A Hong Kong-based Taiwanese veterinarian advised pet owners to take their cats for regular checkups to prevent the onset of heart disease, saying that the condition is difficult to detect and often causes death in cats.
Lethargy is a sign of heart problems in animals, but cats tend to be less active by nature, making it more difficult to notice when they have a problem, veterinarian Yeh Shih-ping (葉士平) said.
Regular checkups and preventative medication are advised for cats to lower their risk of heart disease, and enable early detection and treatment, he said.
Photo: Tsai Wen-chu, Taipei Times
In his book Animal Doctor (動物醫生), Yeh, who uses the pen name “Dr Eason,” said that heart disease is one of the biggest health threats for domesticated cats.
Heart disease is more of a risk to cats than dogs, as cats tend to sleep for most of the day and are rarely let outdoors to engage in physical activity, he said, adding that this lack of activity means that owners are more likely to overlook physiological changes in their pet and miss the early-treatment window.
Research by veterinary scientists in the US has shown that about 16 percent of domesticated cats develop heart disease, with the condition often leading to thrombosis or sudden death, he said.
The most common heart condition that cats develop is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, in which part of the heart grows thicker and becomes less able to pump blood, he said, adding that the Maine coon, American shorthair and Persian breeds are more likely to develop this condition.
Many pet owners dismiss preventative medicine as a waste of time and simply a source of torment for cats, focusing on how frightened their cat becomes when taken to the vet, he said, adding that avoiding vet visits is a lost opportunity to prevent health problems.
With dogs, veterinarians use a stethoscope to check for a heart murmur and determine whether a dog has heart disease, but more tests are needed for cats, veterinarian Lu Tai-li (盧大立) said.
The reason is that heart murmurs are inconsistent in cats, and the presence of a murmur is not always a sign of heart disease for cats, Lu added.
About 80 percent of fatal conditions in cats are due to heart attacks, he said, adding that in most cases surgery is unnecessary.
Younger cats can get by with annual checkups and preventative shots, while those aged eight or older should have checkups every six months, Lu said.
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
A total lunar eclipse, an astronomical event often referred to as a “blood moon,” would be visible to sky watchers in Taiwan starting just before midnight on Sunday night, the Taipei Astronomical Museum said. The phenomenon is also called “blood moon” due to the reddish-orange hue it takes on as the Earth passes directly between the sun and the moon, completely blocking direct sunlight from reaching the lunar surface. The only light is refracted by the Earth’s atmosphere, and its red wavelengths are bent toward the moon, illuminating it in a dramatic crimson light. Describing the event as the most important astronomical phenomenon
UNDER PRESSURE: The report cited numerous events that have happened this year to show increased coercion from China, such as military drills and legal threats The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aims to reinforce its “one China” principle and the idea that Taiwan belongs to the People’s Republic of China by hosting celebratory events this year for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the “retrocession” of Taiwan and the establishment of the UN, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said in its latest report to the Legislative Yuan. Taking advantage of the significant anniversaries, Chinese officials are attempting to assert China’s sovereignty over Taiwan through interviews with international news media and cross-strait exchange events, the report said. Beijing intends to reinforce its “one China” principle
RSS