All posts by Dr. Marty Becker

cat on lap

Is your cat slowing down? It could be arthritis

Pet Connection, Veterinary Medicine,

If you’ve noticed your cat is moving more slowly and stiffly these days, she may be suffering from osteoarthrits. Here’s what you need to know.

Q: My cat seems to move more slowly these days, and it looks like he’s having some trouble getting in and out of his litter box. Could he have arthritis?

A: We do tend to think of cats as being the ultimate yoga masters, but they have joints, and those joints can become inflamed with age. Studies have shown that 90% of cats 10 years of age and older are likely to show signs of arthritis on radiographs (X-rays).

Because cats are so good at hiding physical problems from us, the signs of arthritis can be subtle. For instance, some cats start peeing or pooping outside the litter box because it’s not so easy to climb in and out of it, as you noticed. That’s often misidentified as a behavior problem instead of a pain-management issue.

Your cat may not jump as high or may prefer to stay on the floor instead of sleeping on the bed with you. He may be unable to groom himself as well as he used to, or you may notice that he shies away from being petted.

Here are some things you and your veterinarian can try to help him feel more comfortable: nutraceuticals such as glucosamine and chondroitin (Cosequin) may offer some relief. An injectable medication called Adequan seems to help as well. If your cat is overweight, talk to your veterinarian about implementing a diet and weight loss plan. Taking off some pounds will relieve pressure on his joints. Acupuncture may also be beneficial.

Environmental changes you can make include providing steps so the cat can more easily get on the sofa or bed, cutting an opening into the litter box so he can walk in and out, and providing a heated bed to soothe achy joints.

Be patient. Cats often respond better to pain therapy than dogs, but it can take four to six weeks before you start to see results.

There’s more – including information on hedgehogs as pets – in Pet Connection, the weekly nationally syndicated pet feature I co-write with Kim Campbell Thornton and my daughter, trainer Mikkel Becker.

dogs and flowers in front of white background

Do alternative therapies for pets really work?

Pet Connection, Veterinary Medicine

When it comes to holistic, natural, and alternative therapies for pets, how do you know if they’ll really help your pet? Here’s my advice.

Q: I’m interested in natural and alternative therapies for my pet. Which ones really work?

A: Complementary, or alternative, therapies often play a role in veterinary medicine these days. A lot of veterinarians combine traditional veterinary care with other modalities that include herbal medicine, nutritional supplements, low-level laser, acupuncture and massage. Some of these treatments and techniques are backed by science, while others haven’t yet undergone rigorous study.

Some complementary therapies are used for pain relief. As a backup to NSAIDs or other analgesics, a veterinarian might recommend cold laser therapy, acupuncture and nutritional supplements such as glucosamine-chondroitin and omega-3 fatty acids. They may be beneficial for pets with joint problems or cats with pain from cystitis. There’s a lack of controlled, double-blind studies that positively demonstrate the effectiveness of nutraceuticals for these types of pain, but anecdotally, a number of veterinarians and pet parents have found them to be helpful for some animals.

Animals with liver disease may be prescribed an herbal remedy called milk thistle. Randomized controlled studies have shown that it has some positive effects in helping to support the liver.

Cranberry is often suggested for pets with bladder infections. It appears to work by keeping bacteria in the urine from being able to attach to the bladder wall.

Not every complementary therapy works for everything. For instance, acupuncture doesn’t appear to have an appreciable effect on animals with allergies. And therapies that are safe for dogs may not always be safe for cats. Work with a veterinarian who has a thorough grounding in integrative medicine.

Most important, remember that just because something is natural doesn’t mean it’s safe. Herbal remedies, for instance, can interact with other medications your pet takes, so it’s essential for you and your veterinarian to communicate about what your pet is taking.

There’s more – including safety tips for pets who find surfaces slippery – in Pet Connection, the weekly nationally syndicated pet feature I co-write with Kim Campbell Thornton and my daughter, trainer Mikkel Becker.

Treating and preventing ear mites in cats and dogs

Pet Connection, Veterinary Medicine

Does your pet scratch at her ears or shake her head? There isn’t only one cause of the behavior, but if it does turn out to be ear mites, here’s how I told a reader they can be treated.

Q: Do dogs get ear mites? How are they treated?

A: We tend to associate ear mites with cats, but dogs (and ferrets) can and do get them, especially as puppies. Ear mites (Otodectes cynotis) are tiny parasites that are highly contagious and easily transmitted from animal to animal. Luckily, humans don’t get them.

The classic sign — besides frantic scratching at the ears or shaking of the head — is an accumulation of dark, waxy debris that resembles coffee grounds inside the ears. The ear canals may look red or inflamed. If ear mites are left to do their itchy work — feeding on epidermal skin cells — without treatment, pets can develop raw skin or hair loss around the ears, often complicated by a bacterial infection.

If you had a pet with ear mites back in the bad old days, you might remember having to put drops in the ears daily for a month to get rid of them. You’d have also done the same for all the other dogs and cats in the household to prevent the mites from jumping ship to another host — or moving to another part of the body, such as the base of the tail, until it was safe for them to recolonize the ear. Nowadays we typically give the ears a good cleaning out, and treat puppies or kittens who are old enough with a topical systemic antiparasite medication such as those used against heartworms, fleas or ticks. While some of these products might not be labeled for mites, they are known to have off-label efficacy against them.

So the good news is that ear mites are much easier to treat than they used to be; the bad news is that it’s still a must to treat all the pets in the household to prevent their spread.

There’s more – including suggestions for great dog and cat books to read this summer – in Pet Connection, the weekly nationally syndicated pet feature I co-write with Kim Campbell Thornton and my daughter, trainer Mikkel Becker.

Cat on a scale in a veterinary office.

New ideas to help your pet lose weight

Veterinary Medicine

Food is love. Every Italian grandma — heck, every grandma — knows that. So we love to see our dogs and cats enjoy their food.

But it’s possible and, unfortunately common, for owners to overdo it when it comes to providing food and for pets to overdo things on the eating end. All too often I see pets practically waddle into the exam room, while their proud owners tell me how well they’re doing. It’s hard to break it to them that their pudgy Poodle or Persian needs to lose some weight.

How can you know if your pet needs to lose weight? I like to show clients the “hands-on” test for body condition. It’s as simple as placing your thumbs along the spine and spreading your fingers out along the side of the body. If you press in gently, you can feel the spine and ribs easily, beneath a layer of padding of muscle and fat. If you have to press down hard to feel those bony protuberances, or if you can’t feel them at all, your dog or cat weighs too much.

You can also eyeball pets to see if they’re packing on the pounds. Pets should have a waist—an indentation behind the ribs known as an abdominal tuck, with the body flaring out again at the pelvis. Think hourglass figure. Pets in good condition don’t have rolls of fat between the legs, around the rear end, or at the neck.

Remember that for a pet the size of a cat or small dog, being as little as a pound overweight can put excess stress on joints. That might be 20 percent of a pet’s total weight.

If after ruling out medical causes for weight gain, your dog or cat needs to lose a few pounds, here are nine tips for success.

  1. Feeding less doesn’t work. Your pet will be unhappy and hungry — “hangry.” For cats, feed a diet with at least 40 percent protein, sort of a “Catkins” plan. Some studies show that this can help them maintain lean body mass as they lose weight.
  2. For dogs, feed two meals daily at set times. Measure food instead of leaving a bowl out and topping it up whenever it gets low. Add a tablespoon or two of plain canned pumpkin to his bowl. The fiber content will help him feel full.
  3. It’s important for pet foods to taste good, but highly palatable diets or foods loaded with calories can tempt pets to overeat. That’s why it’s important to measure food instead of letting pets free feed.
  4. Even better, toss out your pets’ food bowls and use food-dispensing toys or slow feeders instead. That increases a dog or cat’s activity level, provides mental stimulation, and is a more natural way of eating.
  5. If you change your pet’s food, reduce the risk of stomach upset by mixing the new food in gradually with the old food over a period of 7 to 10 days.
  6. Don’t take a hard line with cats who don’t like their new food. Not eating for as little as two days can lead to a serious liver condition called hepatic lipidosis. Trust me; you don’t want to go there.
  7. Take your pet to the vet for a regular weigh-in to keep tabs on weight loss. In most clinics, there’s no charge for this quick visit. After four months, take your pet in for a recheck to make sure weight loss is still on track.
  8. To show your pet love in a way other than meals or treats, substitute play, walks, training and other interactions. A game of tug or fetch, a walk — even if it’s just a few minutes down the street and back — teaching a new trick, giving catnip to encourage cats to roll around, or a few minutes with a wand toy or other interactive play two or three times daily are all great ways to encourage pets to move more and to develop an even stronger bond with them.

 

 

 

Beagle looking sad or sick

Dealing with dog diarrhea

Pet Connection, Veterinary Medicine, , ,

Some dogs have ongoing issues with diarrhea, and the cause isn’t always easy for the veterinarian to track down. In the meantime, what do you do? Here is what I told a reader whose dog suffers from this problem.

Q: My dog frequently has diarrhea, and the vet and I can’t figure out why. There doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with him. What can we do?

A: It’s often tough to figure out what’s causing diarrhea. Loose stools can occur when pets get into the garbage, eat something toxic or eat too much. It can also happen when their regular food changes suddenly, as a result of internal parasites, or because they have a foreign body obstruction. Diarrhea can signal certain diseases, and it can be a sign of stress.

Because there’s such a wide range of potential causes, it’s something you want to get checked out. But if you and your veterinarian have ruled out medical causes and your dog still has diarrhea on a regular basis, it’s possible that something is stressing him out or that he has a super-sensitive stomach. He may also have an imbalance in his gut microbiome: the collection of bacteria and other microorganisms that normally live in the body and serve a beneficial purpose, aiding in digestion, metabolism, immune function and even brain health.

Do some detective work. Have there been any changes in your household routine that could have upset your dog? Call the company that makes his food and ask if ingredients have changed recently.

You can also try to enhance the gut microbiome with probiotics and prebiotics, which can help to rebalance intestinal flora. Your veterinarian can recommend some. I have had success with a prebioticlike product called DoggyStat. It stops diarrhea in a nonpharmaceutical way and can be a good fit for dogs whose bowels seize up in stressful situations such as going to the veterinarian, groomer or boarding kennel. Full disclosure: I’m a member of their advisory team.

Most important: When in doubt, call your veterinarian.

There’s more – including how a simple housing upgrade can change everything for cats in shelters – in Pet Connection, the weekly nationally syndicated pet feature I co-write with Kim Campbell Thornton and my daughter, trainer Mikkel Becker.