Heartworm Disease: This mosquito-transmitted disease can be
fatal to your dog. In areas that have a year-round mosquito
problem, it is recommended that dogs be kept on a heartworm
preventative throughout the year. After having your dog tested
for heartworm by your veterinarian, ask about heartworm
preventatives, available in chewable or pill form and given
daily or monthly.
Frostbite: Remove ice and snow from your pet's paws and coat at
once. Frostbitten skin may turn reddish, white or gray, and it
may be scaly or sloughing. If you suspect frostbite, take your
pet to a warm place immediately. Thaw out frostbitten areas
slowly by applying warm moist towels that are changed
frequently. Continue until the affected areas become flushed.
Contact your veterinarian as soon as possible; he/she will
probably want to evaluate the seriousness of the conditions.
During the holidays, keep chocolate out of the reach of dogs.
Chocolate is poisonous to dogs and can kill them. Call your vet
immediately if your dog does ingest a large quantity.
All animals, wild and domestic, are naturally attracted to
sweets. While the taste of antifreeze is sweet, it is also
poisonous. Clean spills up quickly. Or, even better, purchase
antifreeze that is "pet safe." Even a very small amount of
antifreeze can be fatal. Precautions are necessary with all
antifreeze products on the market. Read labels and warning
carefully. Thoroughly clean up spills at once. Keep containers
closed tightly and store them where pets cannot get to them.Snow
Removal salt is caustic to animal paws. It can burn the paws as
well as make the animal sick when they lick their paws. Shovel
regularly and use a less hazardous substance such as kitty
litter. Other substances produced to melt ice and snow have low
to moderate toxicity, depending on the ingredients and amount
ingested. Read the labels and take necessary precautions. Keep
these products stored in tight containers out of your pet's and
children's reach and be sure to remove salt from your pet's paws
immediately.As the daylight hours become shorter, use a
reflective collar on your dog when walking in the evening. A
jacket with reflective tape for you, along with a flashlight
will keep both of you safe.
Napping Cats: Cats sometimes climb onto vehicle engines for
warmth. Before starting your vehicle, knock on the hood and honk
the horn. Even if your own cat does not have access to your
vehicle, a neighbor's cat might have taken shelter there.
Cats will also seek warmth from the window sills where heat is
seeping out. This often causes the cat to freeze to the sill.
Again, make sure your cat is safe inside and advice those in
your area to do the same.
Be sure to provide proper shelter for your pets. If yours in an
indoor pet, his bed or crate should be kept in a warm,
draft-free area, preferably elevated slightly off the floor. If
your pet is kept outdoors, provide a warm insulated pet house or
shelter. The house should be elevated enough so that moisture
cannot accumulate inside. If possible, provide a "door" (perhaps
of canvas) to keep out the winter winds. If your pet is in a
pen, you might block the wind and weather with bales of straw
and stretch canvas over the top of the pen. If the wind chill or
other weather conditions become severe, bring your pet inside.
If you have a dog house to donate to a less fortunate animal,
please call the shelter.
Animals going outside, even for short periods in bad weather,
should have an increase of fat in their diet. This will help
maintain body heat. Staying warm requires extra calories, so
feed your pet accordingly when the temperature drops. Always
have fresh, clean water available for your pet. If your pet is
kept outdoors, be sure to check his water frequently since it
may freeze
Do not
feed your dogs bones as a holiday treat. Bones can
splinter and lodge or cut the throat, stomach and
intestinal tract.
While
traveling with your companion animal, be certain to have
an identification tag with information on where you can
be reached quickly.
The Declaw Debate
Cats use their claws to climb and scratch, to defend
themselves, and to hunt. Displaying their claws and
scratching objects are also considered by many to be a
social behavior of our feline friends. Outdoor cats may
scratch trees to mark their territory and to remove frayed
or worn outer layers from their claws. Unfortunately, this
can pose a problem when indoor cats choose their owners'
furniture or curtains as tree substitutes.
What can you do about your cat's
destructive scratching?
A variety of options are available; however, owners often
choose declawing as a means to end destructive scratching in
the home. Declawing is controversial, as it provides no
health benefit to the cat and is done strictly for human
benefit. Opponents say it is unnatural and cruel, and can
result in psychological damage to the cat. Proponents say
that declawing has no more negative effects than does any
other surgical procedure, and that by ridding unwanted
behavior, it could increase the chances for a cat to enjoy a
safe, permanent indoor home.
Your options
To help caring cat owners decide the best option in their
situation, we've provided some facts on declawing and on
alternative methods that address the problem of destructive
scratching by house cats.
Declawing is an irreversible surgical procedure performed by
a veterinarian while the cat is under general anesthesia.
Hospitalization for 1-2 days may be required. As the back
feet are rarely used for scratching, the front feet are
usually the only ones declawed.
A cat's toe has three bones; the claw grows from the end of
the last bone. In declawing, the veterinarian amputates the
end section of the last bone, along with the nail. This
removes the claw and prevents it from growing back. The toe
is then sewn shut with absorbable sutures or closed with
surgical skin glue, and each paw is bandaged snugly to
control bleeding. Bandages may be removed within 1-2 days.
Declawed cats require special care immediately after the
surgery. Pain medications are often administered for 3-5
days after surgery. Although difficult to do, owners need to
restrict their cat's activity, especially jumping, for
several days. Until healing is complete, the cat should be
kept indoors, and shredded newspaper or non-granular litter
should be used. Even once the cat has fully recovered, it is
wise to restrict him from the outdoors as he really has no
adequate means of defense.
Complication rates are very low if the procedure is
performed properly. Most cats will walk fairly well within
2-3 days, although the feet will be tender for about a week
or two after surgery. The cat should be seen by a
veterinarian if any of these signs occur: swelling,
discharge from the toes, loss of appetite or some other
change in the cat's health or behavior. It is normal for a
cat to initially limp or favor a paw following surgery.
However, make sure to contact the veterinarian if this
behavior stops and then resumes again. Additionally, keep
aware of bleeding. Although some spotting after surgery may
occur and is normal, if bleeding persists, the cat should be
rechecked by the doctor.
Laser surgery is another option available for declawing your
cat. Surgical lasers have been used for several years at
veterinary colleges, but just recently has this technology
become an affordable option for veterinary hospitals to
offer to clients. A laser declaw surgery requires anesthesia
and amputation of the bone and nails (as described above).
However, a surgical laser can offer several advantages to a
scalpel. As it cuts, the laser automatically seals small
blood vessels and nerve endings around the cut, which means
less bleeding and less pain. Patients can thus experience a
quicker return to their normal activities.
It's best to declaw cats at a young age, about two to five
months old. Younger cats tend to recover more quickly and
adapt more easily to the loss of their claws. Many
veterinarians discourage declawing in older cats because
these felines will often experience prolonged and recurrent
pain.
Most declawed cats will resume normal activities, including
performing scratching motions. With rear claws intact, cats
can still climb small trees, hunt and even defend themselves
when necessary.
Flexor
tendonectomy is another surgical procedure you may
choose. A tendonectomy leaves the claws intact but
prevents cats from extending them. The tendon
controlling claw extension is cut and a small portion
removed while the cat is under general anesthesia. After
a tendonectomy, owners must monitor the cat's toenails
and keep them clipped, because the cat's ability to shed
and sharpen the claws is limited.
Regular
nail trimming can often diminish the destruction caused
by your cat's scratching. This is a relatively simple
task that you can do, but it must be performed properly
and routinely. Ask your veterinarian to show you how to
trim your cat's nails.
Nail
coverings attach to the claws with a nontoxic adhesive
and provide a blunt nail tip so scratching does not
cause damage. About once a month, the coverings must be
removed, the nails trimmed, and new coverings applied.
You can do this yourself, or you can take your cat to
your veterinarian to have it done.
Training your cat to scratch only certain objects, such
as scratching posts, can often be accomplished. Consult
your veterinarian, a pet behaviorist or a good book on
cat care and training for more information on how to
train your cat to scratch appropriately.
As a
cat owner faced with the dilemma of destructive cat
scratching, you're now armed with some basic information
on the options available to you. Before making any final
decisions, however, you should discuss these options
further with your veterinarian.
