The Life of Alfie & Hannah

Ear Care & Cleaning

Regular ear check-ups and cleaning contributes to healthy ears, free of painful infections. Between grooming appointments pet owners should practice ear health maintenance and check their dog’s ears at least once a week.

After a long day they do settle down, just no one knock on the door.

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No more pictures pleasssse!

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Okay, Okay, Okay what do you want?

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This came into the Snuzzbox yesterday:

Sometimes, when you are angry with someone,
it helps to just sit down and think about the problem!

To which I add:

Sometimes you are the dog.
Sometimes you are the cat.

Hello Dr. B.,

Amy
Chico, CA

I definitely think that the smoke in the air could have affected Justin’s tolerance for exercise.

On days when air quality is poor, health authorities recommend that people (especially older people and people with asthma) stay indoors. And, they recommend against intense exercise, because pollution can cause irritation to the lungs.

Cats and dogs have lungs that are even more sensitive to environmental contamination than ours. Because of this, I think there is an extremely good chance that the smoky air affected Justin’s breathing and adversely impacted his ability to play fetch. I would recommend that you and he avoid strenuous activity until air quality improves.

I have two additional points to make. First, be glad you live in a town like Chico, where air quality usually is good (even if it’s not so great now). I was recently in Guatemala, where emissions controls are nonexistent. Cars, buses, and tuk-tuks all belch huge plumes of black smoke everywhere they go. I easily became winded climbing small hills.

Second, remember there is a small chance that the air quality is not the only problem causing Justin’s inability to exercise. If he continues to seem weak once the smoke has cleared, have a veterinarian look at him to assess his heart, lungs, and other organs.

Most medicines prescribed by vets are safe. This means that they are not likely to cause serious adverse effects or toxicity.

Nonetheless, any time a pet takes a medicine there is a chance that side effects can occur, even if the side effects are not common.

Because of the risk of side effects, I try not to prescribe medications unless I have a solid reason to believe that they will help my patient. When I diagnose a condition that will resolve rapidly on its own without treatment, I prefer not to prescribe any medicine at all.

That sounds straightforward. But believe it or not, sometimes it upsets clients. Some people feel that they have wasted their time and money if they come home from the vet without some sort of medicine.

When a beloved pet is not feeling well, it is natural to want to do something about the problem. When people give medicine to their pet, they feel that they are helping their pet. However, if the medicine is not appropriate for the condition it may cause more harm than good.

Consider the following letter from a reader.

Hi, My baby Ginger just turned 8 this past
week and lately she has been coughing quite a
bit. It almost sounds croupey. She has an over-the-
counter allergy medicine that I give her and I’m
guessing she might have allergies. What do you
think I should do? (I’m planning to take her to
our vet this week, but I’d like your opinion.)

Allergies rarely cause coughing in 8-year-old dogs. Syndromes such as collapsing trachea, bronchitis, and heart disease are more likely culprits. It is unlikely that an over-the-counter allergy medicine will help much. (A trip to the vet, on the other hand, is exactly what I’d recommend.)

Over-the-counter allergy medicines (antihistamines) may cause sedation, agitation, or upset stomach. What’s more, they have been linked to some scary side effects in people. A number of studies have correlated the use of antihistamines (many of which fall into a class of medications known as anticholinergics) with cognitive decline (dementia) in elderly people. For an article that describes these effects in more detail, click here (warning: the article is somewhat technical in nature).

Some experts now recommend that people with familial histories of Alzheimer’s disease avoid over-the-counter antihistamines.

Animals do not suffer from Alzheimer’s disease per se. However, cognitive dysfunction and dementia appear to be common in elderly cats and dogs.

No link has yet been made between antihistamines and cognitive dysfunction in pets. Nonetheless, the brains and bodies of our pets are very similar to our own. In time a correlation may (or may not) be discovered.

Antihistamines have many valid uses in veterinary medicine. However, unless a pet has been diagnosed with a condition for which antihistamines are the appropriate treatment, I see no reason to give them.

My Cat has some stomach problems and my vet had me
put him on a probiotic pill (break open with
powder inside) and a B-12 supplement (one drop a
day). I usually mix them in his wet food that he
LOVES and I was wondering if it was ok to mix them
both together. As of now I mix the drop in his wet
and the probiotic in the dry. He inhales the wet
food, so I know he would eat it all if I put them
both in there. I just don’t know if thats a safe
thing to do.

Maggie
Brooklyn, NY

I am glad that your vet prescribed probiotics and vitamins as a first step for your cat’s problem. There are several medications that can be administered to cats with stomach issues. However (as I discussed yesterday), if the syndrome can be treated effectively by more natural means, there is no reason to medicate.

To answer your question, I see no reason why you can’t mix the vitamin B-12 and the probiotics together into the wet food. Very high concentrations of B-12 could conceivably inactivate the benign flora in the probiotics. However, if you thoroughly mix one drop of B-12 into the wet food before you add the probiotics, I sincerely doubt any problems will occur.

I have two additional points to make. First, remember that diet often plays a role in digestive problems in cats. If your cat is not already on an easily digestible diet and you have trouble managing his problems with the regimen of B-12 and probiotics, talk to your vet about switching foods.

Second, some people might get the impression from my last two posts that I am opposed to prescribing medication for my patients. That is not the case. Medications, when prescribed appropriately, can be incredibly beneficial to animals and humans. What I object to is using medications inappropriately or unnecessarily.

My six-month-old, 3.5 pound Chihuahua is due for
spaying. I am nervous about complications. How do
I know if my vet does a good job? What is the
difference between my vet and a pet pal
rescue-spaying clinic (it is less expensive)?

Robin
St. Petersburg, FL

This is a very good question. The overwhelming majority of spays and neuters performed by veterinarians do not lead to major complications. Nonetheless, the risk of complications exists any time a pet undergoes surgery. Your desire to minimize that risk is very understandable.

Here is what I recommend: ask your vet some questions.

Surgeries performed by experienced vets generally have lower rates of complications than those performed by vets fresh out of school. Ask your vet how long she has been practicing. Ask her how many spays she has performed.

As well, surgical safety precautions vary widely among veterinary facilities. Does your vet run blood tests before surgery to ensure that your pet’s organs are functioning properly? Does she give IV fluids to help support blood pressure? Does she monitor heart rate, blood oxygenation levels, and blood pressure continuously throughout surgery? Does she provide thermal support to prevent low body temperature? Is she aggressive and proactive about treating pain? Does she use the most modern and safest forms of anesthesia?

The only way to know whether your vet does these things is to ask her. You can ask the same questions at the rescue-spaying clinic. Once you have the answers you will be able to make an informed decision that is in the best interest of your dog.