All posts by Dr. Marty Becker

Acupuncture can curb arthritis in some suffering pets

Pet Connection, Veterinary Medicine, ,

Can pets benefit from acupuncture? You bet! While some patients may not respond to this traditional Chinese medicine, others suffering from pain or joint disease will improve with treatment.

Q: My dog has been getting acupuncture for arthritis, and it really seems to help. I’m curious how it works. What can you tell me about it? — via Facebook

A: Acupuncture is the insertion of fine, thin needles into the skin at strategic points on the body. In traditional Chinese medicine, these points were known as meridians, through which “chi,” or life force, flowed; in modern medicine, we know them as the vascular, nervous and muscular structures of the body.

Insertion of the needles at specific points is said to help activate healing by stimulating nerve endings and releasing certain substances that relieve pain, reduce inflammation and improve blood flow and oxygenation. According to Douglas Stramel, DVM, who spoke on acupuncture last December at the CVC conference in San Diego, acupuncture doesn’t treat specific symptoms, but instead stimulates the body to heal itself.

Most of us think of acupuncture as being used to relieve the pain of arthritis or other degenerative joint diseases. Other conditions that may benefit from acupuncture include gastrointestinal, respiratory or neurological problems. Veterinarians trained in the use of acupuncture have needled pets with upset stomachs, rhinitis, sinusitis, vestibular syndrome, hepatitis and allergies, among other things.

Depending on the problem, acupuncture may be the main treatment or a supportive treatment. For instance, acupuncture may serve to boost the effects of pain medication.

A first visit may take an hour or more, with follow-up treatments typically lasting 20 to 40 minutes. Acupuncture isn’t an instant fix and can take several sessions before results are seen. Response varies. Some pet patients see improvement, with the remainder having little or no response. As with any treatment, it’s essential to have an accurate diagnosis before using acupuncture.

Read more, including information on complementary veterinary medicine, in this week’s Pet Connection!

Pets at work make sense for employers, employees – and customers!

Pet Connection

Employee benefits network BenefitsPRO lists five good reasons companies should consider making offices pet-friendly: they relieve stress (who doesn’t relax when giving a dog a belly rub or petting a cat?); they boost employee relationships; they reduce absenteeism from pet-owning employees; they can drive creativity; and they create a welcoming atmosphere for people visiting the premises.

To help things go smoothly, lay down guidelines to ensure that pets who come into the office are friendly, well-trained and get along with other animals and let visitors know about the policy in advance in case they have allergies.

Would knowing a workplace was pet-friendly make you more likely to want to work there? How about to be a customer or client?

Read more, including about how to catch feline kidney disease early, in this week’s Pet Connection!

Photo courtesy of the cat-friendly workplace at Embrace Pet Insurance!

Age-old tricks to keep senior dogs comfortable

Veterinary Medicine, , ,

It’s currently Adopt a Senior Pet Month, and as the proud Dad of three senior dogs, I can tell you these “golden oldies” are a treasure beyond price. While it can be hard to imagine our beloved dogs growing old and facing the health problems that come with age, if you’re blessed enough to have a long-lived pet, eventually you will have to face Father Time together.

The good news is, growing old doesn’t mean your dog’s qualify of life has to decrease. Below are three challenges your pooch may face as he ages, and with your help, he’ll face those challenges head on!

  • Blindness. Dogs actually handle losing their eyesight very well. As long as they know their way around the house and yard, they’ll develop a walking route that works for them. Try to avoid creating changes in the house to keep your dog feeling secure. You can even purchase “dog halos” that will encircle your dog’s head and keep him from bumping into things, just like the Muffin’s Halo in the photo we got for our beloved Shakira!
  • Deafness. This is another old-age ailment that most dogs handle well. The biggest concern is making sure your dog knows someone is about to approach him. Sudden, surprising contact can make your dog jump and maybe even nip. Make sure everyone who has contact with your dog knows to announce their presence with a sharp clap or heavy footfalls.
  • Leaking. Overnight incontinence can be very upsetting for your pooch. Remember to never yell or punish an incontinent dog — they’re not doing this on purpose! Make sure you take her out right before bedtime and put a water-absorbent material in his bedding, like an incontinence pad or a rubber-backed mat.

Always discuss any aging aches and pains with your veterinarian! With your help and understanding, your dog’s golden years will be quiet and full of love.

 

Do bug-eating cats bite off more than they can chew?

Pet Connection, Veterinary Medicine

Most cats like to hunt and eat insects that wander across their path. With a few exceptions, you shouldn’t let your cat’s love of the creepy crawly critters bug you!

Q: My cat likes to catch and eat bugs. Can they make her sick?

A: Cats do love to stalk bugs. Anything that flies, hops or crawls — flies, moths, beetles, grasshoppers, crickets, spiders — catches their attention and activates their hunting instincts. According to feline nutrition expert Deborah Greco, DVM, insects make up a third of the diet of small wildcats and are popular with domestic cats as well.

We can see how you might be concerned, though. Bugs are popular snack items in some cultures, but for many of us, it’s hard to overcome the ick factor. As far as whether bugs can make your cat sick, the answer is: It depends.

In most cases, crunching a few bugs isn’t going to do your cat any harm. Think of them as the feline equivalent of potato chips. As always, however, there can be exceptions.

Stink bugs, for instance, may exude a nasty-tasting liquid when bitten. (We know this because humans have reported accidentally biting into them.) It’s not necessarily poisonous, but it can cause drooling or vomiting or irritate your cat’s digestive tract.

If spiders such as black widows or brown recluses bite back, their venom can cause serious illness or death. Bees or wasps may sting the mouth. Seemingly harmless ladybugs (Asian lady beetles) can cause chemical burns in a pet’s mouth or digestive tract. Lightning bugs, also known as fireflies, produce chemicals that give them a bitter taste and may cause your cat digestive upset. Certain caterpillars are highly toxic or are protected by painful spines or stinging hairs. As with plants, the most colorful insects are most likely to be toxic.

Bugs can carry parasites. Cats can get stomach worms from eating beetles, cockroaches and crickets. That’s one good reason to give your cat a parasite preventive year-round. And if bugs have been poisoned by insecticides and are then eaten in large numbers by your cat, he could become sick.

Otherwise, just think of insects as an additional source of protein for your little carnivore.

All this and more in this week’s Pet Connection!

The pros and cons of pet Halloween costumes

Pet Connection

Pets are a part of our lives, which means they go to parties, events, and out trick-or-treating with us. A reader wants input on whether Halloween costumes for pets are spooktacular or just a big boo. (And at the bottom you’ll find a video of some big dogs getting their Halloween on from our friends at Petcha!)

Q: I want to get a dinosaur costume for our dog for Halloween, but my boyfriend thinks he (the dog) will be embarrassed and it would be cruel to make him wear it. I think it would be cute and that he would love all the attention he would get (he loves people).

A: People have strong opinions on everything pet-related, so it’s not surprising that they are sharply divided when it comes to pets wearing clothes or costumes. We happen to fall into the “it can be fun” category (that’s our own QT in the photo!). After all, our dogs and cats usually love doing things that involve being with us and being the center of our attention. That said, we have some tips to help make dressing up for Halloween a treat, not a trick, for your pet.

  • Be sensitive to his personality. It’s true that some pets would rather hide under the bed than wear a costume, especially in public. If your pet is shy, old or excessively dignified, limit costume capers to a spooky bandana and put your dress-up desires into your own costume.
  • Comfort is a must. Never choose anything that restricts your pet’s movement, sight or hearing or that seems to chafe against his skin or fur. If he spends all his time trying to get it off, that’s a good clue that he’s not enjoying wearing it. It’s also a good idea to avoid any costumes with buttons, bows or other parts that your pet could chew off and swallow.
  • Be street-safe. If you’re planning on taking him trick-or-treating, his costume (and yours) should be visible in the dark. If it’s not, fancy up his costume with a collar and leash that blink or glow in the dark.
  • Be smart. Try the costume on your pet well in advance. You don’t want to find out on Halloween that your Pug refuses to go out dressed as a ladybug.

All this and more in this week’s Pet Connection!

Funny Halloween Costumes For Big And Small DogsWho says big dogs can’t be cute and little dogs can’t be badasses? We dressed big dogs up in pretty Halloween costumes and small dogs in tough guy costumes. The results are laugh-out-loud funny and just might give you a few ideas for your own dog’s Halloween costume this year.See more pet care videos on Petcha.com: http://petcha.com/pet_care/video-home/

Posted by Petcha on Tuesday, October 13, 2015