoy their company without fear!

With our best wishes,
The Cat Doctor veterinarians and staff

Two new updates;

WE are reducing our hours in an effort to keep our small staff healthy.  We are trying to limit human to human contact as much as possible while still providing appropriate care for our patients.  We believe we have systems in place at each office that will protect our staff and clients.  Since our hours are limited, if you suspect your cat is ill or requires veterinary care, please try to call the office as early as possible so that we can arrange a visit within our limited parameters.

Here is another link for updated info about Covid-19 and your feline: www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/

Dear Client:
We want to let you know that our offices currently plan to remain open with some changes to our regular office hours and our office procedures during the pandemic; as long as our staff remains healthy.
At this time we will no longer be allowing anyone but staff into the clinic.
We do ask that if you (the human) or any of your family members are sick, that you either reschedule your appointment or designate a healthy human to bring your cat to us.
This situation is changing rapidly, and if we have to make any additional changes to our business hours or policies we will keep you informed but in order to avoid confusion or disappointment, please call the office before coming to pick-up any medications or supplies..
For the most recent updates and changes, please see below:
Going forward ​we ask that upon arrival for your appointment or to pick up medications or supplies that you call us at: 603-594-4200 for Nashua, and 781-275-5223 for Bedford, and we will give you instructions on how to proceed.
For appointments​ we will either have you bring your cat to the door in his/her carrier or if necessary we will come to your car and retrieve your pet.
For supply pick-up​ if we haven’t already taken payment we will attend to that first and then place your supplies on the chair outside for you to pick-up.
Examinations:​ the technician will take down the information pertinent to the exam via telephone when you call upon arrival. The doctor will examine your pet in the clinic - and will then call you on your cell phone to discuss any findings, results and recommendations.
All payments​ will be taken over the phone and an itemized receipt will be emailed to you following your visit or payment of supplies.
New Office Hours:
Nashua:
Monday 8:00-3:00 Tuesday 7:30-7:00 Wednesday 8-1:00 Thursday 7:30-7:00 Friday 8:00 -1:00 Saturday 9:00-12:00
Bedford:
Monday 8:00-5:00 Tuesday 7:30-7:00 Wednesday 8:00-5:00 Thursday 7:30-7:00 Friday 8:00-1:00 Saturday 9:00-12:0 Please do keep in mind that the American Veterinary Medical Association tells us that no pets have been infected by this virus.
We hope that everyone is able to stay healthy and safe.

Covid 19 & The Cat Doctor:


We want to let you know that our offices currently plan to remain open during the pandemic if our staff remains healthy. Our feline friends will still have their own health issues and may require vaccinations and exams during this time. We will continue to see sick patients and those that are due for routine care.
We do ask that if you (the human) are sick, either reschedule your appointment or designate a healthy human to bring your cat to us. We also ask you to try and minimize the number of people that accompany your cat to our clinics. We would prefer that just one person transport the cat and come into our offices. Our staff will continue to thoroughly disinfect each exam room between each appointment. Human to human contact is the main method of transmission, however we do know this virus can live on inanimate objects for several days. So counters, keyboards, and doorknobs will be cleaned regularly.
Remember that cats are very sensitive to stress, so try not to change routines, food, and social interaction during this time. Let us try not to transfer our stress onto our cats lives and try to keep their lives as routine as possible. The American Veterinary Medical Association tells us that no pets have been infected by this virus. You should not be worried about “giving” this virus to your cat, but the AVMA recommends not sharing food with your pet and limiting close contact if you develop symptoms that are suggestive of COVID-19 infection.
This situation is changing rapidly, and if we have to change our business hours or policies we will keep you informed.  We recommend keeping 2 weeks of supplies on hand for your pets at all times, including food, litter and medications, but please remember that we can prescribe medications or food through online pharmacies if necessary. We cannot dispense excessive amounts of food or medication that may deprive other pets of needed supplies.  Please call before coming down to pick up food or medication so that we can have items set aside for you and so you don’t make an unnecessary trip.
We hope that everyone is able to stay healthy. Best wishes!


-- 

Robert Carlson DVM
The Cat Doctor of Bedford & Nashua
781-275-5223
603-594-4200
drbob@catdoctors.com

For many years, we have always recommended flat plates for our elderly cats.  It seems that many older cats, as their senses decline, are hesitant to put their face down into a deep dish and have their whiskers hit the side of the bowl.  Now this has a name; Whisker Fatigue.

It seems that this behavior can occur in any age cat, and applies to both food and water dishes.  You might want to play with different types of dishes for your cat and see if you can detect a preference for size, shape, height, and flatness of their dish.

One of our clients recently suggested dishes from Basis Pet, which is a Vermont company that has a great stainless steel bowl.  It is shallow, made of food grade stainless steel, and is very sturdy.  My cat Truman definitely eats better from this dish than the traditional, deep pet food dish.

So give it a try!  Remember Presentation is everything!

Some of you may have been following the reports about avian influenza in cats. For those who are interested or have interested clients…the National Veterinary Services Laboratory confirmed low pathogenic North American lineage avian influenza H7N2 (LPAI) in domestic cats (Felis catus) at several animal shelters in New York City (NYC). This is the first time this strain of influenza has been detected in and known to be transmitted among cats. CDC has confirmed one associated human infection in a person who had close, prolonged unprotected exposure to the respiratory secretions of infected, sick cats at an affected New York City animal shelter. The person had relatively mild illness and is recovering. No person-to-person spread of this virus has been identified at this time. CDC believes the risk to the public’s health from this virus is low.
 
The strain of H7N2 detected is quite similar to the virus that was circulating in the live bird marketing system (LBMS) in NY and NJ prior to 2006 and which caused an outbreak of LPAI in the Virginia poultry industry in 2002/2003. Approximately 20 chickens in the index shelter were tested negative for LPAI H7N2. A number of cats housed in multiple, epidemiologically-linked shelters in NYC were positive for LPAI H7N2. Most of the positive cats have mild respiratory symptoms, while 2 cats have died as a result of the infection. Cats are known to have moved from the positive NYC shelters to other shelters and rescue groups in NY as well as to 4 additional states (PA, NJ, ME, CT).
 
It is not known how these cats became infected with the virus. Testing among the dogs in the shelters has been negative, suggesting they are not susceptible. Because this virus is being recognized in cats for the first time, there is minimal information about the clinical course of this virus, duration of shedding, and transmissibility in felines.  All of the cats have been symptomatic with a respiratory illness consisting of any of the following signs: lethargy, anorexia, nasal discharge, ocular discharge, and sneezing.  Most cats had mild illness though some had moderate illness and one cat with severe pneumonia was humanely euthanized.  At this time, there is no evidence that H7N2 is circulating in pets outside of the shelters.
 
Stringent adherence to infection control is the best way to prevent transmission of influenza viruses. If you have rescue or shelter clients with questions, guidance on the development of an infection control plan can be found online with The National Association of Public Health Veterinarians Model Infection Control Program at  http://nasphv.org/documentsCompendia.html. Guidance on managing canine influenza can be applied, and can be found on the AVMA website athttps://www.avma.org/KB/Resources/Reference/Pages/Canine-Influenza-Backgrounder.aspx.    
 
You can find more complete information and ongoing situational updates at https://www.cdc.gov/flu/fluincats/index.htm.

This is an X-ray of our office cat Eddie, taken with our new digital X-ray system.  We have upgraded the Xray systems in both of our offices to a digital system which will allow us to get much improved X-rays of our feline patients.  These digital files can then be manipulated to enhance viewing areas of interest.  We can now send and receive digital X-ray files and we can even consult with board certified radiologists via the internet.  This system will definitely improve our look inside your cat if needed!

I just brought home a new Cat!  Truman, is a large, chocolate siamese marked, lovable male cat who now is adjusting to life with a veterinarian.  He is slowly getting used to being poked and prodded on a daily basis.  This past Monday, I travelled to the Arubacat factory in NH to purchase some nice scratchable furniture for Truman.  I have known Arty Mitchell, the owner of Arubacat for over 20 years and his factory is a marvel of feline engineering.  He produces cat furniture of many sizes and shapes, with  or without cubbies, feeding stations, ramps, etc!  The variations are mind boggling!  All of his furniture is manufactured in NH, and is built to last!  My last piece that I purchased from him was 20 years old!  I just thought Truman should start with new furniture.  My visit reinforced my belief that Arubacat is the best furniture on the market!