Pet talk

“The filly needs a job.” That’s what the lady said about a 4 year old Hackney pony cross that I went out to look at last week.  I knew what she meant.  She meant the horse needed to be trained to DO something–and then to be used consistently in some type of activity.  A purpose.  That seems to make most horses happiest in life.  Other animals seem to need jobs too.  All those bored dogs:  some barking day in and day out, while others are out in the yard digging holes and destroying the flower beds.  Their “bad” behavior would definitely improve if they had a job.  

That got me to thinking about all the working dogs I interact with on a daily basis here in my job.  These dogs are called detector dogs and they are trained to find objects by using their powerful noses.  Objects that you wouldn’t even think of.  Sure you know about the bomb and drug dogs, but what about the fruit dogs?  These highly trained animals roam around the baggage areas of foreign inbound flights, sniffing out illegal fruits and vegetables.  The ones who work with passengers are mostly beagles who are trained to quietly sit down next to a passenger who has an illegal fruit or vegetable on their person or in their luggage.  The dogs who work cargo, are much bigger and are trained to aggressively tear open packages containing illegal fruits, nuts and meats.  The dogs are very accurate and amazing to watch.  They can trot along a conveyor belt filled with boxes (think of FedEx) and correctly sniff out the prohibited material with ease.  

Dogs here are also used to sniff out large sums of money being illegally removed from the country on out bound flights.  These dogs can distinguish the smell of ink on printed money and are quick to point out the “bad” guys smuggling out our currency to fund who-knows-what in other countries.  Whether it is taped to a small child with a full diaper, or in a briefcase, these dogs get the job done by stopping the illegal flow of money out of our country.

Another newer application of the detector dog is the one that can smell CD’s, DVD’s and computer game disks.  As you know, pirated movies, music and games is big business and these dogs can smell a crime when it walks by!  This month alone, 2 sniffer dogs have found 1.15 million copies of bootleg disks in Malaysia.  Unfortunately, the mob bosses have put out a bounty on the dogs–so it must mean that they are putting a dent into their profits.

Working dogs are probably better employees than people if you think about it.  Of course they get distracted, and have to have extended periods of down time, but the average office worker only puts in a small fraction of the day in actual work.  The rest is spent surfing the internet, doing email, talking to co workers, and taking breaks.  When was the last time your dog wanted to talk about Sanjaya and why he was voted off?    

I was asked to write a brief description of what to expect in a situation where you find out your cat is pregnant.  Usually one suspects that the cat is pregnant when she starts expanding and not really getting any taller.  A quick palpation by a veterinarian is usually enough to diagnose it and if caught early enough, the cat can still be spayed.  Of course the decision to spay a pregnant cat is completely up to the veterinarian and the client.  I have no problem spaying a pregnant cat as most females (once they become mature), are almost always pregnant.  But some veterinarians will not do them because of their own moral issues.  And that is fine.  If you want your pregnant cat spayed, call around until you can find a veterinarian to do the job.

Sometimes the cats condition will not allow a major surgery such as a spay, and the pregnancy must be allowed to continue not so much for the unborn kittens, but for the mother herself.  If the mother is in a very poor body condition, the kittens may experience still birth, malformations or dystocia (difficulty birthing), as a result.  

The normal gestation for cats is around 63 days.  Have your cat evaluated by a veterinarian to determine whether she is a candidate for an immediate spay or if she needs to carry the kittens to term.  Your veterinarian may recommend vitamins, or may just have you switch to a high quality kitten food to add extra nutrients to her diet while the kittens develop.  I prefer to free choice the food, but many people recommend that the cat be fed in small amounts frequently throughout the day to accommodate the smaller stomach size she experiences during the pregnancy.  The food should be fed until the kittens are weaned to provide the extra calories for good milk production as well.

As the delivery approaches, the cat will start looking for a nice quiet place to have her kittens.  Usually it is in a closet, or some type of enclosed area like a drawer.  When you see this type of behavior, go ahead and provide her with a nest box in some quiet area of the home or basement.  Use clean towels for bedding.

In the days right before giving birth, your cat should show a change in attitude.  Either an outgoing cat will become a recluse and want to sleep all the time, or a normally stand-offish cat will want to be with you all the time.  Hormones will do this to anyone!

And just hours before the cat gives birth, the mammary glands will fill and milk may leak from the nipples.  

The actual birthing process may be quick or quite long depending on the cat.  She will lay down in her nest and you may see actual contractions.  But usually this all happens at night and you wake up to a litter of kittens in the laundry basket.  If you are present, don’t help unless there is obvious trouble.  Kittens born in a sac and not cleaned by the mother are a sign that you should step in and remove the sac.  Dry the kitten off with a clean towel and give it back to its mother right away.  If you see that she is in active labor for more than 4 hours without producing a kitten, or if it has been more than four hours since the last kitten appeared and there are more kittens in there–go to an emergency clinic right away.    (The usual time between kittens is 10-60 minutes)

Mother cat will consume the birth sacs and any placental pieces and this is a good thing, as it stimulates milk production.  Watch for the common problems of mastitis (infection of the mammary glands), infection of the uterus (possible retained placenta?), or a calcium deficiency called eclampsia, which may cause incoordination, irritability, vomiting, and death if left untreated.  Mother cat should eat, drink, and take good care of her kittens.  If she is acting abnormally, take her in for a check up right away–then schedule that spay as soon as the kittens are weaned.  

Once you have gotten to your veterinarians office and had the general exam (including a screen for parasites) it is time to think about vaccinations.  Years ago it was a simple choice–you just got them all.  Every year, a syringe would contain several vaccines mixed in together and your vet would advise you to protect your pet by using them.  But recent research has put that philosophy into question, and now everybody has a different opinion on what is best for your pet.

Of course the simple thing would be to just read the package that the vaccines come in.  When you do, you will see no reference to any of the recent research linking annual vaccination to animal health problems.  No, in fact the drug companies want to sell vaccines so the label recommends that your veterinarian administer them annually.

The best thing to do is to have a frank talk with your veterinarian.  Tell him/her all about your pet, and where it goes, ie boarding kennels, shows, dog parks, frequent walks in the city, or is used for hunting.  That history along with your pets vaccination history, (was it a stray or have you had it since it was a kitten?), area in which you live, (Lyme disease), and your veterinarians own experience with the vaccines they are using (some use a live vaccine and some use a killed vaccine) will all determine how often your pet should be vaccinated.  

Take for example the 2 year old dog that you have had since it was 8 weeks old.  Lets say the dog gets walked along city side walks twice daily and as a treat, you take it to the local dog park on the weekends.  With this history, I would recommend a yearly vaccination of the distemper combo–the one that has distemper, canine adenovirus-2 (hepatitis and respiratory disease), parvovirus-2, coronavirus, leptospirosis, and the kennel cough ones bordetella and parainfluenza.  Why?  Because this type of dog is going to be exposed to all of this on the sidewalk and from the dog park.  As this dog ages, I would probably vaccinate less frequently as long as the dog remained healthy.

Now lets talk about the 7 year old cat you got as a stray 6 years ago.  The cat is healthy, totally indoors, and you have no other pets.  This cat would benefit from vaccinations of feline distemper, rhinotrachetitis, and calicivirus every 3 to 5 years as long as it got a solid vaccination base during the previous years.  Again as this pet ages, I would re evaluate the schedule to stop any unnecessary vaccinations later in its life.

There are other vaccinations for special circumstances and are generally not recommended for routine use.  Your veterinarian should recommend them when the pet has a need–Lyme disease, ringworm, and Giardia come to mind.

As you can see the vaccination recommendations have changed significantly from what was “hard science” just a few years ago.  And remember a rabies vaccination is not optional in dogs.  It must be done according to the law in each state—in Michigan, animals under a year old can only receive a vaccine that lasts a year.  After that, a three year vaccine can be administered.      

Every year it is recommended that you take your dog or cat into a veterinarians office for a general exam and preventative measures.  And one of the most important things to get checked out is parasites.  

Parasites are either living inside your pets such as heartworms, and intestinal worms, or living on the outside like fleas and ear mites.  Each spring, both the internal ones and the external ones need to be assessed and your pet needs to be put on a preventative to keep them in check all summer long.  

Generally a fecal sample can be taken into your veterinarians office and be examined for intestinal parasites.  If you have more than one pet, (in my case 4!), you can mix the fecal samples together because pets living together for any length of time share parasites.  If the sample is negative, that means that your pet does not have parasites that are shedding eggs or body segments at this time.  And that is good.  Stress, pregnancy, and other factors may make the parasites more active, and therefore just because you pet has been tested once this year, doesn’t mean you should not suspect parasites later if your pet starts having problems.  

A blood test is used to test for heartworms in both dogs and cats.  In dogs, the test actually screens a blood sample for worm babies called microfiliariae.  In cats, the test can either be for antibodies against heartworms or antigens/proteins carried by the adult heatworms.  Either way, most veterinarians will require a blood test before dispensing the heartworm preventative.  In dogs with heartworm, giving the preventative may cause sudden distress and even death of the dog.  In cats, because microfiliriae are not common, the preventative does not usually cause such dire results.

Heartworm medications have been developed to be given either monthly, or even daily.  Some have intestinal wormers in them, and many are chewable making them more of a treat than a medication.  In fact many people opt to keep their pets on preventative year round even in cold climates where mosquitos die off.  This will usually let you skip the annual blood test, and if you travel to a warm climate in the winter it makes sense.  

Keeping a house bound cat on heartworm preventative is always a question I get asked.  And it is really up to the owner.  You need to weigh your own needs and expectations to come up with an answer that is right for you.

As an interesting side note, dogs and cats are not the only ones to get heartworm.  Other members of the canine family such as wolves, fox and coyote get them as well.  Sea lions, and yes even humans can get them–but the findings are mostly noted on autopsy records rather than active medical records.  In species that are not natural hosts for heartworms, an occasional worm will live in the heart causing no noticeable symptoms.   On post mortem exam they may live for quite some time in a dead body and come crawling out of an incised heart.  What a surprise for the medical examiner!  

Easter is upon us again, and once again I feel the need to warn people about buying little ducklings, chicks and bunnies for the kids.  Sure they look cute now.  And while at the post office this week, I heard their cute little peeping all the way into the lobby.  But they just are not a good idea for a young child at this time of the year.

Lets start with the bunnies.  I have raised rabbits and know first hand how cute some of the breeds can be.  They have long, floppy eared ones, and very fluffy ones, and even ones that feel like velvet.  And for the most part, rabbits are pretty good pets.  The problem comes when you are at TSC with your 5 year old son or daughter and they decide they want one.  Impulse pet buys are never a good idea.  Your child must be old enough to understand directions and be able to learn how not to hurt the new bunny and just as importantly, how not to let the bunny hurt him/her.  Rabbits have razor sharp teeth which can bite a childs finger clean off.  Plus, their powerful back legs may lead them to break their own backs if not handled correctly.  So you see, cute Mr. Bunny can cause some serious problems if your child is not mature enough and prepared to care for him.

Chicks and ducks are dangerous in another way.  They commonly carry salmonella.  This is a bacteria which, at its least, will cause diarrhea and vomitting.  At its worse, it has been known to kill children if left untreated.  And unfortunately as they grow older, the fowl do not stay as adorable as they were.  Chickens grow up to most likely become roosters–and your family may tolerate the 5 am wake up call, but the neighbors may not.  Ducks LOVE the water and will promptly poop in it the minute you change it.  But they need clean water to swim in and to drink (the water is necessary to manintain the cleanliness of their feathers) so it is a constant messy battle of dirty versus clean water.

All of the above is mute if your community does not allow farm animals.  The rabbit, if properly litter trained can be kept in the house, but the fowl need a home of their own.  Of course that doesnt mean that some people dont keep their chickens in the house. 

One day I recieved a call from the San Diego animal control asking if I could help catch the chickens a woman had living in her home.  Sure enough, 10 houses down from the police department, a very elderly woman had a home so over run with chickens, that she had actually moved into the garden shed in the backyard.  She had given her home over to the chickens and had extension cords running to the shed where she and her 3 dogs stayed.  Needless to say her house was a mess and the police had the health department come in and condem it.  It wasnt as bad as the house with 75 dogs in it (which is another story!), but it was right up at the top of my list. 

I wish I could say that the moral of this story is that if you buy chicks/ducks/bunnies for you children at Easter, your house will be condemed.  But unfortunately, what usually happens is the ducks get turned loose to fend for themselves, and the rabbits and chickens end up in animal shelters.  Getting your children a pet is not something to do on a whim.  Take the time to research the animal, its needs, and your family’s ability to meet those needs.  And we all know that isnt gonna happen on Easter Sunday. 

Today while reading another Monroenews.com blog, I was reminded of the fact that you can’t always believe what people say in the media.  Take for instance, medical studies.  Depending on who is funding the research, the conclusions can range all the way from the drug is a miracle pill, to it doesnt really work for the condition it was developed for and it has nasty side effects.  It all depends on the person doing the research, the people intrepreting the numbers, and the reporter who is trying to make the news fit an agenda.

Such is the case in the animal welfare debate.  Because most people do not have a animal behavior background, trying to rationally access animal pain and distress can be difficult.  Then you have all the propaganda out there trying to convince you that either the problem is wide spread and rampant (like monkeys being tortured in labs), to professionals who will tell you that monkeys are NEVER abused in labs. 

Want the real truth?  Its somewhere in the middle.  That is what makes animal welfare zealots so valuable to us  as a society.  They bring awareness to issues and if there is a problem, it gets the oversight of many, many people to bring it back to acceptable measures. 

And unfortunately, you can not always trust veterinarians either.  While doing animal welfare inspections for the USDA I had to cite many of them for doing research without the mandated practice of providing pain relief to their subjects.  Even though it was required, and it was available, many did not believe it was beneficial to the animal.  Since when is pain relief ever NOT beneficial??

So yes, Virgina, lots of people say lots of things.  Most of it needs to be sifted through–throw out the stuff that just doesnt make any sense, and keep the stuff that rings true to your beliefs.