Does microchipping your pet really work? Do all shelters and humane societies scan for microchips? And what happens if you move? How does the information get updated? Thanks!

Julie, Metro Detroit, Michigan

Microchips are small (about the size of a rice grain), devices that are injected into pets. Currently available chips each contain a unique series of letters and numbers that can be read by a scanner and matched to the pet’s owner through a central database. If a pet escapes and loses its tags, the microchip should still work to reunite the pet with its owner.

Although I don’t know that every shelter scans stray pets for microchips, it is certain that a large number of them do. To date, thousands of pets have been reunited with their families because of microchips.

It is not just shelters that check for microchips. When stray animals are brought to my hospital, I always scan them to see if they have a chip. I have returned several pets to their families that way.

If your pet is microchipped and you move you must update your information with the database. This can be done by telephone or online.

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Dear Dr. Barchas,

My twelve-year-old cat Taffy has been urinating outside the litter box. He doesn’t have a certain place that he does it–it just seems to be anywhere. I don’t think he has anything medically wrong with him, and he hasn’t had any lifestyle changes. Why is he doing this, and how can I get him to stop?

Char, Formosa, ON, Canada

Dear Dr. Barchas,

My Boxer dog is one year old and has never done a wee in the house, but today he did one this morning on my bed when he woke up, then again on the settee when he woke up. Is this normal or should I get him checked out?

Emma, Essex, UK

As evidenced by the large number of questions I have received on the subject, inappropriate urination (also called housesoiling) is an extremely frustrating problem for pet owners. There are two basic causes of housesoiling: medical conditions and behavioral issues.

Medical conditions that may lead to inappropriate urination include urinary tract infections, kidney disease, diabetes, bladder stones or crystals, certain glandular diseases, incontinence, and irritation of the bladder linked to abnormal levels of acid in the urine.

In some instances, inappropriate urination can be the only symptom that an animal with one of these diseases will show. If a pet consistently soils the house a veterinary checkup is warranted. A variety of tests can help to determine if there is a medical condition causing the problem.

If no medical cause is found, the problem usually is treated as a behavioral issue. Stress, anxiety, dementia, submissive behavior, and a host of other behavioral conditions can lead to inappropriate urination. Your veterinarian may be able to recommend behavioral modification techniques to help address the matter.

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Dear Dr. Barchas,

There’s been a lot of discussion in the forums about neuter and spay. At what age should a pet be neutered or spayed?

W. Miranda, Sebastopol, CA

The age at which a pet should be spayed or neutered is something that, in the past, was hotly debated in the veterinary community. Although there are still dissenters, most vets now agree that the proper age to spay or neuter a pet is before it reaches puberty, but after it is old enough to withstand the rigors of surgery. Many vets recommend performing the surgery when a pet is six months old, because this age generally fits the above criteria. However, extensive research has shown that spaying and neutering at even younger ages is acceptable. Some animal shelters will perform the surgery on any animal over two pounds, regardless of age.

Why spay or neuter a pet before it reaches puberty? In females, the chance of breast cancer later in life is drastically reduced. Also, the possibility of an unwanted pregnancy is eliminated. In males, undesirable and sometimes irreversible behaviors such as aggression, roaming, and urine marking are less likely to develop. In both genders, the risk of sexually transmitted diseases is eliminated. It’s true–animals can catch VD!

There is one compelling reason not to spay or neuter your pet before puberty. Once he or she has been through the surgery, it is impossible to reverse. If you are considering breeding your pet, then the surgery is not appropriate.

Some people have argued that early spaying and neutering leads to obesity in animals. Although it is true that some animals’ metabolisms slow after surgery, the real cause of obesity in animals is the same as in people–too many calories, and too little exercise.

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Dear Dr. B,

My dog is taking Deramaxx for his arthritis. I’ve heard that Deramaxx is similar to some human medicines that can cause medical problems in people who take them. Should I be worried about my dog?

A. Vanderslice, Metairie, LA

Deramaxx belongs to the same class of medications (called Cox 2 inhibitors) as Bextra and Vioxx. These medicines are used to treat arthritis. Bextra and Vioxx have been in the news lately due to safety concerns.

In people who take these medicines, there have been reports of increases in strokes and certain heart ailments. Fortunately for dogs and their owners, dogs aren’t terribly prone to the types of problems that are causing the hullabaloo in people.

In fact, the FDA reported in the FDA Veterinarian Newsletter (November/December, 2004) that they have not, to date, received any reports of stroke or heart ailments as side effects of Deramaxx. In other words, at this time, there does not appear to be cause for concern regarding Deramaxx and cardiovascular side effects.

That said, dogs that regularly receive Deramaxx (or just about any medication) should undergo periodic kidney and liver testing, and should receive regular veterinary exams. You should not hesitate to ask your veterinarian about the side effects of Deramaxx or any other medication.

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Dear Dr. Barchas,

I have heard that some vets vaccinate animals too often. Is this true? Do pets need vaccines every year? Does every pet need every vaccine? Can vaccines cause harm to pets?

A. Young, San Francisco

Vaccines, without a doubt, are the most controversial topic in veterinary medicine today. If you gathered 100 vets in a room to discuss vaccines, there is probably only one point on which they all would agree: a certain amount of vaccination (don’t ask how much) definitely helps to prevent deadly infectious diseases in pets. After that, nobody knows for sure.

To try to make sense of the matter, let’s go through some of your questions one by one.

Do pets need vaccines every year? Probably not, but nobody knows for sure. Each pet responds to vaccination in a different way, so there is no timeframe that works for every animal. In an ideal world, it would be possible to test each pet each year to see if vaccines were needed. Sadly, that is not realistic yet.

Does every pet need every vaccine? Definitely not. The vaccines your pet needs depend on its age, its lifestyle, and the laws in your area.

Can vaccines cause harm to pets? In dogs, probably not, but nobody knows for sure. To date, no conclusive evidence exists that links vaccines to long term adverse health effects in canines. Cats, however, are a different story. Two feline vaccines have been associated with development of a type of tumor called sarcoma. It is especially important to discuss this matter with your vet before vaccinating your cat. However, before you decide to forego vaccines altogether for your cat, remember that the risk of the tumors must be weighed against the risk of deadly diseases (such as leukemia) that the vaccines prevent. In some cases, the risk of disease is much, much higher than the risk of tumors.

When it comes to vaccination, there are no rules that apply to all animals. Before your pet is vaccinated, talk to your vet and determine which vaccines are appropriate.

Even if you decide that your pet does not need vaccines in a given year, remember that annual (or semiannual) checkups and physical exams are beneficial for pets regardless of their lifestyle, age, or circumstances.

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