Warm Weather & Wandering Dogs

It is February, but it certainly doesn't feel like it!  It has been unseasonably warm this winter with very few below freezing days.  Winter feels a lot more like spring than usual and as a result of this, we are seeing lots and lots of wandering dogs.   My family personally saved one dog and saw another get killed by a car this weekend.  The wrongness of this situation made me want to paint a very clear picture for dog owners about the fate of a wandering dog.

Lucky wandering dogs are found by good samaritans and brought in to be scanned for a microchip.  If they are lucky enough to be chipped they are returned to their grateful owners.  If they are not microchipped their rescuer may try to find their owner or bring them to Animal Control for holding until their owner finds them.

Unlucky dogs get hit by cars.  We have been seeing lots of unlucky dogs on the side of the road over the last week or so.  While there are a number of unlucky female dogs, many of these are intact male dogs.  They can smell a female in heat for 2 miles away and they don't know that the road is dangerous.  They are also very likely to find another female in heat 2 miles from the current one and wander even further from home.  It is also sad but important to note that every passer-by does not have your dogs best interest at heart when they see him.  Some drivers view dogs in the road as an unnecessary distraction and not their problem- slowing down or swerving is not something they are willing to do.   This what happened to the dog we saw get hit- no effort was made to slow down or get over by the driver.  Some people shoot at dogs on their property to move them along to be someone else's problem.  Our clinic has a resident old dog that was found wandering- he is full of buckshot and spent several miserable days on his own before he was rescued.  It is important to remember not to rely on the kindness of others to take care of your wandering dog.

The best cure for a wanderer is a good fence.  Electronic fences with remote collars are excellent dog containment devices if the dog is properly trained.  You cannot, however, just install one and turn your dog loose with the collar on.  If the untrained dog gets corrected (a mild electric shock) he will likely run out of the fenced area and be difficult to coax in.  Once trained the dog runs toward the center of the yard and does not escape.  Regular perimeter fencing or a kennel is also an excellent way to contain your dog.  Just make sure that your fence is high enough or if your dog climbs your kennel is covered.  Neutering and spaying also make dogs home bodies.  Most wandering is done in pursuit of a mate.  Many people worry that their dog will gain weight if spayed or neutered, but if you control what your dog eats you control his weight.  This situation is easily controllable.  It is certainly preferable to an intact dog crossing the road in front of a car that does not slow down.

Holiday Gifts and Pets

Let's just admit it- in December our need for retail therapy typically soars to new heights!  We all want to impress and surprise our family and friends with thoughtful gifts that they need or want.  For many Americans this tradition now extends to our pets.  In a recent poll 95% of American pet parents say that they buy Christmas gifts for their pets.  In light of that interesting statistic, here are a few recommendation we'd like to make on behalf of your furry family.

How about an indestructible dog bed? Beds are a great gift for dogs of all ages- they help geriatric dogs with arthritis feel better when they get up from sleeping, they help prevent pressure point issues in large dogs (called "hygromas"), they help keep small breed dogs of any age warm and are just plain comfy to sleep on.  But, many dogs destroy beds, making this an impossible gift for them.  Fear not!  K9 Ballsitics Dog Beds are guaranteed to be chew-proof, making them an excellent gift compromise.

Approximately 2/3 of adult (over 6 months old- younger cats do not react) are sensitive to the effects of catnip.  The plant is a member of the mint family and causes playful, excited behavior in most cats.  It is not harmful to cats and is available from a number of sources- you can even buy catnip seeds and grow it yourself.  There are a plethora of great catnip toys in the world, but if you are looking for an economical gift for your feline friend, buy a inexpensive bit of catnip and sprinkle it as is on a rug or scratching post.  It's a treat for your cat, but it also incredibly entertaining for you.  Keep your phone handy to capture the antics for online sharing!

Our blog wouldn't be complete without a what not to do for your pet section at the holidays, and so here it comes.  Treats are a great present if you know that your pet can tolerate the ingredients.  It is not a great idea to give lots of new treats on Christmas Day to your pet- the GI disturbance that may follow will be less than festive.  Also, please refrain from allowing your pets to play with wrapping items like curling ribbon during the family gift extravaganza.  Pets love to eat wrapping supplies and they can lodge as foreign bodies in their GI tracts.  And finally, many pets find our Christmas fireworks tradition very frightening!  Please don't bring your pets to festivities where fireworks will be shared.  They will enjoy their holiday more without a noise phobia to worry about.

Have a GREAT HOLIDAY SEASON!!!!

Not All Shots Are Created Equal

Veterinarians spend a lot of time vaccinating animals- it's a big part of what we do.  Vaccines are important to animal as well as human health.  They prevent many contagious and potentially life-threatening diseases by inducing the individual who gets the vaccine to make antibody against the disease being vaccinated for.  This antibody allows the body to clear the infectious organism before it causes an infection and disease.

There are many, MANY vaccines available for pets.  Making an educated decision about what to vaccinate your dog for can be quite complicated.  Take the distemper vaccine in dogs as an example.  This vaccine is usually protective against Distemper and Parvovirus.  It usually also offers protection against Hepatitis (Adenovirus) and Parainfluenza.  This is considered a "core" vaccine, or a vaccine that all dogs should be vaccinated with annually.  It is sometimes referred to as a "4 in 1".  People will often refer to vaccines as "5 in 1" or "7 in 1" vaccines.  These vaccines have other ingredients, like protection against Leptospirosis, Coronavirus, etc-  When you choose a vaccine for your dog, you choose the one with the most ingredients to give the most protection, right?  Wrong!  If you vaccinate a young small breed puppy with a "7 in 1" vaccine it is quite likely to have a vaccine reaction.  These can vary from a little bit of facial itching for a few hours to full-blown anaphylaxis that results in the death of the pet if untreated.  These also get worse with each exposure, so the puppy that had a little itching after his first vaccine is likely to have a much more severe reaction to his second.

Many pet owners now get their vaccines from retailers and administer them themselves to save money.  It is important to keep in mind that if that vaccine got warm it is not effective.  Did it arrive at the feed store in a cold box?  Did the person stocking the shelves that day care enough to check?  Low cost vaccine clinics are also becoming very popular.  These cookie-cutter vaccine programs usually offer the same vaccine regardless of your pets size or age.  This increases the likelihood that your pet will experience a shot reaction.  Low-cost clinics do not treat these- you will need to go to your veterinarian for treatment. But a single vaccine should be safe, right?  Maybe.  Veterinarians select vaccines like Rabies based on their preference- this is usually somewhat based on whether pets react negatively when they are vaccinated.  Vaccines all have a pH or acid level.  Very acidic vaccines burn when injected.  We are very careful to have well-tolerated vaccines at our clinic.  We don't like it when your puppy cries, either!  A low-cost vaccine clinic  is what it says it is- low cost.  The cheapest vaccine is used to maximize profit.  Whether it burns or is more likely to cause a reaction is not a consideration.

So, when it's time to vaccinate your pets please remember that your vet has spent countless hours learning why vaccines work, complicated details about what vaccines are appropriate and how to avoid negative consequences to your pet from vaccination.  We also have the training to address issues if they should arise. I certainly could never argue that vaccinating at the vet is cheaper- but it is ALWAYS safer.  

One More Reason To Hate Fleas

Part of the morning get-ready-for-school and work routine at my house involves TV news playing softly in the background.  I thought my ears were playing tricks on me last week when I heard the word "plague" on the news.  I was surprised to learn that someone in Colorado had died of the plague.  This is a disease that I always associate with the Black Death in Europe in the Middle Ages or various Monty Python sketches. But, plague never really went away because of its tenacious vector- the flea.

Flea bites are the most common route of infection for plague in animals.  In the western US several animals test positive for plague every year.  Plague even wiped out some prairie dog colonies last year according to Colorado health officials.  So humans aren't the only ones who can get plague from fleas- any mammal can contract the disease.  And when a flea-infested animal dies from plague the human who happens upon it in his yard and picks it up to move it can be bitten by infected fleas on and around that animal, becoming infected in the process.

Plague can usually be treated if people go to their doctor early in the disease.  It has a survival rate of about 90% in those that are treated early, but only about 45% in people who don't get treatment.  It is caused by a bacteria, so antibiotics are an important part of treatment.  Luckily, plague is not an issue in our southern climate, but it does highlight one more reason for flea control in our pets.

Litterbox Blues

It is getting late in the summer.  For us this is the time of year when all of those tiny kittens from the end of spring are finishing up their series of kitten vaccinations and considering spay or neuter surgery.  This is also the time when we begin to hear some concerns about litterbox habits.  

Litterbox training of kittens is usually much simpler than housetraining a puppy.  You present the kitten with a clean box of sandy substrate to dig in and she eliminates there immediately!  But sometimes this process becomes complicated.  The first thing to keep in mind is that cats like a clean litterbox. Clean means different things to different cats.  Some single cats will tolerate infrequent cleaning of their litterbox and use it regardless of how dirty it is.  Most cats, however, prefer their litterbox be spotless.  A box that has been used a few times is usually OK but if the cat has to tread on dirty parts of the box or dig through waste it will find somewhere cleaner to go.  Marking is a big part of cat elimination, and if one area smells very used then another area of your cat's territory that is "diggable" (like the rug in the bathroom or a comforter on a bed) will be more appealing.  Too much or too little litter can also be an issue- most cats like a few inches of litter, but if you fill your large box to the top hoping that you won't have to clean it for awhile your cat may avoid her box.  The type of litter that you use can also be important- strongly scented litter can cause eye and sinus irritation in some cats, especially in a covered litterbox.  Scoopable cat litter is great as long as your cat doesn't go into the box with wet feet.  Its ability to clump to anything wet makes scoopable litter inappropriate for very young and sometimes very old cats.

Hormonal changes can make male and female cats urinate in inappropriate places.  Cats are very territorial and at puberty (around 6 months of age) some cats start to urine mark their home as advertising to members of the opposite sex.  This is why we recommend that kittens be spayed or neutered at 5 to 6 months of age.

Cats may also avoid a catbox if there is another cat who is dominiant using the box before them.  The dominant cat has effectively marked the box by using it, and your submissive cat may be worried about being ambushed if she uses the box that the dominant cat "owns".  Some cats may also guard their litterbox and harass other cats if they try to use it.  This behavior forces the bullied cat to go elsewhere.  Because group behavior issues are frequently an issue in multi-cat households, it is recommended that you supply a litterbox for each cat plus an extra.  This means that if you have 3 cats and one is not using the litterbox you should start by ensuring that you have 4 litterboxes.

Physical problems can also cause litterbox avoidance.  Cats associate discomfort with the location where they felt unconfortable or painful.  If your cat has a urinary tract or kidney infection and urinating is painful, she may avoid the litterbox because she thinks that the discomfort she is feeling is because of the place she was in when she felt it.  Cats can also have issues like arthritis or electrolyte and heart problems that cause weakness and make it difficult to get into or out of the litterbox.  It is always a good idea to have your cat examined by your veterinarian if she is having litterbox issues. 

If your cat is having litterbox issues you can visit this link for some excellent advice on how to proceed:  http://jfm.sagepub.com/content/suppl/2014/06/17/16.7.579.DC1/Take_home_instructions_for_cat_owners.pdf

If you still have litterbox questions (or any questions!) please feel free to call me at the clinic.  Have a great end of summer!

Dr. Renee Grudzien