All posts by Dr. Marty Becker

Is it okay for dogs to eat cat food?

Pet Connection, Veterinary Medicine

Some dogs will eat anything, but it’s the rare dog who can turn down the tasty treat that is cat food. A reader asked me if that’s okay.

Q: My 9-year-old cat was recently diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and needs to eat a special canned food twice a day. When that food comes out, my dog comes running from anywhere in the house and goes crazy. When the cat is done eating, we allow the dog to lick the leftovers in the cat’s bowl. I’ve read that cat food is too high in protein for dogs, and I’d like to know how much of this cat food is too much for my dog’s health. He is a 1-year-old healthy Cavalier King Charles spaniel.

A: It’s no surprise that your dog is attracted by your cat’s new diet. As you know, cat food is higher in protein than dog food, and it’s stinky, which appeals to both felines and canines. And Cavaliers tend to be chowhounds anyway. With few exceptions, they will eat about anything.

As long as your dog is getting only a small lick or two after each meal, he’s probably not at risk from his daily cat food snack. Ill effects, such as vomiting or diarrhea, are warning signs, though, that the cat food he loves doesn’t love him back. If you notice your dog upchucks or has loose stools frequently after his cat food capers, it’s time to put the kibosh on his cat food habit.

Another possible side effect is obesity. Cavaliers gain weight easily. If your dog puts on the pounds from his dining addiction, it’s time to cut back on his snack. But if it’s not a major part of his diet, you’re not seeing vomiting or diarrhea, and you’re doing a good job of monitoring his weight and giving him plenty of exercise, it’s probably fine to let him continue sharing small amounts of your cat’s leftovers.

Read more, including tips for disaster preparedness for pet owners, in this week’s Pet Connection!

What to do when a dog goes ‘weak in the knees’

Veterinary Medicine

You probably know my dog QT Pi Becker, a Jack Russell/Chihuahua mix shelter rescue and distemper survivor. He’s basically a canine amphetamine, always wired up and moving. But what you may not know is that when he’s moving, it’s not a normal gait. It’s more of a bunny hop, because he has what’s called luxating patellas, or knee caps that don’t stay in position.

This is almost always a condition present from birth, and it’s common in small breed dogs like Pomeranians, Chihuahuas, and Toy Poodles, although it can happen because of an injury.

The anatomy of a dog’s leg is very similar to ours. The patella is embedded in the tendon that connects the large, powerful muscles in the front of the thigh to the tibia (lower leg bone). Normally it moves easily up-and-down in what’s called the femoral or patellar groove. It is very important to normal, pain-free movement. When the groove is shallow, the patella can dislocate inside or outside of the groove, making it difficult for the dog to flex or extend the leg normally. In fact, it can lock the leg straight out in what can look like a dog doing a salute with a back leg.

Does this condition need fixing? It all depends on the severity on the individual dog. Patellar luxation is graded I-IV, with Grade I being a kneecap that occasionally pops out, Grade II a kneecap that pops out of position easily but returns to its normal position. Grade III is a kneecap that is normally out of position but can be pushed back into normal position (that’s what QT Pi has).

Grade IV is a kneecap permanently out of position that can’t be pushed back into position. Grades I and II typically aren’t surgically treated, whereas Grades III and IV need surgery to prevent lameness and deformation of the back leg bones.

Surgery involves deepening the groove at the minimum, and may involve correcting angles of the bones that are forcing the patella out of the groove.

So the next time you see your dog doing a bunny hop, don’t say, “How cute!” Call the vet!

Your pet’s ear hematoma: What you need to know

Pet Connection, Veterinary Medicine

What does it mean when your cat has a painful, fluid-filled lump on his ear? Here’s what I told a reader who asked that question.

Q: My cat has been scratching at his ear and the vet says he has a hematoma. What is that, and how did my cat get one? 

A: The word hematoma is basically a fancy Greek name for a bruise. Hematomas are seen more often in dogs, but cats may get them from shaking their head forcefully or scratching aggressively at the ear in response to itching caused by an ear mite infection, allergic skin disease or a foreign body lodged in the ear. The trauma causes blood to seep out of the blood vessels and pool between the skin and the cartilage of the earflap.

The result is a swollen, fluid-filled area that can be inside the ear canal or on the ear tip. Depending on the size and where in the ear the hematoma is located, it might feel firm or soft.

Don’t assume that a hematoma will resolve on its own. It’s a painful condition and can cause lasting damage to ear tissues. Hematomas can be treated several ways, but surgery is typically the most effective solution. While the cat is anesthetized, the surgeon removes the fluid and blood clots and sutures the inner part of the ear to the outer part so it lies smooth and prevents lumpy scar tissue from forming. An incision is made that remains open so any remaining fluid can drain. Most important is treating the underlying condition so the hematoma doesn’t return.

No matter which route you go, your cat will likely need to wear an Elizabethan collar, one of those lampshade-looking devices that keeps him from scratching at his ear while it heals. For greater comfort, look for a soft fabric or inflatable E-collar instead of a hard plastic one.

Read more, including how to keep a pet quiet after surgery, in this week’s Pet Connection! 

Meat is a must in your cat’s diet

Pet Connection, Veterinary Medicine

Can a cat be a vegetarian or vegan pet? No. Here’s what I told a reader who asked about whether cats really need meat in their diets.

Q: Why is it so important for cats to have meat in their diet? Humans and dogs can get by without it.

A: Cats come with a special label: obligate carnivore. Its meaning is just as it sounds: Cats must eat meat if they are to survive and thrive.

An essential amino acid called taurine is one of the reasons that meat is so important to a cat’s good health. The feline body can manufacture some amino acids (which you may recall from grade school as the building blocks of proteins), but the essential amino acids, such as taurine, which is found only in animal tissues, must be added to a cat’s diet.

Taurine is what powers excitable cells — those that are part of a nerve or muscle. The brain, the skeletal muscles, the heart, even the retina of the eye are all excitable tissues and need taurine to function. A cat’s heartbeat, vision, movement and brain function are all dependent on taurine.

Cats who don’t get enough taurine can develop a type of heart disease called dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). It was just 30 years ago that Paul Pion, DVM, discovered the link between DCM in cats and a diet deficient in taurine. Turns out that taurine is largely destroyed by cooking, so pet food manufacturers had to readjust their recipes to ensure that cats received enough of the essential amino acid in their diet. People who feed cats a homemade diet must be sure to supplement the food with taurine.

Other health problems related to taurine deficiency include reproduction problems in female cats (known as queens); reduced growth in kittens; and central retinal degeneration, which can lead to irreversible blindness. In fact, in Pion’s 1987 study, 27 percent of the cats in the study also had central retinal degeneration.

Read more, including an overview of the bacteria that live on your pets (and you!) in this week’s Pet Connection!

Photo: Dr. Kerry Kline, courtesy of the Texas Veterinary Medical Foundation

Helping vets help pets injured and lost in Texas floods

Fear Free, ,

Friends, I can’t stop thinking about the images and stories of pets stranded, confused, frightened, and lost in Texas because of Hurricane Harvey. I’ve also been tremendously moved by the acts of courage and compassion performed by first responders, neighbors, Good Samaritans, animal shelters, and veterinarians and veterinary nurses, all to help pets and pet owners who are struggling and in danger.

Although I’ve donated and shared links so you can donate as well, I’ve decided that’s not enough.

The Texas Veterinary Medical Foundation is providing funds to help veterinarians keep doing this important work. These grants are intended both to reimburse them for their medical supplies and to cover other needs – such as clinic repairs and rebuilding – on a case by case basis.

I huddled with the team at Fear Free, and we have partnered with the TVMF to offer additional funds to help Fear Free Certified veterinarians and veterinary technicians in the flooded areas.

Fear Free has started the fund out with and an initial $10,000 donation that we’ll be adding to soon. However, the need and the urgency are great.

Please join your dollars with ours and show the community of Fear Free certified veterinary care providers that we stand with them in their time of greatest challenge.

Just visit https://www.texvetpets.org/giving/ and select “Disaster” in the drop down menu, then check “Yes” under “Is this donation intended for a Fear Free Certified Veterinarian or Veterinary Technician?”

You can learn more about the Texas Veterinary Medical Foundation and its disaster relief work on their Facebook page.

Thank you to all of you who are so generous and show such concern for the suffering of animals every day. I know you will come through for them this time, too.

God bless you and all who are working so hard to help,

Dr. Marty Becker

Photo: Dr. Kerry Kline, courtesy of the Texas Veterinary Medical Foundation