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Dr. Pawz answers your pet questions: How old is your pet, exactly?

By WTOP Staff

WASHINGTON – Dr. Katy Nelson is at it again — taking your pet questions and offering advice and best practices.

Do you have a question about your pet? Dr. Nelson (a.k.a.: “Dr. Pawz”) is here to help. Email your questions to Dr. Nelson for free pet advice from a local veterinarian.

This week’s questions from readers address pet age, food choices and health concerns.

Question from Bruce: My cat’s right eye is changing colors and is getting more brown specs as she gets older. Is it possible that this is normal, or does she have something seriously wrong going on?

Response from Dr. Katy Nelson: Bruce, you need to make an appointment with your veterinarian ASAP. Your veterinarian will want to do a thorough ophthalmic exam, including taking a measurement of the pressure inside the eyes to rule out glaucoma, and an exam with an ophthalmoscope attachment called a “slit lamp.”

This will help to determine whether these color changes that you’re seeing are due to glaucoma, and whether they are raised or flat, an important part of making a diagnosis in a case like this.

The worst case scenario here would be a diffuse iris melanoma, or a slow-growing cancer of the iris. The best case scenario would be a form of heterochromia, a benign condition where the eyes are different colors.

An iris can also have a progressive increase in pigmentation with chronic anterior uveitis, or an infection inside the eye. Finally, in very old cats, the irises may develop a mottled appearance due to some breakdown of the fibers of the iris itself.

A proper diagnosis is extremely important in this situation, and your veterinarian may recommend referral to a veterinary ophthalmologist in order to do a complete work up on your kitty and determine the best course of action.

It may be as simple as monitoring the color changes, or they may recommend surgical intervention if this is a cancerous process to prevent the spread of the disease.

Best of luck, Bruce, and please let us know how your kitty does.

Question from Jeannie: My cat Max is 14 years old. How old is he in “human” years?

Response from Dr. Katy Nelson: Jeannie, I love this question! Most people have the misconception that cats and dogs age seven “human” years for each year of their life, but the truth is that pets age much more quickly in their first two years of life.

It is believed that when a kitty reaches 1 year old, they are the equivalent of a human 15-year-old. By 2 years of age, they are closer to a 24-year-old human. After that, the aging process evens out, and is more like aging approximately four human years for every year of their life.

A kitty that is 5 years old is approximately 36 in human years. Your kitty, at 14, would be the equivalent of a 72-year-old human.

Keep in mind: kitties that live outdoors age MUCH more quickly, as they face much more risk of accident and illness and, in general, receive less regular healthcare. The average lifespan of an outdoor cat is close to 10 years, almost HALF that of indoor cats.

Question from Margarita: We love watching your show and really liked one of your guests that came on to talk about all meat diets, but we read and heard that if we’re going to switch our cat from a brand that does use fillers and veggies to all meat, we have to do a transition.

What do you recommend would be a good way to transition our girl, Mystery, to this protein-based diet? Mystery is a sweet 9-year-old that we adopted almost a year ago from a rescue organization.

Response from Dr. Katy Nelson: Congratulations on making an upgrade in your kitty’s diet. We are what we eat, after all! Anytime you are making a change in your pet’s diet, you need to take your time.

I generally recommend at least a 10-14 day transition period to ensure you do not create gastrointestinal distress.

Start by adding just a teaspoon or two of the new diet to your pet’s current food and removing the same amount of the old food. Slowly and steadily increase the ratio of the new diet to the old diet over the next two weeks, until you’re totally transitioned over to the new food.

If, at any point, your pet develops diarrhea, begins to vomit, or shows signs of inappetance or lethargy, call your veterinarian immediately.

Dr. Katy Nelson is an emergency veterinarian in Alexandria, Va. Tune in to “The Pet Show” with Dr. Katy every Saturday at 11 a.m. on Washington D.C.’s News Channel 8, and listen on WTOP for her Dr. Pawz segments every two weeks. Have questions for Dr. Katy? You can follow her on Twitter @drkatynelson, on Facebook or email her at askdrkaty@wtop.com.

Follow @WTOP and @WTOPliving on Twitter.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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