Q. Kitten 9 mos starting acting lethargic yesterday worse today do not have money for vet. Lost job have got her first round of shots and worme…

ANSWER : A. It could be that she has a high temperature, I would recommend having her checked though especially as she seems to be deteriorating rather than improving.

ANSWER : A. I’m sorry that you are having itching issues! Those can be tough to figure out! Fleas can also be a tough issue. They are hard get rid of and hard control for sure! If your cat is itching and you are finding worms there is a chance that you may have fleas. It depends on the type of worms of your finding. If the worm was a small, flat worm that resembled a grain of rice, I would say for sure that you most likely have fleas. This was most likely a tape worm segment. Tapeworms are the result of flea infestations. If the worm was longer and white, then you could be looking at another type of worm such as a roundworm. The best option would be to take your kitty into the vet where they can run a fecal test and see exactly which kind of worm eggs are in the sample. This way they can treat your cat for worms and solve one of your issues!
Now on the your next questions: the Garlic. Garlic is actually TOXIC to your cat so I would recommend to not use it under any circumstances! There are some great products that your vet can recommend for fleas that won’t harm your kitty. One that works great and actually takes care of fleas and all sorts of worms is called Revolution. It is a monthly topical solution and cats tend to tolerate it really well. I hope this was helpful and I hope your kitty feels better soon!

ANSWER : A. Kittens can be dewormed as early as 2-3 weeks of age with an appropriate dewormed that is safe for use in kittens. They are then usually dewormed again about a month later to treat any reinfection or remaining worms that may be present. If worms are present, deworming the mother cat (if safe to do so) may also be needed.

The most common types of worms seen in cats and kittens are roundworms (long, spaghetti-like segments in the stool or vomit) and tapeworms (small, rice-grain like segments that break off separately and shed in the environment). As these two worms are treated differently, knowing which one is present is best for providing the right worming treatment. If you are unsure about the product to use or the type of worm, bringing in a sample to your vet can allow them to find and provide the correct and safe worming medication.

ANSWER : A. Being a veterinarian is a rewarding career, but does involve a lot of schooling, experience and knowledge. Many people try out veterinary medicine through being a tech or assistant first, then continue on to veterinary school if they decide that is the path for them. If you are still in high school, the best way to start gaining experience is just by volunteering at your local animal shelter. Some clinics will also hire kennel technicians, a good starting job that gets you into a clinic and viewing procedures while working your way up. You can major in anything you want in college, however there are class prerequisites that must be met to apply for vet school. Majoring in a degree program such as biology, zoology or animal sciences often meets these requirements without having to take extra classes. Working summers as a tech or assistant, staying active in local animal groups and maintaining a high GPA will make you an ideal candidate. Once you are ready to apply for vet school you will need to take a GRE which is an exam graduate and medical schools use to determine how well you might do. Vet schools tend to look for applicants who are active in the community, have experience and have good grades. If considered, you will then have an interview to determine if you’re a good fit! Vet school itself requires four years, the first two focused on classroom and theory subjects such as anatomy, physiology and pathology. Your third year becomes more hands on with lots of labs and “shadowing” of vets in the school. Fourth year is usually entirely clinical rotations to give you a taste of all the things veterinary medicine offers!

ANSWER : A. Interactions whenever a new pet is brought into the house should start off slow, then can be increased in time. The best steps when introducing a new cat is to allow your cat or kitten to have a room in the house all to him or herself. Allow your dog to sniff under the door to get used to the kitten’s scent, and even show your dog articles such as bedding the cat has slept on. After a few days, an introduction with your dog on leash, or a barrier such as a gate where both pets can look at each other but not see each other is best. This will allow each to get used to seeing the other without the ability to jump, bite or scratch the other. Once the two are used to this, then a face to face interaction can begin. If at any time a fight or scuffle breaks out, separate the two pets and try again at a later time. The amount of time this introduction takes can vary depending on how the two react to each other.

Until your kitten is older, or you are sure both are fine together, do not leave the two pets together unattended. Even a well-meaning and playful dog can accidentally break a leg of a kitten or worse without meaning to! A safe room for your kitten to be in while you are away, or a barrier to allow your kitten to escape to safety if needed will help until both are big enough to play alone safely.

ANSWER : A. This really will depend on what specific type of worm your cat has. Tape worm is segmented and looks like rice grains. Round worm is larger and cream colored. For tape worm, you can try droncit tabs and round worm can possibly be treated by trying the Sentry brand de wormer. Also, make sure kitty has flea treatment to help prevent tape worm in the future. If those methods do not with, taking a fecal sample to the vet is recommended.

ANSWER : A. Roundworms are the most common intestinal parasite in pups. If she vomited up long, white or light brown worms, be highly suspicious that she has roundworms. Carefully scoop up the worms in a plastic bag. Your vet will confirm what they are at the appointment. Do not feed her any food, allow small amounts of water or unflavored PediaLyte. The good news is that the worms are easily treated. Your vet will give a dewormer in the clinic and you will likely need to repeat it once or twice more in the coming weeks. The constipation may be related or it may be stress related from being in a new home.

ANSWER : A. YES. Never give a heartworm medication to a dog positive for heartworm unless instructed to do so by a vet.

Heartworm medications require a negative test prior to administration. This is due to the fact that giving a heartworm medication to a dog that is positive may kill off the adult worms too quickly. This can cause worms to become lodged in smaller blood vessels in the body which may lead to loss of blood to vital body parts and organs.

If your dog is heartworm positive, treatment usually involves a slow administration of medications to kill the worms under veterinary monitoring. Some vets may recommend hospitalizing a dog during their first treatment so that emergency care can be given if there is an adverse reaction or a worm becomes lodged in a vessel. A more recent procedure is to do a day-long “fast” die off of worms under monitor to prevent worms from repopulating that may occur during a longer term treatment.