any thoughts on adding a Ask Dr. Wendy section for all the pet lovers on the board?

just thinking out loud,
slacker zayne

or ask dr. michelle???

still thinking out loud.....

I don't think Wendy wades these murky waters.
You lurking out there, Wendy?
~m

Sounds like a great site for me too. I have 3 dogs and a cat...

Ok, I'll start...

Dear Dr. _____________,

What do you do when your 5 year old chocolate Lab eats an entire box of brownie bites (approximately three pounds of brownies)?

My solution: I poured him a tall glass of milk.

I'd say break out the mongo sized pooper scooper.

dude, you don't even know...

My new kitten drools when I rub his head.


Just sayin'. I don't think Wendy comes 'round here.

Keep the lab outside cause he is gonna have a runny butt for sure. I know. My dog ate bakers chocolate... Good Godiva stuff too.

Wendy has been known to lurk this orchard. I'll make sure she sees this thread in case she'd like to wander in a bit further. I am sure, though, that the sum-total of any advice or opinions she'd give would be "see your vet", because she's not permitted to diagnose an animail she hasn't physically seen/touched. She may be willing to provide some advice, as long as that "see your vet" conclusion is understood!

sounds like a bad day in poopville.

just saying,
zayne

Hi all. I can provide the "ask Dr. Wendy" service (time permitting...no promises for timely replies) within a few guidelines. The most important thing is that I cannot answer specific questions about your pet's medical issues. We live in a ridiculous society in which I could be sued for providing medical advice about any animal on whom I have not personally laid eyes and hands, so if you say "Fluffy is throwing up, what do I do?", I will simply say, "consult your vet." If you say, "Fluffy has fleas" I can tell you what my favorite flea products are (and aren't), but I can't tell you what to go buy. It's sad that it has to be that way, but I don't write the laws. So ask away, folks...we'll see how this goes for a bit. If it becomes too much of a time commitment, then I may have to decline at some point (husband and work and my own pets do take a bit of my attention!), but we'll give it a try.

I work for a vet clinic and I want to know what your favorite Flea preventative is. Our clinic used to push Frontline and I am a fan of it but as of late the owner switched to Advantix and Advantage. I have heard the Rep's speach about it. What's your opinion?

Thanks
Tish
I hate

I like Frontline just fine...it's not the fastest for fleas, but it is a good tick killer as well. Advantage is the fastest kill for fleas, but doesn't touch ticks (so is just depends on what you need). We also carry Revolution which is nice in that it kills fleas, ticks, heartworms, ear mites, scabies and some intestinal worms, but it isn't the best killer for ticks. Advantix is newer and I am seeing a lot of reactions to it..it is DEADLY to cats, which is why we don't carry it...too easy for someone to accidentally buy the wrong thing. There is also Capstar out there...it's a pill which kills all fleas on the pets within an hour which is nice at the groomer's or boarding kennels, but useless at home (where 90% of the fleas are not on the pet but in the bedding, carpet, etc.). With any of these products you have to be patient...every flea in the house (and there are more than you think) has to jump on the pet and contact the poison in order to be killed. Every egg has to hatch and those larvae get on the pet to be killed. So you may see fleas on a pet in an infested house or yard for several weeks as those new fleas jump on to die. If you don't treat every pet, then you will have a "safe" reservoir for the fleas to hide on until your topical wears off. You can speed up the end of the infestation by also using a house spray or fogger (I like vetkem's stuff) but NOTHING kills the pupal stage, so you must wait for any existing pupae to hatch out, jump on your treated pets and be killed before the infestation is broken. I always send at least 2 months of any topical product home because one month just might not be long enough for every flea to hatch out and be killed.

Stay away from anything over-the-counter. Hartz, Sargeant's, all those other OTC products are just the same old pyrethrins we've been killing fleas with for 30 years, and they are very ineffective now. For this reason, they put them into their spot-on products at VERY high concentrations hoping they will kill at least some fleas, but the problem is that they also kill some of the pets they're applied to. Saving a few dollars buying these products is NOT worth the risk. And don't waste a penny on flea collars, they're useless. I cannot tell you how many happy fleas I have found sitting on dogs' necks right under the smelly collar.

Hope this helps!

We have seen a lot of seizures and even death related to the Hartz and OTC products. I hate to have people come in and tell me that they used a flea bath treatment and powder for fleas and then put on a flea collar. It is usually when they are they because their dog is having seizures.
Thanks for your input! I have not heard of the reactions to the Advantix product. I will be on the watch for them for sure!
Hope you have a great week!

Tish...
Silly.
You made a typo!
Say it ain't so, girl.

catwomanTxo

I do love cats!..... However....When you get a stressed out freaked out angry cat? There is nothing scarier! I'd take a Rottweiler over an angry cat anyday. I have been bit by both and the cat bite hurt much worse and had a lengthier course of antibiotics. IV antibiotics too.
Only angry cats Trudes! I have a big yellow tabby named MIHOS. He is fat and I have him on a diet, needless to say he has not been very happy. Nothing like a starving cat to wake you up in the morning. They are ruthless to the tired and sleepy.

Dear Dr. Wendy,

HELP

My male, neutered cat Leo has had the tendency to poop in the corner of my dining room. His regular litterbox is in the bathroom, and I finally put a smaller one in the corner, sorta hiding behind a tree.

He normally only does this when I'm gone ~however, I'm never gone for long periods at a time.

He's just a year old. and Yes, has done this off and on since a few months ago.

It's either fix him or get rid of him

He has used the other litter box, and actually, has been pretty good about using the boxes this past week, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time . . . I think I just scared him good. He's concious of it being wrong, because he'll run away when I come home if I start walking to that corner.


Is he a lost cause ?

P.S. ANd oh yes, I really DON't want a litterbox in my dining room, even if it is hidden

There are a lot of reasons why cat eliminations don't always hit the box. The first reason is some kind of medical issue (colitis, parasites, diet change). The first thing to do is have him medically checked out, and take a stool sample with you (shouldn't be too hard to find!). If he has any sort of bowel issue, then it hurts when he poops. Cats blame the box for this and look for a place where it DOESN'T hurt to poop, not realizing that the butthole that's causing the problem is with them anywhere. Is he truly pooping there, or is he a hairy cat with "clingons" hanging from his rear that just sometims fall off wherever he happens to be?

Once you have ruled out all medical issues, then you're left with behavioral causes. Those fall into two categories....aversions and preferences. Aversions means that there is some reason he does not like to poop in the box. What kind of litter do you use? Good scoopable stuff or crap clay stuff? How often do you scoop? Is there a correlation between box cleanliness and when he is "bad?" (by the way, he does NOT know it's bad, because in cat lexicon it isn't bad, one can poop wherever one pleases. He just knows that when you see poop you get mad, and he makes no connection between poop coming out of his butt and you finding poop on the floor. Cat's can't be "bad" in their own minds, they do everything just the way they want to. It's a human construct to assume "badness" or shame in a cat. Just doesn't exist). Do you have more than one cat (are you sure it's him, and could there be a competition issue? Just because we'll share a box to pee does not mean we'll share a box to poop. Experts suggest a litterbox per cat plus one. So for one cat, two boxes. For my five cats, six boxes. I actually have 5 boxes, but they greatly prefer one). Does another cat lie in wait for him ouside the box to ambush him? Is it a hooded box (we call them fume hoods....cats just hate that. They don't want privacy, they want to pee and poop in the open air)? Is it somewhere scary, like next to the furnace which kicks on and scares him while he's making? Think about all these questions.

The other category is preferences...just like they like to eat different things (some of mine like chicken treats, others like seafood flavors), they also have elimination preferences. Mine prefer soft scoopable litter (to the point that any other kind and every one of the 5 will potty right next to the offending box, not in it). Mine prefer unscented litter (most do...should smell like litterbox, not like flowers). Many cats like soft places, hence the carpet. Many cats prefer to have one box for pee, one for poop (they can be near each other in the same room, basement, laundry room, whatever). Some cats just like quiet, out-of the way places like dining rooms (where people frequently aren't). If you are not providing all these things, then try them before you make any decisions. The rules for most cats are: one box per cat plus one, open boxes (no fume hoods), scoop daily (at least), soft scoopable litter (in at least one box...experiment to see what he likes), and clean the carpets he has soiled with a good cleanser (I prefer Resolve Dual Action, not any of the stuff specifically made for cats). Most of these rules go for pee-ers as well as poopers, too. If there is one specific corner where he wants to go, then you have a few choices...one is to give in, which you have already done. If he wants to poo in the dining room, fine...here's a box, poo in it. Most of the time they will. If you hate that so much, try moving a heavy piece of furniture over the soiled area so he physically can't get his butt near there. Also try providing (in the litterbox area) an empty litterbox with an old towel in it. If he just likes to poop on soft things, that will make him happy. Just wash the towel when it gets gross. Never punish him for pooping in a 'bad" place. Cats do not understand punishment, they are not pack animals. Emotional stress is a frequent cause of house-soiling and punishing them just makes the problem worse. Make sure he is getting plenty of love and "mommy-time" so that he isn't emotionally stressed....difficult to be loving when he's just crapped on your floor, but it truly does help. There's also a product called Feliway which is a stress-relieving pheromone which you can buy in plug-ins which really helps if stress is an issue at all.

Hope this all helps. Medical check first, do all these litterbox things I mentioned and hopefully you will have good luck.

DrW

my little girl is one of those cats -- pees on the left -- poops on the right. my boy doesn't care which box he goes in -- will even go when i'm cleaning the second box right next to him -- i have heard that most cats will not go if a human is too near.

my question is:

my girl (7lbs tabby -- just turned 1) has really stinky poop. i have had her checked out and everything is find but is there any way to cut the odor? she and jamal eat the same foods, get the same treats -- everything -- even he goes behind her on occassion and resorts the litter over her scat.

peace,
z

*****actually the stink is only there and lingering after she goes then the litter takes over -- but boy, do we suffer until then...

air freshener is our friend

dr. wendy...

our dog has decided to start *punishing* us when we keep him out of a room where we are. for instance, i just had my ferret running around in the computer room, and i closed the door to keep the dog out. and he pooped all over the foyer area.

this isn't the first time this has happened. what do we do?

thanks!

The firmer and more solid the poop, generally the less the stink. If she's been checked out medically and all is well, then you might try some different foods to see what helps (always mix new food into old food for a week in transition; otherwise you'll get some fabulously stinky diarrhea). I'm a big fan of plain old Iams regular cat food (as long as no health problems require a special food). I find the best poops (and coat) most of the time on the Iams. Next choice would be Nutro, then Hills Science diet. Everybody is different, and every belly reacts differently so buy small bags at first to see what works best. And remember, shit is supposed to stink.

Dogs don't punish like that. It just isn't in their vocabulary. You are (rationally) ascribing a human emotion and response to a nonhuman. They aren't people. In fact they're better than people (IMHO), but they are different than people and to help them we must think like dogs, not like people as best we can. They can punish another submissive dog in a quick situation ("you're chewing my bone, get OFF it!") with a snap or growl, but pooping is not punishment. Pooping inside (for a normal, healthy, housetrained dog) is a sign of anxiety. So start by remembering that....and act accordingly. If you punish him (a human thing) for acting anxious (pooping in the house, a dog thing), your message will never be recieved as it was meant and will only make things worse ("they lock me out of the ferret room, it makes me very scared, then they yell at me for pooping in fear. Now THAT's scary."). As with any anxiety-producing stimulus, you have to ease them into it with praise (at appropriate times), treats and reassurance. Remember that in dog training, we praise calmness, we do not reinforce anxiety (we think we're being reassuring by petting a dog who is acting nervous, but in reality they learn that when they act nervous, they get petted, as if fear and acting anxious were a good thing to us. We are accidentally reinforcing the anxious behavior so that we will get more of it next time...again, they're dogs, we're people). Start by having someone come over whom he likes. When he's calm with that person and you in the room, have the person tell him "good boy" and give a treat. ONLY when he's calm, not when he's jumping around in excitement about a neighbor (if you have a roommate, then have that person do this part). Then you should go into the ferret room and NOT close the door, and friend does NOT leg dog follow you. When he is calm in living room and you are in ferret room door open, then friend gives treat and reassurance. If dog is not calm, then have friend hold his collar and ignore him until he settles down. That's day 1. When he is calm for that (which might be day 2 or day 50, depends on the dog), then you go in and close door behind you for a short time. Same drill, friend ignores anxious dog, rewards calm dog. This may be day 2 or day 100, you know your dog. Then you are ready to try it for a short time without the friend. This is a very simplistic overview of dog anxiety behaviors, there are a lot of good books on the subject which you might consider picking up. Let me know if this doesn't make sense, but just always remember that anxiety is not the same as bad behavior. Learn to know what your dog is really telling you so you can know how to properly respond. hope this helps!

Dr Wendy,

About a year ago I switched my cats to natural cat food which I buy at Wild Oats. They seem to love it and my oldest cat, Lucy, has slimmed down over the last year (she was getting pretty chunky). They look and act healthy. The only problem I'm encountering is that they don't have a hairball formula and my older cat will often cough up large hairballs. Is this something that I should treat with some sort of hairball solution or is it okay for her to just cough these up?

Thanks
Mariesa

dear dr. wendy,

can you recommend a good source to learn about:

1: socializing a new feline member of the household to an exsisting cat.

2: feline ear mites.


thanks ahead of time.

peace,
zayne

Oh man ... the temptation to say something awful here is too much. I'm logging off!

Hmm..interesting thread...I HAVE been gone a while...

<edited - see Drew's post below> I'm throwing in my $.02, but remember that ANY advice offered on this thread is offered in strictly a neighborly fashion. It is not possible to offer proper medical advice without seeing the patient and we should consider all advice offered with the disclaimer 'please see your vet for an actual medical opinion' even if an actual vet (or student) provides an opinion or suggestion. I don't want to get sued before I even get my degree ;-) )






Dear Mariesa,

Hairballs that are vomited up occur because the cat is consuming too much hair to be passed the normal way (through the feces). It is still considered normal for a cat to vomit occasional hairballs, however, your use of 'often' concerns me. If a cat consumes too much hair, it is possible for these hairballs to block the digestive system, evident by signs such as retching (without vomiting), inability to defecate, diarrhea, anorexia and a swollen abdomen. We call this 'impaction' and it can be considered an emergency, so see your veterinarian immediately. This not only causes the obvious problems, but cats that don't eat (especially overweight cats) can get a serious (and serious sounding) condition called 'hepatic lipidosis' (reserved for another 'ask wendy' question).

There are some natural solutions for hairball problems, including a high fiber diet or fiber supplements, which encourage the movement of hairballs through the digestive tract and into the feces.

Homemade solutions, such as butters or oils are not recommended as they may be absorbed too quickly to be effective or cause other problems in the digestive tract.

The products which you can purchase at your local pet store inlcude non-digestable oil products which are flavored for your cat's enjoyment. These products help the hairballs pass through the tract (and into the litter pan). I would suggest you start using one of these products (this will also help protect your floors against those unsightly hairball/vomit stains.

Any of the above mentioned products are not intented for one time use, but rather are needed on a long term basis. You should follow the product directions, see your vet before starting these products to make sure your kitty doens't have other contributing problems, and also see your vet if your kitty does not improve.

Good luck.

- 'Michelle'

I disagree with this notion, if for no other reason that it muddies the water of WHO told WHAT to WHOM. If you've got advice, give it under your own name. If you're unsure of the advice, PM Dr. Wendy and ask her about the advice and ask her to reply.

Ok, that makes sense, I signed it 'me'. ;-)

There are lots of good books on feline behavior (which is nothing like human or dog behavior). My personal advice for adding a new kitty is to do what I do when I add to the brood (which I have done 4 times in the past 8 years). The new kitty goes in a room by himself with his litter and food for a few days. THe old kitties will know he is in there and can get used to the idea and smell of a stranger without the stress of being face to face with him. After a length of time (depends on the old kitty....when he stops hissing at the closed door and at you when you come out from visiting new kitty in "quarantine"), allow old kitty to walk into new kitty's room at his own leisure. Hold the new kitty so there can't be a face-to-face fight (another choice is to keep new kitty in a carrier or cage so he can be seen and sniffed but not swatted at). Let the old kitty sniff and look at the new kitty. Expect some hissing, this is just how cats are. Do that in small doses for a couple of days until the hissing is pretty under control. By then it should be safe to let the two meet on the floor, and hopefully then allow free access by both to all rooms. If you are unsure, it is fine to put new kitty away in his room alone when nobody is home. They will not be fast friends, but once you're to the "hiss and run away" point, or the "glare from across the room" point, then you should be OK to leave them unsupervised. This works with most cats....there are a few evil ones out there who simply cannot accept a new one and will either go after him or pee all over your things from the stress, but these are topics for another day.

It goes without saying that you should never bring a new kitty into your household without a full health check including flea and ear mite check and leukemia/ FIV viral tests (blood tests).

Ear mites are parasites of dogs and cats. They cannot live in humans (experimentally proven). You will notice black dry discharge (like coffee grounds) in the ear, along with scratching and head-shaking in the affected cat. They are contagious from cat to cat but you can't spread them yourself. There are a lot of good treatments for them, my favorite is Revolution which is a topical spot-on product which actually goes on the skin, enters the bloodstream and kills them from the inside (and so is not dependent on your ability to squirt goo in the irritated ears of a busy kitten). It generally works in a single dose and is only available by prescription. The OTC products take a lot longer to work and require ear-squirting daily, sometimes for weeks. Not all ear infections are ear mites...yet another reason to take a suspect kitty to the vet for the medication.

***bump for golden d***

Dr. Wendy (or anyone else who knows),

My cat randomly started limping a few days ago. I can't see anything visibly wrong with his little white paw, but he's got a pretty severe limp. I'm not sure if the dog trampled him during play time (a hypothesis because every time Rum Tum Tugger...the cat...hears the blue squeak he heads for shelter under my bed) or whether he hurt him self jumping off of my bed or dryer-where his food is-or if he's having some sort of problem from being front declawed (5 years ago)...the only reason i say that is because my cat back home was declawed but little nubbins grew back after a few years. So i guess my question is: should i take him to the vet? Is there something in particular that i should look for? Is there anything i can do to fix it?

Thanks a bunch!

~proud owner of an asthmatic, limping, Rum Tum Tugger~


P.S. Thanks for the bump from Zayne, and the directional push from Bill.

Rum Tum Tugger is the cutest name ever

dear dr. wendy.

my mid-length calico has been ingesting a lot of hair. she is not throwing it up but it is causing irritations other places.

the vet has suggested that if i do not feel comfortable taking a hair trimmer to her, that i find a groomer to help keep her trimmed -- especially in the hind end but did not have a good feline groomer to recommend.

so as i'm searching, what should i look for in a good groomer --

AND do you have any recs. in this area.

peace,
zayne

do animals dream?

Maybe:

http://science.enotes.com/science-fact-fin...dogs-cats-dream

I haven't seen Dr. Wendy respond to any posts for awhile but I have a question about my cats to ask--

I have three cats--two older females--the oldest one is 18 and the other is five or six--last year I added a new young Tom---

All of them are fixed and declawed----some people may not like that but I always keep my kitties inside and they have pretty good lives in my book--Crayola (the 18 year old) is my second cat to live to that age----I figure indoor cats have pretty good lives so they can lose their claws because I don't want them shredding up any more couches, loveseats or loungers.

My new Tom, Buddy, is generally a pretty good boy--he is sweet and loving--but he likes to "hunt" the girls, especially Crayola---he takes her down and nips at her since she cannot run very fast----the younger girl can outrun him and jumps higher too so even though he bugs her--he can't catch her.

He has never hurt either one of the girls--but I really don't like him taking down my old girl--most of the day he is fine for the cats sleep all day, but come evening--his little demon self emerges and he starts harrassing her.

If Dr. Wendy still comes here--I am wondering what recommendations she might have to help modify my Tom's behavior?--I lock him up in a room when he gets too rough with her and keep him in there for awhile, but that is only a short term solution to the devil side of Buddy.

I love Cesar Milan, the Dog Whisperer, I wish that they find someone who is a cat whisperer and give them a television show.

Sorry folks....I am supposed to get an automatic email when somebody posts here but I haven't gotten anything for months though obviously there have been questions. I let Drew know and he's looking into that error.

In answer to the most recent question about Buddy the attack cat....it just sounds like he is wanting to play with the old girls. If he wanted to hurt them it would have happened already and it hasn't. Young cats have a very strong drive to hunt and if they aren't hunters (as indoor cats aren't), then it turns to play. The old girls are not interested but he simply can't help but try. He isn't trying to be mean or bad, just wants somebody to romp with. So you have a couple of choices. He needs to play with someone in the evening and if you don't want it to be the old girls (and I think you don't...THEY certainly don't) than you can provide someone. This either means YOU (with an interactive game like "feather fishing pole onna string" or "laser mouse"... or another young cat. If you have the time for it to be you, then obviously that is the simplest answer. Just providing toys isn't enough.....he wants somebody to play WITH him. The feather toy is a big hit around here, and my advice for the laser beam game is that if you play, always end it with a treat.....toss down the treat and then have the laser beam lead him onto the treat, then turn the laser off and be done. This way he gets to hunt that damn little red beam all around for a while, then finally gets to GET it and eat it! The thrill of the hunt and of the kill as well. If you get a feather onna string, make sure you keep it out of his reach when you aren't home....the feathers are delicious but the string won't digest! If you don't have time to play cat games most nights, then you might seriously consider another cat friend who will play with him. Four is a lot of cats (I have 5), but it would take the pressure off the old ladies if he had somebody to romp around with who actually WANTED to play with him. Locking him away temporarily solves the problem but in the long run just makes it worse...he's already bored and now he's bored and sequestered as well. Rember, a tired cat (or dog) is a good cat (or dog).

And I have no problem with declawing as long as it's a strictly indoor cat, and that folks realize that they are making a commitment to that cat when they declaw him that they will keep him indoors and provide for his needs for his whole life. I think a few days of sore feeties is a reasonable price for a lifetime of safety and comfort. But it means that you can't change your mind ("you" in general, not specifically YOU") in a few years when he's not as cute or pees on stuff or whatever, and just toss him outside. It is a commitment. All 5 of mine are front declawed and none of them have any regrets as far as I can tell...they have a great life and I will care for them forever. Even though my Oliver pees on stuff.

Good luck!

Thanks for responding Dr Wendy--I do play with Buddy as much as I can---he just has so much energy to work off--it is better when I play with him and I do have a piece of cloth tied on a stick that when I bought it had a feather on it but that did not last long. Most of the time Buddy is a great cat--when it is warm outside--I can take him out in the yard, work in the garden and such. He follows right along and does his thing--he stays close.

I also let the other cats out in on the deck and they stay close but I don't allow them to roam free--for many reasons I don't like cats to be allowed to roam-it is rude to the neighbors for a host of reason; they can kill too many animals like birds and such and also pick up parasites by doing that; they can get killed by roaming dogs, coyotes, foxes or other predators or get hit by a car.

I will just have to try to play with Buddy more and help him get his excess energy out---once again--thanks Dr. Wendy.

My dog Seawitch dreams. She runs in her sleep and shows her teeth. It is funny to watch! If I say something to her it startles her awake. I ususally just watch and smile.
She is getting her teeth cleaned tomorrow.

One of my sis's dogs--now passed on--- used to dream--he would be sound asleep and he would "run" as he laid on the floor----

hey Dr. Wendy...

my sister's cat incessantly licks my face in the morning. (as well as my sister's face) he doesn't do it every morning, and has done it since he was very young. he'll lay really close and purr and then start licking... so, i'll pet his head... but then he'll get up and walk away. then he comes back, starts licking, etc.
i just want to know why he does it!

p.s. he has the worst breath. otherwise it might not be so bad. haha.

thanks,
kylie

dear wendy,

i received a message from petsmart today informing me that my account shows that i have bought cans of food tainted by the recent recall.

neither of my cats are showing any of the classic signs of being poisoned, but should they still be checked by a vet?

nervous pet mommy,
zayne

To add further to what Zayne asked about her cats and the tainted cat food - my cats and dogs also ate food from the recall lists - and I was wondering if the effects of the poisoning are immediate (as in one can will do it) or is the effect a cumulative one - that they have to have several cans over a period of time before you would notice anything?

One of my dogs was extremely ill last month - emergency room visit and hospitalization for 4 days. This was before the pet food scare. The diagnosis was toxicity from medication (NSAIDS) that she was taking for arthritis. I still wonder if perhaps it might have been the contaminated food - although liver and kidney function tests were okay. My other dog was not sick and he gets the same food as she does. So I assume the diagnosis was right. She's fine now, by the way.

But ... back to my initial question - are the effects immediate or cumulative?