Cat Health and Disease (veterinary) and Feline Nutrition

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See also:
Cats: General
Cats: Single breeds
Cats: Behaviour
Cats: Health and nutrition
Cats: Fiction dealing with cats
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Feline Medicine: A Practical Guide for Veterinary Nurses and Technicians

Martha Cannon and Myra Forster-van Hijfte Butterworth-Heinemann; 1 edition (10 May 2006)
ISBN-10: 0750688270
ISBN-13: 978-0750688277

This guide to feline medicine is geared to veterinary nurses, but is also very useful for cat owners who want to information on how to care for their cats. It's especially useful for people with aged and infirm cats, people with several cats and for cat breeders. The book also gives help with feline behaviour. There is a lot of useful information on a wide range of subjects, including nutrition, as well as nursing care. The book is very clearly written, so is accessible to non-professionals.

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Feline Infectious Diseases (Self-Assessment Colour Review)

Katrin Hartmann, Julie Levy, et al Manson Publishing; 1 edition (1 Oct 2010)
ISBN-10: 1840760990
ISBN-13: 978-1840760996

This book is geared to professionals in the field of veterinary medicine, but is also written clearly enough, and has enough illustrations to be understood by non-professionals. It deals with all types of feline infections, whether caused by viruses, bacteria, parasites or fungi. There are clinical cases with detailed analysis. People likely to find the book especially useful are cat breeders, owners of cat boarding facilities, and people with more than one cat.

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Healthy Skin and Coat (Caring for Feline Friends)

Dunbar Gram TFH Publications (12 Oct 2000)
ISBN-10: 0793830478
ISBN-13: 978-0793830473

A short guide to caring for your cat's coat and skin, with advice on grooming, the effect of nutrition on skin and coat, and problems caused by parasites, and their solution. The focus is on prevention, so this book can save you a lot of grief! This is an especially book useful for breeders, people with long-haired cats, and for owners of more than one cat.

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Skin Diseases of the Cat

Sue Paterson MA VetMB DVD (Author
Wiley-Blackwell (8 Dec 1999)
ISBN-10: 0632048050
ISBN-13: 978-0632048052

Skin Diseases of the Cat is a quick reference handbook on feline skin problems, both common and rare. It is well illustrated with diagrams to make it easy to identify parasites. The book is pricey, and geared mainly to animal health professionals and students. However, it is a useful reference book for cat breeders, and for people who care for cats in boarding facilities, because it allows them to work out when a problem is serious, and when home remedies are appropriate. It is not a book for the squeamish, but it is a very useful resource which can help owners ease feline discomfort.

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Caring for a Cat with Kidney Failure [Paperback]

Sarah Caney Cat Professional Ltd (17 Aug 2008) ISBN-10: 9780955691300
ISBN-13: 978-0955691300
ASIN: 0955691303

'Caring for a cat with kidney failure' is mainly geared to cat owners whose cats are suffering with kidney failure. It is also useful for student vets, and vet nurses and technicians. There's a clear explanation of what 'kidney failure' means, and of the best treatments. There's a useful glossary of veterinary terms. Owners who have just heard that their cat has kideney failure will find this book especially useful, because it deals with feelings you may have, as well as what to expect, and how to make your cat more comfortable.

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Small Animal Nutrition [Paperback]

Sandie Agar
Butterworth-Heinemann (3 April 2001)
ISBN-10: 075064575X
ISBN-13: 978-0750645751

This is a very useful reference book on small animal nutrition, which is especially useful for cat owners, though it is geared to both owners and to professionals studying for exams. It provides enough information for cat owners to take decisions on how best to feed their cats at different stages of their lives, and in different states of health. It is very accessible, both in terms of writing style, and organisation. 

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The Cat Owner's Veterinary Handbook [Hardcover]

John Bower (Author), Caroline Bower (Author)
The Crowood Press Ltd; 1 edition (21 Sep 2009)
ISBN-10: 9781847971289
ISBN-13: 978-1847971289
ASIN: 1847971288

"The Cat Owner's Veterinary Handbook" gives general advice on cats, and advice on whether home treatments are a good idea, or whether owners should call for professional help. It is written by John Bower, a vet with some four decades of experience treating cats, with material on cat behaviour from his wife Caroline, a specialist in this field. This book covers much of the same ground as Eldredge and Carlson´s home vet book (reviewed elsewhere on this page), not always in as much detail. If I had to choose between the two, perhaps Eldredge and Carlson´s book is more useful, though Bower's book is more comfortably British!

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Whole Health for Happy Cats: A Guide to Keeping Your Cat Naturally Healthy, Happy, and Well-fed

Regina Scwabe (Foreword), Sandy Arora (Author)
Publisher: Rockport Publishers Inc. (13 Sep 2006)
ISBN-10: 1592532667
ISBN-13: 978-1592532667 

This is a recently published holistic health care guide to cats, and is probably the best book yet on natural health for cats. It is particularly good on raw feeding diets for cats, very highly recommended.

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Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook [Hardcover]

Debra M. Eldredge DVM (Author), Delbert G. Carlson DVM (Author), Liisa D. Carlson DVM (Author), James M. Giffin MD (Author), Beth Adelman
John Wiley & Sons; 3rd Edition edition (7 Dec 2007)
ISBN-10: 047009530X
ISBN-13: 978-0470095300

This is a very clearly written guide to cat care and ailments, with numerous photographs to help you identify feline problems. You may find some of the photos a bit sad, but they are very useful aids to home diagnoses. This edition is the revised version, which has been expanded. It's a comprehensive guide that covers problems that can be solved without a vet, and helps you decide when to call the vet, as well as helping you to understand your vet's diagnoses and treatments. Highly recommended.

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The Complete Book of Cat Breeding

Dan Rice
Barron's
ISBN 0 8120 9764 5

There is enough information here to interest experienced cat owners whose cats have already produced, as well as owners of their first cat. All aspects of cat breeding are covered, including deciding whether to breed from a particular cat, mating, care of the kittens, and finding homes for the kittens. The book is also well illustrated and Dan Rice writes clearly, in a way that's accessible to younger readers as well as adults.

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Veterinary Notes for Cat Owners

Trevor Turner and Jean Turner
Stanley Paul & Co Ltd
ISBN 0 09 175103 9

This book provides a comprehensive coverage of feline health and care, which will appeal to cat owners, breeders and also the veterinary profession. There are contributions from a panel of experts on subjects such as behaviour, nutrition, anatomy and physiology, diseases and breeding. It is perhaps not a book that you would sit and read all the way through, but rather it is a reference source to dip into, to tackle a particular problem, or to increase your knowledge of specific aspects of feline care.

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Real Food for Cats

Patti Delmonte
Storey Books
ISBN 1580174094

This is more of a gourmet cookbook for cats than 'Cooking for Cats', with recipes for special occasions, and some quite fancy fare. The recipes have been checked out by veterinary advisers, which gives reassurance. The illustrations are fun. A very useful addition to the kitchen bookshelf for people who cook for their cats.

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Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats [Paperback]

Richard H. Pitcairn, Susan Hubble Pitcairn
Rodale Press (3 Sep 2005)
ISBN-10: 9781579549732
ISBN-13: 978-1579549732
ASIN: 157954973X

This is a very popular and accessible guide to holistic cat and dog care. There's a lot of help with both diet and health care. Some of the recommendations on nutrition are controversial, but there are many good ideas for improving your pet's diet. All aspects of care are dealt with, including exercise, grooming, and tackling emergiencies. Much of what Dr Pitcairn says about commercial pet foods and vaccinations is not new, but the detail he gives for alternative approaches is very helpful, especially for owners of pets prone to allergies.

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Natural Nutrition for Dogs & Cats: The Ultimate Diet

Kymythy Schulze
Hay House
ISBN: 1561706361

This book is a very useful reference manual for people who want to give their cats and dogs home-prepared food. There is a lot of practical help, with information on nutrition, as well as menu plans, and a troubleshooting guide for dealing with health problems. It's an especially useful book for people whose pets have allergies, or have otherwise reacted to commercial foods. This is especially true in Europe, since we usually get precious little information on what goes into commercial pet food, compared to people in the US, and that can be a problem for people whose pets have food intolerances.

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A-Z of Cat Health and First Aid: A Holistic Veterinary Guide for Owners

Andrew Gardiner
Souvenir Press Ltd
ISBN: 0285636383

This is a very useful, up-to-date reference book for cat health problems. It's clearly written, and easy to use in an emergency. While the author stresses a holistic approach, this is not intended to replace conventional methods, but rather to complement them. There's a lot of practical help in dealing with, and assessing emergencies, as well as help with preventing problems, and understanding vet treatments.

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