Tails of Truth: The Truth about Veterinary Medicine

From Our Inbox: Questions from Cat Parents

• Dr. Angie Krause, DVM CVA CCRT • Episode 20

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📖 Summary

In this episode of Tails of Truth, Dr. Angie Krause and JoJo answer listener questions all about cats. They discuss managing chronic conditions like asthma, IBD, and hyperesthesia, dive into flea and tapeworm control, and share advice on reintroducing cats after conflicts. They also cover tricky issues like recurring cysts, feline acne, and over-grooming—exploring both physical and mental causes. Rounding out the conversation, they offer practical guidance on outdoor access, cat behavior, and helping pet parents get a good night’s sleep. With warmth and honesty, Dr. Angie and JoJo emphasize a holistic, individualized approach to feline health and behavior.

📌 Key Takeaways

  • Hyperesthesia can improve with CBD, body work, and sometimes Gabapentin.
  • Steroids remain an important tool for managing asthma and IBD in cats.
  • Tapeworms always mean fleas—prevention is key, and safe treatments are available.
  • Reintroducing cats after a conflict can be challenging and may require a behavior expert.
  • Recurring cysts may require surgical removal, otherwise “let it be.”
  • Over-grooming can be medical, behavioral, or pain-related; Prozac can sometimes help.
  • Outdoor access needs boundaries—catios or adjusting routines can help preserve sleep.
  • Holistic care and individualized veterinary advice can make a big difference in feline well-being.

🎧 Sound Bites

“If there are tapeworms, there are fleas.” ~Dr. Angie

“I release you.” (on leaving a benign cyst alone) ~ Dr. Angie

“Catios are the answer to everything.” ~Dr. Angie 

 “Did I create a monster?” (on outdoor bathroom habits) ~JoJo

Please subscribe and review! xoxo Dr. Angie & JoJo


Dr. Angie Krause (00:00)

Welcome back to Tails of Truth, where we tell the truth about veterinary medicine. I'm Dr. Angie, and this is Jojo, veterinary nurse extraordinaire. And my kitty, Fiona, is joining us today, at least her tail is. And today we are taking questions from the cat people in the crowd. Yeah. So Fiona has decided to show up.


JoJo (00:20)

Cat people. Yeah,


we did questions from listeners for dog people and it's the kitty people's turn. So should we just jump into the questions? Cause there's a few of them. Okay. The first one, our cat, Porcini, originally a feral kitten is now about 10 years old. He has a heart murmur, asthma, hyperesthesia, IBD.


Dr. Angie Krause (00:26)

Yes.


Let's do it. See if I can help.


JoJo (00:44)

And in spite of all of this, he leads a pretty normal and happy life. He's on steroids for his asthma. He takes CBD oil that we get through your online store. And we started that when he was diagnosed with IBD and wasn't eating well. He's also on a single protein wet food. Let's see. His hyperesthesia seems to be ramping up a bit. The attack lasts for a few minutes or less. His back ripples and he runs around and then it's over. He has several during the day, sometimes more.


So question number one, is there anything that can be done for this issue? Our vet suggested maybe gabapentin, but I don't wanna go that route at all. And I think a great thing, a lot of people probably don't know what a hyperesthesia is, so maybe we, let's start with that.


Dr. Angie Krause (01:25)

yeah, let's start with that.


It's basically where when you touch a cat, you know how sometimes they'll like ripple along their back muscles like their skin? Let's see if I can get Fiona in shot to do it. Will you do it? No, she's like, I just like to be touched. ⁓ And they'll have those same kind of, we call them muscle fasciculations, but not necessarily because you've touched them.


And sometimes they'll like whip around and look at their back. Like something has touched them. Like I think Fritz has it a little bit, but only when he gets super feisty. And so it can really haunt cats and it can be problematic. And so I, know, this kitty's already on CBD. The first thing I would do is max out the CBD because I've definitely seen CBD help. ⁓ the other thing I would do is some body work for this cat, like some chiropractic.


And I would not be afraid to try Gabapentin. I, the first thing I thought of was like, we should try some Gabapentin because at least you could try it. You don't have to, sorry, we have to get her out of trouble. You do not have to keep your kitty on Gabapentin just because you try it. And for most kitties, there's not much side effect for Gabapentin. I've had one cat in 18 years get diarrhea. So I think it's worth trying. Yeah.


JoJo (02:42)

Okay, so Gabapin.


⁓ She also has another question. She hates that he's on steroids. She's been told that it's not a big deal. She said, one of the nurses at our vet said her cat has been on steroids for years and it's fine. Porcini basically seems fine also, but I still feel worried.


Dr. Angie Krause (02:46)

Okay.


Yes, I understand. I understand. I think a cat with inflammatory bowel disease and asthma, um, being on steroids, and I'm assuming this cat's on prednisolone, being on steroids makes so much sense. I always try to get kitties on the lowest dose possible. And, if they do well with it, then I, I don't worry about the long-term effects too much. And when I say I don't worry about them, I don't see them very often.


Sometimes cats can become diabetic from steroids, but we usually see that at higher doses or right in the beginning of treatment. And so if we haven't become diabetic by now, we're probably not going to. steroids help control so much inflammation. And so we can try other things. Like we could do inhaled steroids, like fluticasone.


And we could also do Budesonide, which is a steroid that just sticks around in the GI tract. And so we could kind of switch the steroids around a little bit. We can try some herbs. It really just depends on how severe the IBD and the asthma are.


JoJo (04:08)

Right, because the oral steroids, would they be using it to combat both, not combat, but to support both the asthma and IBD? And the inhaled steroids, would it still support IBD? Right. So the oral ones, the Budesonide is a better option.


Dr. Angie Krause (04:12)

Yes.


Yes.


No. Yeah.


Yes,


Budesonide just doesn't work as well as Prednisolone. I'm assuming this kitty's on Prednisolone. And so it just doesn't work as well. And so it might not be a great option.


JoJo (04:32)

Hmm.


And the gains from being on a steroid are just so significant with kitties that have these multi-faceted disease processes happening.


Dr. Angie Krause (04:47)

totally. Cats with inflammatory bowel disease and asthma. Usually they have like some dental disease. Usually there's a lot of inflammation. They do really well on steroids. They tend to feel a lot better. But if we want to, you know, do something different, we can certainly try. I'm not saying it wouldn't work.


JoJo (05:05)

Okay, so what I heard is go ahead and try the GappaPentin. You can stop it if it's not a good fit. Max out the CBD dose, which for the average 10 pound kitty, are you talking, when you say max out the dose, are you talking two milligrams per kilogram? How much are you talking?


Dr. Angie Krause (05:20)

I mean, two milligrams per kilogram is a little bit high. I would go like one milligram per kilogram. And it's not that two milligram per kilogram is a lot. It's just that it's expensive. And I think cats get tired of that skunky taste. There's only so much CBD you can give a cat. Yeah.


JoJo (05:34)

That's fair. right, okay,


great. Okay, next one.


Dr. Angie Krause (05:40)

Let's do


JoJo (05:40)

How can I get rid of tapeworms? I had a flea infestation a year ago, got rid of the fleas, but still fight with kitties having tapeworms. Have not found anything to get rid of them without it being harmful chemicals totally inside. The cats are totally inside. And the flea population is from the many outdoor critters around my area in town.


They are being brought in on our clothes, shoes, et cetera. I even treat the back wooden steps, very small deck with salt and food grade. ⁓ I can never say this, diatomaceous earth I can never, ever, ever say that word. Diamataceous earth. Did I still say it wrong? Look it up. I'll spell it in the notes. And the rug as well. I've heard that fleas can even jump into windows.


Dr. Angie Krause (06:12)

diatomaceous. Yeah. That's okay.


JoJo (06:31)

which I have a kitty that likes to sleep and look out the back porch window. Have not had an issue so far with fleas this summer, but I think it's because we're having a lot of rain.


Dr. Angie Krause (06:38)

Well, if you have, if there are tapeworms, there are fleas. ⁓ I think, so praziquantel is what we use for tapeworms and it's really not toxic. It's not, it's not harmful to use regularly. And that's what I like to use. I don't even have a, that is by prescription. Yeah, for kitties, I really like drontol. You have to pill them, but it's so easy. It's just.


JoJo (06:55)

Okay, and that's by prescription, right? They're veterinarian have to, okay.


Dr. Angie Krause (07:06)

pyrantel and praziquantel which are very safe. They're not toxic. ⁓ So I would really do that. You don't have to keep fighting it.


JoJo (07:17)

But really she has to get rid of the fleas.


Dr. Angie Krause (07:19)

Yeah. And it sounds like I don't, did she say where she lives? Okay. It's gotta be the South. Yeah. Which is not a problem we have here in Boulder, Colorado, but my guess is that for her where she lives, she's constantly controlling fleas. And so there's not like, I got rid of fleas. It's just constant control, prevention and treatment of.


JoJo (07:23)

No, I don't think I know what part of the country she lives in, but it sounds like fleas are pretty pretty hearty


Mm-hmm.


Dr. Angie Krause (07:46)

And so if she's got fleas coming into her house, then her animals have fleas too. And it's not her fault, but this is why they have like monthly prevention because you just have to keep on it.


JoJo (07:56)

Yeah, so even,


and this is one of those situations with indoor cats you might want, she might want to do a preventative. ⁓ I'm so glad we don't live in an area like that. That sounds hard. Kathy, that sounds, her name is Kathy. I'm like, that sounds so hard. It really does. Yeah.


Dr. Angie Krause (08:03)

Right.


I know. We're so smug. I'm so sorry. Come move here. Come hang out.


I have seen in this calendar year, it's August 2025. I have seen a flea on one of my patients. Yeah.


JoJo (08:22)

crazy. I want


to knock on wood for you. The last thing Dr. Angie said out loud was, Chocho doesn't make mistakes shipping. And I think I made three in the next week. So was like, don't say it. Okay. Yeah. Next one. Three months ago, my male cat got scared by a neighbor's dog and my female cat attacked him. ⁓


Dr. Angie Krause (08:34)

I know, I'm gonna say like 10, please. It's too dry. Anyways.


JoJo (08:48)

Ever since they've had to be separated because the female growls and hisses at the male. They were together for three years before this with no problems and there's been little success reintroducing them. What do you think caused this and what can be done about it? This is from Jeff.


Dr. Angie Krause (09:02)

Okay, so I just want to make sure my listening skills were on point. Okay, so one cat got scared by a dog and attacked the other cat. No.


JoJo (09:05)

Yeah.


No, the other cat


attacked the cat that got scared by the dog. So dog came, scared the male, and now the females mad at the male all the time.


Dr. Angie Krause (09:13)

⁓ okay, okay.


These are so hard.


JoJo (09:22)

Yeah, I clarified when I emailed with him. I was like, oh, this is a challenging one.


Dr. Angie Krause (09:28)

I know, where's Jackson Galaxy when you need him, we need to phone a friend. You know what I would do? I would call Michelle at the Cat Behavior Clinic because I don't know that I'm going to have a really good answer. Because what veterinarians have to provide, I can provide stress relief with supplements and pharmaceuticals, but a behavior expert might be able to say, this is what you should do. You should separate them. You should, because how long has it been? Months?


JoJo (09:31)

Yeah. ⁓


Mm-hmm.


months three months I think he said yeah


Dr. Angie Krause (10:00)

Yeah, I don't


know. I think, I think Call Michelle. She's amazing.


JoJo (10:03)

Yeah, I agree


with you. This is also where I want one of those cat communicators. What happened? What happened that this female kitty is just like, yeah, now we're enemies. Like was, I don't know of one. Yeah, an animal communicator. Yeah, where they going? Cause I really want to know the story. What happened?


Dr. Angie Krause (10:14)

What cat communicators?


⁓ you mean like an animal communicator? ⁓ yeah. Yeah.


I know, like what, well, you know when Fritz broke his foot, you know, and he went away, got sedated and then came back, Fiona was mean to him for two weeks.


JoJo (10:36)

Yeah,


they do that when they come back smelling different. that's right. When they've gone to a hospital and come back, I've always thought it was about smell. And then eventually, you know, they transition into being friendly again. But this has been a long time. He said he absolutely can't do any reintroductions. So I was like, did that cat release something out of fear, some kind of...


Dr. Angie Krause (10:42)

Yeah.


Yeah.


That's terrible.


Well, and who's holding a grudge that doesn't need to be holding a grudge? That's what we need to have.


JoJo (11:02)

Yeah, I don't know. Yeah,


I know. Okay, behaviors. And I think that's something that happens a lot is I think in this industry, at least I know I get asked a lot about behaviors. And I don't actually know a lot about behaviors. And a lot of veterinarians don't either. It's more medical.


Dr. Angie Krause (11:13)

Yeah.


I'm


I mean, we know some, not like that very specific piece. No, like we know some basics, but like Michelle, she's just my favorite. I love her so much. yeah, she'll do way better than me.


JoJo (11:26)

Mm-hmm.


Okay, we'll send them, we'll send them Michelle's way.


Okay, next up. I have a cat 14 years old with a small cyst on her chin. It has clear fluid in it. It grew slowly until after four months it burst. It was gone for a month and now it has started again. It doesn't seem to bother her, maybe a little itchy because think she, because she rubs her face, but she could just be marking. My holistic vet says it reoccurs if one cell remains and has no idea what to do.


She does Chinese and Western medicine, acupuncture, laser, no homeopathic. That was her question about the cyst.


Dr. Angie Krause (12:07)

⁓


there's nothing to do. I'm going to liberate you from needing to do anything. If it's bothering your kitty, we could surgically remove it. But what your veterinarian was saying was that as long as those cells that are lining the cyst, as long as it's there, it's going to keep creating a cyst. And so until we take that out, it's going to keep doing it. But we have to think about, okay, taking that out is a surgical event. I don't know how big it is. I don't know how much skin there is to close it.


JoJo (12:09)

Just let it come and go.


Okay.


Dr. Angie Krause (12:35)

⁓ and so if it's not bothering your kitty, then it's just, I would leave it alone. Let it be. I release you.


JoJo (12:40)

Let it be. Okay.


Nice. That's the best answer. Okay. Noreen also has another kitty. It's a seal point Siamese who has a plugged acne at the corner of her mouth. So probably that black. I know I just said that because I get excited about scraping it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.


Dr. Angie Krause (12:47)

Yeah.


Mm-hmm.


Yeah, like you want to just squeeze it.


JoJo (13:04)

So I got a little excited, I got ahead of myself.


She's the daughter of the cat with a cyst. The acne is a black dot, like a beauty mark. ⁓ No advice on this from my vet either. She seems not bothered by it. Food and water dishes are stainless steel. Any ideas?


Dr. Angie Krause (13:19)

I think I would leave it. I would leave it. I mean, if you wanted to do something, you could start putting chlorhexidine on it, but I honestly wouldn't. If it's not bothering her and it's just cosmetic, just leave it. Yeah. I know. Like do nothing. Do nothing. All is


JoJo (13:25)

Mm-hmm.


Okay, wow, those were easy answers for Noreen. Like, let them be. Yeah, all is well. Okay,


next up. This is a kitty that you've seen before. So this is from Sarah. Her topic of interest is over grooming, also known as barbering. Her sweet and quirky Siamese Luna has been over grooming for two years.


Dr. Angie Krause (13:42)

Okay.


JoJo (13:54)

We went through expensive cat dermatology and did a novel protein food trial to see if it was caused by a food allergy and it wasn't. According to the dermatologist, most cats are over grooming because of a physical allergy, not because of some kind of mental illness. Their next recommendation was years of expensive immunotherapy wherein I administer a shot every week. No thank you. I don't want Luna to suffer. I don't know what to do.


A man I know who has 11 cats said he has one who used to over groom, but now that cat is on feline Prozac and they haven't had any issues since. Is over grooming physical or mental or both? It's a good one.


Dr. Angie Krause (14:31)

Yes.


This is a good one. I had a cat that over groomed and it was definitely not. It was when I had a baby. Yeah. And eventually he eventually stopped doing it. ⁓ but I, I think that in this case, cause I know this kitty, I, I think there's a chance it could not be. ⁓ there was a big move involved and I think the mental health aspect is important.


JoJo (14:39)

Mm-hmm, stressful.


Dr. Angie Krause (14:59)

I saw on TikTok a veterinary dermatologist that I love. I follow her right now. I can't think of her name, but maybe we'll put her in the show notes. She was saying that 80 % of over grooming is a medical problem and not like, not a mental health problem. Okay. So that's true. But like, then we still have like 20 % of cats that maybe do respond to Prozac. So I think we could definitely try something like that.


because, you know, most of the time it's not. And I feel like there are some of her, her lesions, like her over grooming where it was actually, it looked itchy. So a lot of cats will just pull their hair out. And then some cats actually just, it's not, they're not hotspots like dogs get, but they're kind of scabbier, which makes you think more of an allergy, but not necessarily. And so I think that, I think trying Prozac would be totally fine. Call me.


JoJo (15:48)

Yeah, okay.


Dr. Angie Krause (15:50)

Yeah.


JoJo (15:50)

Yeah, definitely. Or email. ⁓ Yeah, I can remember a cat that we saw that was really over grooming his belly. And I learned a lot when I started nursing with you, because cats can over groom in certain areas if they have indigestion or, you know, they might be licking because they're uncomfortable or a joint, they might be over grooming because they're painful.


Dr. Angie Krause (16:14)

Yes.


JoJo (16:14)

So that's one thing. there's a lot of, so it sounds like it could be an allergic reaction. It could be a mental aspect. It could be pain. I mean, this kitty, know you know more about it, but other kitties that are over grooming, there's a lot of rule outs.


Dr. Angie Krause (16:23)

Yes.


a lot of rule outs and sometimes you never figure it out. And sometimes cats are thin, just like have bald limbs or bellies.


JoJo (16:31)

Mm-hmm.


And I think it's adorable, which is not the point. But I do think they're so cute with their bare bellies. Anyhow, I know that's not the point. So get them seen, don't go for cute. Okay, next one. I have a senior 17 year old female cat who is indoor outdoor. She is mainly indoor, but thinks she's a dog and likes to do her business outside, especially her poops.


Dr. Angie Krause (16:39)

What?


JoJo (16:59)

How can I stop her from getting us up at four to 430 in the morning to go out every day? She's on with them as all and has slowed down immensely. So I'm just wanting her to live her best life. And I love the way this person signed their email. Did I create a monster? Thank you, Kim, by letting her go out to go to the bathroom.


Dr. Angie Krause (17:17)

Yeah, Kim, you did. You did. I think, first of all, I love you, Kim. I think that it's really hard once cats have started to go outside and they do prefer going to the bathroom outside. It's really hard to say, you're not going to do that. Now her waking you up at 4 a.m., that's a whole nother thing and is not that's can you lock her out of your room?


JoJo (17:29)

Mm-hmm.


Which?


Dr. Angie Krause (17:40)

I just want you to get sleep. That's where I'm going to become your advocate, Kim, is that she can't wake you up before AM. That's not sustainable. So we have to have a conversation about that.


JoJo (17:46)

No, it's not sustainable.


Right.


Where's the compromise? What would the compromise look like here? I know that the cat, that means the cat has a compromise.


Dr. Angie Krause (17:54)

I mean, I would s-


The has to come for my, well, the cat needs to not have access to wake up her parents at 4 a.m. I really feel strongly about that.


JoJo (18:02)

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.


I was wondering


could she adjust her meal time so maybe she doesn't have to poop at 4am?


Dr. Angie Krause (18:14)

But do think she really has to poop at 4am or she's probably just up in like, you know, when she's active?


JoJo (18:16)

No.


Well,


I mean, there are those fortunate ones that are just so consistently, I have to poop at this time. So she's really pooping, could remove her schedule.


Dr. Angie Krause (18:28)

Yeah, that's true.


You could. I mean, I think that's a viable option.


JoJo (18:34)

I'm just trying to think because I don't


know if she shuts her door that cat might just sit outside her door meow


Dr. Angie Krause (18:41)

Well, then she's going to have to go in another, she's going to have to have another barrier. I don't know. I, I know a lot of cat parents think I'm mean for that, but I, sometimes my cats are getting old enough that sometimes I let them sleep with me, but sometimes I don't because they're jerks to me in the middle of the night. Like they wake me up and they meow at me and they like, I just can't do it. I got to sleep. Then we become jerks. And so I, yeah, I.


JoJo (18:44)

Yeah.


Mmm.


Well, yeah, then we become jerks. Yeah.


Dr. Angie Krause (19:09)

I don't know that we can stop this kitty from going outside, but I think we can stop this kitty from waking you up.


JoJo (19:14)

I wonder also if there would be a way. I'm just creatively thinking. Can this kitty have access to the outdoors like a catio?


Dr. Angie Krause (19:21)

mean, catios are the answer to everything. The only thing, so you'd have like.


JoJo (19:24)

right so they can go in and out


at their leisure.


Dr. Angie Krause (19:28)

Yeah, a cat door to a catio. It's a little construction, but it might solve the problem.


JoJo (19:30)

Yeah.


Yep. Dude,


I would do anything for sleep. Yeah, so, that was our answer for that. Yeah, I'm sorry. Sorry you have a monster.


Dr. Angie Krause (19:36)

I know, right?


Yep.


You know, we love your little monster though.


JoJo (19:48)

Oh yeah, I


know, we all have them. Those are all of our questions from listeners for now. So, yeah.


Dr. Angie Krause (19:52)

Yay. Okay. Well, if you


have questions for us, leave them in the comments wherever you're watching this right after you leave us a review. Please leave us a review, leave us a comment and we will, ⁓ like if have a question, you can leave it. You can leave it in Instagram, Facebook, wherever. ⁓


JoJo (20:03)

Yes, please.


or back


on TikTok.


Dr. Angie Krause (20:14)

We're back on TikTok. Sorry for all the people. did not answer like all the questions. I just thought they were going to ban it again. So I just got off of it, but that was years ago.


JoJo (20:16)

Which ⁓ I didn't know.


yeah,


it is. So I opened TikTok and I'm like, we have stuff from 2021. can we just have a reset? We created a monster on TikTok and we're ready to slay it. Yeah. I don't know if they do. they do. Okay.


Dr. Angie Krause (20:34)

Yeah, I think we can. I know, I know. We're really sorry.


Yeah, like the kids say. ⁓


They do. They do.


Yeah. Okay. Go slay your day and, leave us a review first and send us your question. And if you want to know more about anything on our website, anything we talk about, whether it's cats or dogs, you can grab one of our courses for free using the tails of truth, right? No. I do it wrong.


JoJo (20:51)

Well, go slay your day.


TruthTales, that's okay.


That's okay. TruthTales is the code for your free course.


Dr. Angie Krause (21:17)

...dirt tails.


And you can sell tails however you want to. Yeah. Okay. But go get it. It's free. Those are $97.


JoJo (21:23)

Yep, both ways work. Okay, yeah. Yeah, mean, just on things,


yeah, things we covered today, there's a holistic approach to fleas and ticks.


Dr. Angie Krause (21:34)

Yeah, go get that. Okay, we'll see you next time. Bye.


JoJo (21:35)

Yeah, okay, bye bye.