Vet Blog

When the World is Your Outhouse…

I was visiting home several weeks ago and found myself wandering down memory lane with a family photos album on my lap. In my meanderings, I stumbled across a yellowing portrait of me with my first pet, Snowball the cat. Snowball is stretched regally across an aqua and purple armchair (it was the 70’s…); I am draped across his back with an impish grin and blonde pigtails.

Snowball did not live with us very long. After a year with us, Snowball took to anointing furniture and walls and the occasional pile of laundry with his own urine. Despite mood altering medications, food changes and more than a few lectures from my mother, Snowball persisted in his marking behavior. He ultimately went to go live on a farm somewhere; I haven’t had the courage yet to ask if this is a euphemism or not.

Inappropriate urination is a major concern for cat owners. In fact, it is the most common behavioral problem seen by veterinarians. When we see cats urinating outside their litter boxes, we divide them into the two main categories behavioral problems versus a physical cause of the inappropriate urination. Behavior problems may include litter box aversion, territorial marking, or a subtle form of bullying in cats known as intercat aggression. The most common physical problem causing inappropriate urination is Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD), but can also be caused by bladder stones, urinary tract infections or any metabolic problem which increases the amount a cat urinates.

While most owners feel that their cat is having accidents out of “spite”, the only way we can truly diagnose a behavioral problem is to rule out a physical problem. It is extremely important to note that some of the physical causes of inappropriate urination can be extremely serious or even life threatening. If your cat is licking himself excessively, using the litter box more frequently than normal, straining to urinate or vocalizing when he is in the litter box, he should be seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible. Your veterinarian may need to do a urinalysis, blood testing, urine cultures or x-rays to diagnose the cause of his or her urinary tract problems.

If your cat is having accidents and your veterinarian has ruled out a physical problem, there are some simple things you can do to encourage your cat to use the litter box. It should be kept as clean as possible. Clumping litter should be scooped daily and the boxes should be thoroughly cleaned once weekly. In a multi-cat household, there should ideally be one more litter box than there are cats. If you are going to change the type of litter your cat is using, consider adding another litter box with the new litter to ensure your cat will use it prior to switching all the boxes. The areas where your cat has had accidents should be thoroughly cleaned. You may need to confine your cat away from the areas where he or she has had previous episodes of inappropriate urination.

In the case that your cat continues to urinate outside the litter box and behavior modification has not helped, there are many medications that can help to alter your cat’s elimination patterns. Talk to your veterinarian about the medication options available that could help in your cat’s particular problem.

If your cat is inappropriately urinating, there may be a valid medical reason for his or her accidents. Even if your cat’s problem is behavioral, there are many options available to aid in rectifying the situation. It is important to deal with the problem quickly, as the longer a urination problem goes on, the more difficult it is to correct. With early intervention, you should be able to help your cat get back on the straight and narrow path towards the litter box!

Article supplied by: Dr. Jocelyn Fredlund

A cat’s lifestyle greatly influences what vaccines are necessary to protect against certain types of infectious disease.  Your veterinarian is in the best position to determine exactly what vaccine schedule is most appropriate for your pet, but the following discussion should help you understand how doctors end up making the recommendations that they do.

First of all, most kittens need to be vaccinated every three to four weeks, starting when they are about seven weeks old and ending when they are approximately 16 weeks old.  In most cases, three veterinary visits are necessary for a kitten to receive all of the vaccines and the boosters that it needs in a timely manner.  An adult cat with a questionable vaccination history can usually be brought up to date over the course of two visits three to four weeks apart.  After these initial vaccines, cats should see the veterinarian at least annually for a check-up and a discussion as to what vaccine boosters may be necessary at that time.  With some vaccines, annual revaccination is necessary to maintain adequate immunity, while others can be boosted every three years.

All cats, except those that are exempt for health reasons, should receive Rabies and Feline Panleukopenia, Herpesvirus, and Calicivirus vaccines.  Protection against these last three diseases is frequently combined in a single inoculation that is often referred to as FVRCP.  Almost every kitten should receive a Feline Leukemia (FELV) vaccine and booster, but after these initial doses, only cats at significant risk of contracting FELV (i.e., pets that go outside) should continue to be vaccinated.  Some types of FELV and Rabies vaccines have been associated with a small but increased risk for the development of an aggressive type of cancer at the injection site.

A vaccine against Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) is also available, but should only be given to cats considered to be at high risk of developing the disease (e.g., cats that go outside and are likely to fight other cats).  The FIV vaccine only protects against some forms of the disease and also makes vaccinated cats test positive for FIV, which makes definitive diagnosis of this fatal disease extremely difficult in the future.

Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) and Giardia vaccines are manufactured but are not effective enough to allow me to recommend their use.  Vaccines against other diseases (e.g. Chlamydophila and Bordetella) are also available but should only be used under very special circumstances.

Heartworms are parasites that, when fully grown, look like long strands of spaghetti and live inside the vessels that carry blood from the heart to the lungs and within the heart itself in severe cases.  I will focus my discussion here on dogs since they are most commonly infected, but keep in mind that cats and ferrets are also at risk.

Dogs get heartworms when they are bitten by a mosquito that has previously fed on another dog infected with the parasites.  Adult worms in the heart and lungs breed and produce tiny offspring called microfilariae that circulate in a dog’s bloodstream.  A mosquito feeding on an infected dog picks up these microfilariae, which then mature for a period of time within the insect.  Later, when the mosquito bites another dog, the immature heartworms are transferred to a new host.  The larval heartworms eventually make their way to this dog’s heart and lungs where they mature and breed to complete their lifecycle.

Adult worms incite a lot of inflammation and block the normal flow of blood from the heart to the lungs.  As the disease progresses, the heart may not be able to pump hard enough to push adequate amounts of blood past the worms, and chambers within the heart may even become filled with the parasites.  Heart failure and death is the result if the disease is not treated in a timely manner.

As horrifying as heartworm disease is, it is thankfully exceptionally easy to prevent.  Heartworm prevention medications are inexpensive, effective, and easy to use – most are either given as an oral treat or applied to the skin once a month.  These drugs work by killing any heartworms that the dog may have picked up in the last month before they can mature and reach the heart and lungs.  Puppies should start on heartworm preventative at the time of their first veterinary visit, usually around eight weeks of age.

Testing a dog for heartworm disease is also very simple – just a few drop of blood are required, and the results are available within only a few minutes.  One thing to keep in mind about the test, however, is that it looks for the presence of female, adult worms only and that it takes roughly six months from the bite of an infected mosquito for larval heartworms to mature into adults.  Therefore, it is possible for a dog to test negative, be placed on preventative, and then test positive for heartworms six months later.  In these cases, heartworm larvae were already in the dog’s body that were too old to be killed by the preventative, but too young to be picked up by the test.  Dogs that are on heartworm prevention should nevertheless be tested every year or two, just in case a dose was missed or was not absorbed well for some reason.

Dogs with heartworm disease frequently cough, are lethargic and tire easily, and may have difficulty breathing, lose weight, and develop a pot-bellied appearance.  Dogs can be treated for heartworm disease, and as long as they are not too severely affected, most will recover.  Prior to beginning their treatment, dogs undergo chest x-rays, blood work and a urinalysis to determine how severely affected they are and what treatment schedule is best for them.  If the veterinarian thinks that a dog has only a few adult worms in its heart and lungs, he or she may give two injections of a medication that kills the parasites deep into the muscles of a dog’s lower back over a two-day period, during which time the pet will be hospitalized for close monitoring.  In more severe cases, the doctor will give one injection first, followed by two injections a month later so that a large number of worms do not die all at once.  All dogs also receive medication to kill any immature heartworms in its body.

Throughout the treatment protocol and for about a month afterwards, dogs need to rest and be watched closely for any problems that may develop as worms die and are absorbed by the pet’s body.  Heartworm disease treatment is not an easy or cheap endeavor.  This is a case where an ounce of prevention is worth far more than a pound of cure. 

Imagine the state of your mouth if you never brushed your teeth and never visited the dentist – yuck!  Bad breath, plaque, tartar, gingivitis, periodontal disease, and painful broken or loose teeth can all be left undiagnosed and untreated when routine dental care is ignored.  And don’t forget that your dog’s mouth is connected to the rest of its body.  Some types of liver, kidney, and heart disease are much more common in dogs with dental disease than in those with healthy mouths.

Good dental care starts at home.  Puppies and even most adult dogs can be trained to accept daily tooth brushing.  Use a soft, small toothbrush (e.g. those designed for pets or young children), a rubber “brush” that slides over a finger, or even a piece of gauze or a washcloth with a small amount of doggie toothpaste applied to it.  Do not use human toothpaste because dogs do not like the taste, and they can swallow more than is healthy for them.  You do not need to clean the inner surface or bottom of the teeth, only the part that lies next to the lips and cheeks.  A gentle, circular scrubbing works well.  Feeding dry rather than moist food can help dogs keep their own teeth clean as they chew.  Special dental diets, treats, and chews all also help promote good oral hygiene, but they do not replace the need for daily tooth brushing.

If while you are brushing your dog’s teeth, you notice an accumulation of brown material on the teeth that won’t easily come off, a red line along the gum’s edge, or any other abnormalities, it is time to take your dog to the veterinarian.  Doctors will recommend a dental prophylaxis (i.e., complete oral exam and teeth cleaning) if they see plaque, tartar, signs of inflammation and infection, or broken or loose teeth.  General anesthesia is necessary so the veterinarian can thoroughly examine the mouth, scrape plaque and tartar from the teeth (including that which is located under the gum line), polish the teeth, and perform any other diagnostic (e.g. dental x-rays) or therapeutic (e.g. tooth extraction) procedures that may be required.  Don’t let the thought of anesthesia deter you from getting your dog’s teeth cleaned.  In general, the risks and discomfort of liv

It is impossible to predict exactly how long an individual pet will live, but there are some factors that you can look at that will give you a general idea of what you might expect for your dog.  In general, small dogs tend to live the longest.  Life spans in the range of 15 to 18 years are not out of the ordinary for pets weighing less than 20 pounds.  At the other end of the spectrum, giant breeds like Great Danes or Irish Wolfhounds often develop terminal illnesses when they are only 6 to 9 years old.  The mid-sized pets tend to live from 10 to 15 years.  12 is now average for dogs in general.

Of course, size isn’t the only factor that determines a dog’s life expectancy.  Mixed breed dogs tend to live longer than do purebreds.  Many potentially life threatening disorders have a genetic basis.  Some breeds or family lines within breeds are extremely prone to heart disease, cancer, musculoskeletal disorders, or other problems that can limit a pet’s longevity.  But owners can still do a lot to prevent illness.  Good nutrition, maintaining a healthy weight, regular exercise, routine preventative health care, and protection from traumatic injury are all very important.

The most important factor determining a cat’s life expectancy is whether or not it is allowed to go outside.  On average, outdoor cats tend to live for about seven years, but many do not even survive for that long.  On the other hand, indoor-only cats can be expected to live for around 14 years, with many even reaching their late teens or early 20’s.  The reason for this disparity is simple – a much lower chance that traumatic injury (e.g. an animal attack or “run in” with a car) or infectious disease will spell the end for an otherwise healthy, young cat.  So by keeping your cat inside, you are not just giving songbirds and other wildlife a reprieve from your efficient little hunter, you may also be doubling (or more!) your pet’s life expectancy.

Of course, other factors also help determine how long a cat will live.  Feeding nutritious food, maintaining your pet at a healthy weight, and visiting the veterinarian regularly for screening and preventative care all go a long way towards keeping cats happy and healthy.

When a female dog is in the clinic to be spayed or a male is to be neutered, the veterinarian starts by giving the pet a physical exam to make sure that its health appears good and that its reproductive tract looks normal.  Often, the doctor also recommends preanesthetic blood work to help minimize the chances of complications arising during or after surgery.  Once the dog is cleared for the procedure, it will be placed under anesthesia.  In most cases, intravenous drugs are given first (often through an IV catheter that is also used to provide fluids during surgery), and then the veterinarian or a technician will place an endotracheal tube into the dog’s windpipe through which oxygen and inhalant anesthetics will be delivered for the duration of the surgery.  Pain relieving injections may be given before, during, or after the procedure.

Neutering a male dog is relatively easy because the testicles should both be located outside of the abdominal cavity.  If this is not the case, a more complicated operation is necessary.  During a routine neuter, the surgeon usually makes a single incision through the skin and deeper tissues through which the each of the testicles can be removed.  The blood vessels and other structures that attach the testicles to the rest of the reproductive tract are tied off, and each testicle is cut free.

Spaying is a more difficult because the female’s ovaries and uterus lie deep within the abdomen.  I will describe a traditional “ovariohysterectomy” which is the most common way of spaying a dog, but keep in mind that other techniques are also available.  The surgeon first makes an incision through the skin and deeper layers of the abdominal wall.  He or she will then locate the ovaries and break down the tissue bands that hold them far away from the incision.  Once the ovaries are more mobile, the veterinarian can tie off and cut the blood vessels and other structures connected to them.  Next, the veterinarian will tie sutures around the uterus and its blood vessels near the cervix, which allows the reproductive tract to be removed from the body.

At the end of either a spay or neuter, the surgeon will check to make sure that no abnormal bleeding is present and then close the incision in several layers.  Some veterinarians use absorbable sutures to close the skin while others may chose to use sutures or staples that need to be removed in 10-14 days.  Most dogs go home with pain relieving medications and instructions for reduced activity during their postoperative recovery.  Some may need an Elizabethan collar to prevent them from licking or chewing at their incisions.

Closely monitor you pet after it has been spayed or neutered and call your veterinarian if you have any questions or concerns.