All posts by Dr. Marty Becker

Can your cat get bird flu?

Pet Connection, Veterinary Medicine,

It’s very rare, but did you know that cats can become infected with bird flu? A reader wanted to know how that happens, and what to do about it.

Q: Can cats really get bird flu? How does that happen? Is it from eating birds?

A: The strange but true answer is yes, cats can become infected with avian influenza, although their risk of contracting the disease in the United States is currently considered very low, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Avian influenza infections in cats appear to be associated with outbreaks in domestic or wild birds by way of eating raw meat infected with the virus. No evidence shows that cats play a sustained role in transmitting the virus, the AVMA reports, noting, “There have been no known cases of human avian influenza [AI] resulting from exposure to sick cats, and there have been no outbreaks of AI among domestic cat populations.”

If you find your cat with a dead bird or know that he has eaten a dead bird, don’t worry too much. According to the international Food and Agriculture Organization, transmission of avian influenza to a cat from a dead bird is extremely rare. To be on the safe side, though, talk to your veterinarian and consider quarantining your cat for seven to 10 days if AI is known to be in your area.

To decrease your cat’s potential exposure to AI, keep him indoors to prevent contact with wild birds that may be infected with the virus. If your cat is sick or becomes sick within two to five days of exposure to a dead bird, take him to the veterinarian right away. Signs of AI (and other respiratory diseases) include fever, listlessness, conjunctivitis or difficulty breathing.

Finally, even if avian influenza isn’t a concern, always practice smart pet hygiene. Wash your hands after handling animals, disinfect surfaces regularly, clean and disinfect food and water dishes, and don’t get up close and personal with pets who are coughing, sneezing or wheezing.

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

Remembering the dog I didn’t adopt

This and That, , , ,

Is there a pet out there who you almost adopted — but didn’t? Do you still think about him or her?

Every December for the past decade, my family and I have hosted a Santa Paws event at three Northern Idaho shelters. Our goal is to bring joy, hope, love, tasty treats, and new toys to every dog and cat in the facility. We also whisper promises to each pet that we’ll redouble our efforts to find them a forever home.

Around eight years ago, I met a mixed breed dog I really connected with at Panhandle Animal Shelter in Sandpoint, Idaho. When I spotted her, I stopped cold while walking up and down the aisles greeting all the dogs.

She studied me from her Kuranda bed, ignoring the happy sounds made by the other dogs echoing in the room. We looked at each other like emotional duelists until finally she got up and slowly walked to the front of her run. I looked at the name on the cage ID: Char (not Shar, but Char as in Char-coal). With her head down but her eyes looking up, she looked really deep inside me until I passed some test, because her tail starting wagging. Faster and faster it went until I swear I could feel a breeze coming off of it like one of those Big Ass fans.

I went inside Char’s cage and sat on her Kuranda bed, and she crawled up and sat calmly in my lap. I talked to her, stroked her, and told her I loved her and that we’d work really hard to move her from the cage at the shelter to a couch in somebody’s home. Then I left to visit another ward.

Honestly, the thought of adopting Char crossed my mind, but I talked myself out of it before even presenting the idea to my pet-loving wife, Teresa, who I’m sure would have objected. And for good reason. I was traveling a great deal for my work then, and we already had four dogs at home.

And honestly, I sometimes feel like getting another dog somehow takes away from what you can give the other pets.

Still, I couldn’t stop thinking about Char, so I called back a week later, only to find out she’d found a home. She was going to be “home for the holidays”!

I’m so glad she was adopted, but to this day, I still wonder what would have happened if I’d have followed my heart and not my head and brought her to Almost Heaven Ranch. It was partly because of my memory of Char I gave into that same impluse a couple of years later, and brought my Gracie home from the shelter on Christmas Eve!

Who is the pet you can’t forget, but never made part of your life?

Lab lying down

What to feed a dog diagnosed with cancer

Pet Connection, Veterinary Medicine

We want to do everything we can for our pets when they’re suffering from cancer. One reader asks if diet can help dogs recover.

Q: My dog has been diagnosed with lymphoma. I’ve heard that there’s a cancer diet that may help. What can you tell me about it? Are there any other dietary changes I can make?

A: Many pet owners hope that a change in diet can help pets with cancer. So far, little published research has been done in this area, so I’m afraid I can’t tell you that there’s a “silver bullet” feeding regimen that will cure your dog. But I can discuss cancer-related changes in metabolism and evidence-based approaches that are being looked at to help reduce or eliminate those problems.

Dogs with cancer may lose weight or experience muscle wasting as a result of chemotherapy or radiation treatment. It’s really important to make sure they are able to take in nutrients and maintain a healthy weight as they undergo treatment. This can mean continuing to feed your dog his regular food that he likes and does well on, or switching to a particular commercial or homemade diet recommended by a veterinary nutritionist.

You have probably heard that a low-carbohydrate diet is beneficial to cancer patients. There’s no strong evidence for that yet, but on the other hand, it can’t hurt to try it, as long as you choose an appropriate food that contains less than 20 percent of its calories from carbohydrates. Bear in mind that a low-carb diet is not the same as a grain-free diet, which can still be high in carbohydrates, fat and calories. Ask your veterinarian to consult a veterinary nutritionist about appropriate choices.

We don’t currently have specific nutritional requirements for dogs with cancer. The best thing you can do to help your dog recover is to continue to feed a food that will maintain his body condition and meet his energy needs during treatment.

Read more, including about cats’ eyes and dogs helping farmers with disabilities, in the weekly Pet Connection feature!

In memory of two tiny puppy lives cut terribly short this National Pet Memorial Day

This and That, Veterinary Medicine, , , , ,

As our family continues to grow in love and joy with our little distemper survivor, QT, we are still haunted at times by the loss of his littermates who could not be saved.

I first met Salvatore, a tiny puppy brought to me from Panhandle Animal Shelter, at North Idaho Animal Hospital. I thought he had aspiration pneumonia and antibiotics would turn him around. I was wrong.

He was the first case of distemper to strike the shelter since it brought in a large number of dogs and puppies from a shelter in California. My wife and I said we’d pay to send Salvatore to the teaching hospital at Washington State University, where I went to veterinary school, but he did not survive long enough to reach the hospital.

When his brothers came in with the same symptoms, we immediately made the same offer for them. One, Sebastian, didn’t make it. One, Sam, did, and we adopted him and re-named him QT.

QTSick     QTSick2

Panhandle struggled with many cases of distemper due to that outbreak, but by working with the shelter medicine program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine were able to save nearly all the stricken dogs.

Sunday is National Pet Memorial Day, and I want to offer up my prayers and thoughts for the many animals who have lost their lives this year, but above all for Salvatore and Sebastian and the homeless pets who have never even had the chance those little ones did to survive and become a beloved pet.

Why is your bunny balding?

Pet Connection, Veterinary Medicine

Do you have a pet rabbit suffering fur loss and scratching? This reader did — and I shared some information I thought would help!

Q: My rabbit seems to really be scratching himself a lot and is starting to lose fur. What could be causing his itchiness?

A: Skin problems aren’t unusual in rabbits, and itching and hair loss are common signs. The “usual suspects” in these cases are parasites such as fleas, rabbit ear mites (Psoroptes cuniculi), Cheyletiella mites and mange mites (Sarcoptes scabei), or environmental allergies to bedding, chemicals used to clean cages or treat fabrics or other materials in the home, such as cedar wood shavings.

Your veterinarian is the only one who can make a diagnosis, and only after examining your rabbit. He or she may suspect ear mites if your rabbit is shaking his head frequently, scratching at the ears and head or has a thick, reddish-brown crust in the ears. If you notice this type of crustiness, don’t try to remove it by cleaning the ears. That would put your bunny in a world of hurt. Your veterinarian will prescribe medication to kill the mites.

Rabbits can pick up fleas from dogs or cats in the home. If they live in an outdoor hutch, they may also be exposed to a different species of flea carried by wild rabbits in the area.

Cheyletiella and sarcoptic mange, caused by different types of mites, are diagnosed through skin scrapings that are examined microscopically for the presence of the mites.

Depending on the problem, your veterinarian will likely prescribe a topical or oral treatment, such as ivermectin, Revolution or Advantage. The medication and dose will need to be tailored to your rabbit, so don’t assume it’s OK to use the same product or amount you use on your dog or cat. Some products can be fatal to rabbits.

If an environmental allergy is suspected, try changing the bedding, washing the cage thoroughly to make sure all traces of cleansers are removed and switching to a scent-free detergent or fabric softener for any items the bunny comes in contact with.