Vet Blog
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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09/28/09
 Stress is a bad thing. My poor pal Buster found this out the hard way two weeks ago. We moved.
Our new place is great. It even has off-street parking, which is a very big deal in San Francisco. But I hate moving. And apparently so does Buster.
Buster developed diarrhea two days before the move. It lasted until three days after, when I finally gave up on a mild protocol of easily digestible food and resorted to antidiarrheal medications.
During the move Buster also developed severe itching. He constantly scratched his abdomen. He engaged in excessive licking of areas that only dogs (and cats) can reach. At first I suspected that the itching was related to switching from Advantage to Frontline (which happened shortly before the move), or from an allergy to some chemical, contaminant, plant or mold in the new house. But now that we’re settled in, Buster is no longer itchy.
I suspect that both of these problems were caused by stress. Although Buster didn’t show any obvious outward signs of stress during the move, rehousing is famously and predictably stressful in dogs, cats, and humans.
Stress is a well known cause of diarrhea in all three species mentioned above. Stress is also known for causing skin issues in cats and humans. I now believe that it contributes to skin problems in dogs as well.
Stress also weakens the immune system, predisposing animals of all species to disease. In humans it has been linked to heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. In cats there is a well documented link between stress and severe gum disease as well as certain potentially life-threatening urinary conditions.
Moving, unfortunately, is a fact of life. But if you have to move, try to settle in quickly. And once you’re in your new home, take time to pet the cat and walk the dog.
Photo: Buster settles in to his new digs.
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05/28/09
 My 13 year old dog has stopped eating everything. She will drink water but no food. It has been a few days now. I looked into her mouth and one tooth is sort of black and so is the gum. She throws up about once a day also. Could all this be from her tooth?
Shirley
Jacksonville, FL
Animals do not stop eating unless there is a reason.
When I think back to the last time I went a day without eating despite food being available, I remember being very sick. Similarly, when a pet stops eating it means that something is wrong.
Dental disease causes or has been linked to a huge number of problems in cats and dogs. However, unless a tooth has abscessed acutely, dental problems rarely cause pets to stop eating completely. I therefore consider it unlikely that your dog’s tooth is the cause of your dog’s inappetance.
I am worried that a metabolic problem such as liver disease or kidney disease, or a glandular disorder such as advanced diabetes, or cancer may be causing your dog’s appetite to disappear. Many other problems, such as infections with viruses or bacteria, trauma or dehydration also may cause symptoms like those you describe.
I recommend immediate veterinary attention for any pet that goes more than one day without eating. The sooner you find out what is wrong, the higher your chances of successfully addressing the problem.
Photo: this is what we want to see!
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04/06/09
 My female cat, Gracie, had a urinary tract infection about a year ago. Ever since then, she has not been the best about urinating in her litterbox. (She will do #2 in the litterbox, but she is not consistent about urinating in the litterbox.) I am not home during the day during the week, as I work. My daughter says that I should lock her in the laundry room, where the litter box is, during the day to “re-train” her. Her brother, Boxy, has the run of the house during the day, as he has no such problem. I would have to confine him, too. What do you think that I should do? Gracie is spayed, Boxy is neutered. Both cats are a little over 2 years old.
Edie
Deerfield, IL
I would recommend that you start by having Gracie undergo blood and urine testing, as well as diagnostic imaging (X-rays or ultrasound) to rule out an ongoing medical problem.
Urinary tract infections in cats can be very severe. Sometimes more than one course of antibiotics is necessary to treat them.
Also, a syndrome known as FLUTD can cause chronic bladder pain and inappropriate urination such as you describe.
Syndromes such as diabetes and kidney disease can cause cats to drink excessive amounts of water. This, in turn, causes excessive urination which can lead to house soiling.
If no medical cause can be found for Gracie’s behavior, then it is appropriate to deal with the matter as a behavioral problem. Your daughter’s suggestion may be appropriate, but you also can find a plethora of advice on this matter on my website:
http://drbarchas.com/feline_housesoiling_treatment
Finally, note that some cats develop litter box aversions after suffering from urinary tract infections. This happens when cats associate painful urination with the box that was in place during the infection, and it is possible in Gracie’s case. Litter box aversions often respond to the therapies recommended in the link above.
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02/25/09
 My dog is drinking a huge amount of water. He has
a 2.75 gallon water dish and we fill it every day.
He’s eating less as well. Could he have a
kidney problem?
Sarah
MO
You will always get a vet’s attention by telling him that your pet is drinking more water than he used to. Drinking excessive amounts of water is a symptom of a number of diseases and syndromes. Common causes of increased thirst include kidney disease, diabetes, metabolic conditions, bladder problems, glandular problems, and certain types of cancer.
Decreased appetite in combination with excessive thirst is a troubling combination of symptoms.
I strongly recommend that you have a veterinarian assess your pet. A panel of blood and urine tests will almost certainly give you insight into the problem. The sooner you do this, the more likely it is that you will be able to treat the condition.
For more information on changes in water consumption in pets, please visit my website.
Photo: Fortunately, Jackie doesn’t look like she’s drinking all of that water.
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01/30/09
 Several canine and feline medical conditions require home treatments that incorporate needles or syringes. For instance, cats with kidney disease may receive regular injections of fluids under their skin. Cats and dogs with diabetes often require daily (or twice daily) injections of insulin.
Needles and syringes can be safely used only once. This means that many pet owners must store and dispose of used needles that are generated by their pet’s treatment.
Historically two disposal methods have been commonly used. Many people would simply throw the used needles away. This technique was legal but frowned upon because sharp medical waste is inherently dangerous. In the second method, people saved their pet’s used needles and returned them to their veterinarian for disposal.
What very few people, including veterinarians, realize is that both of the commonly used methods are now illegal in California. On September 1, 2008 new regulations took effect to protect public safety by barring the disposal of needles in trash cans or recycling bins.
The only legal way to dispose of needles and syringes that are used at home is to take them to an official “home-generated sharps consolidation point”. Such points must comply with specific state regulations. A special application is required to register as a consolidation point.
This means that unless your veterinarian has taken special measures to register his or her facility as a home-generated sharps consolidation point (and I’ll bet your vet has not), you cannot legally return used needles or syringes to your vet’s office.
The new regulations also address the storage of used needles until they can be taken to the consolidation point. In the past, people often used plastic bags or tupperware containers to store their sharps. Now people must use specially designed and approved sharps receptacles.
For more information on the regulations, click here.
Photo credit: William Rafti. Photo license: CC
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01/24/09
 Hey Dr. Barchas, I have a Maine Coon cat and he is
22 pounds. Is this normal?
Madison
Abbotsford, BC, Canada
Maine Coons are known for being large. I have known plenty of healthy Maine Coons who weighed in at 15 pounds or more. And, in the course of my career, I have met two healthy cats who weighed more than 20 pounds. They were both Maine Coons.
To answer your question, a 22 pound cat is not normal. It is exceptional. Very few cats weigh that much.
However, it does not matter whether your cat is normal. What matters is whether his weight is healthy.
A 22 pound cat is roughly equivalent to a 250 pound person. Most 22 pound cats, and most 250 pound people, are overweight. But there are exceptions. For a very tall person, 250 pounds could be a healthy weight. And for a very large-framed cat, 22 pounds could be fine.
Remember that obesity in cats is linked to a number of serious medical conditions such as diabetes, kidney failure and bladder inflammation. I recommend that you have a vet assess your cat’s weight. If his weight is fine, then don’t worry. If he is overweight, discuss weight control measures with your vet.
Photo: Chloe’s weight looks fine to me.
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01/18/09
 My seven-year-old Malamute quit eating. Her Dr. said that all
blood work and fecal, etc. were fine she just
won’t eat!! She stopped eating her dog food, and now
barely even eats p-butter.
I think it may be a tooth,but the Dr.
disagrees. Regardless of what it may be, how do I
get her to eat?
Jill
Largo,FL.
Animals do not suddenly stop eating unless something is wrong. To get your dog eating again, you need to find out what is wrong and correct it if possible.
A very large number of diseases and syndromes may cause a seven-year-old pet to lose its appetite. Many, such as kidney disease, bladder infections and advanced diabetes, are detectable on basic blood and urine tests. Others, including certain intestinal disorders, foreign objects in the intestines and most forms of cancer, are not.
I think your dog needs more tests. I would recommend X-rays and ultrasound of the abdomen as the next step.
Dental problems cause pets to lose their appetites rarely. However, if a thorough diagnostic evaluation fails to determine what’s going on, you may want to consider dental work.
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12/20/08
 Is it common for puppies to get diabetes? If so,
can it go into remission so that she doesn’t need
shots for the rest of her life?
Laura
Concord, NH
Diabetes is very uncommon in puppies.
Diabetes mellitus (known simply as diabetes) is a common disease of cats and dogs. It occurs when the body is unable to regulate blood sugar levels. Diabetic animals have chronically high levels of sugar in their blood. The most common symptoms of diabetes are increased thirst, increased appetite, and weight loss. Diabetes is a life-threatening syndrome that must be treated.
In my experience, diabetes is most common in middle aged animals. I have never diagnosed diabetes in a puppy or kitten.
I have, however, seen high blood sugar levels in puppies and kittens. Very young animals may develop temporarily high levels of sugar in their blood after meals or after treatment with IV fluids that contain sugar. They are also prone to episodes of low blood sugar when they haven’t eaten for long periods.
I am therefore wondering about the circumstances of your puppy’s diagnosis with diabetes. Have multiple blood sugar tests yielded high results? Is there sugar in her urine? Has her blood sugar been tested after she has been fasted for several hours?
If your veterinarian has performed rigorous testing and concluded that your puppy is diabetic, then you will have to administer insulin. Some animals do experience remission from diabetes and do not require injections for their entire lives.
If your vet hasn’t performed the sort of testing listed above, I’d recommend it. There may be a chance that your puppy isn’t diabetic after all.
For more information on canine diabetes, visit my website:
http://drbarchas.com/canine_diabetes
And there also is information on feline diabetes:
http://drbarchas.com/feline_diabetes
Photo: Tina was diabetic, but not when she was a puppy.
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12/05/08
 One of my rescue, foster kittens (Marshall is now
about 18 mos. old) was adopted by a
young, single guy. Cliff also has a small Lab cross
female (Bailey). Marshall and Bailey get along
great. Marshall was chewing wires, phone cords,
etc. but has stopped. Now he is peeing on Cliff’s
clothing while he’s at work; he gets home and
Marshall is very loving & glad to see him, but has
peed on anything that didn’t hit the hamper, or
Marshall even gets inside the hamper and pees
(gallons according to the guy) on his clothing.
Help. I don’t want to see Marshall returned to
our rescue group. With this type of behavior he
might not find another home. I’m contacting
everyone I know for advice.
Micky
Nacogdoches, Texas
Inappropriate urination is also known as house soiling. It has two main causes: medical problems and behavioral problems.
Medical problems that can cause house soiling include bladder infections, bladder stones, and a syndrome called FLUTD (short for feline lower urinary tract disease) in which the bladder becomes irritated. Also, any disease that causes increased urination, such as diabetes, thyroid disease or kidney disease may cause cats to produce “gallons” of urine, and to urinate in inappropriate locations.
In young cats, however, medical conditions are infrequent causes of house soiling. A behavioral issue is a more likely culprit. I suspect that Marshall has a substrate preference for clothing. This means that he may find it more comfortable and pleasant to urinate on clothing than on litter.
I recommend that Cliff take Marshall to the vet to make sure that no medical condition is contributing to the problem. If Marshall gets a clean bill of health, behavior modification is in order. Several clean litter boxes should be provided in areas where Marshall won’t be disturbed by Bailey while he’s urinating. Several different types of litter should be tried.
And, above all, Cliff should stop tossing his dirty laundry on the floor. Instead, he should put it in a hamper with a sturdy lid.
Plenty of information on feline house soiling is available on my new website. Click here for more information on the causes of feline housesoiling:
http://drbarchas.com/feline_housesoiling
And click here for more information on behavior modification to treat feline house soiling:
http://drbarchas.com/feline_housesoiling_treatment
About the photo: Tiny has no record of house soiling.
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