Sometimes
it may seem like a cute idea to give someone a pet as a Christmas present, but
it’s important to give that some extra thought before you do it. Most pets that
are given up lose their home because their owner loses interest in them or is
unprepared for the responsibility of pet ownership. This is a huge problem seen
among pet owners who receive their pets as “gifts.” Children especially are
given the mistaken idea that pets are all fun and games, but they are not fully
ready to take on the responsibility of feeding, walking, cleaning, and training
their pet.
Instead
of giving pets as presents, we recommend getting acclimated to the idea of
bringing a new pet into your home. Bringing your children to volunteer at an
animal shelter or babysitting the pet of a friend or family member can help.
Children and potential pet owners (no matter their age!) need to be reminded
that pets aren’t just cute; they are also hungry, need to exercise, and need to
use the bathroom. They can be messy when they aren’t fully trained, and the
training process can be difficult too.
Please,
don’t adopt until everyone in your family is READY.
You have a problem. Your
cat is thinking outside the box, and not in a good way. You may be wondering
what you did to inspire so much “creative expression.” Is your cat punishing
you? Is Fluffy just “bad”? No, and no. House soiling and missing the litter box
is a sign that your cat needs some help.
According to
the Winn Feline Foundation, house soiling is the number one complaint among cat
owners. The good news is that it is very treatable.
An accredited
veterinarian can help you determine if the problem is medical or related to
social or environmental stressors. In addition to a complete physical exam, the
doctor will ask you specific “where and when” questions.
Health factors
Tony
Buffington, DVM, PhD, a specialist in feline urinary disorders at The Ohio
State University, and founder of the Indoor Cat Initiative says that many
veterinarians recommend a urine test for every cat with a house soiling
problem. The urinalysis will determine if blood, bacteria, or urinary crystals
are present — signs that your cat might have feline lower urinary tract disease
(FLUTD).
FLUTD is very
common and can cause painful urination. Cats that begin to associate the litter
box with pain will avoid it. Other medical possibilities include
hyperthyroidism, kidney disease, diabetes, and arthritis and muscle or nerve
disorders that might prevent your cat from getting to the litter box in time.
Environmental
factors
If there is no medical cause, the next step is to look at environmental
factors. Start with the litter box. Your cat might be avoiding the litter box
because it is not cleaned well enough, you’ve changed the type of litter you
use, or there is only one box for multiple cats.
Another
possibility is that your cat is “marking” — spraying urine, typically on
vertical objects such as walls and furniture, or in “socially significant”
areas near doors or windows. Both male and female cats mark. The most common
offenders are cats that have not been spayed or neutered.
Buffington
says that stress can cause elimination problems too. For example, subtle
aggression or harassment by other house cats or neighborhood cats may be an
issue.
Even
unremarkable changes in your home can make your cat anxious or fearful. Look
around. Did anything change right before your cat started having problems? Did
you get a new pet? A new couch? Maybe you just moved the old couch to a
different part of the room, or had a dinner party. Cats are sensitive
creatures and changes that seem small to you can throw your cat off his game.
Check with your veterinarian about finding solutions that work for both you and
your cat
Veterinarians see a lot of patients with ear infections. In
fact, it's the second most common reason for a client visit, according to pet
health insurer, VPI Pet Insurance. With ear problems prompting so many trips to
the vet, should ear cleaning be a necessary part of grooming your pet?
Generally, cleaning a
dog's ears on a routine basis is not necessary, according to Leonard Jonas,
DVM, MS, DACVIM, a veterinarian with Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital in Wheat
Ridge, Colo. That's because animals have a naturally occurring self-cleansing
process.
"I've had pets my whole
life," Jonas said. "I don't remember ever routinely cleaning out
their ears."
However, that doesn't mean pet owners
should never take notice of their dog's ears. Certain breeds, lifestyles and
physical characteristics will make a dog more prone to what Jonas calls
"abnormal situations," in which the pet's normal homeostasis is
disrupted. This is when something, either systemically or locally in the ear,
interferes with the normal surface barrier defense system and the normal
cleaning process that keeps bacteria and yeast under control.
There are signs to
watch for if your pet is having an issue with its ears. These, according to
Jonas, include:
Shaking its head
Flapping its ears
Rubbing at its ears, either with a paw or by rubbing
against furniture or carpet
Self-massaging the ear to ease itch, pain or irritation
Debris and/or redness inside the ear
Sores inside the ear
Odor in the ear due to abnormal oils and bacteria
"If you [the pet owner] look in
the ear, you can see sometimes a lot of debris," said Jonas, explaining
what an ear with an infection or problem may look like. "Then [you] see
redness on the ear flaps (inside) or sores developing. And then there's also
odor that occurs when you have an abnormal ear."
Breeds to watch
There are certain breeds of dogs—such as Shar Peis, bulldogs and poodles—that
have narrow ear canals and have a higher chance of incurring ear issues.
Poodles, especially, have more hair in the canals, Jonas explained. "The
hair itself is not a problem, but if they've got something abnormal with their
whole defense system, all that extra hair in there makes it difficult."
Cocker spaniels are notorious for ear
problems, Jonas added.
When to clean your pet's ears
According to Jonas, it's best to consult your veterinarian before going forward
with an ear-cleaning regimen. Unlike cleaning the teeth, cleaning the ears does
not need be done regularly. If a pet owner suspects that something may be wrong
with the ear, it's advised to visit the veterinarian and establish whether the
dog's ear needs to be cleaned by the owner either routinely or for an
instructed period of time.
Cleaning the dog's ears without first
seeing a veterinarian is not a good idea, Jonas said, "because you don't
know what's going on inside. You don't know if there has been a ruptured ear
drum; you don't know if there's a stick or a stone or something stuck down
inside the ear that needs to be fished out by a veterinarian."
A veterinarian can diagnose the problem
and make the proper recommendations, which may be cleaning and/or medication.
Typically, there are two situations for
which a dog's ears would need to be cleaned regularly. The first is when a
veterinarian instructs for it to be done, and the second is when the dog is
frequently in water. "Water in their ears disrupts the normal defense
barrier system in that ear, and can make them prone to getting infections and
irritation and inflammation," Jonas said.
If there needs to be ear cleaning
A veterinarian should show the owner how to properly clean the dog's ears
because "there are a lot of different techniques, and it depends on what
the problem is," Jonas advised.
There are a couple of precautions to
always remember, according to Jonas. First, never use a Q-tip, because it tends
to push the wax and debris further into the ear. Second, be sure a groomer does
not pluck the hair out of the dog's ears, unless that hair is contributing to
an ear problem; Jonas believes that doing so may cause irritation.
One thing pet owners should also
consider is that if the dog has an ear infection, it could be very painful for
them. Forcing the dog to get its ears cleaned or putting medication in them can
be a dangerous situation for the owner and the dog.
"If your pet doesn't want you to
do it, don't, because it hurts," Jonas said. "You're just going to
create a problem, and you need to look to alternatives."
Unfortunately, the only thing normal about noisy breathing
for dogs with "pushed-in" faces is that it is an expected response to
a shortened upper jaw, which creates excess soft tissue in the back of the
throat.
Some dogs are
affected to the point where they experience brachycephalic (the scientific term
for breeds with pushed in faces) obstructive airway syndrome or BOAS. If left
untreated, problems can get worse to the point where an animal can collapse due
to a lack of oxygen.
Owners of affected dogs may be putting
them at risk if they do not recognize the problem and seek treatment, according
to researchers Rowena Packer, Dr. Anke Hendricks and Dr. Charlotte Burn of the
United Kingdom's Royal Veterinary College.
In their 2012 study, the researchers
discovered that owners of such dogs as pugs, English bulldogs, Pekingese,
French bulldogs, Boston terriers, Cavalier King Charles spaniels, Shih tzus and
others were not aware of the signs of BOAS. In fact, 58% of surveyed owners
said their dogs did not have breathing problems even when more than two-thirds
of the dogs showed difficulties during exercise.
What to watch for
According to Packer, while it is not yet known which are the best predictors of
BOAS, signs to look for include:
Increased and abnormal breathing noise that sounds like
snoring, both when the dog is awake and asleep
A shortness of breath while exercising or playing
Effortful, labored breathing with obvious abdominal
movements
Interrupting exercise, play or eating to catch their
breath
Inability to exercise for reasonable periods of time
without becoming out of breath
Difficulty cooling down after a walk; panting for long
periods
Physical collapse while exercising
Difficulty sleeping and/or periods where the dog stops
breathing during sleep
Restlessness and difficulty getting comfortable at
rest, stretched out head and neck position, forelegs spread and body flat
against the floor
Gastrointestinal (GI) problems, such as difficulty
swallowing, and bringing up food, stomach content or a lot of saliva.
"If you notice these signs, take
your dog to your veterinarian for an assessment to learn whether they are
compatible with the disease or due to a different problem," says
Hendricks.
"If left to develop," says
Burn, "BOAS can lead to secondary problems due to the effort required to
breathe—putting pressure on the voice box, digestive system and heart. In
addition, the more severe the breathing problems, the greater the severity of
GI signs. They may reflect inflammation of the esophagus, stomach ulcers and,
in some cases, hiatal hernias, when part of the stomach can become displaced
into the chest cavity during breathing."
Option for severe BOAS
If your veterinarian believes the dog may have BOAS that requires treatment, he
or she may refer you to a veterinary surgical specialist. There, the dog's
airway is likely to be examined under general anesthesia to assess whether it
shows the abnormalities associated with BOAS—an elongated soft palate,
collapsing voice box and narrowed nostrils.
If present, these abnormalities would
be surgically corrected, says Packer. That could mean, for example, that excess
tissue in the nose and throat would be removed.
Surgery may improve clinical signs, she
says, but the dog may never be "normal," because of the head
structure and is likely to remain susceptible to heat stress.
For severely affected dogs, where
significant secondary problems have occurred—for example, severe laryngeal
collapse—then treatment choices may be limited. In some cases, either permanent
tracheostomy or euthanasia may be recommended.
"That is why it is vital,"
says Hendricks, "that owners recognize the clinical signs of BOAS and
perceive them to be a ‘problem' as early as possible, so that these secondary
changes can be avoided by early intervention."
Options for mildly
affected dogs
For all dogs, including those that have had surgery or have been determined by
a veterinarian to only be mildly affected, owners can help with some lifestyle
changes, says Burn. Owners should do the following:
Closely monitor the dog to keep it at a healthy weight.
Being overweight or obese can exacerbate the condition.
Use body harnesses rather than collars on walks so the
airway is not compressed by a neck collar if the dog pulls at the leash.
Avoid walking on hot or humid days. On particularly
warm days, keep dogs calm and indoors in a cool, aerated room with access
to water.
Avoid having dogs in particularly stressful or exciting
situations.
ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) experts field tens of thousands of
calls each year involving animal companions who’ve had potentially hazardous
contact with insecticides, weed killers and pet-toxic plants.
"Keeping animals safe from accidental poisonings should not end once
you've stepped outside," says Dana Farbman, APCC pet poison prevention
expert. "Protecting your pet from potential hazards in your yard is just
as critical."
While gardens and yards are lovely for relaxing, they can also prove dangerous
for our animal companions.
Our experts recommend you watch out for the following:
Poisonous Plants When designing and planting your green space, it's a good idea to keep in
mind that many popular outdoor plants—including sago palm, rhododendron and
azalea—are toxic to cats and dogs. Sago
palm and other members of the Cycad family as well as mushrooms can cause
liver failure, while rhododendron, azalea, lily of the valley, oleander,
rosebay, foxglove and kalanchoe all affect the heart. Please visit our full list—and
pics!—of toxic and non-toxic plants for your garden.
Fertilizer
Just like you, plants need food. But pet parents, take care—the fertilizer
that keeps our plants healthy and green can wreak havoc on the digestive tracts
of our furry friends. Ingesting large amounts of fertilizer can give your pet a
good case of stomach upset and may result in life-threatening gastrointestinal
obstruction. Be sure to follow instructions carefully and observe the
appropriate waiting period before letting your pet run wild outside.
Cocoa Mulch Many gardeners use cocoa bean shells—a by-product of chocolate
production—in landscaping. Popular for its attractive odor and color, cocoa
mulch also attracts dogs with its sweet smell, and like chocolate, it can
pose problems for our canine companions. Depending on the amount involved,
ingestion of cocoa mulch can cause a range of clinical signs, from vomiting,
diarrhea and muscle tremors to elevated heart rate, hyperactivity and even
seizures. Consider using a less-toxic
alternative, such as shredded pine, cedar or hemlock bark, but always
supervise curious canines in yards where mulch is spread.
Insecticides Like fertilizer, herbicides, insecticide baits, sprays and granules are
often necessary to keep our gardens healthy, but their ingredients aren't meant
for four-legged consumption. The most dangerous forms of pesticides include
snail bait with metaldehyde, fly bait with methomyl, systemic insecticides with
the ingredients disyston or disulfoton, mole or gopher bait with zinc phosphide
and most forms of rat poisons. Always store pesticides in inaccessible
areas—and read the manufacturer's label carefully for proper usage and
storage.
Compost
You're doing the right thing for your garden and Mother Earth—you're
composting! Food and garden waste make excellent additions to garden soil, but
depending on what you're tossing in the compost bin, they can also pose
problems for our pets. Coffee, moldy food and certain types of fruit and
vegetables are toxic to dogs and cats, so read up on people
foods to avoid feeding your pet.
Fleas and Ticks Since fleas and ticks lurk in tall brush and grasses, it's important to
keep those lawns mowed and trim. Fleas can
cause excessive scratching, hair loss, scabs, hot spots and tapeworms as well
as anemia from blood loss in both cats and dogs. Ticks
can cause similar effects and lead to a variety of complications from
tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and
Babesia.
Garden Tools Unattended garden tools may seem like no big deal, but rakes, tillers, hoes
and trowels can be hazardous to pets and cause trauma to paws, noses or other
parts of a curious pet's body. Rusty, sharp tools caked in dirt may also pose a
risk for tetanus if they puncture skin. While cats don't appear to be as
susceptible as dogs to tetanus, care should be taken by storing all unused
tools in a safe area, not haphazardly strewn on the ground.
Allergy-Causing Flora
Ah-choo! Like their sneezy human counterparts, pets have allergies to foods,
dust and even plants. Allergic reactions in dogs
and cats
can even cause life-threatening anaphylactic shock if the reaction is severe. If
you do suspect your pet has an allergy, please don't give him any medication
that isn't prescribed by a veterinarian. It's also smart to keep
your pet out of other people's yards, especially if you're unsure of what
kinds of plants or flowers lurk there. Keeping your pet off the lawn of others
will make for healthy pets and happy neighbors.
The temperature is soaring, and it’s
only going to get hotter. Make sure you know how to keep your cat safe in the
summer heat.
Watch out forheatstroke. Symptoms
include panting, lethargy, drooling, fever, vomiting and collapse. If you
think your cat may have heatstroke, get the vet ASAP — the condition can
cause permanent organ damage and death. Learn more about heatstroke in
pets.
Offer your cat several ways to
cool off. Leave a fan on
in a place where your cat can sit in front of it, add some ice cubes to
her water or offer her a cool treat (check out our recipe for catsicles.)
Letyour cat find cool spots in
the house. Your cat will seek out the cooler parts of your home, so
make sure she has access to areas with tile floors or rooms that don’t get
much sun.
Play in the morning or evening. Any exercise should take place
during the cooler hours of the day. This is especially important for young
kittens and seniors, both of whom are very vulnerable to heatstroke. (If
your cat has just eaten, make sure you give her some time to digest before
you begin playtime.)
Spring has sprung, and
with the change of season, our thoughts inevitably turn to spring cleaning and
much-needed home improvement projects. But the new balmy weather can prove
not-so-sunny for curious pets—or their unwitting parents. Before you embark on
seasonal chores or outdoor revelry, take inventory of potential springtime
hazards for your delicate, furry friend. To help you out, our ASPCA experts
have come up with a few seasonal tips that will help prevent mishaps or
misfortunes.
Screen Yourself Many pet
parents welcome the breezy days of spring by opening their windows.
Unfortunately, they also unknowingly put their pets at risk—especially cats,
who are apt to jump or fall through unscreened windows. Be sure to install snug
and sturdy screens in all of your windows. If you have adjustable screens, make
sure they are tightly wedged into window frames.
Buckle Up! While every
pet parent knows dogs love to feel the wind on their furry faces, allowing them
to ride in the bed of pick-up trucks or stick their heads out of moving-car windows
is dangerous. Flying debris and insects can cause inner ear or eye injuries and
lung infections, and abrupt stops or turns can cause major injury, or worse!
Pets in cars should always be secured in a crate or wearing a seatbelt harness
designed especially for them.
Spring Cleaning Spring
cleaning is a time-honored tradition in many households, but be sure to keep
all cleaners and chemicals out of your pets’ way! Almost all commercially sold
cleaning products contain chemicals that are harmful to pets. The key to using
them safely is to read and follow label directions for proper use and storage.
Home Improvement
101 Products such as paints, mineral spirits and solvents can be toxic to your
pets and cause severe irritation or chemical burns. Carefully read all labels
to see if the product is safe to use around your furry friends. Also, be
cautious of physical hazards, including nails, staples, insulation, blades and
power tools. It may be wise to confine your dog or cat to a designated
pet-friendly room during home improvement projects.
Let Your Garden
Grow—With Care Pet parents, take care—fertilizers, insecticides and herbicides
keep our plants and lawns healthy and green, but their ingredients aren't meant
for four-legged consumption and can be fatal if your pet ingests them. Always
store these poisonous products in out-of-the-way places and follow label
instructions carefully. Check out our full list of garden care tips.
Poisonous Plants Time to
let your garden grow! But beware, many popular springtime plants—including
Easter lilies, rhododendron and azaleas—are highly toxic to pets and can easily
prove fatal if eaten. Check out our full list—and pics!—of toxic and non-toxic
plants for your home and garden.
Ah-Ah-Achoo! Like their
sneezy human counterparts, pets can be allergic to foods, dust, plants and
pollens. Allergic reactions in dogs and cats can cause minor sniffling and
sneezing as well as life-threatening anaphylactic shock. If you suspect your
pet has a springtime allergy, please visit your veterinarian as soon as
possible. ·
Pesky Little Critters
April showers bring May flowers—and an onslaught of bugs! Make sure your pet is
on year-round heartworm preventive medication, as well as a flea and tick
control program. Ask your doctor to recommend a plan designed specifically for
your pet. · Out and About Warmer weather means more trips to the park, longer
walks and more chances for your pet to wander off! Make sure your dog or cat
has a microchip for identification and wears a tag imprinted with your home
address, cell phone and any other relevant contact information. Canines should
wear flat (never choke!) collars, please.
Science is proving what pet
owners have long believed: Dogs understand what we're feeling. Specifically,
dogs can recognize the difference between a happy and an angry human face, a
study published Thursday in Current Biology suggests.
It's the first research to
show definitively that dogs are sensitive to our facial expressions, says
coauthor Ludwig Huber, head of comparative cognition at Messerli Research
Institute at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna.
In the Austrian study, 20
pet dogs of various breeds and sizes were taught to play a computer game
through a series of exercises. In the first, the dogs were shown two touch
screens, one with a circle and one with a square. Through trial and error, they
learned that a treat would appear if they chose the right geometrical figure.
Eleven of the 20 dogs were
able to catch on to rules of the game and make it to the next phase, where they
were shown photos of faces. Half the dogs were rewarded for picking a happy
expression and half for choosing an angry expression. The interesting catch:
the dogs were shown only the upper half or the lower half of a face.
It was easier to teach the
dogs to choose a happy expression than an angry one, suggesting the dogs do
indeed understand the meaning behind the expression, Huber says.
As a test, the dogs were
then were presented with:
the same half of the faces
they saw during the training, but from different people
the other half of the faces used in training
the other half of new faces
the left half of the faces used in training
In the vast majority of cases the dogs chose the right answer 70 to 100 percent
of the time.
Dogs who had been trained
to recognize an expression of anger or happiness on the upper part of a face
could identify the same expression when shown only the lower part, and vice
versa, Huber says, adding “the only possible explanation is that they recall
from memory of everyday life how a whole human face looks when happy or angry.”
Dog owners know their pets
not only recognize emotions but also feel empathy.
Delilah, a 3-year-old
Chihuahua, always seems to know when her owner Eva Shure is having a bad day.
Delilah knows when her owner is having a bad day.
Making eye contact and cocking her head to the right, the little dog will stare
at Shure's face as if trying to assess her feelings. “It’s weird, I can see her
thinking and processing,” says Shure, a 35-year-old New York City business
owner. “I’ll say, yeah, it’s not a great day and she’ll come up and sit next to
me.”
Beverly Levreault, 57, says
her 6-year-old Australian Cattle Dog mix is always tuned in to her moods. “If
I’m not feeling well, like when I have the flu, Lacey is definitely lower key
and will not leave my side, ” says Levreault, a graphic designer from
Williamstown, New York. “If I take her for a walk, she’s not as rambunctious as
she usually is.”
Lynette Whiteman says she’s
not sure that her 5-year-old Yorkie-Maltese cross is using facial expressions
to gauge how she feels. “But she definitely reads my emotions,” says the
58-year-old from Toms River, New Jersey. “I run a therapy dog program and the
dogs are just amazing. They go into a room and immediately pick out the person
who needs help.”
Behavioral experts say the
new findings, while important, wouldn’t surprise anyone with an intimate
knowledge of dogs.
Coco and Lynettte
"This new work continues to build the case for just how sensitive dogs are
to our subtle behaviors,” says Dr. Brian Hare, chief scientific officer at
Dognition and an associate professor of evolutionary anthropology at Duke
University. “This is the strongest evidence yet that dogs are even reading our
facial expressions.”
That sensitivity may be the
result of generations of selective breeding for a true partner, says Dr. Carlo
Siracusa, director of the behavior service at the University of Pennsylvania
School of Veterinary Medicine. “We have selected animals that are able to perceive
our emotions and communicate with us at a level that no other animal can,”
Siracusa says.
Dogs may not talk, but they
are very good communicators, says Dr. Nicholas Dodman, a professor in the
department of clinical sciences at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine
at Tufts University and director of the animal behavior clinic at Cummings.
“Just as we are masters of
the spoken word, dogs are experts at reading body language,” Dodman says.
“It’s almost impossible to
hide your feelings from a dog.”
Turns out, reading facial
expressions isn’t the only thing dogs have in common with us.
They can be bitten by the
computer gaming bug. “They can really become freaks for it,” Huber says with a
chuckle. “They don’t want to stop playing. It’s incredible. They’ll play till
they are exhausted and fall asleep.”
Petcube is a box with a laser pointer, speaker, and light that you
can control from anywhere in the world via the Petcube smartphone app.
You control the laser by moving your
finger around your iPhone or Android phone’s screen. Anywhere your finger
moves, your pet will follow, as long as she likes lasers.
You can also take screenshots of the app
and share them via Petcube’s social network. What’s more, you can make your
Petcube open to the public, so you can let anyone play with your pet while
you’re home or away.
To be honest, letting
strangers get a view of your home when you’re away (or home) sounds kind of
strange, so maybe you’ll just want to stick with the lasers.
