It is springtime in North America, and the pets are getting itchy! Over the last weeks, my inbox has been inundated with questions such as this one:

I have a 12-year-old Chihuahua that is constantly
scratching. I have tried giving her a bath about
every 2 - 3 weeks, but that hasn’t helped. What
else can I do to help her stop scratching? She
doesn’t have fleas and I haven’t seen anything
else on her. Sometimes she scratches till she is
almost bleeding. Could this simply be dry skin?
Please help. She is miserable.

Thanks,
DJ
Texas

When pets get itchy, allergies are the culprit nine times out of ten. And so, to those of you who have been writing in wondering why your pet is suddenly scratching or licking incessantly, my answer is that he or she probably suffers from allergies.

In a recent post, I touched upon some of the treatments for allergies. But, since so many pets are suffering from itching these days, let’s talk about allergies a little more.

There are three basic things that cause allergies in cats and dogs. Fleas are the number one culprit. Environmental allergens, such as pollen, mold spores, detergents, and dander are also common causes of itching in pets. Finally, proteins in foods can cause allergic reactions.

It is possible to run blood tests or skin tests that help to determine what, precisely, your pet is allergic to. They are pricey, but often worthwhile.

However, consider this. When I run blood allergy tests on my patients, I receive results reported in units that indicate the strength of the pet’s allergy to each offending item. The higher the number, the worse the allergy. A typical panel of results might look like this:

Ragweed pollen 373
Dust mites 254
Beef protein 339
Flea saliva 29,456

Every pet I have ever met who has allergies is allergic to fleas. And they are usually more allergic to fleas than to everything else combined. And, fleas are more active in the springtime.

So, what should you do if your pet is itching and you don’t want to run a bunch of tests? Go with the odds, and accept that fleas are probably the cuplrit. Apply a high quality flea preventative.

It does not matter if your pet does not “have fleas”. If your pet is allergic to fleas, then a single bite is all it takes to trigger itching and scratching. Consider this. I currently have three very itchy mosquito bites on my left arm. I do not “have” mosquitoes. But I know perfectly well that they are causing me to itch.

Unless you live in an area where there absolutely are no fleas, then the first thing to consider for an itchy pet is a flea preventative.

For the record, I am aware of only two places on Earth that are completely flea free: Denver, Colorado, and Mt. Everest base camp, Nepal. And, with global climate change occurring, there’s a good chance that fleas now exist in these places, too.

After applying a high-quality flea preventative, it may take several weeks or even months for the itching to go away. If it does not, or if your pet is really miserable, then go to the vet to look into some of the allergy tests and treatments that I mentioned in my previous entry.

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Travel is a passion of mine. I find that few things enrich one’s life more than experiencing different cultures, cuisines, and landscapes.

However, as a veterinarian and animal lover, I am often disturbed by the animals I see in my travels. Sadly, not every animal is loved and cared for as well as it should be.

In Nicaragua, the mange rate in dogs appears to be 100%. In Botswana, if a dog is nearby when you bend down to tie your shoe, he will run away because he assumes that you are reaching for a rock to throw at him. In parts of Vietnam, dogs are rarely seen on the streets, but frequently encountered on restaurant menus.

But what I saw recently on a trek to a remote village in northern Laos surprised me on an entirely new level. I am afraid that the lack of veterinary care for the animals in the village was directly affecting the health of the village’s human inhabitants.

In the village, there were free-roaming pigs, dogs, cats, chickens, cows, and water buffalo. Also prevalent in the village were barefoot children. There was no running water. Hygienic standards were abysmal.

And I could see the effects of the poor hygiene, in both the animals and the children. The dogs and cats had distended abdomens (consistent with intestinal worms) and poor quality hair coats (consistent with mange). Both of these diseases can spread between people and animals. And I suspect that they were doing just that–several children had distended abdomens that looked remarkably like the abdomens of the cats and dogs.

And I can only imagine what other forms of disease transmission might be occurring in such an area. Hookworms were likely spreading from dogs to the barefoot children. The pigs likely contained Trichonella. The area was a perfect breeding ground for the H5N1 strain of deadly bird flu. Rabies is common.

I have said on many occasions that healthy pets pose very little risk of spreading disease to human beings. And I firmly believe that. If you take good care of your pet, there is almost no chance that he or she can make you sick.

The situation in the village I visited was an extreme one. But it reminded me nonetheless of the importance of flea preventatives, regular deworming, vaccination, proper hygiene and regular veterinary care. It’s what’s best for your pet, but it’s also what’s best for you.

• Pets and people can share diseases: part one

A mounting body of evidence suggests that fish oil (which contains omega-3 fatty acids) has numerous health benefits for people. And an article in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) suggests that fish oil and omega-3s may be good for pets, too.

Research suggests that omega-3s may: help to support the kidneys and heart, enhance skin and coat quality, reduce symptoms of allergies, reduce the prevalence of auto-immune disease, prevent and treat arthritis, and support neurological development of juvenile animals. Other sources suggest that omega-3s may help to prevent cancer.

Before you dash to the store to buy omega-3s for your pet, I should point out that the key word in the above paragraph is may. More research is necessary to determine optimum doses and blends of omega-3s.

Talk to your vet before supplementing your pet’s diet with fish oil, and be sure to use a product designed for cats or dogs. And remember, fish oil is oil, and oil can be fattening. In this case, too much of a good thing could contribute to a weight problem.

For reference, the paper cited in this post is J Am Vet Med Assoc 2007;231:1657-1661

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My Lhasa Apsos have allergies and have been tested.
I tried Atopica with no luck and it was expensive.
My vet said that giving my dogs predisone every
other day would not hurt them. Your thoughts
please.

Janeen
Mililani, HI

Allergies are frustrating, to be sure. Just ask anyone who suffers from hay fever. Allergies can make you miserable, and, for now, they cannot be cured. People actually move across the country to try to escape from their allergies. That is part of the reason why Arizona’s population has grown so rapidly in recent decades.

In pets, allergies usually cause skin problems such as hair loss, red skin, and itching. Ear infections also are common.

As I have mentioned, at the current time there is no cure for allergies. But there are several treatments. Some, such as flea control, soothing baths, omega-3 supplements, and hypoallergenic diets are simple and safe, and should be considered in every pet with allergies.

Others treatments, such as antihistamines, are generally safe, but not always effective. They are appropriate for some, but not all, allergy sufferers.

And then there are the bigger guns: allergy testing, followed by allergy shots, may help some pets. You mentioned that you have gone down this road without success. Genesis is a topical spray that significantly helps some pets. Atopica is another potent allergy treatment. It is expensive and generally effective, but it does not work in every pet.

Finally, there is the biggest gun of them all: prednisone. Prednisone is an anti-inflammatory steroid that is related to cortisone. It is simultaneously the best and the worst drug ever invented. No drug is more effective at treating allergies in pets. But prednisone also can cause a large number of side effects.

Pets who take prednisone long-term may suffer increased thirst, increased urination, weight gain, and personality changes. They may develop bladder or sinus infections. They are at risk of liver damage and diabetes.

However, not every pet who takes long-term prednisone suffers from these issues. Some pets can take prednisone for years without developing any problems. Others cannot tolerate the medicine for even a week.

So, to answer your question (finally): it may be safe for your dogs to take prednisone every other day. Or it may not. It depends on your dogs.

Here is what I recommend you do. First, exhaust all of the other treatment options that I have mentioned above, and make sure that none of them works.

If it turns out that only prednisone can make your dogs comfortable, then use it. But use the minimum effective dose. Monitor for the side effects that I mentioned above. And, very importantly, run comprehensive blood and urine tests every three to six months to ensure that the medicine is not having adverse internal effects in your dogs.

Finally, remember that some pets outgrow allergies over time. It may be worth your while to experiment (under the supervision of your veterinarian) with reducing or eliminating their prednisone doses periodically.

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Many thanks to Ted R. for sending the link to an interesting article on CNN. Please be aware that you can use the “Ask Dr. Barchas a Question” tool to forward material that you think might be appropriate for this blog.

The article reports on a woman who was infected with a dangerous strain of Staphylococcus bacteria, called MRSA. It is difficult to treat, and resistant to many antibiotics.

From the article:

(AP) — People struggling to get rid of recurrent staph infections might want to consider an often-overlooked source: the family pet.

A German woman repeatedly battled the same strain of drug-resistant superbug MRSA until her cat was tested and treated.

It’s one of the few documented cases of transmission of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus between a person and a cat.

In people, MRSA often causes skin lesions, rashes, boils, and abscesses. In severe cases, it can cause major, life-threatening infections. In pets, the bacteria generally seems to be less pathogenic, although it may cause a variety of skin problems.

Although the article states that transmission of MRSA between pets and people is rarely documented, I have had two clients who have suffered from MRSA infections along with their pets. The risk is real.

Does this mean that pets may be the source of a new superinfection that poses a threat to us all? I don’t think so.

It appears that most people contract MRSA in hospitals or medical facilities, and then pass the bacteria on to their pet.

From the article:

“I think the woman infected the cat and the cat had it and might have reinfected the woman,” Sing [a microbiologist at the Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority in Oberschleissheim near Munich] said in an interview.

As I have mentioned before, healthy pets are very unlikely to spread disease to human beings. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control goes out of its way to point out that healthy pets pose minimal risk to people, evn those with compromised immune systems.

However all people with pets should exercise common sense. Keep your pet clean, healthy and free of parasites such as fleas and intestinal worms. Practice good hygiene. If your pet develops a rash or any illness, take it to the vet.

See related Vet Blog entries:

• Pets and people can share diseases: part two

This article from the Associated Press and MSNBC isn’t about veterinary medicine, but I couldn’t resist posting it.

Hunter recovering after being shot by dog

Pooch accidentally stepped on owner’s shotgun, Iowa official says

DES MOINES, Iowa - A hunter is recovering after he was shot in the leg at close range by his dog, who stepped on his shotgun and tripped the trigger, an official said Tuesday.

James Harris, 37, of Tama, was hit in the calf Saturday, the opening day of pheasant season, said Alan Foster, a spokesman with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

The article reports that Mr. Harris underwent surgery and is doing well.

What is truly amazing to me, however, is not that this incident occurred. Rather, it is the frequency with which incidents like this occur. Try googling “dog shoots man” if you don’t believe me. Or, check out this story, this story, or, for those of you who are fans of poetic justice, this story.

And just in case you were wondering, the following quote is from the original article.

No one else was hurt, and the dog was not injured.

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Caramel is a four-year-old female that we adopted two
years ago, a Katrina rescue. I am home most of the
time and she is exercised 3 times a day. But in
the past month when I leave her alone, she wets on
the rugs (in 3 different rooms), either when I’m
gone or in the middle of the night when we are
sleeping. We are considering crating her during
these times but is it too late to teach our old
dog new tricks? What to do?

Bebe
Brooklyn, NY

Before you consider crating Caramel, you should make sure that a medical condition is not playing a role in the problem. Urinary tract infections, bladder stones, hormone-responsive incontinence, diabetes, kidney problems, and a host of other diseases can cause otherwise well-trained dogs to urinate inappropriately.

Your vet should be able to run some simple blood and urine tests that will give you an idea of whether a medical condition exists. He or she may recommend X-rays or an ultrasound exam as well.

If no medical problems are found, then the problem is most likely behavioral. And in that case, regardless of the dog’s age, I recommend a back-to-the-basics house training regimen. In my experience, crate training is one of the most effective way to house train a dog.

So, to answer your question, I do not think Caramel is too old to be re-trained, nor is she too old to be crated.

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In humans, melanoma is an aggressive and dangerous skin cancer that often strikes people who have spent a lot of time in the sun.

In pets, melanoma does not always develop in the skin, and it rarely is related to sun exposure. Sadly, it is still dangerous.

However, a new treatment for melanoma inside of the mouth (oral melanoma) has shown a great deal of promise. And it may open the door to new methods of treating other cancers as well.

The treatment, which is for dogs, is a vaccine. After it is administered, it causes the dog’s immune system to attack the cancer. The vaccine is not designed to be given routinely. Instead, dogs that have been diagnosed with melanoma can receive the vaccine as part of a comprehensive treatment protocol.

As the fields of immunology and molecular biology continue to advance, it is very likely that more new treatments of this sort will become available. And that is a good thing.

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My cat has a small hard black lump on his head -
it seems to be getting a bit bigger but he won’t
let us inspect it without squirming away. It
doesn’t look like a tick and he is very clean
otherwise. I couldn’t find anything on the
internet about something that looks like this. He
doesn’t scratch it either but it seems sensitive
- could it be a cat “blackhead?” Can we remove
it? Would appreciate an answer. thanks, Shauna

Shauna
Burnaby, BC, Canada

Believe it or not, there is a syndrome called feline acne. Like human acne, it is frustrating to treat, and it is mostly a cosmetic problem. Fortunately for cats, feline acne usually does not adversely affect the cat’s self esteem.

However, the growth on your cat’s head does not sound like feline acne. Feline acne usually manifests as scabs and pimples on the chin, not as a solitary growth.

There are many syndromes that can cause a dark masse to appear on the head or face of a cat. Some are very minor. For instance, in young cats the immune system may become transiently hyperactive. This can cause skin blemishes to develop. These blemishes are similar to pimples or blackheads (although technically, they are different), and they tend to resolve on their own over time.

As well, cysts, bacterial infections, fungal infections, tumors, traumatic wounds and abscesses may cause growths or bumps similar to the one you describe. Because cats groom themselves so well, they very rarely are infested with ticks.

The bottom line is that you should have a vet look at the spot. Since the area is sensitive, I recommend that you have it checked sooner, rather than later. The vet will be able to determine whether the mass needs to be treated with medicine, removed, or allowed to resolve on its own.

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The California Veterinary Medical Association is an organization dedicated to representing the interests of veterinarians in California. I am a member. The CVMA is often at the forefront of projects that advance the well-being of animals and veterinarians in the state.

In my opinion, however, the CVMA shot itself in the foot with its recent lawsuit against West Hollywood’s law that banned the declawing of cats. If the CVMA’s goal was to make veterinarians look bad, they succeeded. By any other measure, the lawsuit was a failure.

Here is some background from an article in The San Francisco Chronicle.

Judge allows California cities to ban cat declawing

The state Supreme Court allowed cities in California to ban cat declawing Wednesday, rejecting veterinarians’ challenge to a West Hollywood ordinance that could lead to copycat measures elsewhere.

The ordinance, which West Hollywood passed in 2003, is the only one of its kind in the state.

Wow. Talk about bad press. To give The Chronicle credit, the story mentions that not every vet in the state supports the willy-nilly declawing of cats. And, they point out that it was the CVMA, not individual veterinarians, that initiated the lawsuit. But on the whole, the article does not make vets look good.

The CVMA sent frequent updates to its members (who, incidentally, were not consulted before the lawsuit was filed) regarding this case. The organization’s stated (although not entirely credible) reason for pursuing the lawsuit had nothing to do with opposing bans on declaw procedures. Rather, the organization says it is worried that this precedent will lead to an unnavigable hodgepodge of local laws covering not just declaws, but every aspect of the profession.

Perhaps the CVMA has a valid point. But by choosing to make its stand over a procedure that so many people (including large numbers of veterinarians) find ethically questionable, I think the CVMA did much more to harm my profession than to help it.

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