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http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080520150717.htm Cat Allergies

By Petplace.com

A week or so ago, I told you the number one reason pet owners take their cats… is vomiting.

Can you guess what is #2?

Well, the #2 reason cats go to the emergency room is “not eating”.  Often the lack of appetite is accompanied by another symptom such as vomiting or lethargy. “Not eating” is a common symptom and can be caused by many different diseases and problems. Because it is so common, it is likely that it will affect your cat at one time or another. I want to give you some tips on how to plan for, prepare, deal with and prevent this problem in your cat.

Do you know what to do?

1. This is basic but very important. Make sure you know where your local emergency room is or how your vet deals with emergency. Keep this information (phone number, hours, address and directions) handy.

2. Next, make sure you know your cat’s medical history and any medications he is on. If on medication, has his medication changed recently? The emergency veterinarian will want to know when the last time your cat ate, and if his lack of appetite is associated with any other symptom such as vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, weakness, collapse, trouble breathing…or anything else.  Make sure you observe your cat during this time. Monitor the litter box and make sure he is urinating okay and observe the bowel movements for abnormalities. If your cat is indoor/outdoor – keep him or her in where you can keep an eye on him or her. Check the trash to ensure that he has not been exposed to any toxins or other objects.  Note if there has been any diet change.

3. What can you do? When an owner calls some veterinary clinics – they may hear some advice (depending on the clinic). Here are some tips on how to help a cat that is not eating.  You can try to offer fresh food and fresh water. Some cats respond to “fresh food” from the bag. If the cat is acting sick or the owner is concerned, the recommendation is always to bring the cat in for evaluation. However, if the condition does not sound life threatening sometimes you can try some different foods. Canned foods – especially the fish flavors, pouched food, different dry food or canned tuna will often stimulate a cat to eat. If the problem is minor – a cat may eat well and quickly be back to normal. If the cat doesn’t eat or still acts lethargic, the problem may be more serious.  The best recommendation is to have the cat evaluated by a veterinarian.

4. There is no good way to “prevent” the lack of appetite unless you can prevent the underlying cause. To keep your pet safest, prevent exposure of your pet to trash and other foreign objects that he may be inclined to chew on and possibly ingest. Make any food changes gradually and over several days. Buy only safe toys and ensure your cat does not ingest any objects (such as thread, ribbon or strings) that he would be unable to digest causing a possible obstruction.

How much will going in to see the vet for cat that is not eating going to cost you?  Because there are so many possible causes, most veterinarians will recommend some basic blood work and possibly a urinalysis as a starting point to help determine some of the possible causes. Additionally, radiographs (X-rays) may also be recommended. The prices at different clinics around the country vary but without treatment, the emergency fee, blood work and X-rays ranges from $325.00 to about $500.00. This does not include treatment.  If there is a substantial underlying cause, then the treatment cost is additional.

Unfortunately, pets can be expensive and this can be a substantial expense for some pet owners. If you don’t have pet insurance – how often can you afford to do this? How many times could you afford to cover pet emergencies out of pocket like this?  How about even more costly emergencies? Have you looked into pet insurance yet? If you have not done so, take a minute and find out how pet insurance can save you money – go to veterinarypetinsurance.com

.

One last thing, many emergencies of this type are caused by exposure to toxins, owners feeding pet’s table scraps and pets getting access to trash. Please be very careful what you feed your dog. Also, do not give any medications unless instructed by your veterinarian.

Until next time…

Dr. Jon

Unfortunately, this past Memorial Day, the Port Authority alerted animal advocates that the plan to catch and kill the cats at JFK airport would commence again, effective immediately. Read more about their decision.

Through it all, we have worked closely with the Mayor’s Alliance for New York City Animals, who have been negotiating with the Port Authority on this matter. Alley Cat Allies has sent yet another letter to the officials of the Port Authority asking them again to stop their inhumane, ineffective methods to remove the cats and instead work with the caregivers and local advocates in implementing a Trap-Neuter-Return program.

Take a moment to send a letter to the Port Authority asking them to once again stop their catch and kill methods of feral cat management.

Sincerely,
Becky Robinson
President

Quick Option
Simply hit “reply” and “send” in your email system and we will send the letter, below, on your behalf.

Dear Chairman Coscia,

Don’t repeat what happened sixth months ago. Do the right thing for the felines at JFK airport. Allow one of the many organizations offering assistance to implement a humane solution. Catching and killing is not the answer. A Trap-Neuter-Return program is the only answer. The felines are not going away – but their population can be managed.

Cruelty is cruelty – it was then, it is now. Stop the trapping and killing of cats at the JFK airport.

Sincerely,

Your name and address
will be inserted here

The Seattle Humane Society is making history!� Registration is underway for the first ever Kitten Kindergarten training class in the state.� Open to kittens between the ages of 8-20 weeks, the course will provide plenty of structured socialization and basic training, such as teaching “sit” and “come.”

Kittens in training will be safely introduced to friendly dogs, children, and other new experiences.� Socializing kittens will help them thrive and become well-rounded and outgoing adults.� Practical topics, such as prevention of furniture scratching and appropriate litterbox training, will also be covered.�

“Cats may be underrated by people who have never lived with a cat. We want to promote the fact that cats may truly be the smartest animals.  In fact, they are so intelligent that they have convinced many people that they are totally untrainable,” said Brenda Barnette, chief executive officer.� “Kitten Kindergarten will help the family and the cat have the most fun together!”

Kitten Kindergarten is just one of the many training courses and workshops that the Seattle Humane Society offers to animal lovers.� This three-week course begins on June 4 from 7-8PM.� Register today by calling (425) 641-0080 or fax the registration form (available at www.seattlehumane.org) to (425) 747-2985.� The course costs $50 to attend and will be held at the Seattle Humane Society, located at the junction of I-405 and I-90.

Seattle Humane Society’s other training classes and workshops cover a wide range of topics, from pet first aid to advanced dog agility, using positive training methods and clicker techniques to influence animal behavior.� For a full list of current courses, go to www.seattlehumane.org/services/services/classes.

The Seattle Humane Society was founded in 1897 to bring people and pets together.� The Seattle Humane Society does this today through its low-fee spay/neuter surgery program, pet workshops and training, pet food bank, humane teen club, visiting pets program and more. The Seattle Humane Society is located in Bellevue, at 13212 SE Eastgate Way.� For directions and more information, visit www.seattlehumane.org or call (425) 641-0080.

# # #

CALENDAR INFORMATION

WHAT:� Seattle Humane Society’s Kitten Kindergarten
WHY:� Learn how to teach your kitten tricks as well as how to encourage appropriate behavior
WHEN:� Every Wednesday from 7-8PM from 6/4 – 6/18
WHERE: �Seattle Humane Society, located in Bellevue at 13212 SE Eastgate Way.�
HOW:� Register by calling (425) 641-0080
COST:� $50.00

By PetPlace.com

Over the past several weeks, I’ve been visiting veterinary emergency rooms and bringing you information about the most common emergencies and what you can do to prevent them.  Most dog owners guess that the most common problems are various urgent traumas but the truth is that the most common emergencies are…well the most common problems that dogs get.  I’ll tell you what they are.The MOST common dog emergency is vomiting. The second most common dog emergency is  diarrhea. And finally, the third most common reason that dogs are brought to veterinary emergency rooms is…not eating.

This “symptom” of “not eating’ is a common symptom of many different diseases and problems and often accompanies other signs. For example, a dog may not have eaten but also vomited or is acting lethargic. Regardless, not eating is a very common symptom of various diseases, some of which are serious which causes worried dog owners to bring their dog to emergency rooms.

Because it is so common, it is likely that it will affect your dog at one time or another. I want to give you some tips on how to plan for, prepare, deal with and prevent this problem in your dog.

Do you know what to do?

1. This is basic but important. Make sure you know where your local emergency room is or how your vet deals with emergency. Keep this information (phone number, hours, address and directions) handy.

2. Next, make sure you know your dog’s medical history and any medications he is on. The emergency veterinarian will want to know when the last time your dog ate, and if his lack of appetite is associated with any other symptom such as vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, weakness, collapse, trouble breathing…or anything else.  Make sure you observe your dog during this time. Take him out on a leash and observe if his urine and bowel movements are normal. Also, this ensures that he is not doing something you don’t know about such as vomiting that you may not have observed if you weren’t with him or her. Check the trash to ensure that he has not been exposed to any toxins or other objects.  Note if there has been any diet change. Is your dog a senior? If on medication, has his medication changed recently?

3. Here are some tips on how to help a dog that is not eating.  You can try to offer fresh food – and fresh water. Some dogs respond to “fresh food” from the bag. When an owner calls some veterinary clinics – they may hear some advice (depending on the clinic). If the dog is acting sick or the owner is concerned, the recommendation is always to bring the dog in for evaluation. However, if the condition does not sound life threatening sometimes a bland diet may be recommended.

A bland diet can be made form a boiled lean meat (chicken, hamburger or turkey) mixed 50/50 with boiled white rice. Do not use any additives such as butter, salt, garlic, or seasoning. Over a couple days, you can slowly decrease the bland diet and increase his regular food until he is back on his normal food.

Again, if you are worried, the best recommendation is to have the dog evaluated by a veterinarian.

4. There is no good way to “prevent” the lack of appetite unless you can prevent the underlying cause. To keep your pet safest, prevent exposure of your pet to trash, table scraps and other foreign objects that he may be inclined to chew on. Make any food changes gradually and over  several days. Buy only safe toys and ensure your dog does not chew on any objects around that house which he could swallow and be unable to digest or pass through his system causing a possible obstruction.

How much will going in to see the vet for dog that is not eating going to cost you?  Because there are so many possible causes, most veterinarians will recommend some basic blood work and possibly an urinalysis as a starting point to help determine some of the possible causes. Additionally, radiographs (X-rays) may also be recommended. The prices at different clinics around the country vary but without treatment, the emergency fee, blood work and X-rays ranges from $325.00 to about $500.00. This does not include any treatment.  If there is a substantial underlying cause, then the treatment for that is  additional.

Unfortunately, pets can be expensive and this can be a substantial expense for some pet owners. If you don’t have pet insurance – how often can you afford to do this? How many times could you afford to cover pet emergencies out of pocket like this?  How about even more costly emergencies? Have you looked into pet insurance yet? If you have not done so, take a minute and find out how pet insurance can save you money – go to

veterinarypetinsurance.com

.One last thing, many emergencies of this type are caused by exposure to toxins, owners feeding pet’s table scraps and pets getting access to trash. Please be very careful what you feed your dog. Also, do not give any medications unless instructed by your veterinarian.

Until next time,

Dr. Jon

by PetPlace.com

A life outside is a dangerous one for cats. There are cars, dogs, coyotes and all kinds of other dangers. With this in mind, many of us keep our cats inside. However, we pay a small price for our cat’s safety -  litter box care and that the litter box smells.

As more and more people are choosing to keep indoor rather than outdoor cats, litter boxes and litter box products become more sophisticated. If you haven’t looked for a new litter box in a while, now may be the time. It is important to have not only enough litter boxes (one per cat plus one) but also the right litter box.

The ideal litter box is big, clean, clear, smell free, in a convenient and non-scary location. The bigger the better. Deep is also good. Some cats like to go in the corners and sides and high sides can be appealing.  Cats like to see what is coming  around them when they go so they feel safe which makes a clear box ideal. The best box for many cats is a large clear storage container. You can get them at your local department store.  They are larger than a litter box and allows a cat the space he wants to pick for a good spot to “go”.  If needed, you can cut a spot that is lower to make it easier for older cats to get in and out. It works fine as it is for most cats.

It is getting easier all the time to manage litter boxes that smell. There is one litter on the market called “Odor alert” that keeps smells in line by alerting you before the box begins to smell. For more information and a coupon – go to armandhammer.com. Your nose will thank you!

If you decide to change your cat’s box, do it gradually. Keep your old box and old litter while adding the new one. Make sure your cat likes and uses the new one before removing the old one.

Regards,

Dr. Jon

P.S. This storage container litter box tip has worked really well for many cat lovers. Many behaviorists that deal with cats that inappropriately urinate outside of the box recommend this type of box. If you have a friend with cats, forward this to them.  Click on the “send a friend” below.

P.P.S. Go to: armandhammer.com for a coupon off your next purchase of odor alert kitty litter.

DOGS

Our breeds very own ACFA Pixie-Bob Club, “Cats Gone Wild” has also been formed and plans to put on its very first show in Northern California in early spring of 09′. So if you are in the area and a Pixie Bob fan, come show your appreciation for the breed and root them on in the rings. It sounds like it’s already shaping up to be an awesome show!

By Petplace.com

Can cats be trained? Well, we all know that cats do what they want to when they want to… right?

Well, if you are a cat owner who thinks that cats can’t be trained to respond to commands the same way that dogs do, you’re in for a surprise. Basic training for cats is possible (in most cases…).

The next question is “Why would anybody want to train their cat?”

Well, there are some good reasons other than for the amusement of your friends and relatives or to test your patience. Imagine that you are coming home from grocery shopping with your arms full of shopping bags and that you must get inside your home without your cat escaping. Untrained, your cat, eager to greet you, may stick her nose out of the door as soon as you open it.

Sound familiar? Just ask your cat-owning friends how often their cats have accidentally escaped when someone has held the door open too long.

You may not want to train your cat to perform tricks, but training your cat to understand and obey a few common commands will help you to strengthen your relationship with her.

One of the Petplace writers has written a great article titled “Can You Train Your Cat“.  It gives some great tips on how to teach your cat to “Sit”, “Come” and “Stay”.

Don’t believe it’s possible? Check out this fun article.  You and your cat may learn a thing or two. Go to: petplace.com/cat-training.

One final tip. Make the training sessions fun for your cat and for you and make them something your cat wants to participate in (it works better that way) Have fun!

Until next time…

Dr. Jon

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