All posts by Dr. Marty Becker

What do bruises and red dots on your dog’s skin mean?

Pet Connection, Veterinary Medicine

Have you ever found bruising or little red dots on your dog’s skin? It could be the sign of a serious condition known as thrombocytopenia. Here’s a reader’s question and my answer about the problem:

Q: My dog’s stool is black, and I noticed when I was grooming him that his body was covered in bruises (he’s white, so it’s easy to see his skin). My veterinarian did bloodwork right away and says it’s something called thrombocytopenia. What can you tell me about this condition?

A: Thrombocytopenia is what we call it when the body has an abnormally low number of blood platelets (thrombocytes). Normal platelet counts are 180,000 to 200,000. Anytime platelet counts are less than 40,000, spontaneous bleeding can occur in the gastrointestinal tract (which is why you saw black stools and bruising on the body) or in the urinary tract, brain or lungs. It’s a good thing you took your dog to the veterinarian right away because internal bleeding can cause dogs to die quickly if they don’t receive a blood transfusion.

To figure out the cause of the low platelet count, veterinarians do what’s called a differential diagnosis — you probably heard this term if you were a fan of the television show “House MD.” It’s a process of elimination that might involve an abdominal ultrasound and chest X-rays to rule out cancer, a test for common tick-borne diseases in your area and a blood chemistry panel.

Immune-mediated thrombocytopenia is the destruction of the platelets by the dog’s own immune system. We don’t necessarily know why this happens, but this life-threatening condition can usually be treated.

Dogs with this condition are hospitalized in the intensive care unit and receive corticosteroids and other immunosuppressive drugs to stop the body from attacking itself, and drugs to stimulate the bone marrow to release immature platelets more quickly than normal. In a best-case scenario, dogs usually respond to treatment within three to five days. The condition can be managed, but not cured. Dogs need lifetime medication to control the disease.

Read more, including how to train your cat to do tricks, in this week’s Pet Connection.

Do you have a pet question? Send it to askpetconnection@gmail.com!

It’s against the law for a veterinarian to report animal abuse in Kentucky

News

Can you imagine being a veterinarian in a state where you were legally prohibited from reporting cases of animal abuse? If you practice in Kentucky, you don’t need to imagine it; it’s the law.

I was reading an article on the Veterinary Information Network’s website about a new law passed in Massachusetts, making it the fifteenth state to require veterinarians to report suspected animal abuse to the authorities. Twenty-seven others provide immunity to veterinarians who do so, although they don’t require it.

Toward the end of the article, I was shocked to read this:

Veterinarians may report animal cruelty in states without legal mandates to do so, with one exception. The Animal Legal Defense Fund lists Kentucky as prohibiting it.

By law, Kentucky veterinarians are barred from reporting suspected cases of animal abuse to authorities unless there is written consent or a court order to do so.

 

The good news is, the Kentucky State Veterinarian is working to change that law. Until that day, it’s not a state where I’d want to be a veterinarian — or an animal.

Read the rest of the article here.

The one mistake almost every pet owner makes when a pet starts having accidents in the house

Veterinary Medicine

It’s enough to stop me from going on the Internet. I’m talking about the constant flow of people in email, on social media, and in comments on websites asking for and offering help for cats and dogs who start having accidents in the house without once mentioning the most likely cause of all: a medical problem.

Yes, sometimes a pet will start house-soiling due to behavior issues or cognitive problems. With cats, it can also be a behavior problem — yours, for not cleaning the litter box frequently enough!

But most of the time, when a previously house-dry cat or dog starts wetting inappropriately, the problem is a simple, treatable bladder infection, a urinary obstruction, or some other physical problem.

So the next time your pet soils in the house, or you see someone asking advice online, make sure seeing the vet is the first step toward fixing the problem!

Social media miracle helps senior cat find home

Companies That Help Animals, This and That

Sometimes, reading my email is like Christmas – full of joyful surprises! That’s how I felt when I heard from the Berea Animal Rescue Friends, letting me know Nama, a senior cat whose human had passed away and who I’d shared about here, had been adopted by someone who’d seen my Facebook post!

I’m so grateful to have been given a platform that lets me help animals, but I’m even more grateful to all of you for your sharing, caring, and compassion. Keep it up – the animals and I are counting on you!

And a big thanks to our friends at Embrace Pet Insurance, who were caring for Nama as part of their new office foster program, where one of my team members saw her during a visit to their headquarters. She raced right over to the phone and texted me Nama’s photo and story, and said, “Can you help?”

The rest is history, and a big “happily ever after” for Nama and her new family — including two other senior cats!

 

What to do when your cat’s licking is out of control

Pet Connection

Some cats lick themselves bald — and there’s not just one reason why, or one way to address it. Here’s a reader’s question about this problem in his cat, and my response:

Q: I know cats are good at grooming themselves, but my cat is taking it to extremes. He’s licking himself so hard that he has some bare patches. What could be the problem? — via email

A: We call these cats fur mowers. The short answer is that your cat may be licking himself bald because he’s itchy, in pain or upset about something. Itching and pain can occur for many different reasons in cats, so you and your veterinarian will need to do some detective work to narrow down the cause.

Start with a medical history and exam. The area or areas where your cat is licking may offer clues. For instance, if he’s licking at the base of his tail, he may have infected anal glands. If he’s licking at a joint, it may be a signal that he’s developing arthritis.

For the medical history, your veterinarian will want to know what food and treats you give the cat, what grooming products you use, whether you give him any medications or supplements, any changes in his routine or in the products you use in the home, and so on. This information may help differentiate between an allergy and a behavior problem. He may be anxious about something going on in his environment, such as a conflict with another pet, or a change in the home, such as a new spouse or baby.

During the physical exam, your veterinarian will check the entire body for obvious causes, such as fleas or other external parasites, as well as swelling or signs of pain. It may be necessary to order lab tests to check for diseases such as hyperthyroidism, which can cause excessive licking. Skin scrapings or fungal cultures can also help to identify itchy skin problems.

Once the cause is identified, your veterinarian can prescribe an appropriate treatment.

Do you have a pet question? Send it to askpetconnection@gmail.com!

Read more, including about the wonders of adopting a senior pet, in this week’s Pet Connection!