All posts by Dr. Marty Becker

When cats get cavities

Pet Connection, Veterinary Medicine,

If your cat is drooling, you’ll want to head for the vet. That’s because she could have something lodged in her mouth or have ingested a toxin. But there’s another likely cause, and it’s one we don’t often think of when it comes to cats: a cavity. Here’s how I explained it to a reader.

Q: My cat has started drooling frequently, and I can’t figure out why. What could cause this?

A: A number of things can cause cats to drool, including a foreign object stuck in the mouth or ingestion of a toxic substance. But one of the most common is the development of cavities.

Cats may not have a sweet tooth, but they can develop cavities, known as resorptive lesions. They start inside the tooth and move outward toward the pulp — or even exposing it. I don’t know if you’ve ever had a tooth injury that exposed the pulp, but it’s extremely painful!

The result can be a cat who drools or finds it painful to eat. You may notice your cat picking up a piece of food and then dropping it. She’s not playing; it hurts because the tooth is so sensitive.

Research shows that nearly half of all cats older than 5 years have at least one tooth affected by a resorptive lesion. Your veterinarian may point out a small red area at the gumline that’s characteristic of the condition. In other instances, the lesions may be identified only through dental X-rays.

Cats don’t get fillings for their cavities. Instead, affected teeth are removed while the cat is under anesthesia. Feline teeth are small and fragile, so it takes care to remove the entire tooth, including the part below the gumline. Once teeth with RLs are gone, the pain goes away, too. And your cat will be able to eat comfortably, even with a few missing teeth.

This is why I always recommend that cats (and dogs) be checked twice a year, from teeth to tail, to make sure they aren’t suffering any painful conditions. Your pet will thank you!

Read more in Pet Connection, the weekly nationally syndicated pet feature I co-write with Kim Campbell Thornton and my daughter, trainer Mikkel Becker.

A young grey tabby cat hiding underneath a quilt on a bed.

What to do if your new cat won’t come out of hiding

Pet Connection

Most cat owners have been there: You bring a new cat home, and she hides and won’t come out. What does it mean and what should you do? That’s what a reader asked. Here’s what my daughter, trainer Mikkel Becker, and I told her.

Q: We’re fostering a cat, and she beelined for the bedroom as soon as we brought her home. She has food, water and a litter box in there, and she’ll let us pet her, but she won’t come out from under the bed. We have two other cats, but we haven’t let them into the room yet. What can we do to help her feel safe?

A: In new surroundings, cats need time and space before they feel safe enough to explore. Right now, under the bed is your foster cat’s happy place: It’s dark and quiet and she feels safe there from any potential threats, whether those are the hands of strangers or the two cats she can undoubtedly smell, even if they haven’t been allowed in the room.

The best thing you can do is to give her the opportunity to relax and explore her new surroundings at her own pace. Don’t push her by trying to pet her or play with her. Sit in the room quietly, but don’t try to coax her over to you. Right now, she just needs to become accustomed to your scent and presence. You can intrigue her by tossing treats in her direction — without looking at her — or wiggling a long teaser toy that allows her to stalk and play without getting too close to you. Other things that can help, according to the Fear Free Happy Homes blog, include spraying the room with a synthetic feline pheromone or playing cat-specific music that has calming properties.

Cats are most interested in people who leave them alone and don’t stare at them because that’s proper feline etiquette in the “getting to know you” process. It could take days or even weeks for her to feel comfortable in your presence, so be patient.

Read more in Pet Connection, the weekly nationally syndicated pet feature I co-write with Kim Campbell Thornton and my daughter, trainer Mikkel Becker.

Chihuahua hiding under the quilt on the bed

Helping a dog who is afraid of thunderstorms

Fear Free, Pet Connection,

Our dog Quixote is terrifed of thunderstorms — and it’s  fear that’s very common in dogs. When a reader asked me for help for her dog, I recruited my daughter, trainer Mikkel Becker, to share some tips.

Q: It’s thunderstorm season, and my 3-year-old Australian shepherd has become so afraid of the noise that he tries to jump out the window. I’m really afraid he’s going to hurt himself. He has never seemed afraid of storms before. Is there anything that can be done? — via Facebook

A: Many dogs are fearful of the sound of thunder — and possibly the accompanying lightning flashes, loud wind, and changes in ozone levels and barometric pressure. Research has found that herding breeds like your Aussie seem to be more prone to this type of fear. In these breeds, at least, the fear may have a genetic component.

Signs of this type of fear usually begin with barking, seeking attention (pawing at people, for instance) and pacing. The signs can swiftly escalate to trembling, panting, howling, destructiveness and attempts to escape, even if that means jumping through a window or chewing through a door.

Those early signs can be subtle. People might not notice them, or they think their dog will outgrow the fear as he matures or becomes used to thunderstorms.

Unfortunately, repeated exposure simply makes the problem worse. If you notice that your dog is fearful during storms, talk to your veterinarian or a board-certified veterinary behaviorist right away. Medication in the very early stages with drugs that help to reduce panic can make the fear easier to manage, but it’s essential to give it before the storm starts. Often, the best solution is medication combined with snug-fitting shirts and capes, which have a soothing effect, and canine ear muffs and eye shades, which help to limit the dog’s exposure to the frightening phenomena. It can also be helpful to teach your dog to go to a place where he feels secure. That can be a closet, a crate lined with a towel or blanket (keep the door open), or a bathroom or bathtub.

Read more in Pet Connection, the weekly nationally syndicated pet feature I co-write with Kim Campbell Thornton and my daughter, trainer Mikkel Becker.

Join us on Lazaruff’s Pitty Party Road Trip!

Rescue,

It’s hard to believe this day is finally here: Teresa and I are in Baton Rouge this morning picking up Lazaruff to drive him to northern Idaho in search of a forever home.

Lazaruff was supposed to become our dog — but I’m getting ahead of the story. First, Laz was supposed to be dead. That’s what the workers who found him in an abandoned house thought, that he had died of thirst and starvation. When animal control came to pick up the body and found out he was still alive, they rushed him to the vet.

Once there, they gave his emaciated little body — he weighed 19 pounds — fluids, and discussed his poor outlook for survival. Reluctantly they decided euthanasia was the best course… until they realized he was wagging his tail.

Teresa and I met Lazaruff after he was a robust 27 pounds (he now weighs 66, to give you an idea of how bad it was) while we were volunteering at a clinic for homeless pets and the pets of low income people in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana. Although  we’d vowed not to adopt that day, we took one look at this tail-wagging skeleton covered in skin and broke that vow so fast it caused a sonic boom.

They’d called him “Relic,” but in recognition that he’d come back from the dead we named him Lazaruff. We planned to bring him into our family, but he had a long road ahead of him first. He had heartworm, but he needed to get up to a better weight and in better condition before beginning treatment. He started his journey to health with Dr. Kevin Fuselier at Bellevue Animal Clinic in Opelousas. Dr. Kevin works regularly with the shelter that was trying to save Lazaruff from the first day, St. Landry Parish Animal Control, which is under the direction of an incredible angel of mercy, Stacey Alleman.

While with Dr. Kevin, Laz was taken under the wing of his son, Jake, who trained Laz and shared his love and time with him. Dr. Krista Sirois and Dr. Lisa Radosta from Florida Veterinary Behavior Service consulted long distance to make sure Lazaruff’s emotional needs were being taken care of along with his physical recovery. Eventually we moved Laz to Baton Rouge Animal Hospital to be under the care of a Fear Free Certified trainer, and Jake and the team at Bellevue Animal Clinic threw him a beautiful going away party.

Once Laz arrived in Baton Rouge he was in the care of Dr. Greta Goranova and trainer Tammy Bourgoyne, and still being watched over by his behavior team in Florida. Along the way Laz had many supporters, including our friends at Kong and Petmate who have showered him with gifts — beds, leashes, toys, treats, and more. It must have been overwhelming for a dog from a background like his. (We hope in a good way!)

As Laz continued his amazing recovery, his team realized that he was probably not going to be happy with our family for a number of reasons. Still, we hadn’t come this far to turn back now, so we reached out to our good friend Mandy Evans at Panhandle Animal Shelter in Idaho, where we adopted our little dog QT Pi Becker. She set up a quiet foster home for him to stay while we work to find him the perfect home.

We wanted to fly Lazaruff to Idaho, but we found that no commercial airline would fly a dog they considered a pit bull. As a longtime pit bull family and a veterinarian who knows all dogs are individuals and opposes breed discrimination, it was a sobering reminder of what these dogs face. A friend of ours, Marilyn Iturri, generously offered to fly to Baton Rouge and drive Laz to us in Idaho, but Teresa and I made the decision to drive him ourselves.

Today we’ll be picking him up and heading north and west to his new life. His veterinary and behavior team have him ready to go, and his friends at Petmate and Kong showered him with even more gifts, which we hope to share with other homeless pets since there’s not a chance in the world Lazaruff would ever be able to use them all!

Back in Idaho, our neighbor Nate and his little girl, Maddie, are caring for our home and animals while we’re on this road trip. On the road, Marriott arranged dog-friendly accommodations for us. Only the best for Lazaruff! One thing we wanted to do but won’t be able to is visit Fear Free headquarters in Denver. That city has a pit bull ban that applies even to dogs just passing through. I’ll have more to say on that later, but for now, let’s focus on the positive!

We’ll be checking in regularly on my Facebook page with updates and video. We may stop at some shelters, and may even connect with some of you. More on all that later! For now, here’s our promise to Lazaruff:

Our commitment to you goes beyond the veterinary and training bills we’ve paid. It goes beyond the miles we’ll put on this rented car. From now on, people will mean help, not hurt. Lazaruff, you are going to have care for your physical and emotional wellbeing. You are going to have baths, sleep on super comfy soft beds, be walked, be trained, get toys and treats. You are going to have a life as happy, healthy, and full as we can make it.

Cat biting hand

When your cat bites you

Pet Connection, ,

Cats can’t say, “Hey, I’m good. You can stop petting me now.” So they often let their teeth do the talking. But there are other reasons cats might bite. Here’s what I told a reader who wanted to know about her kitten’s biting behavior.

Q: My 10-month-old cat bites me. Will he outgrow this?

A: You don’t describe the situations in which your cat bites, but a common one is when the cat feels overstimulated from petting.

Cats can’t say, “Hey, stop, I don’t like that anymore,” so they bite or scratch to send that message. If your cat bites when you pet him, pay closer attention to his body language. If the tail is whipping, eyes are dilated or ears go flat, sideways or back, stop! Let him chill before you pet him again.

Cats also bite if they don’t like where they’re being petted. Dogs love belly rubs, but cats … not so much. That is the last place you want to reach out and touch them. Even if your cat loves and trusts you, it’s instinctive for him to protect his soft underbelly with a bite or swat. Don’t make him do it!

If your cat nails you, freeze instead of pulling away. Struggling and movement will excite him; the action is like that of prey. If you hold still, though, he will likely let go. Don’t yell at him, but redirect his attention to a toy.

By becoming aware of your cat’s tolerance levels, reducing triggers that make him bite and not using your hand as a plaything — waggling fingers, for instance — you will protect yourself from his teeth and claws.

The sweet spots for petting a cat are beneath the chin, behind the ears, on the cheeks behind the whiskers and at the base of the tail. All of these areas are where scent glands are concentrated. Scritching your cat in these places spreads his scent and makes his environment (and you) smell familiar, which is all to the good if you want to have a happy, purring cat.

Read more in Pet Connection, the weekly nationally syndicated pet feature I co-write with Kim Campbell Thornton and my daughter, trainer Mikkel Becker.