I’d like to thank Ryan of West Hollywood, California for drawing my attention to the cover story (free registration at nytimes.com is required) of this week’s New York Times Magazine. The article discusses the controversy surrounding the increasing use of medications such as Prozac in pets.

The article is lengthy, but it is worth reading if you have time. One section of the article was particularly interesting to me. It discussed the historical (and still, to a certain extent, ongoing) debate over whether animals experience emotions and thoughts. Here is a quote from the section.

The debate about animal minds is at least as old as Aristotle, who posited that men alone possess reason. The 17th-century French philosopher Nicolas Malebranche wrote that animals “desire nothing, fear nothing, know nothing,” while Voltaire asked, “Answer me, mechanist, has Nature arranged all the springs of feeling in this animal to the end that he might not feel?” Darwin’s view was, Of course not. In “The Descent of Man” he wrote, “We have seen that the senses and intuitions, the various emotions and faculties . . . of which man boasts, may be found in an incipient, or even sometimes in a well-developed condition, in the lower animals.” The staggering assertion of Darwin’s theory is that evolutionary continuity applies not just to bodies but to brains. “The difference in mind between man and the higher animals, great as it is, certainly is one of degree and not of kind,” he wrote.

I am going to side with Darwin on this one. I have spent a lot of time studying canine and feline anatomy and physiology. It turns out that the livers, kidneys, stomachs, intestines and yes, brains, of cats and dogs are very similar to those of humans. It is clear to me that pets have rich emotional lives. And it is also obvious that they can suffer from mental illness.

I have seen syndromes in pets that are remarkably similar to human psychiatric conditions. I know cats with trichotillomania (in veterinary medicine we call it psychogenic alopecia), dogs with obsessive-compulsive disorder, and members of both species with anxiety disorders. I receive at least a dozen questions each week from people whose dogs suffer from separation anxiety–a clear-cut anxiety disorder.

Behavioral modification is the cornerstone of treatment for these sorts of conditions in pets (behavioral modification is the closest thing veterinary medicine has to therapy). But I have seen some pets benefit dramatically when psychoactive medications were used in combination with behavior modification.

Our current understanding of pet psychiatric conditions is crude, to say the least. But I suspect that as we learn more about behavioral (or emotional) disorders in pets, we will be surprised by the similarities between their problems and ours.

• Commonly Used Medicines may Have Little Known Side Effects: Part 1
• How can I Protect my Cat From Ear Mites?
• Why do Pets get Sick While You’re on Vacation?
• Yet Another Scientific Paper Documents the Human Health Benefits of Pets
• Pets May Help Prevent Cognitive Decline in Elderly People

Here is a story that appeared in the June 27, 2008 issue of The Week.

Help from a bloodsucker

Many zoo animals do not like needles and panic when veterinarians try to take their blood. So zoo officials in Europe are letting a bloodsucking bug get the samples they need. Europe is now experiencing an epidemic of bluetongue, and farmers and zookeepers are rushing to vaccinate their animals. But vaccinations aren’t always effective, so vets have to get regular samples of the animals’ blood to check for antibodies. Many animals respond so badly to the threat of a needle stick that they must be sedated before a doctor enters their pen, but sedation can be dangerous. Instead zookepers are introducing the Mexican kissing bug into the cages of the needle-phobic. The bug is known for sucking blood from around the mouth of its sleeping victim (hence the name “kissing” bug). After it sucks a few milliliters of an animal’s blood, vets capture the bug. Zoo vet Tim Bouts tells New Scientist that the technique works well, as long as the bugs are careful. “Once a hippo stepped on a full bug so we had to start over.”

A couple of aspects of the article stood out to me. First, I find it interesting that hoofstock diseases tend to have such crude names (such as bluetongue, foot-and-mouth disease, and mad cow disease).

The technique is very innovative. Disease-free parasites may be a very good way to collect blood samples from a number of species in the future. However, the samples may not be fit for all types of blood testing. For instance, one could not use theses samples to test blood sugar levels or blood oxygenation levels. As well, if my memory serves me correctly kissing bugs are vectors for a syndrome called Chagas disease. I will assume that the kissing bugs used in the project are free of the syndrome.

Finally, I take issue with one point made in the article. The article states that many animals are afraid of needles. In my experience, that is not true. Most animals aren’t scared of needles at all. However, they often are abjectly terrified of the hairless, two-legged apex predators that enter the cages holding the needles. Needles don’t frighten most zoo animals. People do.

• It’s not Just Pets and People: Zoo Animals Suffer from Epidemic of Obesity

An interesting article appeared in the June, 2008 issue of Veterinary Economics.

Swiss law orders pet buddy system
Guinea pigs need friends, dog owners need classes.

A new law in Switzerland taking effect Sept. 1 widens animal rights laws in revolutionary ways. Consider the law’s fine print:
>Animals classified as “social species”–such as guinea pigs and parrots–will be considered victims of abuse if they don’t live or interact regularly with others of their species.
>Dog owners will need to pay for and take a class. The first section of the class focuses on dogs’ needs and wishes, according to The Times of London. The second section explains how owners should walk their dogs and deal with different behavioral situations.

The article goes on to describe new regulations that will take effect to promote humane fishing and farming. The law also sets standards for responsible care of fish kept in home aquariums.

The article ends with a note about enforcement and a strange exception to the new regulations.

Authorities promise they won’t be going door to door to check up on pet owners. They expect public opinion and mandatory training classes to do most of the work for them.

On a side note, it’s not all roses for cats in Switzerland. The Times reports that it’s still legal in Switzerland to skin cats and sell their pelts for domestic and foreign markets. Some people believe that touching cat fur can lessen the pain associated with rheumatism.

It appears that even ultra-progressive cultures such as Switzerland are not free of superstition! To people who believe that touching cat fur lessens the pain from rheumatism, I suggest the following: try petting a real, live cat.

• How can I Protect my Cat From Ear Mites?
• Why do Pets get Sick While You’re on Vacation?
• Article Discusses the Increasing Use of Psychoactive Drugs in Pets
• Yet Another Scientific Paper Documents the Human Health Benefits of Pets
• Pets May Help Prevent Cognitive Decline in Elderly People

An interesting message appeared in my inbox the other day. The message was sent by an organization that opposes a voter initiative scheduled to appear on the November ballot in California.

The ballot measure in question is the 2008 Farm Animal Initiative. An excerpt from the e-mail I received follows.

Californians for SAFE Food, a coalition of family farmers, veterinarians and consumers, which includes the National Animal Interest Alliance, California Farm Bureau Federation, California Women for Agriculture and many of the leading avian science and poultry experts in the nation, ask you to join us and oppose this dangerous initiative. (emphasis mine)

I did some research on the initiative. Here is a quote from the text of the ballot measure (link is PDF format).

The purpose of this Act is to prohibit the confinement of farm animals in a manner that does not allow them to turn around freely, lie down, stand up, and fully extend their limbs.

To me, the standards set forth in the initiative sound quite reasonable. And I have a hunch that the overwhelming majority of Californians will see it the same way. I predict the initiative will pass by a landslide in November.

If you look at the website sponsored by the initiative’s opponents, you will see a list of veterinarians who have, indeed, endorsed the opposition. But a check of the sponsor’s site will reveal a much, much longer list of veterinarians who support the measure.

I recognize that the initiative may create a burden for California farmers. It may also lead to increased food prices.

But I, for one, am not happy that veterinarians as a group have been listed in mass e-mails as opponents of an initiative designed to promote humane farming practices–especially when it seems that most vets (myself included) support the measure.

For more information on the initiative, click on the links below.

Supporters’ website: Californians for Humane Farms
Opponents’ website: Californians for SAFE Food

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Last Friday was Take Your Dog to Work Day in the United States. The event is designed to showcase the benefits that workers and workplaces can derive from the presence of well-behaved pets in the office.

An article on MSN about last year’s event pointed out some of the advantages of having furry friends at work.

[M]ore companies are looking into dog-friendly policies because they improve staff morale and camaraderie and encourage employees to work longer hours. “People will stay longer if they don’t have to leave to let their dog out,” [the co-founder of dogfriendly.com] said.

As a pet lover, I agree that having a dog (or cat) at work makes the day go better. Fortunately for me, pets are quite common at veterinary hospitals!

Although dog lovers won’t need to be convinced that Take Your Dog to Work Day is a great idea, it is important to remember that some people are allergic to or afraid of dogs. Dogs that go to work should be calm, free of parasites, and well controlled.

You can click on the link in the first paragraph for more information about the event. 2009’s Take Your Dog to Work Day is only a year away!

• New Test for Canine Heart Disease may be on the Horizon
• How can I Protect my Cat From Ear Mites?
• Are Labradoodles and Cockapoos Simply Mutts?
• Why do Pets get Sick While You’re on Vacation?
• Should I Worry About Overgrowth on Foot Pads?

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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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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In the aftermath of the catastrophe that occurred on September 11, 2001 a large number of search-and-rescue dogs were deployed at the World Trade Center and Pentagon.

Sadly, many people who performed rescue work at Ground Zero developed health problems, most likely due to exposure to dust at the site. Animal lovers must naturally wonder whether the canine counterparts to these people are suffering similar problems.

The March 15, 2008 issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association contained a news item about an ongoing study of 9/11 rescue dogs. Here is an excerpt.

For six years, scientists at the University of Pennsylvania, led by Dr. Cynthia Otto, have been monitoring the health and behavior of 97 search-and-rescue dogs deployed Sept. 11. No clinically obvious differences have been observed between the dogs and a control group of 55 nondeployed dogs.

That is good news. However, the study isn’t over yet. The researchers intend to continue the study for the duration of the dogs’ lives. Let’s hope that the next batch of results offers similar encouragement.

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The April 1, 2008 issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) reports on a law that will take effect this month in Los Angeles. An excerpt from the article is below.

This April in Los Angeles, one of the nation’s strictest pet sterilization laws takes effect, mandating that most of the city’s pet owners have their cat or dog spayed or neutered by the time the animal is four months old. Certain animals, such as service dogs and those belonging to registered breeders, are exempted from the law.

Supporters of the law hope that it will reduce the number of unwanted cats and dogs that are euthanized each year in the city. The JAVMA article states that in 2007 8,960 cats and 6,049 dogs were euthanized because homes could not be found for them.

However, not everyone supports the law.

Pedigree groups such as the American Kennel Club and the Cat Fanciers’ Association are opposed to mandatory spay and neuter laws, saying dog and cat overpopulation is a complex problem that goes beyond reproductive status to multiple aspects of owner irresponsibility. The Los Angeles ordinance will be difficult to enforce and evaded by owners who don’t licence their pets with the city.

Ah, controversy. Personally, I am ambivalent about this law. From a population standpoint, it makes perfect sense. It breaks my heart to think of 15,000 unwanted pets being euthanized each year in Los Angeles. The law likely will bring that number down.

But I do not treat populations. I treat individuals. The jury is still out on whether four months of age is the best time to sterilize a pet, as I mentioned in a previous post. So, although the law may be the best thing for Los Angeles’ cats and dogs in general, there are some individuals for whom the law may be less than ideal.

• What Questions Should I ask my Vet Before Surgery?
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• Discussion on the optimal time to spay or neuter
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Many cat lovers have wondered where their feline companions are from. Many people have theorized that humans welcomed cats into our proximity because of the felines’ penchant for eating mice and rats. (Others might say that cats condescended to reside among us because our grain storehouses attracted their prey animals.) Once we were in close proximity, our natural affinities for each other meant it was only a matter of time before we became companions. (I should admit that humans may have done more to drive the transition, at least at first, than cats.)

But where and when did this happen? Where did the process start?

An article in the spring, 2008 issue of UC Davis Magazine reports on the results of a study that appears to answer those questions. Genetic testing was used to identify the origins of the house cat. From the article:

For the study, the scientists collected samples of cheek cells from more than 11,000 cats. These cats represented 17 populations of randomly bred cats from Europe, the Mediterranean, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, as well as 22 recognized breeds.

For the record, collection of cheek cells is not painful and does not harm the cat involved.

After analyzing the tests, the researchers concluded that feline domestication started 5,000 – 8,000 years ago. The results suggested that cats and humans began intensively intermingling in the Fertile Crescent region (an area that includes northern Africa, Turkey, and the Tigris and Euprhates river basins).

The article points out that the Fertile Crescent region is thought to be the location in which the human species converted to agriculture from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle. Farming led to surplus grains in storage areas. The grains attracted mice and rats, and the rodents attracted cats. The rest was history.

• How can I Protect my Cat From Ear Mites?
• Why do Pets get Sick While You’re on Vacation?
• Is it Safe for Cats to Drink Milk?
• Article Discusses the Increasing Use of Psychoactive Drugs in Pets
• Yet Another Scientific Paper Documents the Human Health Benefits of Pets