New hope for canine allergies

My next patient was Scratchie the pit bull.  It was Scratchie’s sixth visit this year for itchy, infected skin.  His “seasonal” allergies now extended from spring through fall, and our various treatments hadn’t seemed to give the poor guy much relief. 

Statistics show that 10% to 15% of dogs have allergies, but sometimes it seems closer to 75% in our practice.  That’s because when pollen levels start to go up in the early spring, itchy dogs start filling up the appointment calendar until frost.  Most allergic dogs can be controlled with topical treatments and oral medications, but for some unfortunate critters, that just isn’t enough to keep them from being miserable.  Those patients usually need immunotherapy, in the form of allergy shots. 

Before beginning allergy shots, the dog must first be tested.  That requires a trip to the dermatologist for intradermal testing or a visit to our hospital for blood testing. Once the test is done, a serum is made specifically for that dog, using small amounts of allergens (the proteins that cause the dog to itch).  The patient periodically receives injections with gradually increasing amounts of allergens until a maintenance level is reached.  

Although immunotherapy has very good efficacy, this option hasn’t been popular with owners for a number of reasons. The cost of going to the dermatologist and having the skin testing done is one drawback. Then there is the issue of having to inject your dog -- not a great option if either owner or pooch is needle-shy.

Some dogs can have adverse reactions to the serum. Allergy shots can take months to start working. Finally, it can be difficult to remember to give the injections at certain time intervals.

But now there’s a better way to deliver allergens to our patients:  sub-lingual immunotherapy.  The procedure is simple.  First, we draw blood from your dog and send it to Heska Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.  The serum that is formulated from the allergens is then administered by drops given in the mouth instead of by injection. 

About half of dogs receiving allergy immunotherapy will have an excellent response, about 25% will have a so-so response, and about 25% will have no response at all.  When sub-lingual immunotherapy first came out, there was skepticism over whether the drops would be as effective as injections.  It turns out that not only do they work just as well, in many cases they work better!  In fact, dermatologists often find that dogs that fail to respond to injections have success with sub-lingual therapy.  Many dermatologists are using oral therapy from the get-go almost exclusively now.  

Besides its good efficacy and the no-needle thing, there are more advantages. There is much less chance of anaphylaxis (a severe and life-threatening allergic reaction) with the oral drops. Even dogs who had anaphylaxis with the injections tolerate sub-lingual immunotherapy.  The drops, which are delivered by a pump, are easy to administer by the pet owner.  With injectable therapy, mold serum must be injected in a syringe separate from the pollen serum, but with sublingual therapy the two can be combined in one vial.  And the sublingual treatment seems to work slightly faster than the injections.  Heska says it takes three to four months to see a response, but many dermatologists say they see a reduction in scratching more quickly than that.  With either method, though, it’s best to expect to see results during the next allergy season, so pet owners need to plan ahead. 

A disadvantage for some clients is the frequency of administration.  Allergy injections are usually given every one to three weeks, but sublingual immunotherapy requires twice-daily administration. However, some pet owners prefer the routine of giving medication every day and find themselves forgetting to give an injection every few weeks, so that isn’t an obstacle for them.    

If the cost of allergy testing and immunotherapy worries you, consider dogs like Scratchie.  Each time he visits, there is a professional fee plus the cost of oral and topical medications, and occasionally lab fees for cytology or culture.  Such a visit can range from $50-$275.  The cost of serum-testing a dog is around $140, and it’s a one-time expense. A vial of sublingual serum, which lasts five months, costs $105.  I realize that isn’t an inconsequential amount, but if the therapy prevents multiple visits to the animal hospital, you will have come out ahead.  Not only that, but you’ll get a better night’s sleep when your allergic dog stops licking, head-shaking, and thumping his leg against the floor while scratching all night!

A new look at neutering

The recommendation to spay and neuter all dogs is the standard of care, but recent evidence has thrown new light on that dogma – at least for two breeds.   

Two studies from the University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine have taken the veterinary world by surprise.  The research was based on 13 years of health records from UC-Davis for neutered and non-neutered male and female Labrador and golden retrievers between 6 months and 9 years of age.  The most recent study, published in July of this year, compared 1,015 goldens with 1,500 Labs.  Those two breeds were chosen because of their popularity, similar size, and comparable behavioral characteristics.

The researchers picked several cancers (lymphosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma, mammary cancer, and mast cell tumor) and three joint disorders (hip dysplasia, cranial cruciate ligament tear, and elbow dysplasia) and compared the incidence in neutered and non-neutered dogs of both breeds.  The neutered dogs were grouped into four categories, according to the age at which they had been altered.  

It turned out that non-neutered males and females of both breeds had a 5 percent rate of one or more joint disorders.  But in Labs, neutering before 6 months of age doubled that rate, to 10 percent.  More alarming, the golden retrievers that had been neutered before 6 months of age had 4 to 5 times the incidence of joint disorders compared with non-neutered goldens.  The joint disorders found to increase in male goldens were hip dysplasia and cranial cruciate ligament tears, while lab males had more cruciate tears and elbow dysplasia. 

Lead investigator Dr. Benjamin Hart at UC-Davis says,  “The effects of neutering during the first year of a dog’s life, especially in larger breeds, undoubtedly reflects the vulnerability of their joints to the delayed closure of long-bone growth plates when neutering removes the sex hormones.”  In other words, we’re messing with Mother Nature!

Regarding cancers, the data also uncovered significant differences between the breeds.  The cancer rate of both breeds when they weren’t neutered was 3 to 5 percent, except in male goldens, who have an 11 percent cancer rate. Neutering didn’t have much effect on the cancer rate of male goldens.  However, in female goldens, neutering at any point beyond 6 months increased the risk of some cancers to 3 to 4 times the level of non-neutered females.  But that was true only for goldens; neutering female labs only negligibly increased their cancer rate.  According to Dr. Hart, “The striking effect of neutering in female golden retrievers … suggests that in female goldens the sex hormones have a protective effect against cancers throughout most of the dogs’ lives.”  Mother Nature again. 

What does all this mean?   Should we stop neutering our dogs to prevent joint disease and cancer?  Before sweeping changes are made, the limitations of the studies must be discussed.  First of all, they compared Labs with goldens; no other breeds were studied.  Comparing goldens with German shepherds probably would yield vastly different results. Even within a breed, there were significant differences based on gender.  To get solid data, hundreds of studies would have to be done, not just on a breed basis, but also on a gender basis.  

When I started practicing veterinary medicine in 1977, the unwavering recommendation almost every veterinarian made was to neuter all dogs at 6 months of age.  I don’t think compliance was nearly as good then as it is today.  I remember many male dogs coming in with prostate problems, perianal tumors, and perineal hernias, all conditions associated with not being neutered.  Spaying a female of any breed before her first heat has been associated with a lowered risk of breast tumors; performing surgery on unspayed dogs to remove breast cancer and infected uteruses was a frequent occurrence back then.  I rarely see those medical problems today; it’s likely that the early neutering of pets from shelters has had a big influence on preventing them.

The two studies looked only at the risks of neutering those breeds, but not at the benefits.  Neutering a female golden, for example, elevated the risk of one or more cancers three- to fourfold.  But not spaying dogs of all breeds causes the above-mentioned breast cancer and infected uteruses, as well as messy heats and the risk of overpopulation.   You might prevent joint disease in your male Lab by leaving him intact, but in addition the problems I listed above, the compromise might be aggression, wandering, marking in the house, and, again, unwanted puppies.  

So now we veterinarians and our clients are faced with a quandary:  to fix or not to fix.    I think it’s wise to discourage neutering in goldens and Labs before 6 months of age, and 12 months is even better.  I also think a discussion is warranted with the owners of other large-breed dogs, whose joints are more vulnerable when they are altered early.  As far as never neutering, we need more data before we make a blanket recommendation across all breeds.  For the owners of Labs and goldens, we can discuss the risk-benefit ratio with you, but the decision as to whether to neuter will ultimately be yours.   

Rodenticide toxicity: The perils of poison

A couple of years ago, I noticed a sprinkling of dried mouse droppings on the desk in my basement.  I cleaned them up and, except for setting traps in the basement, pretty much accepted the occasional debris as an unavoidable nuisance.  That changed on the day I arrived at the desk to find that fiberglass from the nearby wall had fallen on it, sodden with mouse urine and feces. Ewww!  I decided to go after the little vermin with a vengeance.

I called my pest control guy, who strategically placed bait stations around my basement.  These were plastic mazes, the payoff being a chunk of anticoagulant mouse poison at the end of the tunnel.  Even though I don’t let my cats wander into the basement, I told him I was concerned that they could be exposed to the toxin if they happened to sneak down there.  He assured me that the point of the maze was to prevent pieces of the poison from being removed from the bait station.  The mice would help themselves to the toothsome treat and leave.  And then die.

One of my cats, a rapscallion named Cam, became an expert at lying in wait for the basement door to open and then streaking down the stairs.  One day I chased after him and found him licking a substantial chunk of grainy blue mouse poison. So much for “the mice can’t remove the poison from the bait station!”  The bait stations were taken out the next day.

Rodenticides can be grouped according to how they work.  The common ones we encounter in our practice are anticoagulants, which stop normal blood clotting.  Bromadiolone, chlorophacinone, difethialone, brodifacoum, and warfarin are examples of anticoagulants. 

We receive rodent poison-related calls at least a couple of times a month.  The situations are sometimes similar to what happened at my house.  The most recent one involved a dog that escaped through the front door, ran into a neighbor’s garage and began eating a pellet of d-Con that was on the floor.  In that case, the dog was lucky: The owner knew what had happened and was able to get treatment right away. The tricky thing about anticoagulant poisoning is that the pet owner usually has no knowledge of the exposure, and the symptoms can be delayed for up to five days.  By that time, the owner has probably forgotten that Fido disappeared into the neighbor’s shed for 10 minutes last week.  The pet is presented to us with physical manifestations that aren’t specific to any one disease or syndrome:  difficulty breathing, weakness, exercise intolerance, lethargy, lameness, coughing, vomiting, and shaking.  The pet owner might not notice more specific signs, such as bruising, pale gums, tarry black stools, or blood in the urine. 

Treatment for anticoagulants is supportive care, if indicated, and administering Vitamin K1 for two to four weeks.  If the owner actually sees the pet eat the stuff, inducing vomiting (in some cases) followed by activated charcoal might help prevent absorption.  A pet with more severe clinical symptoms may be in big trouble.  Bleeding from rodent poison is typically into the body cavities.  Massive blood loss into the abdomen and chest is common and is often the cause of death.

Warfarin – the same substance often prescribed for humans as a blood-thinning medication – is what’s known as a first-generation anticoagulant poison and requires multiple feedings to deliver a lethal dose.  Second-generation anticoagulants were developed when some resistance to warfarin was discovered in rodents, and those can be lethal after just one dose.  After March 2015, consumers will no longer be able to buy anything but first-generation anticoagulants or other rodenticides, but pest control professionals will still be able to use the more potent second-generation products.

According to Audubon Magazine, there’s no safe place or delivery system for second-generation anticoagulants. Poisoning can occur from direct ingestion, but there’s also something called “relay toxicosis”: after a rodent eats the poison, it gets weak and becomes an easy, tasty meal for other animals such as raptors and mammalian predators. That includes not only dogs and cats but foxes, bears, bobcats, mountain lions, and wolves, among many others.

Here are some sobering statistics:

• In California, rodenticides showed up in 79 percent of fishers, 78 percent of mountain lions, 84 percent of San Joaquin kit foxes, and 92 percent of raptors.
• In New York, rodenticides were found in 49 percent of 12 species of necropsied raptors. For great horned owls the figure was 81 percent.  Rodenticides are also blighting raptors in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and Canada.
• In Great Britain, necropsies revealed the poisons in 92 percent of red kites, 91 percent of barn owls, and 80 percent of kestrels.     
• Currently about 15,000 calls per year come in to the Centers for Disease Control from parents whose children have eaten rodenticides.

    Scientists and wildlife advocates recommend non-toxic pest eradication in most cases.  There are certainly situations in which rodents damage crops or homes, transmit disease, and even cause severe ecological damage (entire island ecosystems have been destroyed by rats).  But for the most part, use of second-generation anticoagulants should be severely limited, even for pest control professionals.  

    Got an infestation?  Search “non-toxic rodent control” on Google and you’ll get more than 300,000 results.  Find out about the habits of the pest, and its likes and dislikes.  Block entry points and remove any food and water sources.  This is called integrated pest management. 

    We are the guardians of our children, pets, and wildlife; don’t use weapons of mass destruction when a cherry bomb will do the job!

Get the most out of your pet's appointment: Can we talk?

Mrs. Ernest’s forehead was creased in concentration as I tried to extract a medical history for Chunder, the little dog she held snugly in her arms.

“How long has Chunder been vomiting?” I inquired.

“Oh, let’s see, he’s 7 years old, so I’d say about six years.” (The intake information that our technician took said he’d started vomiting three days ago and had been fine prior to that.)  

“How often during the past six years has he vomited?” I asked.  “Once a day?  Once a week?  Once a month?” 

“Just a few times a year, usually after he eats grass or goose poop,” replied Mrs. Earnest. 

“So the recent vomiting episode — it says here that it started three days ago.  Is that correct?”

“Oh, no, he started vomiting two weeks ago.  He hasn’t felt well for the past month,” she answered.

If you think conversations like that are a rarity, think again!  They are a daily occurrence at animal hospitals everywhere.  And unfortunately, they can actually affect the quality of care. A concise, orderly history of your pet’s ills is imperative in helping us diagnose and treat your little buddy.  So how can you, as your pet’s guardian, help clarify your communications to your veterinarian?

We’ve all been told to write a list of our concerns when we visit our own physicians.  Lists are a big help for veterinarians, too, but pet owners need to prioritize the list and discuss the problem that is of the most concern to them at the beginning of the appointment.  Sure, I want to take a look at the minuscule lump (which took you five minutes to find for me), but first tell me about your pet’s decreased appetite over the past two months.  The lump can wait, or can be addressed at a later date. 

Before you take your pet to his veterinary appointment, sit down and chronicle the problem on paper — at home and in a quiet place.  When did your pet’s symptoms first appear?  For acute problems, that isn’t difficult to determine; it’s pretty hard to forget the six piles of diarrhea you had to clean up before your yoga class on Monday evening!  But the onset of problems that have been going on for a long time can be much more difficult to pinpoint.  It’s often useful to ask other family members when they noticed the first occurrence of said ailment.

The next thing to record is exactly what you noticed that was unusual.  It’s not helpful to say, “He’s just not himself.”  Why is he not himself? Make a list of specific things that aren’t normal:

• He’s always eaten his meal in less than a minute, but now it takes him two hours to finish it.
• He stopped getting up to greet me when I get home from work.
• He stopped eating his favorite treats.
• He started urinating in the house, which he’s never done before.
• Suddenly he stopped jumping on my bed at night.

When you come to the office, bring your written history with you, and choose your cohorts wisely.  Unless the appointment involves life-or-death decisions, it’s best not to bring the entire family; a few of you will suffice.  Having several people chiming in with their opinions and contradictions isn’t helpful, which is another good reason to interview your family at home.  You don’t have to leave well-behaved kids at home, though.  In fact, parents often hush up kids who try to answer my questions, but I’ve found that children of many ages can offer valuable insight into their pet’s behavior.  They might also confess to having fed that pet a pile of greasy french fries!  

Veterinarians are trained to interview clients in a way that gives us the most useful information.  You might feel impatient when we ask seemingly inane questions, but there’s a good reason for us to delve into things that you feel are inconsequential:  They are important clues to us.  But there might be times when we don’t ask you about something you think is relevant.  Make sure you speak up:  “Let me tell you what else I’m seeing that I think may be important (or is unusual, worrisome, etc.).” 

An oft-quoted statistic in the veterinary community is that clients forget 85% of what we tell them by the time they get home.  If you aren’t absolutely clear about the doctor’s diagnosis or instructions, make sure you repeat them or ask questions:  “So are you telling me that Chunder needs x-rays if he’s not better in one week?  Are you saying that I should give him this medication until he feels better, or until it’s gone?  What exactly does ‘exercise restriction’ mean for my dog?”  And we don’t mind writing down our instructions, so don’t be afraid to ask us to do so.

It’s helpful to tell your doctor your expectations.  If your dog has been limping for the past two years and you want us to stop the limping, we need to know that.  You won’t be happy with us if we palliate the limp, which is probably the best we can do, when what you expect is a cure.   We’ll need to make sure your expectations are realistic, then decide on a common goal.  That’s especially important with serious problems, where simply improving your pet’s quality of life, rather than a cure, might be our goal.

Finally, don’t be afraid to tell us your fears.  Pet owners often are secretly afraid that we will find cancer, while we might be thinking that that diagnosis isn’t very likely.  Usually we can alleviate your anxiety with diagnostics, a good plan, and some calming words. 

Being a doctor is very much like being a detective.  Without good clues, obtained by our examination and your careful observations, we can’t solve the puzzle.  As the great Sherlock Holmes said: “Data! Data! Data! I can’t make bricks without clay."

  

Read your pet's body language: Listen with your eyes

The law in our county states that when a dog bites a person, the pet owner must take the dog to an animal hospital for rabies observation.  When the owners fill us in on what happened, they often tell us that the bite was predictable: Their dog got loose and bit the UPS guy who had walked onto their property, or the owner tried to break up a skirmish between two dogs and got nipped.  But another refrain we often hear is that the bite was completely unexpected.

In fact, the “unpredictable” bite often would be quite predictable if more pet owners took the time to “speak dog.”  Though many owners don’t realize it, their dog expresses himself loudly in dog language, doing everything he can to let us know exactly how he feels. 

Here’s a common example:  Grouchy the Lhasa Apso is lying comfortably on the bed.  The owner wants to stretch out her legs, so she needs to move Grouchy.  As her hands approach the dog, Grouchy’s body stiffens, his head lowers, his neck extends upward, and he licks his lips.  He then stares intently at the owner, raises his trembling upper lip slightly, and lets out a rumble.  As the owner grabs Grouchy, he explodes in a fit of rage and bites her on the hand.

Grouchy spoke loudly to that owner, but she didn’t listen.  In the past, he had often progressed from the initial stiff-body phase to the grumbling stage without further incident, so the owner felt that the bite “came out of nowhere”; in fact, it was overdue.   Had she listened to Grouchy the first time he exhibited that behavior, not only would she have avoided a bite, she could have gotten help from a trainer and stopped the misconduct immediately.  Now she’s afraid of Grouchy, and the bond between them has been damaged.

Owners of dogs like Grouchy might think that their pet is trying to dominate them or is just plain mean, but most dogs that bite are fearful, anxious, or submissive.  Dominant leader dogs are confident and cool, and are usually not aggressive dogs.  Most owner-directed aggression is due to anxiety, not the wish to subjugate.  When owners misunderstand that, they often use physical force to control their dog in an attempt to get him to behave.  That tends to make the problem worse, actually escalating the aggression.

Humans are primarily verbal communicators and are apt to understand sounds much better than they do body language.  A person usually grasps the meaning of a growl or a bark but won’t comprehend or even notice nonverbal cues.  The American College of Veterinary Behaviorists has put together a useful table of those cues, which is on our website.  Check out the list, and see how many you can interpret.  In future blogs I’ll suggest techniques you can use to successfully interact with most dogs, whether it’s your own furry friend or the one you encounter at the park.  Begin to watch other peoples’ pooches and really pay attention to their eyes, ears, face, tail, and body position. In other words, learn to listen with your eyes!

Adding another cat to your family

You hadn’t really planned on getting another cat, but then the neighbors found a litter of kittens under their deck.  Your whole family has been petting and playing with them, and you’ve grown particularly fond of the little brown tabby.   You’re convinced that your own cat gets lonely and that a new kitten will be the perfect antidote.

Many people brag to me that they “just tossed” a new cat into the mix of their existing pets, and everything turned out fine.  A more common scenario is that chaos ensues, creating two or more unhappy cats that may never coexist in peace.  Introducing a new cat into your household with finesse and patience will have the lasting benefits of, as Ringo Starr put it, “Peace and love!  Peace and love!”

Cats are social, but at the same time independent and territorial.  They have the reputation of being loners, and to some extent, that’s accurate: They don’t readily accept newcomers into their territory as a dog might.  Yet cats do often enjoy the company of other cats, as long as they feel they have their own safe places to eat, sleep, and eliminate. Whether you are adding a second cat to your household or a tenth, you’ll need to make sure those basic requirements are met for every feline in your house.

Before you bring home a new cat, certain preparations must be made.  I liken this process to premarital counseling:  A thorough job now will prevent a “divorce” later (i.e., euthanasia or finding a new home for one of your kitties).  First, be realistic about your domain: A small house or apartment might not have enough territory to allow a new addition.  Be especially aware of whether you have room for more litter boxes; ideally, each cat should have its own box.  If your current cat has any major behavioral issues, such as elimination problems or aggression, those must be solved before the new cat arrives.  And realize that there will be added costs of supplies and veterinary care.  It’s great to selflessly rescue a cat, but you’re really not doing him any favors if you can’t afford to treat him when he’s sick.

I think all new cats should have their own “safe room,” where they can enjoy sanctuary from the resident cat for a while.  It allows the newcomer to adjust to new people and scents in a calm and safe environment.   Pick any room you aren’t using, and set it up from a cat’s point of view.  If all you have available is a small bathroom, just do the best you can by modifying the following suggestions.

A place to hide is important, and cardboard boxes provide inexpensive caves.  Simply cut appropriately sized cat holes in the sides and line the box with a soft blanket.  You can be creative and link boxes with tunnels.  Even better, invest in a cat tunnel, which is something cats can enjoy their entire life.  Cat owners know how hard it can be to extract a frightened feline from under a bed, and the provided caves or tunnels help make that unnecessary.

Position the litter box as far away as possible from the food and water bowls.  If you know the type of litter your newcomer is accustomed to, use that; you can always change it later.  Otherwise, provide an uncovered litter box. (Consider my favorite litter, the Breeze System.)  Don’t forget to cat proof the room.

You’ll need to provide a good scratching post; a new one without the scent of your existing cats on it is best.   Add a few appropriate cat toys, including an interactive toy so you can play with your newbie.  A new cat tree would be a nice luxury, although a cat bed secured well off the floor is suitable. 

The use of cat pheromones, such as a Feliway Plug-in Diffuser, will help calm your new kitty.  Plug some in for the cats on the other side of the door, too.

When your preparations are complete and the big day has arrived, bring the new cat home in a carrier.  Go directly to the safe room, close the door and open the carrier.  At this point, you can spend a little time with a new kitten, but an adult cat might appreciate just being left alone to check everything out. 

It might seem a little extreme, but it’s best to keep the newcomer’s scents off you during the initial introductory phase.  Keep an extra T-shirt in the safe room that can be removed when you leave, and wash your hands before handling your resident cats. Expect your existing cat to hang around the safe room door.  If he does, don’t make a big deal out of it, but do try to distract him with lots of play so he doesn’t become obsessed with camping outside the door.  Use playtime as a way to bond with the new cat, too, with multiple sessions throughout the day as time allows.  

During this initial phase, the cats will get used to each other’s scents and sounds.  Initially, the new smells might send any of the cats into a hissing and growling tizzy; that is to be expected!  You’ll know things are going well when the cats can smell each other through the door and act calmly.  Other signs of success are that your resident cats go about their daily routines again, are willing to play without redirecting aggression to each other, and have normal appetites.  The newcomer should seem calm and secure; if he is still hiding under the bed or won’t eat, you can’t progress to the next step.  Some cats thrive in their new home and acclimate quickly, while others take far longer — and the same is true for the resident kitties.  So let the cats tell you when the time is right to move along.  Never force cat-to-cat interaction! 

The next step in the process is to exchange scents.  My research led me to a book (Cat vs. Cat by Pam Johnson-Bennett) describing a clever way to accomplish that:  the sock exchange.  Put a clean sock over your hand, as you would a mitten, and rub it gently on your calmest resident cat’s face to collect the pheromones.  Place it in the safe room for the newbie to explore.  Repeat using a clean sock on the new cat and placing that sock with the resident cat.  Have more than one resident cat?  Just do this one at a time over a day or so; all at once would be overwhelming.  Perform the sock exchange a few times a day to make sure all of the cats get used to one another’s scents.  If there’s a strong negative reaction to the sock by any cat, don’t be discouraged, as that doesn’t predict that they won’t get along.  It does signal that the introduction might take a long time, though. 

Next, it’s time for the room exchange.  Confine the resident cat, open the safe room door, and allow the new cat to explore the entire house at his own pace.  Use toys or food as motivation if he acts nervous.  Then, safely confine the new cat and allow the resident cat to explore the safe room — don’t dump her in there, just leave the door open.   Keep these room exchanges sessions short, and do them two or three times a day if you can. 

When both cats seem comfortable with the new scents, it’s time to let them meet each other.  These sessions should last only 30 seconds to a few minutes at the most.  Open the safe room door while offering the cats treats or a snack of something really delicious, like pieces of chicken.  Keep them on opposite sides of the room.  Use interactive toys to distract either cat if you notice any sign of fear or aggression.  Do as many of these sessions a day as your schedule allows.  It’s better to do six short ones, in which they get along, than one long one, when they end up hissing.  Increase the interaction time gradually until they coexist for at least an hour.  You’ll want to keep the new kitty in the safe room at night for a while, but eventually they’ll intermingle full time.

If all goes well, the introduction process will take a few days.  However, sometimes it takes months.  That can try any cat owner’s patience, but don’t be discouraged.  Go back a step if you get hissing or growling, and proceed more slowly.  I’ve actually had clients buy screen doors and install them as the safe room door until things settle down.  Eventually, all your time and perseverance should pay off, and both you and your kitties will enjoy a new companion. 

The ‘patron saint’ of second chances

I could see the wagging tails through the windows and hear the barking as I swung my car door shut and approached the house.  Mitzi opened the door to greet me.  “I’m warning you, Molly: Copper has no manners.  So do what you have to do.”  Copper is an exuberant adopted Lab who lives with Mitzi, her five other rescued Labrador retrievers and her son’s Old English Sheepdog, Ivan.  Indeed, 10-year-old Copper jumped on me a few times, displaying the most energy of all her dogs.

Mitzi is Mitzi Heytow.  She’s no ordinary pet owner, and her dogs aren’t typical rescues.  She specializes in taking in elderly Labs who are unadoptable because nobody else wants them due to advanced age and infirmity.  What also makes her unique (some might say a little daft!) is that at any given time she has an average of six of these lovable dogs sharing her home.  She began her mission over 12 years ago and since then has adopted more than 35 dogs. 

I was interested in the logistics of keeping so many dogs, so I had Mitzi give me a tour and explain their schedule.  They eat twice a day and get a cookie at noon.  At feeding time, Mitzi says, the barking is incredible: These pooches don’t tolerate delays!  The feeding stations are organized in a separate room, with bowls elevated on stands to make it easier for them to reach the food. They get five walks a day on her 25-acre property, which includes a pond and a swimming pool.  But they can stroll outside onto a huge fenced-in lawn via a doggie door any time they want.  By evening they’re all gathered around Mitzi in the bedroom while she reads and watches the news.

The Labs come to her with some heartbreaking histories.  DJ was confined with a gluttonous crate mate who ate most of the food. “When I got him, he was a cadaver in desperate need of a savior,” Mitzi said.  Ernie was found in a forest, tied to a tree.  Remi was chained in a garage her entire life.  She came to Mitzi emaciated and with facial muscle atrophy so severe that she couldn’t open her mouth to eat.  After months of being hand-fed  pureed food, she made a full recovery -- “an unexpected miracle,” according to the specialists at Veterinary Specialty Clinic in Buffalo Grove.

Perhaps the most heart-wrenching tale is that of Bentley.  He spent his first 10 years chained up in a basement, never seeing the light of day.  He was neglected and abused, and also overfed.  By the time Bentley was rescued, he was so obese that it was hard to get him up the stairs.  Although the next two years of his existence were rife with medical problems, Mitzi was determined to do everything it took – including spending many thousands of dollars on veterinary expenses –to save him and give him the wonderful life he never had. He died at age 12, and his loss was perhaps the most devastating for her so far.

But the loss of each of her dogs has been gut-wrenching, although she has become more pragmatic about death over the years.  She recognizes that with the passing of one of her precious Labs, there will be another to take its place — another that desperately needs her.  She doesn’t permit herself the luxury of dwelling on their deaths.  Still, Mitzi admits that

losing the dogs is the hardest part of what she does and has taken an emotional toll on her.

Mitzi describes the cost of her philanthropy as astronomical.  Most of her rescued dogs need laboratory testing and dental work, and she has spent thousands of dollars on MRIs, x-rays, lab tests and surgeries.

Most of us know the joy of raising our dogs from puppies and sharing an active life with them until they’re old; by then the bond is strong, and we don’t mind attending to their geriatric requirements.  What could possibly motivate someone to subject themselves to the toil, expense, and heartbreak of adopting dogs with such a limited remaining lifespan? 

Mitzi explains that for many years she lived in a state of depression because she was trapped in an unbearable marriage in which she was abused.   She felt that she saved her life when she got out of her oppressive situation.  “I started taking in unadoptables because every dog I took in was a ‘Mitzi.’  When I see these dogs that come from abusive backgrounds like mine, I feel I’ve saved them; and each time I save one, I feel that I have saved a part of myself.  I cannot live without these dogs, I can’t — I wouldn’t function well.” 

The dogs followed us to Mitzi’s foyer and gathered around as I was getting ready to leave.  I posited to her that it must be gratifying to know that you’ve given an old dog a wonderful life at the end, even if it’s just a week.  “I never think of that,” she replied.  “I always think it could have been better.  I consider each dog I take in such a gift.”  Within the rescue community, she has been called the patron saint of senior Labs, and I agree with that description.   To me, it seems as if she is a gift to each of them. 

This blogpost is dedicated to Chip, another of Mitzi’s wonderful Labs.  He was diagnosed with a brain tumor and euthanized a few days after my visit. She had him for only nine months. 

Support L.E.A.R.N. and give your pooch a fabulous time!  Come to Pawgust Fest, August 23, 2014. 

Many of Mitzi’s dogs have come from L.E.A.R.N., an acronym for the Labrador Education and Rescue Network.  L.E.A.R.N. is a Labrador retriever rescue group whose mission is “to save unwanted Labs and place them in loving forever homes.”  Several things put this organization in the top tier of rescue groups.  Every dog is temperament-tested to make sure it’s suitable for adoption.  And the group won’t give a dog to just anybody: Volunteers visit potential homes twice, then decide whether that is the right family for that dog. They also keep in touch with the adoptive family for a couple of years.  Those precautions help ensure that the Labs won’t be returned or abandoned once again. 

L.E.A.R.N. is an all-volunteer group in dire need of foster homes and funding.    To raise money to support the organization, the annual “Pawgust Fest,” which Mitzi underwrites and organizes, is held at her home in Libertyville.  During the event you’ll find dogs carousing with each other and swimming in her pond and her pool.   There are also kiosks with vendors offering pet products, and food for dogs and their people.   This year’s Pawgust Fest – the 10^th – will be held Saturday, August 23, from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm.  Just pay a $12 donation per person (kids younger than 12 are free) when you arrive, and watch your dog have a blast!   Dogs of all breeds are welcome. 

 Pawgust Fest

August 23, 2014, 11 am – 4 pm

25775 N. St. Mary’s Road

Libertyville, IL

Declining visits: Cat care in crisis

My next appointment on a recent Tuesday afternoon was a cat we hadn’t seen since 2006.  I opened the patient record on my computer before going into the exam room, curious as to what crisis had finally compelled Furball’s owner to bring him to our animal hospital.  Sure enough, poor Furball hadn’t eaten in four days, a dangerous situation for a cat.  But why would a cat owner skip eight years of wellness visits? 

Recent studies have found a decline in the frequency of veterinary visits by cats.  The great recession of 2007 affected most of us, so it’s not surprising that the most significant reason veterinarians don’t see as many cats is cost.   But to me, that doesn’t entirely explain the situation.  After all, the same clients who skip cat visits to our practice bring in their dogs, and they continue to acquire new pets.  What other reasons can there be that keep our favorite felines from getting the care they need?

Many cat owners believe that because their cats don’t go outdoors, they don’t need a checkup.  But dental problems, chronic gastrointestinal disorders, and aging changes such as arthritis will occur whether your cat goes outdoors or stays in.  Indoor cats can even get parasites, such as heartworm disease.  Mosquitoes can sneak inside and transmit that disease.  Even fleas can find their way into a house or apartment building. 

I’ve had clients assure me that their cat never acts sick, or is “just slowing down because he’s old,” so he doesn’t need a checkup. They tell me about their last cat, who never went to the vet and lived to be 20.  I feel sorry for those cats, who are members of a species that is programmed to hide pain. Conditions such as bad teeth and arthritis can cause a great deal of suffering that owners might never detect. Yes, the cat lived to be 20, but did he have the best quality of life possible? A yearly exam allows us to find problems early and alleviate pain, making your cat more comfortable and active.  There’s no need for our furry friends to suffer in silence!

Does this sound familiar?  “My cat hates going to the vet, and I don’t want to stress her.”  With the right carrier, proper handling, and a few tricks, we can make a visit to our hospital much more pleasant for your kitty.  Just call us, and one of our doctors can consult with you and come up with a good plan.  And watch for a future blog on this important topic!

Would cat owners take their pet to the veterinarian more often if they knew it could prevent problems and expensive treatment later?   According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, only 56% say yes.   But it’s true that you can often avoid an expensive health crisis through early diagnosis of a problem.   And regular checkups are also important to help your cat attain a healthy weight and alert you to troubling behaviors.  

Furball is a good example of that.  Upon taking a history from his owner, I learned that he had been vomiting two or three times a week for several years.  His owners never considered it a pathological problem, just a normal thing that cats do.  The severely dehydrated kitty lying on my exam table had grossly thickened intestines, a red flag for lymphoma in a cat with his history. (See my previous blog “‘Just’ a hairball? Maybe not.”).   Saving his life would require loads of supportive care, imaging studies and blood work.   Had he come in years earlier, it’s quite possible we could have put him on medication that would have prevented his condition from becoming critical.

Too often we find clients crying in our exam room over a similar crisis that could have been prevented.  Don’t be that sad cat owner; keep your own Furball as healthy and happy as possible with regular veterinary care.  

Animal hospital protocal: A few rules of petiquette

As I say goodbye to my clients with dogs, I open the door to the waiting room.  Too often, the client allows the dog to rush headlong into the seating area and run up to other pets.  Most of the time the pets sniff each other and all is well, but occasionally the hackles go up, and one or both humans are tugging on the leash to prevent an altercation.  In a small waiting area, totally avoiding other pets is difficult.  But a near miss the other day got me thinking:  Shouldn’t there be some rules of decorum for the reception area?  After all, a clear set of do’s and don’ts might help avert disaster.

I huddled with my staff, and we’ve come up with a dozen waiting room protocol tips:

1.  All dogs must be on leashes or in carriers, but leave the retractable lead at home, or make sure it’s locked.  Keep your small dog in your arms, and your larger dog close to your side, as you enter the waiting room.  Lots of dogs in our office sniff each other, wag their tails, and seem to enjoy the experience. Nevertheless, I suggest restricting your pooch’s interactions with his own species to the dog park.   Also, an excited dog running figure eights on a retractable lead can wind around the legs of both dog and human, resulting in injury to one or both.  I was once lacerated by a retractable leash with a 15-pound dog on the business end; it took two years for that scar to fade! 

2.  Along the same lines as Tip #1:  Don’t let your dog run up to cat carriers, even if the dog adores kitties.  That will terrify all but the mellowest of felines.  

3.  All cats, without exception, should be in a cat carrier.  Even if your kitty lives with a dog and isn’t afraid, some dogs are cat-aggressive.  To them, your furry little friend looks like prey!

4.  Be mindful about cell phone use.  If you’re the only person waiting, a quiet phone conversation is acceptable.  If others are around, go outside for all but the briefest chat.   Nobody wants to hear about what’s for dinner, your cheating boyfriend, or your business transactions.

5.  Very young children may become bored and whiny while waiting, which is apt to cause distress for them and their parents.  They are often uninhibited and curious, and may approach a pet that doesn’t care for kids.  That could result in a serious bite (usually to the face).  Arrange to leave your child at home if he or she is likely to cause a disturbance.  I often joke with my daughter that she seldom saw the inside of a grocery store until she was 7 years old; it took her that long to mature enough to handle the situation without turning into a little monster. 

6.  I’ve overheard pet owners dispensing behavioral and medical advice to other clients.  I’m sure they mean well, but the person on the receiving end isn’t likely to be in the mood to hear something that might seem like veiled criticism, or something they already know about.  Refrain from giving fellow pet owners unsolicited suggestions. 

7.  For some dogs, walking into our office is their cue to bark incessantly.  It’s best to leave a barking dog in the car; if it’s warm outside, both of you should stay in the air-conditioned vehicle.  Call us when you’re in our parking lot to let us know you’ve arrived, and we’ll give you a buzz when the doctor is ready to whisk you directly into the exam room.  Consider having us prescribe an anti-anxiety drug such as Xanax to help the poor pooch cope with his over-excitement.

8.  The same goes for aggressive dogs, whether they’re dog-aggressive or people-aggressive:  Call us when you arrive, and stay in your car.  Also, all veterinary hospitals really appreciate it when clients muzzle their cantankerous dog before they walk in the door.  If you’re unsure about how your dog will behave, play it safe and use a muzzle (which we are happy to provide).  Dogs usually bite out of fear; why subject them to such stress?   I adhere to this variant of DuPont’s old slogan:  Better living through chemistry!  A little Xanax is in order.

9.  Don’t pet other animals without the owner’s permission.  Better yet, don’t pet other animals. I wouldn’t approach any but the most obviously friendly dog in the waiting room, because some owners are in denial about their dog’s propensity to bite. 

10.  If you suspect that your dog has something contagious, such as kennel cough or mange, let the receptionist know when you make your appointment.  Other clients will appreciate it if you leave your pet in the car until it’s time to see the doctor.

 

11.  It seems like our front desk bears the brunt of some people’s disgruntlement.  If you have a complaint, It’s OK to tell the receptionist, but please be gentle about it.   

12.  Unless another client volunteers information, don’t ask them why they are at the animal hospital.  It’s really not your business, and their reason for being there might be embarrassing.  Even worse, they might be terribly worried about their beloved pet, or they might be there to have the pet euthanized.  When faced with having to make difficult decisions, the most stoic person may dissolve into tears if they have to talk about it.

Even if you are a maven of manners, sometimes your own well-disciplined dog can misbehave or have an accident in the reception area.   I know that might be embarrassing to some pet owners, but to them I say, “Gee, this hasn’t happened … for at least ten minutes!”  Just do your best to follow these tips, but don’t worry: We’re used to all kinds of rowdiness in the waiting room.  Unlike the supermarkets where I wouldn’t take my grouchy young daughter, the vet’s office is a place your pet can’t -- and shouldn’t -- avoid. 

Have fun with your dog: Fido's got game!

Pet  owners tend to have busy lives.   More often than not our dogs get left behind, without much to do except sleep, stare out the window, or get into trouble.  Boredom is the bane of their existence.   I think many dog owners understand that and feel guilty about the benign neglect of their furry friend.  As much as we love our dogs, we can’t seem to think of much to do with them except throw a ball, pet them, feed them too many treats, or take them for a walk.

But there’s a fun solution: You can play games with your dog!  Besides staving off boredom, playing doggie games can:

•        Prevent behavior problems
•        Help ward off anxiety
•        Bond your dog to you
•        Afford mental stimulation
•        Create a fun atmosphere for learning commands
•        Provide exercise

Most pups can start learning games when they are only a few months old.  If your puppy doesn’t get the idea, just give him a little more time to grow and try again.  There’s no upper age limit to learning to play a game unless there are physical problems, such as arthritis or illness.

Although unfairly maligned, tug-of-war is another great game.  The misconception is that tug games promote dominance, but played correctly, they are a fun and confidence-building activity for your dog. But there are rules!   The owner should initiate the game and shouldn’t allow the pooch to touch his hands – that is a foul and results in a temporary halt to the fun.  And the dog must relinquish the toy on command, so this is a fun way to teach the “drop it” command.  Similarly, playing fetch lends the same confidence enhancement as tug games and also teaches “drop it.”

A less-familiar dog game is hide-and-seek.   You can hide a person, a treat, or a toy.  Each requires a different training technique.  Teaching a dog to find a toy or treat must be done in small steps to avoid frustration.   This is a great game for either inside or outside the house.  

Playing hide-and-seek using another person not only reinforces recalls but also encourages a dog to think.   The person in hiding calls the dog, and the person holding the dog then says, “Find Joe!”  When the dog locates the hidden “Joe,” a tasty treat is given, or a favorite toy, or even a game of chase.  Inside or out, hiding or not, people can take turns calling the dog back and forth.  Watch your pal become fit and proficient at recalls — possibly a life-saving skill.

With 132 million hits for “dog toys” on Google, finding something fun for your furry friend to play with is easy.  Some of these toys are interactive, requiring effort from your dog to achieve a reward or requiring human input.  But no matter what the toy, being a part of playing with your dog will bond him to you and help prevent him from becoming possessive of his playthings.

Remember playing with your food (despite stern warnings from your parents) when you were a kid?  Some dogs, too, love playing with their food.  Throw a hard treat down the hall and make him wait for a command to chase it and devour it.  Interactive feeding toys, such as Kongs and treat balls, offer an important chewing opportunity with a tasty reward.   Interactive food bowls help slow hasty eaters and make meals more interesting for some dogs.   Not every dog will enjoy having to work for every bite, but puzzle feeders can make dogs have to think to find their food.  

AiKiou's interactive feeder

A lack of mental stimulation is one of the main causes of behavior problems in dogs. Don’t miss opportunities to enrich your dog’s life.  You can incorporate play into many routine daily activities.  We have a nation of unemployed, indolent dogs.  Let’s put them to work!