Dr. Steffen Runquist

What Cat Lovers are Asking this Week…

• Q:

  I have a female Siamese around 10 years old that I adopted 2 years ago who has dental problems. She's had a couple of abscesses and two teeth removed since I adopted her. The vet said this breed's teeth tend to retain plaque easily and need to be cleaned more often and they have dental problems. I had another Siamese for 17 years and he never had dental problems. I feed two tsps. of soft food in a.m. only and Iams Proactive Health hard food a.m. and p.m. She does not like anyone to touch her mouth and is not willing to allow me to clean her mouth with a toothbrush. She has bad breath and sometimes seems to have a lot of saliva. One time I took her in for a cleaning and they found out her bottom jaw had been fractured in the middle of her lower teeth and it was infected. We assumed that she fell and hit her lower jaw on something but am not sure if it relates? She's not uncoordinated and doesn't usually jump up on things. Any suggestions?

  A:

  I also have seen many Siamese cats with dental disease and have found they do seem to need dental cleanings more frequently. With that said, I believe dental disease can vary from cat to cat. It would be ideal to be able to brush her teeth but I understand it is not an option for her. Regarding diet, many cats will not chew their food well and for them, dry food may not offer any dental benefits. Given your experience so far, I suspect that your cat is going to need regular dental cleanings and from what you've said, I wouldn't be surprised if she needs other teeth extracted in the future. If she's having bad breath right now, it may be time to take her in. Regarding her broken jaw, I am not sure what happened. It's possible she had a bad tooth nearby that started the infection weakened the bone or it may have just been trauma. I would be sure that infection is resolved and continue to do your best with her teeth. Good luck with this and good for you for adoption an older cat! Take care.

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• Q:

  I have a male cat that is about 8 months old. I have been noticing that he tends to cough after drinking water. Tonight he seemed to have had a coughing attack of sorts, with some sneezing. He sounds congested almost and does have a cold nose. He is eating fine and is still very active, though he scared me tonight. What could this be?

  A:

  Coughing can be associated with many things. A cough along with congestion and sneezing makes me think of an upper respiratory infection (URI) or what is often nicknamed a "kitty cold." I wonder if this cough/sneeze attack is triggered by his water drinking because he is having to lower his head to drink. A cough can also be associated with things like bronchitis, asthma, and heart disease. If his symptoms continue or if his appetite and activity change, I would certainly have him checked out by your veterinarian.

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• Q:

  The eye itself looks red or irritated my cat is showing signs of eye irritation, such as rubbing its eyes or squinting its eyes. I'm seeing a mucous discharge that is yellow or green in color. It comes and goes but its worrying me and I can’t afford to take her to the vet is there anything I can do to help her like any home remedies?

  A:

  Anything with eyes I recommend is seen by a veterinarian. Eyes are just too important to let go. I would call around to see if you can find a veterinarian within your budget. Until you can be seen, you could use an artificial tear or saline drop in that eye to keep it moist and help flush some of the discharge. This is not a replacement for treatment but should help your cat be more comfortable until you can take her in.

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