My Pet World: Not a problem to give a pet turkey at Thanksgiving, just moderate how much

By Steve Dale, Tribune Content Agency on Nov 5, 2015

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Q: Can cats get laryngitis? Our 8-year old female cat has lost her voice. One of our favorite things about Ess was that she would talk back to us when we spoke to her, especially when we said her name. According to the vet, her lungs are clear and the X-Rays showed nothing. The veterinarian prescribed something that has not helped. Do you have any ideas? -- D. K., New Richmond, WI

A: "Cats can actually get laryngitis, mysteriously losing their voice for a short period of time," says Lebanon, Ore., based Dr. Vicki Thayer, executive director of the Winn Feline Foundation, a nonprofit that funds cat health studies. "Usually, then the voice returns in days or at the most week or so. Otherwise, there may be a medical reason your veterinarian has not discovered (upper respiratory virus or even bordetella). Or maybe there is nothing to discover. I currently have a client where the same thing happened -- the cat spontaneously lost her voice. There's no medical explanation, and the cat still isn't talking after weeks. No one knows why this happens in some cats."

Perhaps the problem is that this cat simply has no more to say. Thayer responds, "It's a cat, so I doubt that's the case."

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Q: My cockatiel pulls out feathers on his back and top of the wings and breast until he's almost bare. He does this year-round, except in August, when he has almost all his feathers. What can I do so he has all his feathers every other month? And what is it about August ? -- J.F., Buffalo, NY

A: Avian veterinarian Dr. Peter Sakas of Niles, Ill., suggests that your bird molts in August, and his feathers begin to grow in, hence the likely explanation for why he looks so good then.

There are a myriad of possible explanations -- or combinations of reasons to explain feather picking in parrots, including humidity, hormonal changes, illness, stress/anxiety and nutrition.

"Let's start with nutrition," says Sakas. "Many people choose all-seed diets for cockatiels, where a pelleted diet is ideal. You can't just change diets overnight, it has to be gradual. And getting the bird to cooperate can be tricky. A veterinarian with a special interest in birds needs to see your bird anyway to rule out a health issue and talk with you further."