A most remarkable and unnecessary case was at the emergency hospital over the weekend. If a human being had wound up injured in the manner described below he would have been a laughingstock.

Of course, in this case the dog was not at all to blame. His owners, on the other hand, could use a healthy injection of common sense.

The dog was a young, active large individual. He liked to run. The owners were more sedentary in nature. Recognizing that their pet needed exercise, they took him to a quiet road and set him free. They then followed behind in their car.

They followed too closely. The dog became tired and slowed down. Can you guess what happened next?

Fortunately, although the dog was injured when his owners struck him with the car, the injuries were not life-threatening. Pain killers, antibiotics, wound care, and nasal oxygen support were all that he needed.

But I am amazed that his owners failed to foresee the likely consequences of their way of exercising the dog. I worry about that dog’s future.

Photo: Blix demonstrates safe dog-car interaction. His risk of injury is minimal.

Share this entry with your pawple anywhere:

• Why is it Fair for Dogs, but not Cats, to go Outside?
• Want to Save Your Pet From Suffering and Save Money on Vet Bills? Start With Common Sense–Part 3
• Want to Save Your Pet From Misery and Save Money on Vet Bills? Start With Common Sense — Part 1
• Why do Pets Suddenly Become Afraid of Cars?
• Should my Dog’s Stomach be Tacked to Prevent Bloat?

A reader responded to one of my recent tirades (here and here) against outdoor cats with a very reasonable question. Why, she asked, is it OK for dogs to go outside but not OK for cats?

My pal Buster, a dog, goes outside every day. But I would never dream of allowing a cat to go outside.

When Buster goes outside he is accompanied by a human. For his safety he is kept on a leash whenever he is not playing fetch in a secure area.

I would never, ever consider opening the front door for Buster to spend the afternoon outside unattended. I doubt he would make it 10 minutes on the streets of San Francisco without suffering serious trauma.

But unattended outdoor activity is standard operating procedure for many cats.

If dogs were allowed outside in the way that many cats are, veterinary emergency hospitals would be as common as gas stations or convenience stores. Canine life expectancy would drop 80%.

I know many cats who are allowed outdoors only on leash (cat harnesses and leashes are readily available at pet stores). None of these cats is likely to get into fights or be hit by cars. They are, however, at risk of contracting feline leukemia.

Cats and dogs are not equipped with the wherewithal to thrive outdoors in human society. It is our responsibility to look out for them.

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People who let their cats go outside are funding my future retirement. Nonetheless, I wish everyone would keep their cats inside.

This morning I finished a series of overnight shifts at an emergency hospital near San Francisco. I saw a dozen cats. Only one of them was an indoor-only individual. She was a fifteen-year-old with kidney failure. Her syndrome occurred naturally due to old age.

Every other cat I saw during the last two nights didn’t need to be there. They all suffered consequences of going outside. One suffered the most serious consequence of all.

The outside world is a dangerous place for cats, regardless of age or experience. In my years as a vet, I cannot count the times I have heard someone say something like, “Fluffy has been going outside for ten years and this is the first time he ever got into trouble.” Let me reassure you that when Fluffy finally does get into trouble, the results can be disastrous.

In my career I have treated innumerable cats who have been in fights with other cats. These fights lead to abscesses and feline AIDS. Cats are hit by cars, trucks, bicycles, and trains. I have treated cats that have been attacked by raccoons, bobcats, mountain lions, dogs, coyotes and hawks. I have seen cats suffer hypothermia after being caught outside in thunderstorms. These cats may be so weak that maggots infest their wet fur and infected skin. I have treated cats that fell from trees, cliffs, and ledges. Cats are brought to my office after suffering deliberate abuse at the hands of deranged psychopaths. Outdoor cats frequently are shot with BB guns. They may be kicked, twirled by their tails, or thrown long distances. Twice I have treated cats who were deliberately wrapped in duct tape.

Indoor cats do not suffer these maladies. Every one of these common yet horrible problems is preventable if you keep your cat inside.

As I mentioned, of the dozen cats I saw in the last two nights only one had a problem that was unavoidable.

Ten of the cats I treated had been in fights with other cats, leading to abscesses and lacerations. These cats will survive, although they are at risk of feline AIDS. Their owners shelled out thousands of dollars to my bosses.

One cat, however, broke my heart. If you already keep your cat indoors, I recommend that you stop reading now. What follows is graphic.

If you believe that your cat is “happier outside”, or if you think that going outside is “natural”, or if you think that your cat’s life will not be complete unless he goes outside, or if you think that nothing bad will ever happen to your cat, please read on.

A sweet, loving, and formerly beautiful 16-month-old cat was outside in a rural area near San Francisco. Somehow he made it home.

The cat’s owners thought that he had been caught in a trap, because his left front foot was missing. When I examined him, I came to a different conclusion: he had been hit by a car.

True, his left front foot was missing. Bones, tendons, and muscles were exposed at the stump. The site was bleeding profusely. But both rear legs had similar injuries. The owners hadn’t noticed this.

I suspect that the cat had been basking on his side on a road when a car ran over three of his four limbs.

Two nurses immediately placed an IV catheter into the cat’s only remaining leg–the right front. We gave him the maximum labeled dose of a narcotic painkiller. It didn’t touch him. We doubled down on the medicine, and he seemed to relax a bit.

I went into a private room to talk with the owner. She felt horrifically guilty. She knew that if she had kept her cat inside this would not have happened. In the end there was only one humane choice. We put the cat to sleep. It has been a long time since I have seen anyone cry that hard.

I apologize if this story offends you. But I would be very happy to go to my grave without ever seeing another case like this again. And it would be so easy, if only everyone would keep their cats inside.

Share this entry with your pawple anywhere:

• Why is it Fair for Dogs, but not Cats, to go Outside?
• What Can I do to Stop my Cat From Spreading Feline AIDS?
• JAVMA Reports on Efficacy of New Injectable Antibiotic
• Las Vegas Enacts Mandatory Spay/Neuter Law
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What would make my Chihuahua all of a sudden
become fearful when riding in my truck? She used
to love to travel and she went everywhere with me.
She rides, tethered in her car seat, and is able to
see out the window. When I make her get in she
starts to shiver and pant and she never did this
before. We have not been in any accidents.

Laurie
Portland, Oregon

I suspect that your dog had an unpleasant experience in your truck.

In my experience, pets are prone to negative associations with specific locations. Dogs that fall down a flight of stairs may be very reluctant to ascend or descend that same set of stairs. Dogs that are ambushed and attacked by another dog on a certain street corner may develop anxiety when approaching that same street corner. Dogs that undergo a stressful experience in a car or truck may show anxiety when placed in the vehicle in which the incident occurred.

Usually, but not always, location-based anxiety does not transfer to other, similar locations. A dog who falls down the front stairs in a residence may not be afraid of the back stairs. The dog ambushed and attacked on a particular street corner is not likely to experience anxiety on other street corners. And animals that exhibit fear of a vehicle may not show the same symptoms when placed in a different vehicle.

What sort of unpleasant experience did your dog suffer in your truck? That is anyone’s guess. Based on what you wrote, we can rule out an accident. But there are plenty of other possibilities. Perhaps another animal frightened her while she was in the truck. A loud siren or large, scary vehicle or train may have passed when she was in her car seat. Maybe you used the truck to drive her to the vet’s for a nail trim. Maybe she experienced a frightening hallucination while out for a ride. Maybe she had a nightmare involving the truck when she was sleeping in her bed at home.

You can work on this problem in a number of ways. Habituation, or repeated exposure to the truck in peaceful circumstances, may help with the issue. Be aware, however, that anxiety can be self-fulfilling if each time she enters the truck she has another unpleasant, anxiety-producing episode. These experiences can feed back into her fear of the vehicle. Habituation is most likely to be effective if you repeatedly and briefly place her in the vehicle for a few minutes each day. Ideally she will not show signs of anxiety during these times. Be careful to adopt a cool and reassuring manner when placing your dog in the vehicle.

Going for rides in a different vehicle may help to confirm that the fear is specific only to your truck. In that case, your dog’s anxiety could serve as a good excuse to buy the new truck that you’ve been wanting!

Finally, you could consider products that relieve anxiety in dogs. I would start with dog appeasing pheromone. This product is not guaranteed to work (in fact, nothing is guaranteed to work), but I prefer it to medications. And, speaking of medications, there are several anti-anxiety medications that could be used temporarily as a last resort. Talk to your vet about this, but try some of the other tactics first.

Coming Saturday and Sunday: cat question and answer!

Photo: Odin Floppy Stuart looks pretty comfortable in the truck.

Share this entry with your pawple anywhere:

• Why is it Fair for Dogs, but not Cats, to go Outside?
• Can pets catch colds from humans?
• Should my Dog’s Stomach be Tacked to Prevent Bloat?
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