All posts by Dr. Marty Becker

Cat physics for the win!

Pet Connection

One of my books is called Do Cats Always Land on their Feet?, so it’s funny that a reader wrote asking me that exact question!

Q: Is it true that cats always land on their feet? Has anyone actually studied that?

A: The physics of feline movement is a fascinating topic for any curious scientist or animal lover. Believe it or not, it’s something that has been studied for at least 150 years. Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell, known as the father of modern physics, was interested in how cats righted themselves after a fall, and in 1894, French scientist Etienne Jules Marey used high-speed photography to document the sequence of movements made by the body of a falling cat. (The cat survived, stalking away with an “expression of offended dignity.”)

The way it works, apparently, is that the cat first rotates his head into position so he can see the ground. He then twists his body so that his feet are oriented toward the ground. Once the body is correctly positioned, the cat spreads his legs outward, flying-squirrel style, and relaxes his muscles. That helps to spread out the force of the impact.

Don’t try this experiment on your cat at home. Just because cats often — not always — land on their feet doesn’t mean they always walk away without injury. City veterinarians see cases of cats with “high-rise syndrome”: They survive falls from as high as 30 stories, but they suffer severe injuries, including broken legs, broken jaws and collapsed lungs. Interestingly, the most dangerous falls are from two to six stories, possibly because the cat doesn’t have enough time to set himself up for the best landing. Falls from higher than 30 stories are not survivable.

If you live in a high-rise building, or even if your cat simply enjoys sunning himself on your one-story balcony, protect him from falls with window screens or other barriers that will prevent him from taking a leap into the void.

Read more, including how to improve your senior pet’s quality of life and help them live longer, in this week’s Pet Connection!

A senior dog named Thor has been waiting a year and a half for a home

Rescue

Few things make me sadder than seeing a senior dog in a shelter – especially when they’ve been there for months or even years. That’s the story with Thor, a mighty dog who is 7 years old and has spent the last year and a half of his life in the Hempstead Town Animal Shelter in Wantagh, New York.

Thor is a lovely, sweet dog with the classic “wiggle butt,” and this is what his friends at the shelter have to say about him:

Thor was abandoned by his family at the shelter in February 2016 because someone moving in had allergies.

Watching Thor sit in his kennel is heartbreaking because he so desperately craves love and affection. At the shelter, you will find him pressing himself up against the bars hoping a someone will stop and give him scratches.

Thor is about 7 years old and an easy going guy. Outside of his kennel he is smiley, his tail is always wagging, and he loves to play Fetch! Thor has gained weight living at the shelter so he is looking for an adopter who will help him get some exercise and shed those extra pounds. A fenced yard to play ball in would be amazing for Thor. After living in the shelter for a 1.5 years, Thor’s adopter needs to give him patience to decompress and adjust.

You can learn more on Thor’s Facebook page, Adopt Thor.

The phone at the shelter has the number 516-785-5220 – let’s get it ringing off the hook! And please, share this with your friends and family.  You never know who might have a Thor-shaped hole in their heart!

The evidence against declawing cats just keeps mounting

Veterinary Medicine,

We’re seeing yet more evidence that not only does declawing not keep cats out of shelters, but it can cause a lifetime of pain and difficulty walking for cats who have undergone the procedure.

The routine declawing of cats, known as “onychectomy,” has become extremely common in the United States, but that’s not the case elsewhere — in fact, it’s illegal in many countries, and rarely practiced in most.

We in the veterinary profession have long justified performing this surgery by saying it would prevent cats from scratching furniture and other possessions, as well as people, in their homes, and keep them from being taken to a shelter or put outside to fend for themselves. We’ve also claimed that, when performed skillfully and with appropriate pain medication, it was not harmful.

I’ve written about post-declawing pain syndrome before, and a study published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery  this spring reinforces my concern. The researchers found declawed cats are at risk of back pain and gait problems, retained bone fragments, and were more likely to bite and stop using their litter boxes. Additionally, they stated:

Declawing cats increases the risk of unwanted behaviors and may increase risk for developing back pain. Evidence of inadequate surgical technique was common in the study population. Among declawed cats, retained P3 fragments further increased the risk of developing back pain and adverse behaviors.

The use of optimal surgical technique does not eliminate the risk of adverse behavior subsequent to onychectomy.

In another study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association late last year, the authors found that declawed cats who live with other cats are three times more likely to fail to use the litter box appropriately than those with intact claws:

(H)aving cats that had undergone onychectomy in a 3- to 5-cat household were all significant predictors of house soiling. Notably, having cats that had undergone onychectomy in a 3- to 5-cat household increased the risk of house soiling by more than 3-fold, indicating that the association between onychectomy and house soiling was influenced by the number of cats per household.

Compare this finding with the results of the analysis in which onychectomy status was stratified by the number of cats per household, which showed that onychectomy status had no confounding effect on this association. Taken together, these results indicated that when there were 3 to 5 cats in a household that had also undergone onychectomy, there was a greater risk of house soiling in that household.

 

Since litter box avoidance is the top reason cats are surrendered to shelters, continuing to use keeping cats out of shelters as a way to rationalize declawing seems increasingly insupportable.

It’s also worth noting that virtually all national humane organizations, including the Humane Society of the United States, the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association, Alley Cat Allies, AdoptAPet.com, the North Shore Animal League, Petfinder, and Best Friends Animal Society, as well as countless shelters and rescue groups across the country, vehemently oppose surgical declawing of cats unless medically necessary due to a condition such as cancer or severe injury.

I’m with them. I hope the rest of my profession joins us soon.

Stopping the pain of your dog’s arthritis

Pet Connection, Veterinary Medicine

Arthritis is common in dogs — common, and painful! Here’s what I told a reader who wanted to know how she could help her dog feel better.

Q: My dog seems really stiff, and the veterinarian says he probably has arthritis. Is there anything that can be done to help him feel more comfortable?

A: I feel for him. My joints are achy these days, too. We know in both human and veterinary medicine that pain management is crucial for any condition that interferes with normal activity: For dogs, those things include getting up or lying down, walking around, getting petted and just the ability to feel good during the day.

It’s not possible to eliminate pain completely, but treatments and medications are available that can help your dog get along without suffering. Pain management is successful when a dog can engage in normal activities: eating, sleeping, going for walks or just moving around the house, and interacting with his humans or other animals.

Several types of medications can help. For instance, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, for short) help to reduce inflammation and are often used to treat chronic pain conditions such as osteoarthritis. Your veterinarian may suggest a combination of drugs from different classes that work in different ways to provide the best pain relief for your individual dog or to reduce the risk of side effects.

If your dog is overweight, dropping a few pounds can relieve stress on his joints and decrease pain. Some dogs with lameness from painful, arthritic hips have improved with weight loss alone.

Some veterinary hospitals now offer complementary therapies in tandem with medication. Complementary therapies that may help to relieve arthritis pain include acupuncture, cold laser, hydrotherapy and massage.

Finally, you can make environmental changes that might ease his stiffness. Look for an orthopedic pet bed that offers good support for those achy joints. Some are heated, which is also soothing. Provide steps or a ramp to make it easier for him to get on and off the sofa or bed or into the car.

Read more, including how to find a lost cat, in this week’s Pet Connection!

Is a bearded dragon the right pet for you?

Pet Connection

A reader asked for the low-down on bearded dragons as pets. Here’s what I know.

Q: I’ve just acquired a bearded dragon. What should I know about taking care of him?

A: Congratulations on your new reptile companion! Bearded dragons are popular because of their small size, quiet nature and variety of colors. They enjoy basking in the sun and are typically active during the day. With good care, you can expect your bearded dragon to live eight to 12 years.

Even though they aren’t especially large, bearded dragons need a good-size habitat. A 40- to 55-gallon aquarium is the minimum amount of space you should provide. Larger is better. You’ll need to equip his living area with full-spectrum lighting for 12 hours a day. He also needs an appropriate temperature range. During the day, he should be able to move from a hot basking area that ranges from 95 degrees Fahrenheit to 105 degrees Fahrenheit to a slightly cooler area of no less than 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Other important features are a box or other area where he can hide, and surfaces on which he can climb and bask.

Bearded dragons eat a variety of insects and leafy greens. Juvenile bearded dragons will thrive on crickets, mealworms and other gut-loaded insects offered daily, but as they mature, they eat more vegetable matter. Offer a daily buffet of dark leafy greens and shredded veggies. Ask your veterinarian to recommend an appropriate vitamin and mineral supplement for your bearded dragon’s life stage.

Take your bearded dragon to a veterinarian who specializes in reptile care. A visit every six to 12 months will help to ensure that he’s in good condition and isn’t carrying any internal parasites such as pinworms or coccidia. Common health problems include fungal dermatitis (yellow fungus), obesity, constipation from chronic dehydration, poor diet, lack of exercise and, believe it or not, periodontal disease. Yes, you should brush your bearded dragon’s teeth! Your veterinarian can advise you on the best technique.