Control Is Key to Safe Indoor-Outdoor Lifestyle for Your Cat

My friend Sherry called in tears. Her cat had not come home. I was confused. Where had he been? She explained that she had been letting him outside each night for months to "be a cat." He would always return each morning.

But one morning he wasn’t there. Nor was he there the next morning, or the following mornings. Sherry was desperate. She plastered signs around her neighborhood. She asked the town’s road crew members if they had seen, or found, her cat.

Sherry’s cat never returned. She hopes some kind person took him in. But her thoughts about the other possibilities became nightmares.

What actually happened to her cat is anyone’s guess. Hit by a car? Attacked by another animal? Poisoned? Trapped? A deliberate target of some sick mind? Injured in a fall? Could Sherry have handled her cat’s need for stimulation any differently?

Yes. There are options. An indoor-outdoor lifestyle is possible—but control is key, according to the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association. Allowing cats to roam freely not only increases their risks of disease and trauma but also puts songbirds and other wildlife at risk.

One option? A harness and leash. First, the harness must fit properly, says Diane Eigner, VMD, owner and director of The Cat Doctor in Philadelphia, and past president of the American Association of Feline Practitioners.

Let the cat get used to the harness in short bursts, perhaps a half-hour, while you oversee reactions. Use treats and distractions to derail protests. Next, attach a leash. Whether you can walk your cat depends—on your cat. Some enjoy a walk if they can explore an interesting area. Others resent being controlled but will explore if you just hold the leash.

Another option? A cat-proof enclosure. Sturdy units expose cats to outdoor sights, sounds and smells while limiting risks. Eigner prefers enclosures that can be accessed through a pet door so the cat can come inside when it chooses. Check the pet door regularly to ensure it moves freely.

Stand-alone units require extra supervision so the cat can’t escape when being put in or removed. That’s when using a harness and leash comes in handy.
A unit with wheels allows you to put the cat inside while it’s still in the house before rolling it outside. However, that movement will frighten some cats.



Of course, any unit will need a place for fresh water and some spaces out of the hot sun.
A cat that goes outside needs parasite control specific to your region, says Eigner, and your pet should be microchipped. Make sure you register the microchip and keep your contact information current.
The best choice, however, is to keep your cat indoors and provide the enrichment it craves.

Originally published on Healthy Pet.

States reminding veterinarians to be on alert for blue-green algae toxicity

By NEWStat

As summer temperatures continue toward their peak, many pet owners will take their pets to cool off in local lakes and ponds. These owners are unknowingly exposing their pets to the potentially harmful effects of toxins such as microcystins and anatoxins often contained in blue-green algae (also known as cyanobacteria).

Several states including Kansas, Rhode Island, Indiana, and the regions surrounding Lake Erie have already issued warnings this year about the presence of blue-green algae in bodies of fresh water. In fact, some experts are predicting that the blue-green algae problem at Lake Erie will be the worst ever in 2013,according to TheStar.com.

Fireworks Safety

Independence Day and all of its loud festivities can present certain anxieties for our canine companions.  Dogs with noise phobias need to be tended during the days surrounding July 4 in order to prevent them from harming themselves or running away.

Signs of noise phobias and storm phobias can be the same.  They include trembling, salivation, defecation, urination, destruction, escape, panting and/or vocalization.  Not all dogs exhibit all of these signs or with equal intensity.  

 

There are certain things that you should NOT do when your pet exhibits these signs in response to noise or storms:

·         Most dogs associate the word “OK” with a behavior that is encouraged and rewarded.  Telling them it’s OK when it’s not will confuse the dog, elevating its anxiety levels.

·         Also, to a dog, petting is a reward.  When owners pet fearful dogs, they are inadvertently rewarding the anxious behavior.  Instead, owners can put gently continuous pressure, either with an arm or the whole body, on the dog. If permitted by the dog, you can lean on or against the dog.  If this helps, and it often does, you will feel the dog exhale and its muscles begin to relax.  Obviously this is not a good plan if the dog becomes even more frantic.

·         Crates may help some dogs that already like their crates and voluntarily go there as a place to relax.  However, if a pet has not been crated in the past, now is NOT the time to introduce him to the crate.  It can create a negative association between the crate and the anxiety.

·         Placing dogs in an outside dog run during the fireworks or storm, while keeping them confined and unable to run away, will only increase their anxiety because they cannot escape the situation.

So, what can be done?  There are actually several suggestions, ranging from behavior modification to medication.  Here are a few :

·         We offer an all natural product called “Mellow Out,” which is a blend of calming herbs.  This may work for your pet IF it is given early enough.  Once the anxiety begins, there are very few products that will completely calm the pet throughout the event.  We recommend testing this product out on your pet prior to the July 4^th festivities to see how your pet responds.

·         Several of our clients have tried, and recommend, anxiety wraps.  These wraps put a gentle, constant physical pressure on the dog.  Two examples of these are the Anxiety Wrap and the more common Thunder Shirt.  Once again, though, these wraps must be placed on the dog before or as soon as the anxiety begins in order to be fully effective.

·         There are also calming medications that can be discussed with the veterinarian.  Some dogs get so worked up during fireworks and storms that medications are the only answer.

·         In addition to all of these suggestions, dogs that are this anxious tend to want to RUN.  Having your dog microchipped or otherwise identified is always the best case scenario.  That way, you have a much better chance of getting your pet back home, where he/she belongs.

Dogs don’t understand fireworks.  Helping them cope with this unknown anxiety is always in your pet’s best interest.  Please call our office at 913-649-0440 if you wish further information.

When To Bring Your Dog to the ER

Alright, raise your hand if you don’t mind getting up at 2 A.M. to bring your dog in to the emergency veterinarian.

Didn’t think so. 

Often times, as a pet owner, it’s hard to know whether your dog’s condition is a true medical emergency or not… or more importantly, if it warrants getting up in the middle of the night to seek medical attention from a veterinary professional you don’t know.

As an emergency critical care veterinary specialist, I’ll be honest in saying that some emergencies can wait to see your regular veterinarian the following morning (like diarrhea, midnight health certificates, itchy skin, urinary tract infections, etc.). However, there are certain situations where it is imperative that your dog go in to the animal ER, as sometimes it can be a potentially fatal problem without treatment.

I’ve seen a lot of emergencies that could have waited, but the pet owners were concerned enough that they didn’t mind the 2 A.M. visit, as it gave them peace of mind. Unfortunately, I’ve also seen some sad cases where pet owners waited too long, only to have animals die as they are being wheeled into the ER. It’s not worth chancing that you wake up to find your dog deceased in the middle of the night. In fact, no dog or cat should ever die at home, but that’s a whole other blog that I’ll elaborate on in the future.

Some signs that warrant you getting up in the middle of the night and getting to an emergency vet ASAP include:

• Difficulty breathing, which may be manifested as blue gums, coughing of foamy, pink frothy liquid, panting constantly, or stretching the head and neck out while breathing
• Constant coughing and inability to rest through the night
• A distended, “bloated” abdomen
• Non-productive retching (which is classic for gastric-dilitation volvulus or “GDV”)
• Anxiety or restlessness (often a sign of pain or a GDV)
• Pale gums (which is often seen with internal bleeding or anemia)
• An elevated heart rate (> 160 beats per minute at home)
• A respiratory rate of > 60 breaths per minute at home while resting
• Crying out in pain
• Jaundiced (yellow gums)
• Not being able to move or walk or dragging of the back legs
• Extreme lethargy
• Any significant amounts of bleeding
• Any trauma
• Any poisoning or toxin ingestion
• Vomiting more than two or three times
• Abnormal vaginal discharge
• Abnormal odor from your dog
• Fever
• Squinting, bulging, or painful eyeballs
• Straining to urinate, making multiple trips to urinate, squatting to urinate without producing any urine
• Collapse
• Anything that makes you worried
• Tremors or seizures
• Any abnormal behavior that you’re worried about (e.g., acting aloof or particularly clingy)

(Fear not, cat owners, I’ll have a different list for you soon!)
  
While this list isn’t all-inclusive, it gives you a good general idea to work with. When in doubt, call your veterinarian or emergency veterinarian, as the receptionist or veterinary technician may be able to help guide you and “phone triage” you (although they are obviously always going to bear on the side of caution).  Also, keep in mind that the sooner you diagnose and treat a problem, the less expensive it often is.

If you do bring your dog in to the ER, make sure to bring a book or computer; just like a human ER, there is often a several hour wait to be seen, and at 2 a.m., some of your fellow humans are going to be less than appealing conversationalists.

When in doubt, if you’re concerned, bring ‘em in, because you know your dog the best.  The time is a small sacrifice for your dog’s health and your piece of mind.

Originally published on Pet Health Network.