Cat Box Blues

Thinking outside the box is generally regarded as a creative and rewarding activity. Unless it is your cat that is thinking outside his/her litter box. Feline litter box issues are the main reason cats either end up living totally outdoors or get surrendered to animal shelters. Best to prevent the problem if you can. If your feline friend has already decided that the litter box is out-of-bounds, here are a few tips that could help return the cat to the proper potty place.

How many litter boxes do you need? Veterinary behaviorists recommend you have one more litter box than you have cats. Yes, if you have three cats, you need four litter boxes! The boxes need not be all the same. Nor do they need to be in the same spot in your house. Some can be covered. Some can be open models. Many cats are fearful of the mechanical (self-cleaning) litter boxes, though, so don’t make this your only option.

What type of litter should you use? That’s simple. Use the type your cat prefers! Sometimes cats don’t like the feel or the smell of certain litters. To each their own. You might need to set up a kitty litter buffet to test which type your cat prefers for duty. You can do this by getting several cardboard soda flats from the store. Place a sample of different litters in each flat. You might try clay, recycled paper, corn cob, sand, some with odor crystals, some without, some pelleted, some clumping, etc. Paws down, your cat will accept the challenge and christen her preference. Not all boxes in the household need to have the same type of litter, however. If you have multiple cats you might offer a variety of litter types.

Where to place the litter box? You might know where you want the box. But your cat could have other ideas. Tucked away in the laundry room seems like the best spot for many households–until the cat is inside the box when the dryer alarm rings or the washer spins off-balance. Once the cat is startled in the privacy of her box, she may never return to that location. So pick some quieter, more private spaces. Next to the cat’s food and water bowl is not a prime choice either. If your cat is older, don’t make him climb the stairs to get to his box. Also get a low-sided box for cats that have arthritis symptoms. If your cat is already soiling the bathroom rug, you will need to put the litter box on top of the rug! Leave it there until the cat reliably uses the box on the rug, then gradually move the box an inch away each day until it is relocated in a more convenient place.

How often should you clean the litter box? Ideally you will scoop every day, each time the box is used. And you will empty the box and scrub it with soap and water at least weekly. Promise. Because if you don’t, you might later regret it. Cats are fastidious about odors and textures. If they need their box and it is already soiled or smells like bleach, they might decide to go elsewhere. Cat box liners are not recommended either. They might make your messy cleaning job easier, but cats typically don’t like the plastic feel in their space.

Remember, it is relatively easy to train dogs. For cats, just do what they want and everyone lives happily ever after.

Next time I’ll discuss what to do about cats that spray or mark objects (like your shoes) with urine. Spraying is a whole different cat problem that is not necessarily related to avoiding the litter box.

Have you ever experienced cat box blues in your household? If so, I’d love to hear about it.

Dr. Spencer practices at Bayonet Point Animal Clinic in Port Richey, Florida

www.bpanimalclinic.com LIKE us on FaceBook!

727-863-2435

Thunder and Noise Phobias

It’s finally the return of the rainy season here in Florida.  I love that time of year when you can set your clock by the afternoon thunderstorms.  This is the “lightning capital” of the U.S., though.  So, every storm brings another anxiety-ridden few hours for some pets.  They cower, tremble, hide, and generally feel miserable while their pet owners fret over what to do.  And if the cracking of regular thunder boomers isn’t enough to terrify pets, think about what happens around New Year’s Day and the Fourth of July–because the sales of fireworks are not restricted here in Florida.  For weeks around those holidays some neighborhoods sound and smell  like war zones.  Pity the poor noise phobic pets and their owners!  These are times when some pets try to escape, and later find themselves checked in to the closest animal shelter, lost and frightened.

What can a pet owner do to help a pet through such noisy events?

• If your pet is still young, try to prevent noise phobias from beginning.  During the critical first 4 to 6  months, make sure to calmly expose your young pet to loud noises so they won’t be frightened later as an adult.
•  Be calm yourself, offer immediate food treats and praise for relaxing while loud noises occur.
• Train your pet that a crate or a kennel is a safe and comforting place to be anytime–and reward them for going to their assigned dens during loud noises.  Reward them in their dens with special treats and toys.
• “Jolly” pets through loud events, as you might a young child by playing or distracting them during a stressful time.  If your pet experiences a loud event calmly and associates it with comfort, then future noisy events should  be less of a problem.
• Microchip your pet.  Update the microchip registration every year.  Also be sure your pet is wearing an ID tag and proper license tag.  Proper identification will help get your pet back to you should they make an escape attempt during a stressful event.
• If your pet already shows symptoms of noise phobia, employ a good dog trainer to set up a desensitization/counterconditioning program  for  you and your pet.  Such programs might take several weeks or months of practice before achieving good results.
• Try a “storm jacket” or “thunder coat” to swaddle your pet during noisy times.  “Dog muffs” are also available to help dampen noise for pets.
• Ask your veterinarian to prescribe a sedative or tranquilizer to give your pet during very stressful times, such as Independence Day.  Certain sedatives help pets relax and focus enough to receive training.  Others sedate so heavily the pet becomes sleepy and cannot focus on training.  Work with your veterinarian to pick the correct medication for your situation.  Your veterinarian will need to do a complete physical exam of your pet before prescribing any medications.

Welcome to summer in Florida!

For more information, visit these websites:

http://www.aspcabehavior.org/articles/9/Fear-of-Noises.aspx

http://www.healthypet.com/PetCare/DogCareArticle.aspx?art_key=81e3bfeb-9444-4df5-8c5b-8a3daa837bb2

http://www.aspcabehavior.org/articles/92/Weekend-Crate-Training-.aspx

http://www.healthypet.com/PetCare/DogCareArticle.aspx?art_key=91544a78-a549-4837-9be5-ceaf7bb3ef1e

http://www.aspcabehavior.org/articles/14/Desensitization-and-Counterconditioning.aspx

https://anxietywrap.com/default.aspx

http://www.petexpertise.com/dog-safety/mutt-muffs-hearing-protection-for-dogs.html

http://www.aspcabehavior.org/articles/32/Finding-Professional-Help.aspx

Dr. Spencer practices at Bayonet Point Animal Clinic

727-863-2435

bpanimalclinic.com

Custom Bred Mutts

By Terry Spencer, DVM

Visiting the very pet-friendly town of Carmel,  California is a treat for dog lovers like me.  Many of the restaurants have items on the menu just for your dog.  Most of the inns allow pets.  Dogs are welcome to romp on the beach.  Boutiques sell trendy pet supplies.  And you can play “Name That Breed” as you stroll the sidewalks downtown people-pet watching.

When I lived near Carmel, I used to  like to play with people by walking one of my dogs along the Carmel streets. “Lucy” was small, perky, white, and full of spunk on her leash.   To me, she looked  like a cross between a Jack Russell Terrier and a Chihuahua.  Her paperwork  from the Monterey County Animal Shelter from where I adopted her merely said she was impounded as a stray from the town of Greenfield in a more inland part of Monterey County.   Whenever asked by curious Carmel pet admirers,  “What breed is your dog?”  I typically responded, “She is a Greenfield Terrier,” and just kept walking. That answer was probably a bit mean.   I imagined those curious people rushing home to their breed identification books searching for more details about “Greenfield Terriers.”  Since there are so many different types of Terriers, the “Greenfield Terrier” certainly sounded plausible.  However,  “Lucy” was just a “Custom Bred”  mutt, not a purebred dog.

If I could have cloned “Lucy” the Greenfield Terrier” I bet I could have sold her clones very easily–even if she wasn’t a breed actually recognized by the American Kennel Club.  Currently, designer-breeds of dogs are very popular.  Each week, I examine new puppies that clients have purchased with breed names such as:  Morkie (a cross between a Maltese and a Yorki), or Schnoodle ( a Schnauzer crossed with a Poodle), or Bug ( a Boston Terrier crossed with a Pug), or a Cavashon ( a Cavalier King Charles crossed with a Bichon Frise).  The list of possibilities is endless.  All of these puppies are adorable.  But surely people who pay hefty purchase prices for these custom-bred dogs recognize they are paying for mutts, don’t they?

A purebred dog will be able to reproduce with another dog of the same breed and produce offspring that look like the parents or the grandparents.  While not clones,  the puppies should all breed true to conformation.  Thus two Beagles will produce puppies that look like more Beagles.  But two Bugs that mate will produce puppies that look only like second-generation mutts.   If you cross a Bug mutt with a  Bug mutt, the next generation will  not necessarily resemble the earlier  generation of Boston or Pug.  Designer dogs are not true breeds of dogs, no matter what the selling price.  They are just “Custom Bred”  for looks and profit.

Irresponsible breeding of dogs for looks and profit can result in heartache for purchasers and suffering for the dogs.  Over the past few months I have examined multiple designer puppies with serious health issues.  Some of the puppies had treatable problems, such as intestinal infections or tooth problems .  But others had serious orthopedic issues, for which the new pet owners were not financially prepared.  One puppy  had a birth defect in its shoulder joint that resulted in a lame front leg that needed  expensive orthopedic surgery.  Another puppy became paralyzed at five months of age because its cervical spine was malformed.  I was able to temporarily stabilize its neck by fashioning a brace out of a paper cup.  But a consultation with a neurologist gave no hope of any long-term recovery, and so the puppy was euthanized.  The pet-owner was devastated.

Bottom line:  if you want a healthy puppy, adopt from a shelter or buy from a responsible breeder of purebred dogs.  Good shelters and good breeders will give you some limited health guarantees and want you to see their facilities.  Responsible breeders and shelters do want to make a profit, but they are also interested in maintaining good reputations for quality animals.  Irresponsible breeders focus on your money and don’t stand behind the health of the puppies.   Such breeders probably won’t let you see their breeding facility or meet the parents.  Such lack of transparency should make you question whether the seller is running a puppy-mill that doesn’t humanely care for the dogs.

For more tips on how to select a healthy puppy, visit these links:

https://ebusiness.avma.org/EBusiness50/files/productdownloads/SelectDog_En.pdf

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17616672/ns/health-pet_health/t/want-designer-dog-check-pound/

Dr. Spencer practices at Bayonet Point Animal Clinic in Port Richey

www.bpanimalclinic.com
727-863-2435

Who’s Afraid of F.I.P.?

By Terry Spencer, DVM

Recently a reader of this blog asked me to discuss FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis).  I am happy to oblige and appreciate the suggestion.  If you have topics you would like to learn more about, please let me know in your comments. 

(FIP) is a deadly virus that affects mostly young cats and kittens.  The FIP virus doesn’t act much like any other virus common to pets.   Affected cats don’t survive the infection, although they can linger with symptoms for some time.  Unfortunately, there currently are no vaccines that protect against this virus, and there is no exact way to diagnose the infection while the cat is still alive.  FIP remains a diagnosis of suspicion until confirmed after death with a necropsy. The cat must be the right age, coming from the right background, and with the right symptoms to be considered possibly infected.   It is definitely a frustrating disease for veterinarians to diagnose and for pet owner’s to experience.

FIP is a form of the very common Feline Corona Virus.  Almost every kitten is exposed to Corona Virus soon after birth. Corona Virus lives in the GI  (gastrointestinal tract) of cats, usually without symptoms and is spread by cat feces.  A few cats will have symptoms of mild diarrhea or sneezing, but most cats show no symptoms of Corona Virus at all.  Because it is such a common virus, testing a cat for antibodies to corona virus does not verify a diagnosis FIP.  Having a blood titer that is positive for Corona Virus simply means that a cat was previously exposed to Corona Virus.  A higher titer doesn’t mean a cat
has FIP.  It just means the cat might have an active or recent infection of Corona Virus.

For a few cats, the normally mild form of Corona Virus seems to mutate to the deadlier FIP. For these unlucky cats, their own immune system carries the disease throughout their bodies.  The virus then affects internal organs in one of two ways.  In the “wet” form of the disease, the cat’s chest and/or abdomen begins to slowly fill with a sticky, yellow, fluid.  By the time this becomes noticeable, the cat already has difficulty breathing, eating, or moving.  Veterinarians can temporarily drain the fluid from body cavities, and testing the fluid can help support a diagnosis of FIP.  In the “dry” form of the disease, there are no outward symptoms.  The cat slowly deteriorates, and blood work shows multiple organ failures.  Biopsies can support the diagnosis.  Sadly, FIP is almost always fatal.

Feline Corona Virus seems more likely to mutate to FIP in cats exposed to large numbers of other cats.  FIP is more common to cats that once lived in a colony, rescue, shelter, or other facility where many cats mingled.  And, research also seems to point to a common genetic link among the affected cats.  Only those cats with a genetic susceptibility to the virus that are also exposed to the form of the virus that is more likely to mutate, develop FIP.   It happens to a few unlucky cats every year.

For now, there is no way to predict which cats will be affected. The best a pet owner can do to prevent the disease is keep your cat well fed, well vaccinated, and away from other cats.  If you must bring a new cat into the home, keep the new cat isolated from your other cats until your veterinarian gives you the OK to let them mingle.   FIP isn’t the only disease that cats freely share.  So a short quarantine time can prevent many problems when introducing a new cat to the household.

Veterinary scientists are busy working on better diagnostics, treatments, and preventions.  Fortunately, FIP is still a rather rare infection.  But those unlucky few cat owners who experience the disease are forever scarred.

So who is afraid of FIP? I am.  I hate to diagnose it, and I hate that I can’t prevent it.

To learn more about FIP, please visit Cornell University’s Feline Health  Center  at:   http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/fip.html

Dr. Spencer practices at Bayonet Point Animal Clinic in Port Richey

www.bpanimalclinic.com
727-863-2435

A Micro-Ounce of Prevention

By Terry Spencer, DVM

(Fair Warning:  This blog post includes MATH! If you are math phobic, please relax.  There is no test at the end!)

My son is learning to cook. After one memorable mistake, he learned the difference between a teaspoon (t) and a tablespoon (T) of salt.  That tiny difference in
measurement was very noticeable in the recipe.  Thus, he learned that accuracy can avert disasters.    I hope he applies that lesson to many other aspects of life.

Accuracy is vitally important for preventing medication errors. You certainly wouldn’t want your veterinarian to make any errors in dosing your pet’s prescriptions.  Because it is so easy to transpose a number or misread a prescription, medical professionals have multiple safeguards in place to help prevent dosing errors.  Quality control systems include requiring two staff members to approve a prescription, counting pills twice, and completing annual continuing education courses in pharmacy rules and regulations.  Safeguards also include training staff to answer the 4R’s before giving medications;  1. Is this the right drug to give?  2. Is this the right patient?  3. Is it the right amount to administer?   4. Is this the right route?  Math is very  important for dosing medications accurately.  Calculating a correct dose of medication requires basic algebra.  Multiple times each day I convert pounds (lbs) to kilograms (kg), and then calculate the number of milligrams (mg) or millilitres (ml) required to give an animal based on the strength of the drugs I have  available to use.

For example, to give a 15 mg/kg dose of antibiotic to a 50 lbs dog, I use the following formula:

(50# / 2.2 lbs/kg) 15 mg /kg = 340 mg dose to give.  So if I have a 100 mg/ml solution to use, then I need 340 mg/100 mg/ ml = 3.4 ml.

I don’t guess.  I do the math each time.  No shortcuts allowed.  And I usually triple check my calculations because I worry about making an error.  After
all, a misplaced decimal point could mean the difference between drawing up 3.4 ml and 0.34 mls in a syringe.  Only one dose is correct.  The other dose could  result in harm.  The veterinary oath implores me to “First do no harm.”  I take that seriously.

If I go through these gyrations each  time I give a dose of medication to your pet, why would a pet owner be willing to take short cuts?  It seems like a risky choice.

This week, I learned of just such a risky choice that resulted in a trip to the veterinary emergency room for two pets.  It was a penny wise, but prescription foolish choice.  The pet owner opted for “do-it-yourself” veterinary medicine to save some bucks.  I don’t blame them for trying.  Prescriptions are expensive.

This pet owner noticed that the active ingredient in popular prescription heartworm prevention for dogs was also sold over-the-counter in feed stores for use with livestock. The difference was that the dog medication is dosed in micrograms (mcg) and the livestock medication is dosed in milligrams (mg).  The difference is a thousand fold.  It is the same difference between a thousand dollars or a million dollars—just three little zeros.   While the active ingredients in the two medications are the same, the strengths are completely different.  The pet owner gave what looked to be a very tiny amount of the cheaper livestock drug to each dog.  A few hours later, both dogs began to seizure and nearly died.

This was a disaster that could have been averted by simply checking with a veterinarian first.  Perhaps the pet owner should go to my son’s cooking class.
A micro-ounce of prevention is better than mega-bucks spent in the emergency room because of a dosing error.

I’m happy to report that both dogs survived due to the skill of the emergency veterinarian who earned every penny that night.    Let livestock take their medicine.  And let small animals take their own medicine.  Remember, accuracy can avert disasters.

Dr. Spencer
practices at Bayonet Point Animal Clinic in Port Richey

www.bpanimalclinic.com
727-863-2435

Raccoons are Rocky

By Terry Spencer, DVM

Before I became a veterinarian I did things that now would make me cringe.  For example, one morning while hiking I found this adorable, nearly hairless lump of flesh in the leaf litter under a large oak tree. Possessing the curiosity of a cat, I scooped it up and examined it.  The tiny eyes weren’t yet open, but they had a distinct darkly pigmented mask over the skin.  It was definitely a newborn raccoon.  Seeing no mother raccoon nearby, I took the baby home and raised it.  It was a lot of work feeding it every few hours, wiping its tiny bottom, and keeping it warm.  But it lived!  I brought it home scraps of fish and scallops from the seafood restaurant where I worked putting myself through college.  I taught it how to wash its food in water bowls.  It followed me everywhere I hiked—even without a leash.  Then, when he was old enough, he took off to do whatever raccoons normally do.  At first, he would visit nightly on my deck stopping long enough to picnic on some pieces of dog food.  Eventually, he stopped visiting.  I always hoped that meant he had become a self-sufficient raccoon who just had a rocky start in life.

I would never do that now.  During veterinary school I learned all the reasons why people should not handle wild raccoons.  Knowing what I know now, it is a wonder I survived my youth.  I was a female Dr. Doolittle with a death wish.

Some researcher should certainly study the immune systems of raccoons.  How is it possible that these creatures can carry several types of diseases that are deadly to other species, yet seldom show any symptoms?  Those adorable masked creatures apparently act like cockroaches.  Raccoons have adapted to living in urban, suburban, and wild areas all over Florida. And wherever they live, they can spread disease.

Here in Florida, raccoons carry rabies.  Rabies is a virus that is almost 100% fatal to mammals, such as dogs, cats, horses, and humans.  Since rabies is zoonotic (it is possible for an animal to spread the virus it to a human), it is a major public health concern. Oddly enough, raccoons seem to carry the disease and remain symptom free. This is one reason the Florida Wildlife Commission does not allow the trapping and relocation of raccoons.  Every time you move a wild raccoon, you increase the risk of spreading rabies.  The Florida Department of Health works jointly with the Florida Wildlife Commission to vaccinate wild raccoons by placing oral rabies vaccine “bait” where wild raccoons will eat the smelly fish-flavored cubes.   The program seems successful.  Over the past few years, the number of documented rabies cases attributed to a virus strain from raccoons has dropped in those locations where rabies baits were placed.  That doesn’t mean feeding or handling raccoons is safe, though.  Not every raccoon has taken the bait.    That is why veterinarians vaccinate your dogs, cats, ferrets, horses, and cattle against rabies; so your pets can’t catch rabies from wildlife and spread the deadly virus to you.

Raccoons also spread canine distemper virus.  Distemper virus can be deadly for dogs that are not properly vaccinated.  Distemper virus starts out looking like a simple “kennel cough.”  Usually it goes away in a few days, although some dogs get pneumonia first.  A few months later, just when the dog seems fine, distemper returns with tremors, seizures, and death.  Puppies are at greater risk of serious problems from distemper virus than adult dogs. .  Dogs that survive distemper are likely immune, but may shed the virus for months.   Here in Florida, I have witnessed widespread outbreaks of distemper virus in dogs.  Fortunately, your veterinarian can vaccinate your dog against distemper.

Wherever raccoons urinate, they can spread a deadly bacterium called Leptospirosis.  “Lepto” is also potentially zoonotic to you, the pet owner.  Your dog walks on the same ground where the raccoons urinate and then becomes infected.  Once infected, this bacterium affects the dog’s kidneys and liver.  When your infected pet urinates, it can expose you. I see symptoms of Leptospirosis in dogs here in Pasco County quite often.  Again, your veterinarian can vaccinate your pet against Leptospirosis.

Lastly, raccoons spread roundworm eggs in their feces. One particular species of raccoon roundworm, known as Baylis ascaris, is particularly dangerous for children.  Because raccoons tend to defecate in “latrines” where they deposit their feces regularly, microscopic roundworm eggs become highly concentrated.  Children playing in the dirt accidentally get exposed to these high concentrations of roundworm eggs.  Once swallowed, the roundworm egg hatches, travels to the child’s brain, and causes permanent damage. When I lived in Northern California a few years ago, a 3-year-old girl went blind after playing in her own back yard and becoming infected with raccoon roundworm.  I don’t want this to happen to any of my clients here in Florida.

After you read this you will probably think I am a raccoon bigot.  Really, I am not.  I am just a veterinarian, trained to protect the public from zoonotic diseases and to protect animals from infectious diseases.  This is what I do.  My relationship with raccoons these days is a bit rockier than it once was, but I still adore them.  I just watch from a distance.

Cats are like Potato Chips

By Terry Spencer, DVM

Admit it. You have a couple of cats as pets. Maybe the cats live in the house full-time. Maybe the cats are indoor-outdoor models. Or maybe, you don’t really claim the cats; you just feed the cats every day outside your back door. Cats are like potato chips; you usually can’t have just one.

Having more than one cat to call your own is apparently the norm in America these days. In fact, according to many surveys of American pet ownership, more than 50% of the American public has a pet and most of those pets are cats. Who knew that the cat had replaced itself as a human’s best friend?

But if most of the pet-owning public owns at least one cat, where are they? More dogs than cats regularly visit veterinary offices. It seems that clients willingly bring their dogs for exams and veterinary care, yet leave the cats at home. If there are so many cats in the U.S, why don’t cats visit the veterinarian as often as do dogs?

Perhaps it is the dreaded chore of getting the cat into a carrier to travel to the veterinarian’s office? It is definitely a risky task to stuff an unwilling cat into a travel box. Cats have their ways of showing who the boss in the relationship is! The trick is to make the cat think he/she thought of the idea first. Here are some tips to convincing your cat that the carrier really is a safe place:

• Regularly leave the carrier out for cats to explore. Cats like to play in most boxes and bags, why not the carrier?
• Use the carrier as the daily feeding or treat dispensing station.
• Store favorite cat toys in the carrier and encourage the cats to play in the carrier.
• Spray the inside of the carrier with Feliway spray (an over-the-counter pheromone spray that calms cats).
• Travel with your cats on short trips to places other than the dreaded vet’s office. Otherwise, cats quickly associate the carrier with trouble.

Or perhaps cats don’t visit the veterinarian as often because disease symptoms of cats are more subtle than in dogs. A dog will usually grab your attention and almost shout, “I am sick here!” Cat’s, on the other hand, gradually fade away. They are typically finicky eaters to begin with, can stay hidden for several days even if they feel well, sleep most of the day anyway, and hide their bathroom habits in a box that isn’t always cleaned daily. So a cat with decreased appetite, lack of energy, increased urination, or diarrhea might go unnoticed for several days.

Because cats are such masters at hiding their symptoms, it is very important to keep up with veterinary visits. A veterinary exam can detect feline diseases early, when those diseases are less expensive to treat. Your veterinarian will likely recommend blood tests because many feline diseases can only be detected that way. Blood tests can detect common cat diseases such as kidney disease, urinary track problems, thyroid disease, diabetes, heartworm infection, and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV).

The one thing that cats don’t need every year is vaccines. Cats do need protection from viral diseases, just not every year. Over vaccination of cats can result in life-threatening tumors, referred to as “Vaccine Associated Sarcomas.” Let your veterinarian be your guide for setting an appropriate vaccine schedule for the risks faced by your cats.

Cats do need other cost-effective preventions. Cats need microchips, flea control, regular deworming, heartworm prevention, dental care, and blood tests to keep them healthy. But of course, to get these preventions, your cat first has to go to the vet.

This week I examined a cat that hadn’t been to the vet in at least six years. The cat’s owner really loved this cat. The cat had been the companion to an ill husband for the past few years until the husband died. To the owner, the cat seemed like it was “getting old.” It was skinny, weak, and drinking a lot of water. In fact, the cat that used to weigh 10 pounds, now weighed only 4 pounds. Its heart was racing at over 200 beats-per-minute instead of the more normal 120 beats-per-minute. It’s gums were pale instead of pink, and it was dehydrated despite having a great thirst. The cat was old, but it was also in kidney failure and suffering from an over-active thyroid gland. It was hard to tell this client that age is not a disease. I wish I could have diagnosed this cat’s problems years earlier. But first, the cat would have needed to go to the vet.

Dr. Spencer practices at Bayonet Point Animal Clinic in Port Richey

www.bpanimalclinic.com 727-863-2435

Ready Yet?

Every morning this week I anxiously checked my blackberry patch, looking to see whether the berries were ready to pick.  I taste-tested a berry just yesterday, but it was still too tart.  Before testing this morning, however, a neighbor told me that the blackberries are ripe and ready.   I guess both the neighbors and the birds have been checking, too!  It is good to have support in such matters.  Berry season comes and goes very quickly.

Readiness for other matters in life is a bit more predictable.  June 1^st is an important annual readiness date because this date marks the beginning of Hurricane Season.  On June 1st, I check my family’s Disaster Readiness Kit.  Florida is a disaster-prone state.  Not only do we Floridian’s need to be ready for hurricanes, but we must also be ready for brush fires, floods, tornadoes, and every other natural plague.  A few years ago there was even an earthquake in the Gulf of Mexico.  Can’t a Florida family get a break?

So, am I ready yet for a disaster?  Do I have enough supplies to support my two-legged and four-legged family members for at least 72 hours without power or water?  Do I need to update my family evacuation plans?   Now is the time to check.

Every June 1^st, these are five items I check in my Pet‘s Disaster Kit:

1.  Vaccine Records   Do I have proof of current vaccines for each pet?
2. License Tag   Do I have a current license for each pet and is that tag attached to the collar?
3. Microchip   Does each pet have a microchip inserted? Have I scanned for it lately?
4. Registration   Is the registration information for each microchip updated in the registration database? (A microchip only works if it is properly registered so someone can find an owner of a lost pet.)
5. Photo   Do I have a current photo of each of my pets? 

I keep proof of these important items in a water-proof file box that includes my other important family papers.  This box goes with me if I evacuate.  I also keep these items on a free application called Paw Card in my SmartPhone. Yes, there is an app for that!    The Paw Card application lets me instantly send an e-mail of my pet identification and health information anywhere it might be needed.   If you don’t have a SmartPhone, check with your veterinarian.  The veterinarian’s website might have a Pet Portal you can use to store your important pet ID and health information.  Pet Portal access is free to clients of most veterinary practices.

Every June 1^st I also update my Family Evacuation Plans.  The plans must include my pets.  Notice I said PLANS.  You need more than one evacuation plan for when the one you had planned is not possible when disaster strikes.

                1   You need one plan for sheltering in place and supporting your family completely for 72 hours  without electricity or water.  (Visit  http://floridadisaster.org for help with making a family plan and a business plan.)

                2.  You need another  plan for sheltering out of the evacuation area, preferably just a bit inland  so you won’t have to drive too far while the rest of the citizens of the coast are also jamming the roads.  This could be with a friend, a family member, a fellow church/club member, or a pet-friendly hotel.  (Visit   http://www.aaasouth.com   for a list of pet-friendly hotels, but remember  these spaces fill quickly.  Also check with your church or other community organizations to see whether they promote match-ups between members who need a safe place to evacuate and those with space to share. )

                3.  Finally, you need to plan for which Red-Cross Evacuation Shelter you would go to as a last  resort.  Does that shelter allow pets?  If not, where can you safely board your pets?  (Visit  http://www.pascoemergencymanagement.com to find the locations of the Red Cross Public Evacuation Shelters in Pasco County.)  Don’t expect a public shelter to be your first plan, though. Public shelters should be your last resort.  And most public shelters still do not allow you to bring your pets.  Check with your veterinarian about recommendations for pet boarding  facilities located outside of evacuation zones. 

 Be safe.  Check your Family Disaster Kit and update your Family Evacuation Plans on or before June 1st every year.   If you need help getting ready for a disaster with your pets, always check with your veterinarian for advice. 

Are you ready yet?

Dr. Spencer practices at Bayonet Point Animal Clinic in Port Richey 

www.bpanimalclinic.com     727-863-2435

The Other End of the Leash

I frequently visit classrooms to talk about careers in veterinary medicine.  When I ask how many students desire to be future veterinarians, most of their hands wave high.   When I ask how many of them have pets at home, almost every hand is raised.  And when I ask them why they want to become a veterinarian, they uniformly exclaim, “Because we love animals.”  That is the teachable moment.

The career of veterinary medicine attracts people who love animals.  Of course, that should be a prerequisite to study.  It would be a tragic career move for someone who greatly minded being regularly covered with fur, feathers, and feces.   After some work days, I look as if I just taped an episode of Dirty Jobs.    But there is certainly more to this career than just liking animals.

Admission to a college of veterinary medicine is highly competitive.  There are less than 30 programs in all of the U.S.  Those accepted to professional veterinary training are great students, who got excellent grades in undergraduate science and math courses, and are driven to succeed.  Almost every veterinary student holds a bachelors or masters degree in some area of science prior to admission. Because receiving an acceptance letter to veterinary school is like finding the pot-of-gold at the end of the rainbow, most pre-vet students postpone families, turn down higher paying jobs, and accept huge educational debt just to pursue a life-long dream of earning a DVM (or VMD) degree.   

Once one begins practicing veterinary medicine, however, there is an instant and sometimes rude awakening.  At the other end of every leash is a human. 

I think of myself and my fellow veterinarians as highly competitive science geeks who must work well with others.    Some of the others have four legs and some of them have two legs.  You have to love people as much as you love animals to be successful as a veterinarian. 

There are four sets of skills one must have to successfully practice as a veterinarian.  Excellent animal handling skills are important when dealing with ill, biting, snarling animals that  don’t feel like having an X-ray taken today.  Excellent technical skills are important for making accurate diagnoses, performing surgery, and safely prescribing medications.  Excellent business management skills are important because veterinary practices are primarily small businesses that have expenses, employees, budgets, marketing, and other administrative duties to attend to or the doors of the practice will close.   Excellent communication skills are equally important so the veterinarian can explain disease processes, give estimates for services, counsel grieving owners, and advise owners about a course of action that fits within the family budget.   One must be proficient in all four sets of skills to make it as a veterinarian.   You can’t just love animals and be a successful veterinarian.

This week my son had surgery.  I think how different was his experience from what happens when I perform surgery on someone’s furry family member.  He was sent to a specific facility chosen by my insurance company, not necessarily convenient for us.  My son met some of the surgical facility staff, but never met the doctor who actually performed his surgery.   I only spoke with the surgeon once when my son was in recovery.  My questions were answered by a staff member, not the doctor.  No one provided an estimate of the costs of the procedure; they just expected me to sign a form that I would pay should the insurance company refuse to pay.  Would a pet owner accept this treatment from me?  I doubt it.

Pet owners have expectations at the other end of the leash.  They expect to have a personal relationship with the veterinarian caring for their pets.    Pet owners expect the veterinarian to personally examine their pets, personally perform the necessary procedures, call them after procedures, be available to take their phone calls with concerns or questions, and to be friendly and compassionate at all times.  Pet-owners also expect the veterinarian to run a business that provides quality care efficiently, conveniently, yet inexpensively.   It is a tough audience.

When I live up to those expectations,   I frequently hear comments such as, “I get more information from you than I do my own doctor.” When I don’t live up to those expectations, pet owners vote with their feet and transfer their records elsewhere for care.  Veterinary medicine is a very client-centered profession.    Those who want to enter the profession need to be aware of who holds the leash. 

Dr. Spencer practices at Bayonet Point Animal Clinic in Port Richey 

www.bpanimalclinic.com     727-863-2435

Just Looking…

By Terry Spencer, DVM

When I am shopping and a clerk asks whether I need any help, I almost always reply, “No, thank you.  I’m just looking…”    My response implies that “looking” is not going to lead to anything important, such as a purchase that day, so don’t waste your time helping me.  However, that isn’t necessarily true.  “Just looking” is an important part of the process of shopping.  If I didn’t begin shopping by” just looking,” then I would never find what I need. 

“Just looking” is also an important part of the process of completing a physical examination of an animal.  Determining whether a pet is healthy or ill all begins with looking.  As a veterinarian, I look with my senses, and also with tools of my trade to extend my senses.  I watch the animal walk.  I listen to the sounds of its heart and lungs using my stethoscope.  I smell the odor given off by its breath or its skin.  I feel for lumps in its belly.  I collect body fluids to analyze in the lab, which helps me “look” inside the animal.  I take X-rays or perform an ultrasound exam to “look” at body parts under the skin.  Frankly, I’m “just looking” all day when I do my job.  And in this context, I expect looking to pay off for the pet.  I expect to find what is working correctly and to detect any problems early when I can still help the pet owner keep the animal healthy.    Prevention of disease and early detection of disease are vital to helping pets (and people) live long, healthy lives.

When I can’t look, I can’t help.   It is important for pet owners to appreciate that.  

It is increasingly common these days for pet owners to take their pets to “low-cost” vaccine clinics.  These clinics are everywhere, every weekend.  You can find them in the parking lots of the local grocery store, drug store, pet store, groomer, and sometimes even at auto parts stores.  Vaccine clinics for pets can serve an important role for pets that otherwise would never get any vaccinations.  However, the “looking” part of the veterinary visit is lacking at these clinics.  The reason the vaccines are “low-cost” is because you get what you pay for—vaccines without a complete physical exam.  You can save a few dollars by not paying a veterinarian to “look” at your pet.  Is that really the best value for your dollar?

Vaccines against infectious diseases are very important for puppies and kittens.  But, vaccines aren’t necessary every year for every adult animal.  In fact, most vaccines if boosted properly in the early years give protection for at least three years, and some give protection for the life of the pet.  There is no standard vaccine package that is appropriate for every pet.  And over-vaccination of your pet can be just as harmful for pets as is under-vaccination.  That is why most veterinary practices don’t offer “low-cost vaccine clinics” in their parking lots on the weekends.  It isn’t annual vaccines that keep your pet healthy.  It is the veterinarian who completely examines your pet from head-to-toe, monitors its weight and temperature, and helps the pet owner set a customized vaccine protocol based on the pet’s risks of disease exposure determined after taking a history from the pet owner. 

At some annual visits, I don’t recommend vaccines at all. I know, that sounds like heresy.   Instead, I might recommend treating an ear infection, cleaning off dental tarter, removing a lump, or giving medication for back pain you might not have known was there.   Remember, your veterinarian is your other family doctor.  But you need to let me just look….

Dr. Spencer practices at Bayonet Point Animal Clinic in Port Richey 

www.bpanimalclinic.com     727-863-2435