Month: January 2015

Meowllo everypawdy, and a Blest Sunday to ya’. Me will stawt by sayin’ mommy is feelin’ better. Lexi and me took turns givin’ hers head massages last night. Picture it, all 3 of us on one standawd size pillow. Lexi and me kinda hang off of it a bit, but there’s purrlenty of mattwess fur ow back ends. Anyways hopefully we will get caught up soon wiff all ow visits. Now, me wanted to share anudder of meez educational posties wiff you today. You might be wunnewin’ what it has to do wiff a Blest Sunday. Well me will tell you. Mommy cares enuff to get me and sis Lexi spayed. And dat helps purrtect us against sum of da pawful diseases un-altered animals awe at risk fur, such as Pyometra. Member dat email me told you bout dat caused meez last educational posty? Well this wuz in it too, and unfurtunately weez lost furiends to this disease, so me wanted to help spwead da word today ‘bout purrventin’ it.

 

Pyometra is an infection of the uterus that can be deadly to us kitties and you doggies. It occurs most offen in kitties and udder anipals as they get older and stay unaltered. It usually occurs shortly after a heat cycle where too much progesterone or a sensitivity to progesterone happens. Cysts form in the uterus and bacteria enters thru the cervix and causes the white blood cells and additional fluid to flood in to the rescue. This causes a swelling. And as the disease continues to fester and grow it moves along from the uterus to the vagina where the excess fluid (pus) spills out. In an attempt to self clean we kitties begin to “clean” lick. Eventually the cervix will close off trapping the excess fluids in the uterus. Our bodies continue to send these fluids and white blood cells to the uterus which causes it to become even more enlarged and can possibly rupture spilling out all those toxins into our body. If this happens, death usually occurs within 48 hours.   

 

Symptoms of this horrific disease include a pussy discharge from the vulva. The abdomen may appear enlarged, and the cat may vomit, not eat, and/or become lethargic. Dogs may also drink excessively and urinate large amounts. Blood work will show a high white blood cell count and possibly slight anemia.  Since this disease can become fatal quickly it is important that it be diagnosed and treated immediately. 

 

The treatment for this is a complete spay. Which itself can be a challenge. The surgeon must be careful not to puncture the inflamed and enlarged uterus to avoid spilling all those toxins into the abdomen which would have fatal consequences. The best way to prevent this disease from happening in the first place is to spay your cat or dog around the age of 6 months. At this age the animal is old enough to withstand surgery and still young enough to have not had their first heat which can also cause problems we’ll cover in future posts. There are other options for treating this disease if you’re a reputable breeder and just have to keep your queen, and you can read more about that here. But really, less breeding would lead to more adopting.  

 

Even in this day and age when we know so much more ‘bout da diseases dat occur in anipals, there awe those hoo still wanna make excuses fur not spaying or neutering. The one mommy hates da most is, “I want my children to see the joy of birth.” Purrlease…rent a video, watch da animal planet or da discovery channel, or one of da many udder purrogwams dat feature such “joys”. Cuz you awe da irresponsible ones dat also help fill da shelters wiff unwanted animals. Just because you fink you hav homes fur all those babies born, what ‘bout da homes yous givin’ ‘em too? So member, spay and neuter yous pets and adopt. We awe so fankfull to hav so many pawsum furiends hoo put their pets healff ahead of spweadin’ da gawjusness too. We fank you and know yous anipals fank you too. 

 

Mommy had to wait to get sis Lexi spayed till hers wuz almost 8 mumffs old cuz hers wuz too small and needed to gain weight. But in those 15 years, many advancements hav been made and alterations can be safely purrfurmed as long as da animal weighs 2 pounds or more. Yes, yous cat/dog is gawjus and wuld make bootyful babies. But, there’s purrlenty of bootyful babies alweady in da world needin’ homes. We hate it when we lose furiends to sumfin’ dat kulda been purrvented. And we awe twuly blest to hav a mommy dat believes ow healff is more impurrtant than spweadin’ wound ow good looks and sweet genes. 

Till da nex time………………..Be Blest!!!

Luv and Hugs and Kitty Kisses 

Dezi and Lexi