Don’t believe the myths, especially the urban ones
By David S. Greene
July 15, 2010
The more time you spend on Teh Internets the more you’re exposed to urban myths and rumors about what you should/shouldn’t do. Add in cat and dog care, and you can multiply that by about a hundred. So two columns, poking big holes in pet care myths, are invaluable.
The truth about FIV: The three letters every cat owner dreads need not be a death sentence. Cats can live long, happy lives with proper care, so getting the skinny (sorry, I couldn’t help it) helps. The first step, though, is separating the facts from the misinformation. Ingrid at The Conscious Cat has given us a readable, easy to understand post on what’s true about FIV and what’s not. For instance:
Myth: FIV can be spread through casual contact, such as cats sharing the same food or water bowls, or cats grooming each other.
Fact: FIV is transmitted primarily through deep, penetrating bite wounds. Casual, non-aggressive contact of cats living in the same household does not spread the virus. On rare occasions, the virus is transmitted from the mother cat to her kittens, usually during passage of the kittens through the birth canal, or when they ingest infected milk.
Dogs, ice water, and bloat: I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve read the urban myth email insisting that very cold water (especially ice water) on a hot day will kill my dogs. Guess what, gang? It’s Not True. Thanks to our BFF Dr. Patty Khuly’s Fully Vetted blog for this one…
Frigid water gastric “cramping” is a falsehood akin to those that inform you that your hair will grow back coarser if you shave it (myth), or that you shouldn’t go swimming for 30 minutes after eating lest you drown in a fit of cramps (myth). And though it’s not a big deal to warn people about something that will at the very least do no harm should they avoid it, it drives me crazy to get these e-mails, nonetheless.
Go Dr. Khuly!
The best place in America to be a dog is….my house. No, sorry. According to a DogFancy poll spotlighted in USA Today, Provincetown, Mass. is DogTown USA for 2010. This just adds another reason why P-Town (as New Englanders fondly refer to it) is such a terrific destination, along with restaurants, shops, galleries, Race Point, great beaches, and just plain cool people (the previous statement sponsored by the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce). Provincetown was followed in the poll by…
- Carmel, Calif.
- Madison, Wis.
- Benicia, Calif.
- Fort Bragg, Calif.
- Lincoln City, Ore.
- San Diego, Calif.
- Virginia Beach, Va.
- Sioux Falls, S.D.
- Salem, Ore.
I’m surprised Key West didn’t make the top ten. Do you think your humble burg should get a shout out? Tell us why!
The new era of pet travel includes veterinarians: In 2009, more than 4 million animals worldwide traveled by plane. According to this Travel Examiner post, the newest offering of the pet travel industry involves global veterinary flight services. What’s that? Let’s say you’re relocating from the US to Tel Aviv or Zurich, and you’re bringing your Persian cat, a chinchilla and two Vizslas with you. With this service, a veterinarian can advise clients on vaccinations and precautions beforehand, as well as the diseases and infections to be aware of in the destination country, and more. There’s not just one but two pioneers for the new service: Animal Airways and Israeli-based Terminal 4 Pets.
My favorite picture and caption this week….come from Disapproving Rabbits.
I always like to hear from readers, especially if you have tips, and links for interesting stories. Give me a shout in the comments, or better yet, send me an e-mail.
Photo credit: Cat Kiss, consciouscat.net.
All the dogs I know say Portland Maine-and my house.
Comment by Nancy Freedman-Smith — July 15, 2010 @ 8:38 am
Cami and Harry can attest to the joys of Portland. They especially love walking around downtown, and visiting Planet Dog’s headquarters location, which is their favorite toy store.
Comment by David S. Greene — July 15, 2010 @ 8:58 am
Geez, I expected to see the bestest FIV myth of all —
A SAR teammate is immune-compromised after surviving cancer. A vet tech told her mother that the cat could give her “cat AIDS.” Also the dogs could catch it.
Headdesk headdesk headdesk.
Comment by H. Houlahan — July 15, 2010 @ 10:29 am
Oh yes, it’s airborne. And if the spores land on a toilet seat, you can contract it, too. As long as you don’t, well, never mind.
Comment by David S. Greene — July 15, 2010 @ 12:14 pm
Thanks for linking to The Conscious Cat! My former office cat was FIV positive - left at the animal hospital I managed by a client who, despite our best efforts at educating him, was afraid that she’d give it to the kids. He wanted her euthanized (and of course, he didn’t want to stay to watch the deed being done). Somehow, she wound up in a cage in the back of the clinic, and the staff never got around to it that day, and the next. By the time someone noticed and remembered, people had gotten attached to her, and she became the office cat. Granted, not the best reflection on our clinic in terms of remembering to do a procedure in this case (although I suspect that the staff remembered, but nobody wanted to remind the vet…), but it turned out to make for great client education during all the years Virginia was with us (and she lived to be 14) - the fact that we were not afraid to have an FIV positive clinic cat certainly enlightened some clients!
Comment by Ingrid King — July 15, 2010 @ 1:10 pm
Key West is way to touristy for dogs and crowded streets. Plus the roosters rule, cats second, and dogs would be third. Not many dogs like that pecking order.
ha ha, pecking order.
Comment by ericka — July 15, 2010 @ 2:05 pm