Vet Blog
11/05/09
Just a week after DVM Newsmagazine (and the Vet Blog) reported that cats and dogs do not appear capable of contracting swine flu (also known as H1N1 influenza), a cat in Iowa has proved the opposite.
Today I received the following action alert from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).
2009 H1N1 influenza virus confirmed in Iowa cat
November 4, 2009 – A 13-year old cat in Iowa developed signs of a respiratory infection after several people in the household were ill. Preliminary testing was positive for 2009 H1N1 on October 29, and the results were confirmed on November 2. This is the first report of a cat infected with H1N1. The cat has recovered from its illness.
To date, this is the first cat confirmed infected with the 2009 H1N1 virus. Two ferrets, one in Oregon and one in Nebraska, have also recently been confirmed infected with the 2009 H1N1 virus. The Nebraska ferret died, but the Oregon ferret has recovered. To date, there is no evidence that the ferrets or the cat passed the virus to people.
The American Veterinary Medical Association and American Association of Feline Practitioners are reminding pet owners that many viruses can pass between people and animals, so this was not an altogether unexpected event. We are advising pet owners to monitor their pets’ health very closely, no matter what type of animal, and visit a veterinarian if there are any signs of illness.
The good news, of course, is that the cat recovered and that animals have not yet been shown to pass the virus to humans.
I will continue to relay to my readers all of the information I receive on feline or canine H1N1 influenza.
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11/04/09
 In my practice as a veterinarian I must constantly battle fleas. Worse, and much more frustrating, I also must do daily battle against human ignorance regarding the vile, pestilence-spreading blood sucking parasites.
People’s knowledge of history is poor. Very few of my clients are aware that merely six hundred and fifty years ago fleas spread a disease (bubonic plague, also known as black death) that wiped out a third of Europe and changed the nature of society forever. Only in the last 80 years has the plague receded as the preeminent threat to human existence.
Now that in the United States plague isn’t the imminent threat it once was, many people view fleas as merely pests.
Indeed, fleas are pests. But they are much more than pests. They are vectors for many diseases other than plague in cats and humans.
A page published recently on the NAVC Clinician’s Brief website discussed some of the vague, creepy diseases that fleas can spread to your cat–and to you.
I suggest you check it out. Also, don’t forget to read what I have written about the parasites on my website:
http://drbarchas.com/fleas
Image: The little fella almost looks cute. Don’t be fooled: he’s deadly!
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11/03/09
Breaking news.
Vetsulin insulin is widely used in diabetic dogs (and, occasionally, diabetic cats). I was therefore disturbed to receive the following e-mail from the American Veterinary Medical Association.
FDA-CVM Issues Alert About Problems with Vetsulin® Porcine Insulin Zinc Suspension
November 3, 2009 – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, in cooperation with Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health, has announced that Vetsulin® may have varying amounts of crystalline zinc insulin, the active ingredient, in the formula. As a result, use of the product could result in a delay in action of the drug as well as prolonged action, which could cause difficulty in managing diabetic pets. Get more information on the AVMA web site, AVMA.org: http://www.avma.org/aa/vetsulin_091102.asp
If you administer Vetsulin to your pet, I recommend that you contact your veterinarian about this matter immediately. Unreliable insulin can lead to chronically high blood sugar in pets. Worse, it can lead to accidental insulin overdose. For information on the symptoms of insulin overdose in pets, go to my website:
http://drbarchas.com/insulin
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10/31/09
 I love Halloween. Sadly, tonight I am working at the veterinary emergency hospital. And I already know what the night is going to bring. People and dogs are very predictable.
People will leave Halloween candy unattended, in many cases just for a moment. Dogs will pounce upon and devour the candy, wrappers and all. I see the consequences of this every year, time and time again.
Fortunately, most Halloween candy contains milk chocolate (click the link to learn more about chocolate toxicity in dogs)–one of the least dangerous types. And many seasonal treats are made mostly of nougat, which isn’t technically toxic. The wrappers generally are harmless.
But any dog that eats enough Halloween candy is at risk of more than chocolate toxicity or an upset stomach. Each year I treat several dogs for pancreatitis after they devour a stash of sugary treats.
Pancreatitis is a life-threatening inflammation of an organ that is involved in the digestion of food. Dogs who recover from pancreatitis are at increased risk of diabetes later in life.
Have fun this Halloween. But watch the dog!
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10/28/09
 Swine flu, also known as H1N1 influenza, has been dominating the news recently. The viral strain appears set to cause the first influenza pandemic in a generation. Influenza pandemics are big deals. The pandemic of 1918-1920 caused more people to die from flu than from bullets or bombs during World War One.
Influenza viruses are known for infecting multiple species–as the name would imply, swine flu developed in pigs and then spread to people.
This may lead pet owners to wonder: can cats and dogs catch swine flu?
The answer appears to be no. DVM Newsmagazine reports that there is no evidence cats or dogs can contract, carry, spread, or suffer illness from H1N1 influenza.
H1N1 influenza has been isolated from a ferret. Fortunately at this time there is no evidence that ferrets can spread the disease to people.
Although it appears we can rest easy about our cats and dogs catching swine flu, remember that cats are susceptible to an even scarier form of influenza: bird flu (also known as H5N1). Cats contract bird flu by preying upon or being fed raw bird meat. The virus does not appear capable of spreading from cat to cat. That is a good thing, since the fatality rate among cats infected with H5N1 appears to be 100%.
Fortunately, it is easy to protect your cat from H5N1. If you feed your cat commercial or cooked food and keep him indoors, his chances of catching bird flu are nil.
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09/19/09
 The number two question I have noted in response to my plea for questions from the head of Iams relates to corn. Why is corn in pet foods? Is it just a filler?
To answer this question I will rely in part on my own original research. I tested the corn-as-a-filler hypothesis personally.
When I was a freshman in college, dinner was served family style each night in the dormitory’s cafeteria. At that time I had not yet ascertained that I was destined to be a clinician rather than a researcher. Therefore I decided to undertake an experiment.
One night my table was served a portion of canned corn. A large volume was left over at the end of the meal. In the name of science I consumed the leftover canned corn. It amounted to at least two cups. In order to ensure the validity of my experiment, I took care not to chew the corn.
The next morning a scientific breakthrough occurred. I discovered, decisively, that unchewed corn is not digestible.
The key word, however, is unchewed. The outer husk of a corn kernel is not digestible by cats, dogs, or humans. Ground up corn is a different story.
I remember learning in nutrition class in vet school (and to answer, in advance, the skeptics who will bring up links between pet food companies and veterinary nutrition departments, I have this to say: give me some credit. You don’t think I’d see through that?) that corn is actually a good source of protein for pets.
When I was in Ohio (remember folks, it was Ohio. Not Hawaii, and certainly not Rio) on Iams’ dime, various Iams representatives pointed out that the price of corn has skyrocketed in the last year as demand for corn-based ethanol and other biofuels has taken off. They state that if corn were just a filler they would be wise to seek out a more economical filler.
I also asked about the future of grain-free diets. Dan Rajczak (head of Iams and and Eukanuba) states that the company is investigating these diets at their Louisville, Ohio research center. If their research shows these diets to be more optimal for pet health (and perhaps more profitable?), Iams may begin to move away from grains.
But enough about corn and grains. I also found out where the names Iams and Eukanuba come from. Iams is the last name of the company’s founder. Eukanuba apparently is something that young men in Dayton, Ohio would say when they saw an attractive woman about a century ago. In other words, Eukanuba means hot chick.
And that wraps up the Iams thread. Tomorrow the Vet Blog will be back to feline Q and A. Dog lovers, fear not. I’ll start adding in some dog topics again soon.
Photo: A scientific experiment waiting to happen! By Vassia Atanassova.
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08/22/09
I nearly choked on my bagel when I read the following in the legislative update section of the July-August, 2009 issue of California Veterinarian (the bimonthly publication of the California Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA)).
[Senate Bill] 135 — Animal Abuse: Tail Docking — CVMA Position: Support
The CVMA is now in support of SB 135, which on July 6 was re-referred to the Committee on Appropriations. The bill was heard in the Assembly Agriculture Commmittee on July 1, 2009. The CVMA was successful in getting prescriptive language removed on June 25. The bill was again amended to allow for emergency tail docking if consistent with the (Veterinary Medical) Practice Act, and does not include a reporting requirement.
What’s this? Tail docking might soon become illegal in California? And the CVMA is squarely in support of the matter–no hot-blooded debates, no fights, no splinter groups of vets leaving the organization over such a potentially divisive matter? Is this a dream?
Sort of. The piece continues:
The bill, if passed, will make it a misdemeanor to cut the solid part of the tail of cattle . . . [t]he CVMA is opposed to the routine tail docking of cattle.
Cattle. I guess it can’t always be about dogs.
Tail docking in cattle is designed to serve hygienic purposes. Shorter tails, in theory, are less likely to swish urine and feces through the air or onto the faces of milkers. Animal welfare concerns have lead to prohibitions on bovine tail docking in several European countries and a few Australian states. California looks set to become the next place where the practice is banned.
The proposed law is fine by me. But while we’re outlawing tail docking in cows, wouldn’t some legislator like to amend the bill to cover dogs as well?
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07/31/09
 Tomorrow the Vet Blog will return to veterinary Q&A. But today I can’t resist the following piece from DVM Newsmagazine.
San Francisco considers ban on cat declaw surgeries
Jul 16, 2009
DVM NEWSMAGAZINE
San Francisco — San Francisco may become the second U.S. city, the other is West Hollywood, Calif., to adopt legislation banning the declawing of cats for non-therapeutic reasons.
The San Francisco Commission of Animal Control and Welfare voted 5-1 Thursday to recommend that the Board of Supervisors ban the procedure. The proposed legislation is the most recent, and restrictive, attempt by the city to ban declawing. In 2003, the Board of Supervisors passed a resolution “urging pet guardians and veterinarians to discontinue the practice of declawing cats in the city and county of San Francisco.”
If approved, the city’s law could mirror one passed in West Hollywood in 2003.
The article continues:
Commissioners questioned whether declawing might be necessary for cats in households of immunocompromised persons, a common argument in favor of keeping declawing legal.
Convenience declawing is, in my opinion, set to go the way of the dodo bird, debarking, tail docking, and ear cropping. However, the last quote from the article brings up a complicating factor of declaws.
The last time I declawed a cat was several years ago. The cat was owned by an elderly gentleman who had diabetes. The owner’s skin was very thin, and the cat’s claws, even when well trimmed, frequently cut through his skin accidentally. The cat was not aggressive, but even the action of making “kitty dough” on the owner’s lap could send the man to the emergency room.
The owner decided he had two choices: give the cat up (which often is a euphemism for put the cat to sleep) or declaw the cat.
My decision to perform the surgery was not ethically cut and dried. I was careful to utilize state-of-the-art pain management for the procedure. The man and the cat were able to continue enjoying their lives together.
I hope that any laws banning declawing of cats make considerations for such instances.
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07/28/09
 I freely recognize that I practice veterinary medicine in one of the most progressive places in the world. Just a couple of states over, things are quite a bit different.
In November, 2008 the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) adopted an official policy against cosmetic ear cropping and tail docking. It turns out that some vets in Utah aren’t happy about that.
Here’s an excerpt from an article in the July, 2009 issue of DVM Newsmagazine.
AVMA’s hard line too hard?
Call for softer stance on cosmetic surgery among resolutions facing convention delegates
Jul 1, 2009
By: Christina Macejko
DVM NEWSMAGAZINE
SEATTLE — The Utah Veterinary Medical Association (UVMA) wants the AVMA to lay off the “hard-line slant” it took when the policy on ear cropping and tail docking was changed late last year and is asking the House of Delegates (HOD) to soften the policy.
In November 2008, the American Veterinary Medical Association’s (AVMA) executive board changed the policy to read, “The AVMA opposes ear cropping and tail docking of dogs when done solely for cosmetic purposes. The AVMA encourages the elimination of ear cropping and tail docking from breed standards.”
While the association was not necessarily in favor of the practice before, the policy change, for the first time, explicitly states its opposition to it.
It’s a move that UVMA says was made under pressure from outside groups.
“One of the reasons the Animal Welfare Committee suggested a change to the executive board was to bring the policy more into line with the American Animal Hospital Association and other countries,” UVMA explains. “We are the American Veterinary Medical Association, not any other and do not need to apologize for our positions.”
I have said repeatedly that I believe ear cropping and tail docking as well as debarking and declawing will wane in availability in coming years. Each year fewer vets are willing (or even able) to perform these surgeries.
New graduates from veterinary school generally abhor the procedures. Older vets who have no moral qualms with the surgeries (and who evidently run the show in Utah) are retiring every day.
The demographic shift will settle this debate in time. Meanwhile, the ethical wrangling over the procedures continues.
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07/08/09
 If you have ever watched an especially rambunctious dog pull on a leash that is attached to his collar, surely you have suspected that the activity might be bad for his neck.
It turns out that this common-sense observation has merit.
Two types of dogs are at special risk from neck lead use. The first group consists of Pugs, Boston Terriers, Bulldogs, and other individuals with snubbed noses (so-called brachycephalic individuals). Due to the conformation of their noses, sinuses and other airways these dogs have trouble breathing even under ideal circumstances. A tight collar around the neck can dramatically exacerbate their respiratory issues. I recommend that all snub-nosed dogs be walked using a harness.
The other group of dogs that is at high risk of injury from neck collars is made up of larger dogs that pull hard on walks. Labrador Retrievers are over-represented in this group.
At a recent lecture at the Pacific Veterinary Conference, a leading expert on neck and throat surgery in dogs (the same individual who admonished the attendees never to perform elective debarking surgeries) discussed his concern that chronic injury to the neck could damage a nerve that runs to the voice box. This, in turn, can lead to a life-threatening syndrome called laryngeal paralysis. His recommendation: use a harness.
Of course, all breeds of dogs can still wear appropriately sized collars to hold their identification tags. And it is crucial that the person walking the dog be able to physically control the animal at all times.
But I would be happy never to see another dog pulling so hard on his collar that he can’t breathe.
Photo: Buster models his harness. Forget about that other guy.
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