One of my favorite cat websites is www.LittleBigCat.com, owned by veterinarian Dr. Jean Hofve. This month’s newsletter has an interesting article on the effect of toxins in our homes on our pets.

The Environmental Working Group (www.EWG.org) has studied chemical exposures in pets and found them even higher than the levels found in humans. They include carcinogens, neurotoxins, and chemicals toxic to the endocrine and reproductive systems. They come from the products and furnishings we use in our homes. You might want to learn more about this to see where you can minimize exposure to you and your pets.

Other studies have confirmed that second hand smoke is also a risk to pets. Having been a smoker at one time in my life, I know how extremely hard it is to quit, so I’m not one to judge people who haven’t beat it. But perhaps knowing just how dangerous it is to our pets might give that extra boost to kick the habit once and for all.  Here is an exerpt from the Little Big Cat newsletter:

Recent studies have confirmed that cats who live with a smoker have a much higher risk of oral squamous cell carcinoma, an invasive cancer occurring on the mucous membranes of the mouth. Having more than one smoker in the home, or living with a smoker for more than five years, increased the risk even more, according to a study conducted at Tufts University. Because cats groom themselves so thoroughly, toxins and carcinogens from smoke that settle on their fur are taken into their mouths while grooming. Over time, this can cause cancer to develop.

Exposure to smoke also increases a cat’s risk of malignant lymphoma. Since the lymph nodes filter the blood, inhaled or ingested toxins can build up and cause cancer. Cats living with secondhand smoke are three times more likely to develop lymphoma than other cats. In addition to cancer, cats exposed to smoke can also develop other respiratory problems such as asthma and bronchitis.

To read the full newsletter, go to http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=nlarchive&show=volume7no10

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In case your pet gets into the turkey spirit during the holidays like mine do, you might profit from a couple of my adventures with veterinary emergencies.

Because I was going to be busy on Thanksgiving Day, I cooked a turkey a few days ahead. My dogs and cat didn’t seem nearly as impressed by the aroma of roasting turkey that day as I was, but a few days later when the carcass and bones hit the garbage can their interest perked up.

Having lived with counter-surfers and dumpster divers before, I’m careful about secure disposal of food waste. My stainless steel step-lid can has worked well for my two current chow hounds until a couple of days ago, partly because they’re not smart enough to step on the pedal to lift the lid.  Nevertheless, I came home the other evening to find the kitchen and living room strewn with garbage. Ernie, the Beagle/Pug mix, was hoarding a pile of chomped up leg and wing bones on the living room rug. Scooty, the perpetrator of the crime, was still foraging through debris in the kitchen searching for more turkey skin, having already downed the whole carcass.

First things first, I gasped in horror, imagining perforated intestines and life-threatening pancreatitis from the fatty skin and drippings. Next, to Ernie’s dismay, I swooped up the pile of bone shards. Scooty had already made quick work of her perilous bounty.

Then the call to the emergency vet. Are fragmented cooked turkey bones as dangerous as we always hear about? Will they perforate something on the way through? Do I need to bring them both in for Xrays?

The answer was, “This is a hurry up and wait situation.”   Do not induce  vomiting. That is more likely to cause perforation than just letting the bones pass through the digestives tract, which does a pretty good job of breaking them down.  Watch for vomiting and diarrhea, and if there is blood in it or it goes on for long, bring them in.

I remembered my Chessapeake Bay Retriever who got into the garbage after a holiday dinner 10 years ago and ate the entire, fatty  turkey skin. He developed severe diarrhea and vomiting, and spent a week in the veterinary hospital on an IV for pancreatitis.  So I knew the danger of an animal ingesting too much fat.

Somehow Scooty and Ernie survived their escapade without having to cough up a year’s allowance in vet expenses. But it was a very good reminder to keep the turkey left-overs out of reach of pets!

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Trick-or-treat -- we don't care if it's a cup of coffee

Halloween is one of my favorite howl-i-days. I’m not usually one for dressing up my pets, but I can’t help myself at Halloween. Here is Scooty, my angel in fur, and Ernie, my little scaliwag,  trick-or-treating a couple of days early and charming the residents of the local alzheimer’s facility.

Just a few words of caution though about keeping your pets safe on Halloween:

• Be careful that your pets don’t slip through your ankles when opening the door to trick-or-treaters and escape.
• Watch the candy stashes, both the give-away bowl and the kids’ booty in coming days so that your pets don’t get into the chocolate.
• Many candies are sweetened with xylitol, which is highly toxic to animals, so be sure they can’t get hold of any candy, even if it’s not chocolate.
• Keep the candy wrappers secure in the trash so that curious cats and dogs don’t accidentally ingest them. They can cause serious harm.
• Keep your pets indoors on Halloween to avoid any pranksters or malicious predators harming them. Black cats may be especially vulnerable.
• Decorations can be enticing to curious cats and dogs. Be sure they are out of reach of pets.

Scooty and Ernie

With a few safety precautions, Halloween can be great fun for both you and your pets.                                                                             

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This is the second installment on cancer in pets. Next time I will discuss treatment options and how they affect animals. If you’ve been lucky enough to avoid this disease in your pets so far, you have about a 50-50 chance of facing it at some time.

Cancer accounts for almost half of the deaths of pets over 10 years of age. Dogs get cancer at roughly the same rate as humans, while cats get fewer cancers. Dogs get nearly all the same cancers humans get, with some types more common in certain breeds. For a list of dog breeds and the types of cancer they are most susceptible to, check ABC News’ report at http://tinyurl.com/yzn6fpg.

Carcinoma, Sarcoma, etc. — what’s the difference?

Hundreds of cancers affect animals. According to the UC Davis Veterinary Medicine website, the main types are:

• Carcinoma: a malignant tumor found in the outermost covering or lining of body surfaces or organs. These tumors are found on the skin, in the mouth and throat, stomach and bowel, or in organs like the mammary gland, liver, lung or bladder.
• Sarcoma: malignant tumor found in the structural tissues of the body such as bone, muscle and cartilage.
• Round Cell tumors: malignant tumors often made up of different immune cells. Mast cell tumors and lymphoma are examples of this type of tumor.

Common types of cancers and their prevalence in dogs and cats

• From the AVMA Animal Health Brochure, What Are Neoplasia, Tumors and Cancer? :
  Skin – Skin tumors are very common in older dogs, but much less common in cats. Most skin tumors in cats are malignant, but in dogs they are often benign.
  
• Mammary Gland (Breast) – 50% of all breast tumors in dogs and greater than 85% of all breast tumors in cats are malignant. Spaying your female pet before 12 months of age will greatly reduce the risk of mammary gland cancer.
• Head & Neck – Neoplasia of the mouth is common in dogs and less common in cats. Signs to watch for are a mass or tumor on the gums, bleeding, odor, or difficulty eating. Early, aggressive treatment is essential. Neoplasia may also develop inside the nose of both cats and dogs. Bleeding from the nose, breathing difficulty, or facial swelling are signs that should be checked by your veterinarian.
• Lymphoma – Lymphoma is common in dogs and cats. It is characterized by enlargement of one or many lymph nodes in the body. A contagious feline leukemia virus can cause lymphoma in some cats.
• Testicles - Testicular tumors are rare in cats and common in dogs, especially those with retained testicles.
• Abdominal Tumors – Tumors inside the abdomen are common but it is difficult to make an early diagnosis. Weight loss or abdominal swelling are signs of these tumors.
• Bone – Bone tumors are most often seen in large breed dogs and dogs older than seven years, and rarely in cats. The leg bones, near joints, are the most common sites.

Ten Common Signs of Cancer in Small Animals   (from the AVMA)

1. Abnormal swellings that persist or continue to grow
2. Sores that do not heal
3. Weight loss
4. Loss of appetitie
5. Bleeding or discharge from any body opening
6. Offensive odor
7. Difficulty eating or swallowing
8. Hesitation to exercise or loss of stamina
9. Persistent lameness or stiffness
10. Difficulty breathing, urinating, or defecating

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Did you know that pets now have life-saving blood banks in many cities? Did you even know pets sometimes need transfusisons?  Maybe I’m the last one to the party, but I wasn’t aware of this until earlier this year when I received a newsletter from Seattle’s Acces Blood Bank.

If your pet has a serious injury or illness that requires transfusion, do an internet search on Pet Blood Banks or Animal Blood Products in your city. The blood is supplied by donor pets volunteered by their caring owners.

Acces and any good blood bank sets high standards for the quality of blood products, so they have to be selective in the animals they accept as volunteers. Don’t be offended if yours is disqualified. You would appreciate these standards if your cat or dog needed a transfusion.  The age for donors can range between 8 months and 8 years, varying from one program to another. Here is a sample of criteria required by the Access Blood Bank:

Dogs

• Must be healthy and in good physical condition
• Needs to be well-behaved and have a good temperament
• Is between the ages of 1 and 5
• Weighs at least 50 pounds
• Does not have a heart murmur
• Is current on vaccines
• Is able to sit still for at least 10 minutes
• Has never received a blood or plasma transfusion
• Is not used for breeding

Cats

• Must be healthy and in good physical condition
• Is an indoor-only cat
• Is between the ages of 1 and 5
• Weighs at least 10 pounds
• Does not have a heart murmur
• Is current on vaccines
• Is not on any long-term medication
• Has never received a blood or plasma transfusion
• Is not used for breeding

If you know of someone who might be willing to participate in this program and whose pets fit these profiles, please pass along the information to them. Canine and feline blood supplies are always in short supply nationwide.  If you don’t have a qualifying animal, the blood banks also need volunteer help with related activities. Please give a gift of life to another pet by volunteering with a pet blood bank.

If you’re in the Seattle area, you can contact Access at 206-364-1660.

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These words are among the most sickening any pet owner will hear. And they seem to be spoken more and more frequently.  In a future blog, I will try to explore whether and why cancer is becoming more prevalent in pets. For today, I will share my own story.

My vet called the day Scooty was in for her dental. While under anesthesia they did their standard full-body grope and found a tumor inside her upper front leg. “We found a lump that feels suspicious and we should probably do a needle biopsy,” the vet said.  My heart sank. I do a weekly snout-to-tail scan; how had I missed it?

The tumor was a spindle cell carcinoma. The kind that sends tendrils out to intertwine with surrounding tendons and muscle. Because of that and the location on her leg, they couldn’t take wide enough margins to remove it completely and still have enough skin to close the incision.  If left undisturbed, it can be a relatively slow-growing cancer, not so prone to metasticising. Still, it is cancer and the prospect of just leaving it untreated to slowly kill her was unthinkable.

I began to research my options. Cutting into a spindle cell tumor apparently sends it into a frenzy of growth if any malignant cells are missed.  Chemo wasn’t a good option. I learned of an alternative treatment that had shown some promise in a study at Case Western Reserve, called Neoplasene. I joined a canine cancer Yahoo forum to learn more about it. I contacted a highly respected naturopathic vet to find out more about this treatment. She had heard of it but not used it yet. Scooty became her proving ground.

Neoplasene is a caustic goo that is spread onto the tumor to eat away the cancerous tissue but leave healthy tissue intact. It can also be given orally to tackle any internal cells floating around. This treatment seemed like our best shot, so we began a four-month odyssee.  I’ve always called Scooty my “angel in fur” for her sweet nature. She earned her nickname throughout this arduous treatment.  Two applications of the ointment began to eat away at the tumor, leaving a rather gruesome looking wound to manage. Typically the process goes fairly quickly, but Scooty’s was a long, trying affair, with several months in a soft elizabethan collar to keep her from licking the wound. It oozed, it scabbed, it bled, it got infected twice, it oozed more, it stunk, it seeped onto the rug, the bedding, her fur. But it was slowly eating away at the tumor.

Twice a day she patiently followed a trail of liver treats up the ramp onto my bed where I cleaned and re-dressed the wound. Never complaining or snapping, she tolerated what must have been a painful process of washing an open wound.  After four months the wound had finally healed and Scooty joyfully emerged from the e-collar. But sadly, the tumor had only been slightly reduced. Within a month it had doubled in size, now reaching the size of a baseball tucked under her front arm.

One small blessing is that the tumor is not painful, her appetite is as healthy as ever, and she is happy and unaware she is slowly dying.

This is my third pet to be diagnosed with cancer. The first had bone cancer, the second had pancreatic cancer. It never gets any easier to hear those words or face the ultimate decision. If you have been through cancer with your pet, please share your story in the comments section below. There is something comforting in knowing others have been down the same road.

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You’ve probably heard of the flesh-eating bacteria called MRSA  (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). Did you know your pets can catch it from you, and you can catch it from them? It is uncommon in pets, but according to the Centers for Disease Control, several cases have been documented.  Maybe you also recall that this is a bacteria usually picked up in hospitals, and you’re probably thinking your dog hasn’t been in a hospital lately.  Well, the problem has just gotten bigger than that.

Marilyn Roberts, a microbiologist at the University of Washington presented results of a new study at the American Society for Microbiology Conference this week showing five public beaches in Washington State tested positive for MRSA.  Here is an excerpt from an article written by Marilynn Marchione for the Associated Press on September 12, 2009:

In the new study, researchers tested 10 beaches in Washington along the West Coast and in Puget Sound from February to September 2008. Staph bacteria were found at nine of them, including five with MRSA. The strains resembled the highly resistant ones usually seen in hospitals, rather than the milder strains acquired in community settings, Roberts said.

It is recommended that people shower carefully and wash all sand off after visiting the beach, especially if digging or lying on the sand. Be careful to cover any scrapes or cuts before going to the beach, and don’t forget to wash your dog thoroughly too if he or she has enjoyed a romp at the beach.

For the full AP article see http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_med_germy_beaches.

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Scorching temperatures have swept the United States this summer. In the Pacific Northwest we have broken record after record. This week when my outdoor thermometer hit 105 degrees, I caught myself grousing that you could probably fry an egg on the pavement.  So I tried it. In about 20 minutes the egg had cooked to “over-easy.” My dog Ernie was in heaven when he went out for a potty break and found it.

Fun and games aside, hot weather can present a very real danger to pets. Heat exhaustion, or its more extreme form, heatstroke, are not only brought on by confinement in a hot car, as I disgussed in my last blog. Just plain overheating no matter what the environment can be dangerous. And obviously, exercising too much on a hot day can result in heatstroke.  Summer exercise should be done in the morning or evening for the safety of our four-legged friends in fur coats.

Symptoms of Heat Exhaustion or Heat Stroke

Signs of heatstroke include excessive panting, a racing heartbeat, foaming at the mouth, depression or lethargy, or conversely, agitation. The pet might vomit, and the tongue and gums will be bright red in the beginning, but will become blue or gray as shock sets in. As the body temperature rises, the pet will eventually lose consciousness and may die if not treated quickly.

Dogs cool themselves by panting. The short-muzzled dogs like Bulldogs, Boxers, Pugs, Pekingese, and Shi Tzus are at greater risk of heatstroke, so be extra careful with them.

How to Save Your Pet’s Life

If you find your pet showing signs of heatstroke, cooling them down is urgent.  But ice water shouldn’t be used, because it will shock their system. Soaking in a bathtub won’t do the trick either, because the water in the tub will warm up and do little to cool them.

One of the best ways to cool dogs quickly without shocking their system is to turn a garden hose on them. Be sure after soaking them with water not to confine them to a crate. They need good ventilation to help the heat evaporate. Turn on a fan or move them to an air conditioned room if available.

For cats, put a fan near their favorite spot, or wrap them very briefly in a chilled towel. (You might enjoy a chilled towel around your own neck, so keep a supply in the frij.) Be sure to remove the towel and renew it with another chilled towel frequently so that you don’t trap body heat around your cat as the towels absorb the heat.

Pet sitter saves dog

Last summer, pet sitter Shelley Thomas arrived at a client’s house on a 90 degree day. The client had just had her carpets cleaned, because her elderly dog had begun to lose bowel control. Knowing her pet sitter would be stopping by mid-afternoon to give him a potty break, and not expecting such a spike in the tempature, she left him in his crate in the house.  The heat build up inside the crate nearly killed him. The pet sitter, who had just taken a pet first aid class, sprung into action. She pulled him out of the crate and rushed him to the back yard where she turned the garden hose on him. Her quick thinking probably saved his life.

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I suggested in my last post taking your pets for a ride in an air conditioned car to cool down during a heat wave. I want to add a big caution to that idea.

This time of year one of the major risks to pets is heat exhaustion, or heat stroke, so I want to talk about a subject most of already know a little about. The heat build-up inside a car. The thing is, most of us DON’T know how quickly the heat builds even with windows open, or how dangerous the heat is on a sunny day that feels relatively cool outside. Here’s what I learned in the process of becoming a pet first aid instructor and doing further research:

A dog’s or cat’s normal temperature range is 100.4 to 102.5. If left in a confined space without cooling or good ventilation, their body temperature can rise to dangerous levels within minutes.

Here are the findings of a research project done by Catherine McLaren, MD, Jan Null, CCM, and James Quinn, MD, reported in Pediatrics July 1, 2005: Regardless of the outside ambient temperature, the temperature inside a vehicle increased by an average of 3.2 degrees every five minutes [the ambient temperatures in this study were in the 70s]. The majority of the increase happens in the first 15-30 minutes. Even at the coolest outside temperature , the internal temperatures reached 117 degrees in these tests. Importantly, the researchers noted that cracking the windows open did not decrease the temperature rise in the car.

This means that even in the early spring or late fall, when the outside temperature is cool but the sun is shining directly on the car, heat inside the car can reach lethal levels in the few minutes it takes you to dash into the supermarket to pick up a few groceries. Imagine how fast it builds to killer levels on a 90 degree day, even with the windows open.

The take-home message is that we should never leave our pets in the car even for a few minutes on a sunny day.

In my next blog I will talk about signs of heat stroke and what to do to save your pet’s life.

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If you live in the Pacific Northwest, you’re probably complaining about the record hot streak. I grew up in the area and have only once seen a stretch of multiple days in the 90s. Even a single ninety degree day is rare in our moderate maritime climate, so managing our pets’ comfort in this weather is a new experience for many of us.

I cringed a few days ago to see a man pedaling briskly on a bicycle with his dog panting alongside. Not only was the dog at risk of having heat stroke, but his pads must have been seared by the hot pavement.

Common sense would guide most people not to run their dog in the heat of the afternoon on hot asphalt, but obviously common sense doesn’t always prevail. The kind of people who need to read the following tips probably won’t see them, so you’ll be doing some innocent pets a service by spreading the word. Here are some ideas inspired by an article written by Cathy Herholdt in City Dog magazine, summer 2009 issue:

1. Keep your pets cool.  Take them out for their walk before before you leave for work or after the evening cools down. Skip the dog park altogether when the weather gets hotter than your dog is used to.
2. Protect their pads. Please keep the dog off the hot pavement. Their pads really can burn. Think about whether you could tolerate going barefoot on the same pavement even with a thick pair of socks on!
3. Keep them hydrated and comfortable.  Be sure they have plenty of water and a shady place to snooze away the day, preferably indoors with a fan on. If you have air conditioning in the car and your pets enjoy a ride, take them for a spin to cool down. Whatever you do, though, don’t stop to run a quick errand with your pets in the car. The temperature can shoot up to deadly levels in minutes, even with the windows open.
4. Be creative in perking up a flagging appetite. If their appetite wanes in the heat, try making “pet-sicles” out of beef, chicken, or vegetable broth, or plain frozen yogurt laced with chips of freeze dried liver or chicken breast, pressed into ice cube trays.
5. Protect against parasites. Don’t forget the veterinarian-prescribed flea and tick prevention. Some of the over-the-counter products are dangerous to your pet, so be sure you’re using a safe product.
6. Consider a summer cut. This might be the time to get a trim for your cat or dog. Yes, some people have  their long-haired cats trimmed too, to keep them cooler when the mercury rises. Be careful not to go too short — an animal’s exposed skin can sunburn just like ours does. If your dog enjoys a bath or swim, now is the time to get out the wading pool.
7. Learn pet first aid. Be sure you know how to treat heat stroke if your pet is ever faced with it.

So be cool and keep your furry friends cool, too!

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