Vet Blog: Information and Advice from Dr. Eric Barchas, DVM
05/31/08
Dr. Barchas,
My two one-year-old 5.5 lb.
Chihuauhuas are due for their distemper booster
soon. Do you feel the lepto vaccine added into the
distemper vaccine is necessary? Or do you think it
is too much of a risk for a Chihuahua to get this
vaccine?
Thank you,
Sherrie
Connecticut
Leptospira, also known as lepto, is a bacteria that infects the kidneys. The bacteria is present in the urine of infected animals. Pets and humans can become infected if they come in contact with the urine of an infected animal, or if they drink water that is contaminated with urine. Any pet or person that is infected with lepto may suffer kidney failure.
The vaccine for lepto is controversial. There are several different types of lepto, and the vaccine protects against only a few of them. As well, conventional wisdom in the veterinary community holds that the lepto vaccine causes a disproportionate number of adverse reactions in pets. I have yet to see any hard proof of this second issue. Nonetheless, many vets believe it.
My attorney recommends that I vaccinate all dogs against Leptospira. She fears that if I don´t, and a person contracts the disease from one of my unvaccinated patients, I will be sued.
However, the fact is that some dogs are at higher risk for the disease than others. Dogs that roam freely in rural areas and drink from ponds or puddles in which wild animals may have urinated are at high risk. They should definitely be vaccinated, for their safety as well as that of the people who live with them.
Dogs that live in urban areas, dogs that rarely go outside and dogs that never drink from puddles or ponds have a low risk of contracting lepto. Most Chihuahuas fall into one or more of these categories.
Ultimately, you must be the one to decide whether your dogs are vaccinated against lepto. If you elect to vaccinate them, you must be prepared to accept the risk of adverse reactions. If you choose to forego the vaccine, you must make that decision with the knowledge that lepto is a disease that could potentially spread to you.
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05/30/08
Is tuna fish safe to give my cats as a treat once
in a while?
Pauline
Philadelphia, PA
Unless one of your cats has a medical condition that requires a special diet, I see no problem with giving them a little bit of tuna fish now and then.
Tuna has taken a bit of a bad rap in the world of cats. For a while, some people believed that tuna was linked to urinary crystals because of its high magnesium and phosphorus content. As well, tuna may contain high levels of mercury, which is bad for both cats and humans.
In fact, recent studies have shown that excessive levels of magnesium and phosphorus in the diet are not likely to cause urinary crystals. The real culprit is an abnormally low level of acidity in the urine (click here for more information about urinary crystals in cats). And if tuna is used sparingly as a treat then the risk of mercury poisoning is extremely low.
Cats absolutely cannot survive on an exclusive diet of tuna. However, if tuna comprises only a small portion of their food intake, it is unlikely to cause problems. That´s a good thing. The cats I know would consider me very cruel indeed if I were to open a can of tuna and not give them any.
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05/29/08
 The following feel-good story comes from the May 16, 2008 issue of The Week:
Pierre, a 25-year-old African penguin, was getting so old that he was losing his feathers. He shivered with cold and refused to go near water. But his handlers at the California Academy of Sciences had a novel solution: a custom-made diving suit. Working with Oceanic Worldwide, a supplier of diving gear, academy scientists made Pierre a close-fitting rubber garment with openings for his flippers, tail, and feet. “I would walk behind him,” said biologist Pam Schaller, “and look at where there were any gaps, and cut and refit and cut and refit until it was extremely streamlined.” Since wearing the suit, Pierre has gained weight and is again splashing with his fellow penguins.
I hope for Pierre’s sake that his handlers remembered to fit the suit with an opening for his cloaca. I’m sure they did.
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05/28/08
 We live in Denver and love to go hiking in the
mountains, where the air is thin, and where
natural sun protection is non-existant. Even the
tannest of our out-of-state friends needs to be
reminded to bring sunblock.
But what about their dogs that they bring out for
vacation? Can they get sunburned? And if so,
what can we do to prevent it?
Tanya
Boulder, CO
Cats and dogs absolutely can suffer from sunburn.
Short haired or hairless pets, such as Sphynx cats, Dalmatians and Greyhounds can burn on their backs if they spend time in the sun. Since most pets have sparse coats on their bellies, any pet that likes to lie on its back in the sun may suffer from a sunburned abdomen. As well, all pets are at risk of sunburn on their ears and noses.
Exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays can lead to problems other than sunburn. In dogs, the sun can stimulate the immune system to cause hair loss, color changes, and scabbing on the top of the nose. In cats with white hair, the sun often contributes to the development of a type of skin cancer called squamous cell carcinoma.
Skin damage due to solar radiation is most common during the summer. Pets who live in or visit high altitude or tropical areas are at highest risk.
The simplest way to avoid sunburn and other sun-related problems is to keep pets indoors or in the shade during peak sun hours (from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm). If that is not possible, you can apply non-toxic, water resistant human sunscreen to the areas that are most likely to burn. Try to keep your pet from licking it off. As well, dogs with thin haircoats can wear a T-shirt to protect their backs from the sun during hikes.
Regardless of where you live, it is important to remember that the sun can injure your pet, just like it can injure you.
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05/27/08
I have a three-year-old Whippet mix who is very
skinny. He is about as tall as a Springer Spaniel
and weighs 38 pounds. You can see his last few
ribs and feel his back bones and hip bones.
He is very muscular in his legs, though looking at him
from above he looks underweight. I
always get asked if he’s either a neglected
rescue I adopted or asked if I feed him enough.
I have done blood work and other tests on him to
make sure it isn’t something serious. All the
results told me that his organs and everything
were functioning normally and that he has a crazy
metabolism. I am trying to get him to put on and
keep on a bit of weight but so far I’ve been
unsuccessful!
Please give me a healthy and safe way to make my
skinny man gain weight!
Ashley
Roanoke, VA
Based on what you have told me, I am not convinced that your dog needs to gain weight.
Different individuals have unique metabolic rates. Most people have personal experience with this phenomenon–it is why some people can eat a dozen Big Macs each week and stay thin, while others gain weight if they take a sideways glance at a salad. It sounds like your dog simply has a very high metabolism. Lucky for him!
You already have done the thing that I would most strongly recommend: you have tested your dog to make sure that a medical condition is not causing him to be thin. You point out that his legs are muscular, rather than emaciated. You don’t mention that he is lethargic or reluctant to walk and exercise. It sounds like he’s healthy.
Also, remember that different breeds of dogs naturally have different shapes. Whippets, German Shepherds, and Doberman Pinschers are naturally svelte. Pugs, Boston Terriers, and Bulldogs are normally barrel-shaped.
If you are tired of people insinuating that you are neglecting your dog, you could try switching to a puppy or maternity diet. They both are high in calories. Unfortunately, they both cause upset stomach in some dogs.
However, if you are already offering your dog ample high-quality food, I really doubt that you need to do anything differently.
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05/26/08
My five-year-old female beagle has a swollen lymph
node under her front leg. Should I get it checked
out or just wait and see?
Debbie
Lowell, MA
I’ll answer your question in a moment. But first let’s discuss lymph nodes.
Lymph nodes are part of the immune system. They consist of immune cells surrounded by a capsule. Lymph nodes are located throughout the body. Some of the most noticeable ones are located under the ears, in front of the shoulders, and behind the knees.
Anything that activates the immune system can cause a lymph node to swell. In many cases, this is normal and no cause for concern. For instance, as I discussed in a previous post, vaccines often lead to swollen lymph nodes. As well, any sort of trauma or infection can cause enlargement of the nearest node. An infected tooth may cause the node under the ear to swell. A torn toenail may cause the node behind the knee to swell.
Unfortunately, there are more nefarious causes of swollen lymph nodes. Several types of cancer can cause one or more nodes to enlarge. I am happy to say that five-year-old dogs do not develop cancer often. However, other syndromes (such as Lyme disease and certain systemic fungal infections) also can cause swollen nodes.
What I am going to say next probably won’t surprise you. I recommend that you have a vet examine your dog. He or she should be able to confirm that the swollen area is, in fact, a lymph node and not some other type of growth. And, the vet will be able to test the area to determine what is going on. This can be done easily and with minimal pain in most cases using a technique called aspiration.
I doubt that something serious is going on. However, it is definitely better to be safe than to be sorry.
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05/25/08
From the March 1, 2008 issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association:
Lemon laws aren’t just for automobiles in some states. As of late 2007, 18 states had passed lemon laws to provide legal recourse to people who purchase animals from pet dealers only to discover that the animals have a disease or defect.
Defect? I’m not sure I like that wording. “Congenital abnormality” would be more appropriate, in my opinion.
The article goes on:
Under the various laws, the amount of time that a purchaser has to make a claim ranges from seven to 20 days for illness or injury and 10 days to two years for congenital or hereditary conditions. [That’s more like it! — EB] Common remedies include replacement of the animal, a refund of the purchase price, and reimbursement of veterinary expenses–generally up to the purchase price of the animal.
Even without lemon laws, many breeders offer health guarantees on the puppies and kittens that they produce. But the laws and guarantees sometimes fail to take human emotions into account.
For instance, I have identified health problems in several pets that were “under warranty” from breeders. When my clients advised the breeders of the problems, the breeders offered to replace the pets. It sounds good on paper, but by the time the problems were identified, my clients had fallen in love with their pets and wouldn’t consider replacing them. In these cases, the warranties were useless.
Let’s face it. Pets aren’t cars. Lemon laws may help to promote higher breeding standards, but they definitely have their limitations.
For more information about pet lemon laws, click here.
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05/24/08
Over the last few years, I have written several times about the confusion that clouds the subject of animal vaccines. Nobody, and I mean nobody, can provide definitive answers to quandaries such as how often pets should receive vaccines and which vaccines should be administered to which pets. People love to argue about the subjects, the the simple fact is that there are no simple answers to the questions.
As a concerned pet lover, it may (or may not) please you to know that similar controversies exist in the human medical community as well. I was reminded of this as I was perusing the February, 2008 issue of the American Journal of Public Health. The Journal contained a lengthy paper discussing the history of the controversial (and now discredited) suspected link between vaccines and autism in humans.
In the medical community, that particular controversy has for the most part died down. But plenty of other controversies remain. In fact, the subject of human vaccination is just as contentious as its veterinary counterpart.
Sadly for doctors of all stripes, an end to the controversy is not in sight.
For reference, the paper mentioned in this post is Baker, Am J Public Health 2008;98:244-253.
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05/23/08
Hello Dr. Barchas,
I have a nearly 17-year-old
cat who has a benign basal cell cyst on his neck
that I empty with a disposable needle every three or four
days. I purchase them from the pharmacy and use a
fresh one each time. I decided to go this route
because of his age and not wanting to subject him
to surgery or invasive procedures. He allows me to
do this without protesting in any way!
I understand that these cysts are common in elderly
cats and are found mainly around the neck area,
but I can see a tiny one just beginning above his
right eye.
What I am wondering is what exactly is
the fluid in the cyst and why does it fill up
faster some days than others? I emptied it
yesterday and already it is half full , yet the
last time I did it it took nearly five days to be
completely full.
He is healthy otherwise,
eating and his normal self—he does show signs of
aging however and I want to make absolutely
certain he is as comfortable and stress-free as
possible. Thanks so much for any advice you can
give.
Angie
London, ON, Canada
Cysts are generally harmless growths that occur in the tissues of animals. They are common in older pets (although they sometimes develop in young pets), and they are encountered most frequently in the skin (although they can occur in other tissues as well).
Cysts are made of cells that involute to form a sac, or empty cavity. In some cases, the cells that make up the cyst secrete fluid into the sac. In others, the cyst incites the immune system to secrete fluid. In either case, the result is essentially the same: a bag of cells with fluid inside of it.
The rate at which fluid enters the cyst depends on a number of factors. Cysts that are irritated, traumatized, inflamed or in areas of high motion may fill faster than other cysts. In many cases, cysts seem to have a mind of their own: after one draining, a cyst may remain empty for months or years. After another, it could be full again the next day.
In many cases it is not necessary to drain cysts. In fact, I only recommend draining if the cyst is causing pain, irritation, or some other sort of trouble. Regardless of whether or not a cyst is drained, it may become irritated or infected. It also may burst or change into a more dangerous type of growth.
Keep a close eye on your pet’s cysts, and have a vet check him out if you notice any major changes. Also, if you have not already done so, have a vet check the new growth above your cat’s eye to ensure that it is, in fact, another cyst and not something more serious.
As long as you confirm that neither growth is dangerous, I see no reason to remove them. They should not interfere with your pet’s longevity or quality of life.
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05/22/08
Dr. Barchas:
Our pitbull Reagan (three years old) has a
difficult time urinating sometimes. There are
instances when he feels like peeing (and thus
readys himself) but no urine comes out. He seems
to feel discomfort. Also, his urine is yellowish
and malodorous. Could this be a urinary infection?
What should be done?
Patrizia
Marikina,Metro Manila, Philippines
Reagan most likely does have a urinary infection.
Urinary infections, or bladder infections, are the most common cause of difficulty urinating in both cats and dogs. Bladder infections often cause frequent attempts to urinate, often with marked straining. The urine may have a foul odor, and blood may be noted in the urine. Some afflicted pets show all of these symptoms; others show only one or even none.
Bladder infections almost never resolve on their own, and if they aren’t treated they can lead to kidney infections and serious illness.
Uncomplicated urinary infections respond to antibiotics. If Reagan has been having trouble for a long time, he may require several weeks of medicine to recover completely.
Be aware that a urinary infection isnot the only possible cause of the symptoms you are noticing. Prostate problems, bladder stones, urinary crystals, and bladder inflammation may cause them as well.
A veterianarian should evaluate any pet that is having trouble urinating. In the best case the pet may be uncomfortable. In the worst case, he could have a serious medical problem.
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