I know gross right? eewww

Ok she is 3? could be diet related -the breath I mean--get her on a very good quality diet--Innova (not Evo just regular Innova feline) is one of the best-better than Wellness IMHO-give the breath some time--stress can have an amazing & terrible effect on the system and organs--and so the breath presents that too--BUT it could be her teeth too--however--no matter WHAT any vet tells you do NOT clean her teeth right now-WAIT for anesthesia--she has been through enough--wait and see if her teeth are that bad--I am sorry but truth be known many many vets will try to get you to do everything all at once--vaccines/teeth cleaning (under anesthesia) its assaulting to the system. Go to the vet--get the mites treatment and take it from there. Take your time. Do not shoot her up all at once. Is she spayed yet?
as far as more vaccines go?
thats a personal preference-for me? she is 3 years old and many would argue she has built up an ammunity-she is strickly indoors--you wlll hear very very differently from the vet--unless you go the holistic route--all the vets are gonna tell- " shoot her up!!! Its what is best to protect her." I do not share that opinon. I have shared my life with likely 12 cats and I woud suggest to you-that you educate yourself--read read read-
good luck
Mary Ann @ faeryx4@yahoo.com

wow - ok, I've learned more on JClist today than I have in all my years of school. that's nasty about what is really in those back claws! I can't wait to get her to the vet now! gross. I would've liked it better if it was just her poo.

and no, she's not a kitten - we found her as a stray a year ago (vet guessed she was 3 at the time). she is deaf, front-declawed, and fixed - and someone pitched her out! what is wrong with people?! anyway, I would assume all teething is over. but was wondering - in regards to the vaccine article posted - does she need a vaccine against feline leukemia disease? being indoors? She tested negative when we found her.

Hey lovejc
A few things :)
How old is she or he?
in your case the breath is likely a teething issue if she is under 12mos
once she cuts all her teeth the breath WILL get better I promise :)
about vaccines?
do some research on line
check out Dr Dodds suggestions on vaccines
http://www.dogsadversereactions.com/vDrDodds.html

oh & the gook on her back nails? its ear mite debris- a mixture of wax and nasty mites dried blood poop--nice right?
after you see the vet & she gets medication hopefully they will explain to you keeping that area (back nails) really clean is very important--otherwise she may re infest herself with mites
pick up a copy of Dr Pitcairns Natural Pet

good luck
Mary Ann

Oh! And make sure you use a toothpaste formulated for pets and not human toothpaste. (I'm sure you knew that but better safe than sorry.)

This is a good dental kit.


I'm sure it's safe for your cat to clean herself but I try to get that stuff before they track it onto my couch and my bed.

Wow, it's a good thing my cats can't read, because they would run away to your house! What a good cat mommy you are!! I'm sure it's fine for them to clean it off themselves, but who knows how long they'll track it around before they do...

oh, okay then...maybe I will try the teeth brushing thing. I am so fickle in my decision making!

but if you're telling me it will help with the breath, then I'm all for it! she's yawned in my face a few times and I almost fell out of the chair.

oh, heck, while we're at it - I have yet another cat question...sometimes she'll have some gunk stuck in her back paws (combo of litter and poo, I guess)...and then she'll try to lick it out and all...so if I see it - I'll dip her paws in a cup of water to get the gunk off...anybody else have this occasional prob? is it ok for them to clean it themselves? this will happen even when the litter box is really clean - I think she may step in a little wet urine...sorry to be so nasty with this post

Quote:

I've done it at the recommendation of my vet. It's not too bad if you "ease" them into it (start by using a cloth on the cat's teeth, move up to a soft baby toothbrush). I've noticed that their breath is a little fresher when I brush their teeth.

Be careful when grooming your cat. My cat Lloyd gave me a nasty staph infection when he bit me. I had to take Cipro. Ever since then I've called him my little WMD.

I have been wondering the same thing about distemper/rabies. I have 2 indoor cats. They stay indoors all the time, so I think I'm going to skip the shots. I think it would probably be okay for you to skip the rabies shot, since that spreads through bites, but since you do take your cat outside I think you should probably get the distemper shot. Distemper spreads through contact with bodily fluids, so your cat could come in contact with it without you knowing. << How Panleukopenia (distemper) is Spread Panleukopenia is transmitted by all bodily secretions including feces, vomit, urine, saliva, and mucus. Contact with infected cats or food dishes, bedding, and kennels used by infected cats can spread the disease. People cannot catch it but can infect cats when their hands or clothing become contaminated. Fleas and other insects can also spread distemper. Outbreaks are common in animal shelters, kennels, and catteries. The virus can survive up to a year outside the host, and is resistant to most disinfectants and freezing. Households where distemper has been present should throw away all dishes, bedding, and kennel used by the infected cat and still should not introduce a new cat for at least one year. A ten minute treatment with bleach and water solution (1:32) will kill the virus. >> I would probably get both shots just to be safe. Regarding the teeth brushing, I don't really know how necessary it is. The biggest benefit of giving your cats dry food is that it cleans their teeth a bit. I think that's really the extent of what you need to do. I can't imagine cleaning a cat's teeth, yikes! Regarding ear mites, they are spread animal to animal. I don't know how long they survive off of the host animal - perhaps a cat, or a raccoon or something, passing through your yard shook some off and they made their way to your cat. I think you can use something like Revolution to prevent them, but I'm not sure. Best of luck!!

Quote:

I've been bad with giving my cats annual shots, especially since I lived in a high rise type building, but since I've moved to a house and had raccoons trying to break and the abundance of strays trying to move into the my casa by taking claim to my doormat, I'm going to get them caught up with their shots even thou my kitties are indoor cats. If you bring your cat outdoors, I would go with all shots. Also FYI all, rabies shots in many vet hospitals are free if your a jersey city resident, check the city website for details.

I feed them hard food, so I don't brush their teeth, I do trim the nails. Since they are both close to 10 years old I do check the gums every few months.

I don't know much about ear mites, but I do clean the ears every 3 months or so with ear cleaning pads I purchased at Petland.

Thanks, Pinky, for directing me to this thread - so helpful! I am going to give west side a third try this week and request your doc (everyone seems to love it there)...I should clarify - the first time was great - it was the second time, the vet didn't really give us the time we wanted to ask questions and clarify different things. We are new cat owners.

Was wondering - are distemper and rabies shots really necessary for an indoor cat? I was thinking of not getting them this time - but we do have an enclosed backyard for her to play in - and she is leash trained...(we are just a tad obsessed with her). Since I'm super paranoid, I'll probably get the shots - but any thoughts?

Also - what about brushing their teeth once a week (this was recommended on the west side's website)? does anyone do this? if so, how? I have a docile cat, but not sure she would go for this!

one more thing - we are taking her in for possible ear mites - how can this be prevented? I keep a clean house! Is this something that just happens from time to time?

thx so much for all your help, jc!

I'm surprised Dr Thourton is my vet and she is amazing, not sure which vet you saw that day.

Search the topic of vets on here, there was a long thread and many gave their opinions and choices.

Good luck!

Can anyone out there recommend a good vet in JC? or Union City is fine too. I went to a vet near Lincoln Park twice with my cat (don't have the name on me right now) but was unimpressed...the doc didn't want to spend any time talking to me or answering questions I had about my cat's health - she seemed in a bit of a rush to get out of the room...and that was after we waited 45 minutes past the appointment time. The only thing they seemed concerned about was upselling on things we didn't need.

I would love a vet more on the affordable side - but more importantly - doctors who really looove the animals and have a passion for them!

Thanks, JC!

When I had my cockatiel, and lived in the city, I took him to Dr. Haddock. She was very good.

A couple of years ago, I took him to the vet on Washington St. in Hoboken and they mis-diagnosed him. Would not recommend them.

You probably want to stay in Jersey City, and there might be an avian expert here. If you are having trouble finding such an expert, though, I wanted to let you know that St. Marks Veterinary Clinic, in Manhattan on 9th Street east of 1st, has several vets who specialize in birds.

If you're willing to go the city, Dr. Sally Haddock at St. Mark's Vet Hospital is probably one of the best bird vets in the country.

http://www.stmarksvet.com/inside/vets/dr_haddock.html

Good luck with your bird.

Anyone know of an avian vet around here? None show up on the various professional organization/certification pages for that world, so I presume I'll need to find a regular vet practice with someone who likes birds (versus a real "specialist"). Or a vet practice which advertises that it deals with "exotics" might work. I have a Pacific Parrotlet, a sort of rare little parrot, needs someone with at least some avian expertise to deal with things that come up. Thanks.

Thanks all, good advice. Looks like Liberty Humane will do the job.

Quote:They will also provide the shots at the same time.

I captured five feral cats in my backyard with traps provided by Liberty Humane and for $50 each they spayed, neutered, gave them all their shots and clipped one ear so people would know they had been treated.

The trick is return them to their original environment so they occupy the same territory keeping other cats away but they cannot increase the population.

Two of them have been with me for three years.

That's awesome that you're doing this. Lucky cat. I've been going to Dr. Tudor at Downtown Vet for years, mostly at his other branch in Hoboken (where the support staff is a little more sharp than the pierced and indifferent bunch he's got here).
But once you get past the front counter, your cat will get great care and attention. Good luck!

The best deal in town is Liberty Humane Society. A female cat spay is $50 and a male neuter is $40.

You could then take the cat to Dr. Kim in Union City Animal Clinic for the vaccination and rabies shots.

Any suggestions for a vet to spay, give shots to a wildcat (who had once been a house cat -- very docile)> She shows up for a meal every day and I'm happy to pay for shots, surgery, etc but I want recommendations.

I use the Downtown Veterinary Assoc. on first street for my two cats, and I am very happy with them. My kitten has had a number of health problems, and Dr. Singh has been great. They are a little pricey at $60 per visit, but follow up visits are free of charge. They also accept the Friends of Animals certificate for reduced cost spay/neuter.

Hi!

I'm new to Jersey City, just moved to Hamilton Park. I'm wondering if anyone has any reccs for a good vet in the area for my two cats?

I don't have a car, so something walkable would be great, if possible.

Thanks!

The Veterinarian at Canis Minor - Newport Animal Hospital - is very good and they do all types of animals from dogs and cats to rabbits. They're associated with Hoboken Animal Hospital in Hoboken and Jersey City Animal Hospital on West Side Avenue. It's a good way to get the expertise of the two hospitals when you not near either of them. Their number is 201-626-3785 and they're only available by appointment.

Canis Minor also sells a wide selection of products for large dogs and cats, including "bling" items and apparel. They also have a grooming facility on site for dogs and cats of all sizes and a daycare for just little dogs under 25 lbs.

can anyone recommend a good veterinary clinic or vet? ideally someplace in or convenient to paulus hook, as I don't have a car.

Another vote of confidence for the West Side Animal Hospital. All the vets and aides we've seen there have been excellent and caring, especially Dr. Acosta.

I used the First Street place once in an emergency, but was quite unhappy with the quality of service, cleanliness, and high price.

My usual place is the Animal Hospital on West Side Ave and I'm thrilled with them. I've used them for years with only great results.
http://www.jerseycityvet.com/

Has anyone used the Downtown Veterinary Clinic at 282 First St? I've been traveling 30 minutes to a Vet that I love. It's a small place with one doctor that knows my animal and is very kind and gentle, rather than a rotating group of 10 different doctors. My cat is sick and I'm thinking that maybe we should try the local place? I've heard mixed reviews. What has your experience been?
Thanks in advance.