My two-year-old indoor cat just went to the vet for her shots. She never goes outside. My vet recommended treating her for worms. I doubt that she has worms. How could a cat who never goes outside get worms? And isn’t there some sort of test that can be done rather than give her medicine?

Jessica
Rosslyn, Virginia

Believe it or not, deworming indoor animals is becoming a common practice. And, there are some pretty sound reasons to do it.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now emphasizes the need to remove intestinal worms from pets on a regular basis. The reason for this is that some worms, under the right circumstances, can spread to people. The goal of the CDC, is to prevent illness in people, so they want to keep pets free of worms.

It is true that indoor-only cats have lower rates of intestinal parasites than those that roam outside. However, it is still possible for them to get worms. The reason for this is that pets contract worms either through consumption of prey animals or through exposure to contaminated feces. And this can still happen, even when living inside exclusively.

If a rodent makes its way into the house and is consumed by your cat, she could contract intestinal parasites. As well, feces contaminated with worm eggs can be spread by houseflies, cockroaches, and fleas. Even in the most spotlessly clean house, occasional insects and pests make their way in. This puts your cat at risk.

So, how likely is it that your cat will contract worms this way? I don’t know. To be honest, it’s probably not terribly likely. But it absolutely is possible. And because some worms can cause extremely serious illness in people, it’s better to play it safe and follow your vet’s advice.

The good news is that most modern medicines used to remove worms are phenomenally safe, and have extremely low rates of side effects. If you are worried, talk to your vet about the safety of the product she prescribes.

There are tests for worms. They involve specially preparing your pet’s feces and examining it under a microscope for worm eggs. However, depending on the type of preparation performed, worms may be missed in a significant number of tests. Because of this, and because of the relative safety of modern deworming products, most vets now recommend a combination of deworming and testing, rather than strictly testing.

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I have a Pomeranian, and I know about this trachea
thing that collapses, but I’m sure he has
something else going on. He does two different
things. He coughs continuously whenever
he is awake or moves. The other is
like he can’t breathe and he is gasping for
breath, sometimes it’s more severe than others.
A few weeks back he was really bad right after I
took him to be groomed. That same day he had his
vaccines, and after a few days I called his
doctor. She wanted to see him immediately. He was
diagnosed with bronchitis and given medicine. He got a little better but not back to normal. Can a dog get allergies?
Should I be concerned, or should I let him be?

Lana
Colorado

I think that you should follow up with a veterinarian for chest radiographs (X-rays). Radiographs are the best way to assess his heart, trachea and lungs.

Any time that a pet is coughing continuously or having difficulty breathing, it’s wise to investigate the matter until the cause is found. An X-ray of his chest is the best way to start.

Several syndromes could be causing your dog’s problems. You mentioned collapsing trachea, which strikes older small-breed dogs, and very rarely causes severe distress. Collapsing trachea causes a chronic tickle in the throat that is especially likely to cause coughing when dogs are excited. However, it rarely causes profound breathing trouble.

Severe bronchitis can cause symptoms such as you describe. So can pneumonia or certain problems with the larynx (voice box). It is rare for allergies to cause problems as bad as those you describe.

I suspect something else is going on.

I looked at your dog’s profile, and noted that he is 11 years old. His age and breed put him at high risk for heart disease. In dogs, heart disease typically causes coughing, inability to exercise or be active, and difficulty breathing. The symptoms are often worse after stress (such as vaccines and grooming). In most cases, heart disease is highly treatable with medication, but it has to be diagnosed before it can be treated. And, if it’s not treated, it can be fatal. That’s why I recommend further evaluation.

You should be aware that after taking X-rays, further tests (such as ultrasound or blood tests) may be needed. Also, I have seen many dogs who suffer from both heart disease and collapsing trachea, so it is possible that more than one thing is going on.

I recommend that you pursue the X-rays as soon as possible. That way you will have the best chance of getting your dog’s problems fixed.

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I just got a puppy and I cannot for the life of
me remember how often they need shots. He is
a Saint Bernard and is eight weeks old. He had his
First shot May 24, 2007. When do I give the next
shot, and how often after that?

Ashlee
Farwell, MI

As I have mentioned in previous articles, vaccination is a controversial topic in veterinary medicine. It’s almost impossible to get a group of vets to agree on just how often adult pets need shots. However, almost all of us agree that it is critical for puppies and kittens to get a series of at least three shots before they are 16 weeks old.

The most important vaccine for your dog’s health is a combination injection that protects against canine distemper virus, canine parvovirus, and usually several other diseases. It goes by a number of names, including DHPP, DA2PP, and “five way”. Puppies should get this vaccine every three to four weeks, starting at 6 - 8 weeks of age, and ending at 12 - 16 weeks of age. In your case, I’d recommend having your pet vaccinated immediately (or at least within the next week), and then following up with two more injections at monthly intervals.

The parvovirus and distemper virus components of the vaccine are the most important. Both of these diseases are present worldwide, are potentially fatal, and strike unvaccinated dogs frequently. The vaccine is extremely effective at preventing both diseases.

Kittens need vaccinations on roughly the same schedule as puppies.

The question of how often adult cats and dogs need vaccines is not possible to answer. The truth is, nobody knows. Among veterinarians, there is no consensus on the matter. Some vets recommend giving shots annually. Others, myself included, approach the matter on a case-by-case basis, tailoring vaccine protocols to each patient based on lifestyle, age, and health. Most of my adult patients end up getting shots every three years.

In addition to the DHPP/DA2PP/five way vaccine, your dog will need a rabies vaccine at an age (usually 16 weeks) that is determined by the laws in your area. Several other optional vaccines are available. They may or may not be appropriate for your dog. You should discuss them with your vet.

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I have a dog who one week ago developed what
seemed like an air pocket on the thin inner part
of her ear. Now it has doubled in size, and the ear
is drooping. It doesn’t seem to hurt upon touching.
What might be the cause, and what if anything can we
do?

Debbie

It sounds like your dog is suffering from an aural hematoma. In other words, I suspect that a small amount of blood has filled a portion of her ear, making it swollen.

Dogs and cats have ears that consist of two layers of skin, with a piece of cartilage (connective tissue) between them to make the ear firm. Blood vessels run through the ear to supply nutrition to these tissues.

If an animal’s ear suffers trauma, or if she shakes her head a great deal, the blood vessels can break and blood will flow into the ear, causing it to swell. Sometimes this is painful, but that is not always the case.

The first step in treating an aural hematoma is to eliminate the cause of the problem. In most animals, head shaking is the culprit. Your vet should be able to identify whether your pet has an ear infection or a foreign object in her ear. If you don’t treat the underlying problem, it will complicate healing of the hematoma.

Next, the hematoma itself must be dealt with. Small hematomas sometimes resolve spontaneously. However, since your dog’s situation has been worsening over the last week, that almost certainly won’t happen in your case.

As a first step, I treat aural hematomas by draining the blood from the ear with a syringe. This is effective in many cases, although repeated drainings are sometimes necessary. Other treatments include placing a device into the ear to drain it continuously for several weeks (this is messy and uncomfortable for the pet), or performing a surgery to correct the matter.

All hematomas have the potential to be frustrating, chronic problems. If you deal with this matter and go to the vet immediately, your dog’s chances of a straightforward recovery will be higher.

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