pet connection

For the past two weeks, shelter officials at the Fairfax County animal shelter in Fairfax, Va., have been dealing with a highly contagious, virulent version of the feline calici virus. The Washington Post reported last week that the cats were brought into the shelter in mid-June after being rescued from a woman police call a hoarder:

Around 75 cats were rescued from a Springfield home in mid-June, said Fairfax County police spokesperson Mary Ann Jennings. They were found to carry a virulent strain of the respiratory ailment calicivirus, and all 80 cats in the Fairfax County Animal Shelter were euthanized Wednesday to prevent further infection.

Cats brought to the shelter from the Springfield home developed symptoms such as lethargy, sneezing, discharge from the eyes and mouth sores, Jennings said. Vaccines and antibiotics didn’t work, and the shelter’s veterinarians eventually recommended euthanization.

An old ventilation system in the center may have contributed to the spread of the virus, Jennings said.

The Fairfax County Animal Shelter is cleaning the rooms that housed cats with bleach and water to eliminate the virus, and cat adoptions have been temporarily halted.

“This has been very devastating for the shelter workers, and we are going to make sure we can accommodate cats safely again,” Jennings said.

This wasn’t just devastating for shelter workers. A number of the rescued cats were taken into private foster homes.

Once the foster families were notified of the virus outbreak, they were faced with the daunting task of disinfecting their homes to rid them of the virus. They were also faced with an agonizing decision. Since cats who are infected with virulent calici — even those without symptoms — are thought to shed the virus intermittently throughout their lives, was there any choice other than to put down the exposed kittens?

Even if adopted into indoor-only homes without other cats, or only other exposed cats, they could potentially put other cats at risk in years to come every time they are in a veterinary hospital, if they get outside, or if they ever end up in a shelter or rescue group again.

“Putting down a sick cat is heartbreaking,”  said one of the fosters, who wishes to remain unnamed. ”Putting down healthy, active kittens is devastating, even when you know that you’re doing it to protect your own cats and there’s no choice.”

Photo of Frack, a foster kitten who was put down, used with permission.

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Looking for an inexpensive treatment for your dog’s lameness — and one with no side effects? Dr. Marty Becker has the story in this week’s Pet Connection newspaper feature:

If your dog is limping, part of the problem may well be excess weight. A study of dogs at least 20 percent more that their ideal body weight evaluated their degrees of lameness. Then the dogs’ caloric intake was reduced to prompt them to lose weight while maintaining exercise at the pre-study level. By the end of the study, the dogs had not only lost weight but 82 percent of the dogs were less lame.

And from critical care specialist Dr. Tony Johnson, a tough look at in Bulldogs, Pugs and other brachycephalic (flat-faced) dog breeds:

In order to keep cool through panting, dogs need a good airway. Brachycephalic dogs almost all have narrower windpipes relative to other dogs of comparable size — a condition known as “tracheal hypoplasia.” Bulldogs often have a trachea that would keep a Yorkie quite happy, but for the bulldog, it must be like breathing through a coffee stirrer. When we have to intubate brachycephalic dogs for surgery (which involves placing a soft, plastic tube into their trachea to deliver oxygen and anesthetic gases), they will often wake up with the tube in place after the procedure and seem quite happy to have an open and bigger airway for the first time in their lives. Most other dogs can’t wait to get the dang tube out!

All that and more, here!

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My approach to helping pet owners make decisions about their pet’s care can be summed up in one word: options.

Depending on the situation at hand, I try to provide as many options as I can, and give owners the information (and time, if I can) to make an informed decision that they will feel comfortable about when all is said and done. In some cases, the options may realistically be limited to two, or perhaps three if we get creative and start bending the rules.  In others, I can sometimes come up with five or six pretty realistic paths we can toss around.

I try to come up with options that will meet with most budgets (from the near-destitute to the wealthy) and most views on pet ownership. Like it or not, we see people who don’t value their pets as much as I do, and I have to serve the owner’s as well as the pet’s interests.  There’s no point in my demanding an MRI for someone who either can’t pay for it or thinks it’s a crazy thing to do. I still discuss it, but I don’t hold their feet to the fire.

Along with the options, I will usually offer up a recommendation for what I see as the best course of action. Sometimes, all the options are equally good, or equally crappy, and sometimes the one I see as best also has the biggest price tag (but not always). I have found that this combo of delivering options with a recommendation thrown in the mix seems to hit the right note of satisfying my conscience that I am doing right by the pet and the owners.

Human and veterinary medicine used to ascribe to a more paternalistic way of doing things; the doctor was always right, the doctor told you what to do, and the doctor usually drove the bus, wore the bossypants and made the decisions. No so anymore.

For human and animal patients alike, the age of the empowered patient and owner is here. People are educated about their health and the health of their pets, and rightly want to be a part of the decision-making process. I celebrate this, and find that discussions with educated and smart people are one of the joys of practice. We develop a plan together, and we all take pride in it if it works and we all take the lumps if it doesn’t. I get to bask in a little bit of the glow when things come out well, and I have a partner in crime if they don’t.

My options/recommendation scenario doesn’t always work, though. In order for it to work, the people on the other side of the exam table have to be able to actually make a decision when the time comes.  There is a segment of the pet-owning public that gets stuck in an endless Möbius strip of uncertainty, obsession about blame or flat-out fear, and is unable to give me a go/no-go on any decision.  I am not sure if this is the same contingent that really does want the decision pre-formed and handed to them, a lá 1950s-era Marcus Welby-style medicine or not.

In these cases, we may spend time in the exam room coming up with our two or ten options, but be met with blank stares and silence when it comes down to picking one. When I gently try and get an opinion from them about which direction they feel is right, in some cases nothing comes of it.  Prodding or being insistent is not my style, and I think rarely bears fruit; the discussion usually just degenerates at that point and we don’t get anywhere.

I am sometimes met with angst (“I don’t know what to do!”), anger (“You’re the doctor; which is the best?”) or, more often than not, just crickets.  We just sit there staring at each other.

I will usually give the family some time alone to discuss things, and then come back to answer questions and see if we can pick a path forward. Sometimes a little gentle power-of-suggestion stuff will work wonders, as in “I’ll give you some time to talk this over, and then when I come back you can let me know which way to proceed.”

What’s your take on this? Are there times when you just wish the doctor would make the call for you? Are there times when none of the options are attractive to you, and all the options suck? Have there been times when you felt a doctor did not give you all the options and merely made the decisions for you?

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What do rubber squeaky toys, shiny jewelry, and potting soil all have in common?

They are all foreign objects that various species of exotic pets commonly ingest. These are just a few items that we see exotic animals inappropriately consume. Even everyday objects found in our homes, like carpeting, towels, and plastic bags can be easily ingested by exotic species. These objects can cause life-threatening gastrointestinal obstructions that often require surgery to resolve.

So what can exotic pet owners do? While no one can guarantee that his or her pet will always be safe from ingesting foreign objects, there are certainly some precautions pet owners can take:

• Pet-proof your animal’s enclosure. Scour the areas your pets frequent, and be sure to pick up any small, loose objects or dangling materials like string, ribbon, or wires that call out to pets to be chewed on.
• Never let your bird, small mammal (rabbit, ferret, rodent, or other species), or even your reptile, out of its cage unsupervised, even for a minute. That’s all it takes to gulp down or bite off a bit of foreign material.
• Be sure your pet’s cage or other enclosure locks securely and is escape-proof. Exotic pets are very clever and manage to get out of even seemingly secure places.
• Never leave tempting human food items or any kind of medication out within the reach of your exotic pets. Even if you think they won’t eat it, they might. It’s not worth the risk.
• Don’t assume that all pet “toys” are safe; many of these toys are made from potentially toxic materials (like lead) or have pieces that can be bitten or broken off, swallowed, or ingested. Carefully inspect any toys you leave in your pet’s cage, and consider whether there is anything in or on them that your pet might consume inappropriately.
• Pay attention to your pet’s bedding. Several types of bedding that are labeled as “safe,” such as corn cob or walnut shells, are actually consumed by many exotic pets and ultimately can lead to gastrointestinal obstruction. Bedding made from paper or recycled paper products is digestible if consumed and is therefore safe.
• Learn to recognize potential signs of foreign object ingestion in your pet’s particular species. For example, rabbits cannot physically vomit. Therefore, if you own a rabbit, you would not rely on vomiting as an indicator of whether your pet has ingested foreign material. And while ferrets can vomit, they often will not, showing only signs of diarrhea, even when they have swallowed something they shouldn’t have.
• Have a plan: talk to your vet before you have an actual emergency situation, so that if your exotic pet consumes foreign material and starts to act sick, you will know what to do and where to go even if it’s the middle of the night.

While we may not be able to prevent every exotic pet from inappropriately consuming all foreign materials, awareness of this problem and vigilance to prevent it can certainly save many animals lives.

Photo credit: ookaboo.com, toykeeper.net

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The earlier you diagnose Lyme disease, the better the chances of tackling it. Unfortunately, catching it early is easier said than done. Previously, tests either haven’t been sufficiently sensitive or accurate. Last week, Cornell University announced a breakthrough. Researchers at the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Animal Health Diagnostic Center (AHDC) have developed a breakthrough multiplex procedure. Bettina Wagner is the Harry M. Zweig Associate Professor in Equine Health, and is also the test’s lead developer. She tells us the new test can

detect three different antibodies produced in response to the bacteria associated with Lyme disease using a single test on the sample, [and thereby] eliminates the need for separate tests. In addition, it requires smaller samples and answers more questions about the disease. Multiplex technology has been used for the last decade, but the AHDC is the first veterinary diagnostic laboratory to use it to test for Lyme disease.[...]

The bacteria that cause Lyme disease are particularly difficult to detect, according to Wagner, because after infection they tend to hide where they can’t be found. They bury in the joints of dogs, causing arthritis or lameness. Serious kidney disease has also been associated with Lyme infections in dogs. In humans and horses, they also burrow into the nervous system, in the spine or the brain, causing pain, paralysis or behavioral changes. By the time such clinical signs appear, the bacteria are usually not in circulation anymore.

Thanks, CathyA

Bionic doggie: Almost precisely one year ago, I told you about a cat who had prosthetic (bionic, I said at the time) paws installed for him in England. Today, it’s time for the canine version. In this ABC News story, Dr. Becker comments on the new veterinary trend:

Veterinarian Marty Becker said prosthetics are becoming increasingly common on disabled pets.

One prosthetic can cost anywhere form $1,000 to $3,000.

“It’s really heartwarming,” said Becker. “Dogs just soldier on. They could be in incredible pain but still greet you with their tail wagging.

Between you and me, I personally wish he had quoted Oscar Goldman’s famous line from my favorite 1970′s tv program. “Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology.”

Dogs iz smarter than you: It really doesn’t matter if you can’t distinguish between identical twins. Chances are good your dog can. ScienceNow has the details. (tip of the cap to Marge Wright)

Joplin Adopt-a-thon: In Joplin, Missouri this past weekend, nearly four hundred cats and dogs were placed by the Joplin Humane Society Animal Adoption Resource Center’s Adopt-A-Thon.

Though the event was set to begin at 10 a.m., people began arriving as early as 5 a.m. and long lines quickly formed.

Tim Rickey, senior director with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said they expected a good turnout, but the estimated 2,000 people interested in adoption “far exceeded expectations.”

Melissa Wallis and her daughter, Kaylee, traveled from Vinita, Okla., to adopt a small dog because “Daddy finally said ‘yes,’” she said.

“We heard about all the pets in need of a good home, and they’ve been through enough,” she said.

Thanks to the Joplin Globe for the details.

Labradoodle regret: Wally Conran is an elderly Australian gentleman who thinks he may have made a big mistake. What did he do? Mr. Conran is the man responsible for what we know today as the labradoodle. What does he regret? Read this piece from the NY Daily News and find out.

Heartworm medication update: In the wake of the Merial contretemps, there’s a growing question as to whether the problem Dr. Kari Blaho-Owens identified with respect to Heartgard Plus is or is not symptomatic of a broader issue. The Companion Animal Parasite Council released a statement saying it will be continuing to monitor research results, though it stops short of saying that medication currently on the market needs improvement.

Attacking FIP: Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) is both incurable and fatal. Our own Ingrid King’s blog Conscious Cat reports on the Winn Feline Foundation‘s 33rd annual Feline Symposium, held last week in Reston, Virginia.

UCDavis Vet Med surveys: The University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine is running a survey, and they would very much like to hear from Pet Connection readers. Want to help? Details below:

• Behavioral Interactions Between Children and Cats
  • A project to understand more about the interactions between cats and children from 3 to 12 years of age. If you have at least one cat of 1 year of age or older, and a child between the ages of 3 and 12, currently residing in the home with the cat, we would greatly appreciate your taking about 10-15 minutes to complete this anonymous survey. The results will help us to counsel people about cats and children.
• Dog Behavior: The Rest of the Story
  • Most dog caregivers have heard about how to train a dog to sit, stay and come, and many have heard about preventing aggressive behavior, separation anxiety and house soiling. But there are several unanswered questions, such as why dogs eat strange things, why they howl at fire engines and if they “catch” human yawns. At the Companion Animal Behavior Program in the Veterinary School at the University of California at Davis, we are conducting a voluntary web-based survey of the primary caregivers of dogs to gather information about the rest of the story. If you are the primary caregiver of an adult dog, your cooperation in taking about 10 minutes to fill out this confidential survey will be appreciated by thousands of dog caregivers.
• Cat Behavior: The Rest of the Story
  • Most cat caregivers are bombarded with talk about toys for entertainment, new types of appealing litter, ideas for upholstered climbing trees, and other products of commercial value, and which may give some insights into cat behavior. But there are several unanswered and unexplored questions, such as why and when cats purr, why they yawn and why some cats eat plants. At the Companion Animal Behavior Program in the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California at Davis, we are conducting a voluntary web-based survey of the primary caregivers of cats to gather information about the rest of the story. If you are the primary caregiver of an adult cat, your cooperation in taking about 10 minutes to fill out this confidential survey will be appreciated by thousands of cat caregivers when we disseminate the information gained from this survey.

The 2011 Banfield Report: Our own Dr. Nancy Kay’s blog Speaking for Spot has a summary of the 2011 survey from Banfield Pet Hospital, reporting on key trends in veterinary health today. The data comes from more than two million dogs and 450,000 cats seen during 2010. Dr. Kay notes highlights, covering dental disease, flea infestation, diabetes, heartworm and others. Please take the time to read the entire report here.

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.

Image credit: Tick, treeandlawncare.com.

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