Feeding Cat Raw Meat Can Cause Digestive Diseases

Q One of my friends recently told me that I should be giving my cats some raw meats, such as liver, because she says that cats in the wild eat raw meat. I tried to give my cats uncooked liver, but one of them vomited it after eating. I have been told that these foods are an excellent supply of vitamins and minerals for my cats. What do you suggest? Is it harmful to my cats to give them uncooked meats?

Mrs. R. Martini,

Santa Ana

A Raw or uncooked meats such as liver can cause toxoplasmosis, salmonellosis, parasitism of the intestines, vitamin and mineral excesses or imbalances, or other forms of digestive diseases or upsets. While it is true that cats in the wild do eat raw foods, their life expectancies and health are not as good as those of domestic cats. It would be better to feed your cats good-quality commercial cat food and occasionally give them some cooked foods as a treat.

You should also avoid letting your cats catch and eat rodents or birds because these may also be a source of problems for your pets.

Q My dog, a golden retriever, has developed an ear infection that causes a very bad odor and makes him scratch and whine. We have been cleaning his ears with a liquid medicine from the pet shop and that seems to help some but it doesn’t clear it up.

We took him to our vet, who cleaned the ears and sent him home with a lotion to put in the ears once a day. This helped for a while, but the problem has returned. What should we do now? Is it possible that his ear infection is contagious to us? He is really uncomfortable and gets very restless.

P.T. Terrace,

Garden Grove

A I would recommend that you have your dog rechecked by your veterinarian. Your pet may require sedation and a wash with an antibacterial solution to completely clean the ears of any infection or debris. Then the ears can be examined thoroughly for signs of ulcerations and to see if the eardrum is intact. It may also be necessary to check the material from the ears for signs of fungus or mites.

Once the ears are throughly cleaned, medication can be applied. e Oral antibiotics may also be needed. Your veterinarian should show you the proper way to clean the ears at home. Weekly checkups may be needed to follow the progress of your treatment and allow for any necessary changes in medication.

Chronic ear infections in dogs can become very serious and if left unchecked, could require surgery in an attempt to reconstruct a functional ear.