Most people are familiar with the massive pet food recall that occurred in 2007. The recall affected dozens of brands, and was linked to ingredients that were intentionally tainted with melamine (and unintentionally tainted with cyanuric acid due to shoddy melamine manufacturing) by human beings. The combination of ingredients sickened or killed a large number of pets.

Human-made chemicals aren’t the only contaminants that can be found in pet foods. In 2005-2006, a massive recall of Diamond brand dog food occurred due to contamination with a natural poison. That poison was aflatoxin.

Aflatoxin is created by fungus that grows on corn. Exposure to aflatoxin can lead to sudden liver failure.

A report in the May 1, 2008 issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association discussed the symptoms, treatment, and outcome of dogs that ate contaminated food.

Different species have varying susceptiblity to aflatoxins, with dogs being highly susceptible . . . During late 2005, a serious foodborne aflatoxin contamination that was derived from moldy corn in manufactured dog food was recognized through collaborative efforts of regional New York State veterinarians and the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University . . . Although product recall was rapidly announced, high rates of morbidity and mortality of dogs nevertheless was encountered in the United States.

The report goes into quite a bit of detail about the pathology that occurred in affected dogs. But the conclusion of the study was disheartening.

Despite aggressive treatment, many but not all severely affected dogs died.

For reference, the article cited in this entry is J Am Vet Med Assoc 2008;232:1329-1337.

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Dear Dr Barchas-

Diana
Charleston, WV

Based on your description of the problem and your kitten’s background, your kitten most likely is suffering from ear mites. Ear mites are parasites that cause itching, scabbing, and wax around the ears. They are common in kittens–especially kittens that come from less-than-perfect backgrounds.

Before I go further, I should say that if you can possibly manage it your kitten will definitely benefit from a veterinary checkup. The vet will be able to assess the ears, as well as perform a general health evaluation. Kittens that are born in barns frequently are infested with intestinal worms that may be contagious to human beings. And kittens needs shots to prevent deadly diseases such as feline panleukopenia virus (also known as feline distemper). So, plan A is to see a vet. No doubt about it. The vet can prescribe a medicine such as Revolution or Advantage Multi that will eliminate ear mites as well as intestinal worms. And she or he can vaccinate your kitten.

If going to a vet is absolutely out of the question there are other, albeit inferior, options.

Some pet stores sell over-the-counter ear mite medicines. These medicines are not as safe or effective as the ones that vets can prescribe, but they might help with the ear problem. Most of these medicines need to be applied daily for at least a month.

As well, over-the-counter dewormers are offered at some pet stores. Like the ear mite medicines, they often are not as safe or effective as the ones that your vet can provide. They also are not as effective at preventing spread of the parasites to humans.

And then there is the issue of shots. In many states, you can buy vaccines at pet or feed stores and administer them yourself. Kittens should receive at least two (preferably three) vaccines against panleukopenia at three or four week intervals.

If you work hard and are resourceful, you may be able to tackle your kitten’s problems on your own. But in the long run, it may be less expensive (and certainly more convenient) to go to the vet. And there is no doubt whatsoever that a veterinary checkup would be in your kitten’s best interest. If it is at all possible, then please do it.

• How can I Protect my Cat From Ear Mites?

My Mastiff’s nose has become dry and chapped. What
can I use to help with dryness? It doesn’t
seem to bother him.

Brenda
Landers, CA

It is not uncommon for dogs to develop scabbing, crusting, or a change in pigmentation (color) on the nose. The syndrome most frequently occurs in the area where the haired skin of the muzzle meets the hairless skin of the nostrils.

In most cases, the syndrome is triggered by excessive activity of the immune system. I see it most often in German Shepherds, but any breed may be affected. Dogs with the syndrome usually do not show signs of pain. However, severe cases can lead to disfigurement or skin infections.

There are several ways to treat the problem. First, I recommend protecting your dog from stimuli that may trigger hyperactivity of the immune system. Two major factors are known to contribute to this syndrome and are easy to avoid. The first, and most important, is sunlight. Since you live in an area with lots of sun and a high UV index, and since the days are getting longer, I suspect that sun exposure is playing a role in your dog’s predicament. If you keep him inside or in the shade during peak sun hours (10:00 am to 3:00 pm), you may see improvement.

The second immune system trigger is fleas. If your dog isn’t on a good flea preventative, I’d recommend that you start one.

Topical treatments are the next line of defense. Unfortunately, many dogs lick off and swallow anything that is applied to the nose. Because of this, I recommend applying liquid vitamin E to the area twice daily. Vitamin E is sold in gelatin capsules at drug stores. The capsules can be punctured, and the liquid inside can be squeezed out and applied to the nose. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that can modulate the activity of the immune system in the affected area. If your dog licks it off, it is completely harmless. In fact, some experts advocate oral, as well as topical administration of vitamin E.

If the problem cannot be controlled with these simple steps, then you may need to use oral or topical steroids related to prednisone. Before you take that step, however, it would be wise to perform tests (such as a biopsy or a simpler procedure known as cytology) to confirm that such a powerful treatment is necessary.

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Emotional well-being and physical well-being are closely linked. This fact seems self-evident. It makes sense that sick people recover faster if they are happy, comfortable, and free of pain. However, anyone who has spent time in a hospital will probably agree that patients’ emotional well-being often takes a back seat to raw science.

Some members of the nursing profession are working to make hospitals more pleasant for patients. An article in the May, 2008 issue of American Nurse Today points out one way to enhance patients’ emotional well-being: pet therapy. (Hat tip to Denie for passing along the article, which is written for nurses.)

By providing the benefits of human-animal interactions, pet therapy can promote a patient’s health and recovery. And you can use this creative intervention for patients in almost any setting–even patients who don’t have pets.

The article makes several points. First, the authors state that people who are hospitalized often worry about pets who are at home without anyone to care for them. The authors suggest that nurses help to confirm that the pets are being responsibly cared for. This leads to decreased stress and improved clinical condition in hospitalized humans.

The authors also recommend that, if possible, sick people should be allowed to visit with their pets. And they point out that people who don’t have pets often benefit from time spent with specially trained and certified therapy animals.

Finally, regular readers of this blog know that I love to talk about the health benefits that humans derive from their pets. (For instance, see here, here and here.) Therefore, I found the following boxed text in the article to be completely irresistible.

How pets improve our health. The benefits of pet companionship and interactions include:

less stress

lower blood pressure

lower cholesterol levels

less cardiovascular disease

reduced sense of loneliness

increased socialization and reminiscences

increased sense of responsibility and alertness

increased physical activity

improved overall health, leading to fewer doctor appointments

increased fun!

The article discussed in this post was written by Charlotte McKenny, BSN, RN and Rebecca Johnson, PhD, RN, FAAN.

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My Australian Cattle Dog/German Shepherd,
Dennis has developed quarter-sized soft lumps on
one back ankle and behind one of his front legs
close to elbow. Do you have any idea what this
could be and how they should be treated if
necessary?

Nina
New Bern, NC

You don’t mention Dennis’ age, but if he is middle-aged or older the lumps may be callouses. Callouses are areas of thickened skin that occur at points, such as the elbows and ankles, where high levels of pressure are pesent when dogs lie down on hard surfaces. Callouses generally are hairless, thick, and wrinkly.

Callouses are very common in older, large dogs such as Labrador Retrievers and German Shepherds. I have known some dogs with massive ones on their elbows and ankles.

Most callouses are harmless and do not require treatment. However, in dogs with severe mobility disorders, callouses can turn into bedsores. Signs of trouble include redness, discharge from the site, sudden growth of the area, or a bad odor.

The best way to prevent callouses is to offer soft bedding for your dog. That said, many of my patients choose to lie on hardwood floors or concrete even when a comfortable dog bed is available.

I would recommend that you have a veterinarian look at Dennis to confirm that the growths are callouses. If they are, then you don’t have much to worry about.

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We have a three-year-old Pug who keeps having ear
issues. It started when we took her to PetsMart
to be groomed a couple of years ago and they got
her ears wet. It was diagnosed as yeast and we
were given a cleaner and medicine, which seemed to
clear up the problem for awhile. It’s back now
and I can’t seem to get it to go away, even
though she’s been to our newest vet. I clean her
ears every day and the Q-tips come out with brown
gunk on them, but I can see that I’m not getting
all of it out. I’m using Animax once a day to
try to clear this up. Any help or suggestions you
could provide would be excellent. Thank you!

Janet
Woodbridge, VA

In my entire career, I do not think I have gone one working day without treating an ear infection. They are incredibly common in pets.

Some breeds (Pugs, Labrador Retrievers, Cocker Spaniels, Golden Retrievers, and Persian cats come to mind) are especially predisposed to ear infections. However, any cat or dog can be afflicted.

Ear infections occur when bacteria and yeast (which naturally live on the surface of the skin and ears) grow out of control. They may be triggered by allergies or water in the ear, but the root cause of chronic or recurrent infections is an individual predisposition. When a pet’s immune system cannot keep the micro-organisms under control, ear infections result.

Infected ears produce excessive wax (the brown gunk that you find when you clean the ears). The wax, unfortunately, harbors the micro-organisms. Therefore, the treatment for most ear infections is to clean the ears regularly, and then apply a medication (such as Animax) that kills yeast and bacteria.

Most ear infections resolve completely after seven days of this type of treatment. Some infections, however, are too severe for this to work. Your Pug clearly is suffering from one of these more serious infections.

When cleaning and topical medications alone are not enough to eliminate an ear infection, the next step is to use oral medications. These medicines fight the infection from the inside, and they are used in addition to regular ear cleaning and topical treatments.

I recommend that you talk to your vet about adding oral antibiotics to your dog’s treatment regimen. As well, you can consider anti-fungal medicines to fight the yeast. Some infections cause such severe irritation that oral steroids such as prednisone are necessary to make the pet comfortable. Based on your description, I doubt that your dog needs oral steroids.

Also, remember that no ear infection will clear up unless you clean the affected ear thoroughly. Ask your vet for a demonstration to make sure that you are using good technique. Be careful with Q-tips. If you insert them too far, you can damage the ear.

Finally, don’t forget that allergies to fleas can trigger ear infections. In the long run you may see a benefit from using reliable flea control product.

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Hello, My cat Reesee is 20 lbs and has a very
small frame. I have a multiple cat household and
they all eat from the same bowl. How do you
attack a weight issue for one kitty without
causing the other “normal” weight kitties to
lose unneccesarry weight?

Desiree
Sanger, TX

Desiree, take heart from the fact that you are in good company. I have dozens of clients who are in your predicament. One cat in the house has, shall we say, a robust appetite. The others are less food-motivated. If you restrict the total amount of food offered to all of the cats, the one with the strongest appetite will probably consume the lion’s share.

There are, however, some tricks that you can use to fight this situation. They are all schemes that restrict the amount of food that the heavy eater consumes, but allow the light eaters to get their share as well.

One method is to abolish the all day, all-you-can-eat buffet system and feed meals instead. The light eaters can be fed together. Reesee, however, will have to eat in a separate room. This allows you to control how much Reesee eats, but it is less convenient than simply having one food bowl out all the time. Also, it won’t work if the light eaters can’t transition from grazing throughout the day to eating only at mealtimes.

If Reesee is like most 20-pounders I know, she isn’t as limber as her cohorts, nor can she jump as high. If the method above doesn’t work, you can try leaving food for the more active cats on a counter or shelf that Reesee can’t get to. Be creative. For instance, some people install baby gates to block access to food. Fit cats have no problem bypassing such obstacles. Heavier cats might not manage to get through. However, remember that a truly dedicated individual may be able to accomplish remarkable feats in order to get what she wants–food, in this case.

Finally, if you want to go high-tech, you can keep the all-day food source in a room that is accessible by an electronic pet door. These devices allow only specified individuals (the thin cats) to pass through them. This option is more expensive than the others. But if convenience is your priority, it could be the way to go.

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Here is a disturbing story from the May 16, 2006 issue of The Week.

A Minnesota man who struck and killed a dog while driving is suing the animal’s owners for damaging his car. Jeffery Ely says he has nothing but compassion for the Munthe family, whose 13-pound Miniature Pinscher, Fester, was killed instantly in the collision. But Ely claims that the impact drove pieces of his Honda Civic’s fender into its radiator and that he should be reimbursed the $1,100 cost of repairs. “I love dogs,” said Ely. “But once you get them, they are your responsibility.”

Wow. Talk about adding insult to injury. I am not an attorney, but based on my understanding of animal law, Ely may win the case.

The story does not mention whether poor Fester was on leash at the time of the accident, but I’ll bet that he wasn’t. I’ve never met a dog who was hit by a car while on-leash. Please remember that leashes are not simply required by law in most places. They also are important for the safety of your pet.

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Hi there, Dr. Barchas!

Shannon
Middletown, Ohio

I have met many pets with severe overbites. In my experience overbites occur more often in dogs, but plenty of cats have them as well. For the most part, they lead normal lives.

Most overbites are cosmetic problems. A Chihuahua with an overbite won’t win at Westminster, but she will still be able to lead a regular Chihuahua life.

In some pets, overbites can cause a syndrome (called malocclusion) in which the teeth don’t fit together properly. In many cases malocclusion is harmless. In others, it can lead to dental wear or other problems. And, if a pet has a severe overbite the canine teeth (the fangs) of the lower jaw may grow into and damage the tissue of the palate or mouth. This is rare, and can be treated with orthodontics or extraction of the lower teeth.

You definitely should have a vet check your cat to rule out severe malocclusion. However, since she has so few teeth, there probably won’t be an issue.

And speaking of the lack of teeth: I doubt it’s a cause for concern. The tissue from which the teeth germinate most likely was absent from the affected area of jaw. Dental X-rays wouldn’t be a bad idea, but if your cat is behaving and growing normally, X-rays aren’t mandatory.

I also see no need for special toys or food. You mention that your cat is eating well, so there’s probably no reason to change things up. Your cat may look a little different, but I suspect that she will lead a normal life.

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For those of you who live in foxtail territory, be careful! I just finished working a shift at an emergency hospital in northern California, where foxtails reign supreme. In a period of 12 hours, I was party to the removal of five foxtails from pets. Two were in ears, two were in noses, and one was in an eye.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with grass awns (colloquially called foxtails), I recommend that you check the link above. Foxtails aren’t present in every locale. But in areas where they grow, foxtails are public enemy number one as far as pets are concerned.

Foxtails occur where long grass (especially wild barley) has gone to seed and dried. They are sharp, irritating plant parts that can embed in the socks of hikers, or in virtually any body part of a pet. If a foxtail works its way into a pet’s ear, he may shake his head violently, rub the ear, or whine when the ear is touched. In the nose, foxtails cause violent sneezing. Foxtails embedded in eyes cause phenomenal pain, squinting, and swelling. In the skin, they cause bleeding, swelling, hair loss, and excessive licking.

Regardless of location, embedded foxtails are painful and have the potential to migrate to distant parts of the body. And once one is embedded, you’ll be looking at a costly vet bill to search for it. Removal is not guaranteed.

My advice: learn whether foxtails are present in your area. If they are, learn what they look like. And then, avoid them like the plague! If you let your pet roam through tall, dry seeded grass, you may end up in the waiting room of a veterinary emergency clinic–nobody’s favorite place to pass time.

Photo from great Dog Owner’s Guide to California Foxtail

 
See related Vet Blog entries:

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• Seemingly Funny Pet Behaviors May be Caused by Serious Compulsive Disorders
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