All posts by Dr. Marty Becker

What your dog’s nosebleed could mean

Pet Connection, Veterinary Medicine

Two readers wrote asking about their dogs’ nosebleeds. Here’s what I told them.

Q: My dog had a nosebleed today. Should I take her to the vet or just see if it happens again?

Q: My dog was sneezing and produced bloody mucus for three weeks. An X-ray and flushing out the nose didn’t produce an answer. He is 14 and doesn’t seem to be in pain. What should I do?

A: In both cases, further examination is a good idea. Dogs experience nosebleeds for a number of reasons. Vigorous sneezing caused by foreign bodies, inflammation or infection can damage delicate nasal blood vessels. Trauma such as hitting the nose on a hard surface can cause nosebleeds. Other possible causes include tooth root abscesses, benign polyps or malignant nasal tumors. Spontaneous nosebleeds might result if a dog ingests rat poison, causing reduced production of clotting factors. Nosebleeds can also be linked to heritable conditions such as von Willebrand’s disease, which slows clotting and can lead to prolonged bleeding.

Those are just a few of the possible causes. Other factors include age, size or nose type. Older dogs or dogs with long noses such as greyhounds or collies are more likely to have some type of nasal tumor. Young small- or medium-size dogs are more likely to experience trauma-related nosebleeds, and large dogs are more likely to have rhinitis (inflammation of nasal mucous membranes) of unknown cause. Dogs who go hiking or hunting with owners may be exposed to tick-borne illnesses, foreign bodies or rodenticides that affect nasal passages and cause bleeding.

A thorough medical history and complete physical exam — from eyes to rear end — can help veterinarians determine a not-so-obvious underlying cause. Basic diagnostics include a complete blood count (CBC), general chemistry, urinalysis and blood pressure. A CT scan or rhinoscopy may be necessary as well.

Read more in Pet Connection, the weekly nationally syndicated pet feature I co-write with Kim Campbell Thornton and my daughter, trainer Mikkel Becker.

Zeus

Zeus the shelter kitten has had 3 surgeries already, and now he needs a home

Rescue

There are lots of kittens who had a rough start in life. But Zeus has already had three surgeries and two major infections, and he’s not done yet. But first, he needs a home. And for that, he needs all of us.

The rescuers at Texas CARES Cat Rescue reached out to me about a little grey kitten in their care. Zeus is a fun, sweet, happy litle guy, and he had been adopted. Despite being neutered, he began spraying inside the house. It turned out he had a retained testicle, but when the vet tried to remove it, it was wrapped in scar tissue and the surgery couldn’t be completed. He suffered multiple infections after the procedure, and had a very difficult recovery.

He had two more surgeries and one infection before it was suggested they head for a surgical specialist. Before that could happen, however, he developed another urinary tract infection.

Now his caregivers are determined to put more surgery on hold and find Zeus what he needs most: a loving home. They have paid for all his veterinary care so far, and aren’t asking for a penny in donations. They just know that Zeus deserves a family to care for him forever, not a sanctuary or shelter or even a foster home. I agree.

The challenge here is that while Zeus has not sprayed at all when no other pets are present, he does spray when he’s around other cats. So he needs to be an only cat, at least for now. He’s loving and affectionate and sweet, and is not a good candidate for a barn cat placement.

He may be able to have surgery to complete his neuter down the road, but for now he’s going to need dedicated and special care that he’ll pay back with love! Certainly another surgery will cost money, and I promise to help whoever adopts him raise money for that if it’s decided to go down that road.

I know someone out there reading is willing to take on a dear little kitten who has already overcome more than most pets do in their entire lives. Maybe that’s you, or someone you know, or someone who sees this post when you share it. Please be there for Zeus. He needs you today!

To find out more about Zeus, please email adoption@texascares.org.  Thank you for caring about him.

Watch for these early warning signs of canine cancer

Pet Connection, Veterinary Medicine

Catching your dog’s cancer early can make all the difference in treatment and outcome. A reader wanted to know what signs to watch for. Here’s what I told her. 

Q: The breed of dog I have is prone to cancer, and it scares me. Are there signs I can watch for to help catch it early?

A: That’s a smart move on your part. In the early stages, cancer is often overlooked or misdiagnosed. Among the signs to watch for are soft lumps or bumps on the skin; lameness; swelling or cysts along the mammary chain; unexplained weight gain or weight loss; bleeding or other discharge from the mouth, eyes, nose or urogenital area; blood in the urine; sores that don’t heal; difficulty chewing or swallowing; a bad smell in the mouth or anywhere else on the body; loss of energy; bleeding or broken toenails; and swollen or rapidly enlarging lymph nodes.

Many breeds, as well as mixed breeds, are prone to various types of cancer. We see cancer more commonly in dogs as they age, but it can certainly occur in younger dogs. Common cancers include squamous cell carcinoma of the nail bed (between toenail and toe), melanoma, fibrosarcoma of the mouth, osteosarcoma (bone cancer), mammary tumors, lymphosarcoma and cancer of the bladder or urethra.

Different breeds may be prone to different types of cancer. We often see mast cell tumors in boxers, histiocytic sarcoma in Bernese mountain dogs, lymphoma in golden retrievers and osteosarcoma in Rottweilers and greyhounds. Black standard poodles appear to be more likely than lighter colored poodles to develop squamous cell carcinoma of the nail bed. Two other black-coated breeds with increased risk of this type of cancer are briards and giant schnauzers, so in some instances, genes that influence development of this type of cancer may be riding the coattails of coat color genes.

Regularly running your hands over your dog’s entire body and paying attention to differences can help ensure that your pet gets an early diagnosis and treatment.

Read more in Pet Connection, the weekly nationally syndicated pet feature I co-write with Kim Campbell Thornton and my daughter, trainer Mikkel Becker.

The first thing to do if your cat goes outside the litter box

Pet Connection, Veterinary Medicine

You think you’ve tried everything to fix your cat’s litter box problem. Here’s what you might have missed.

Q: My cat stopped using her litter box. We’ve done everything we’ve read about: added an extra box, made sure the boxes are in quiet spots, not used scented litter, scooped daily and washed the box every week. It hasn’t helped, and we’re running out of ideas. What are we missing?

A: You’ve mentioned everything you should be trying, except the most important one: a visit to the veterinarian.

When a cat who previously had no litter box problems suddenly starts eliminating inappropriately, the first stop needs to be the veterinarian. That’s because medical conditions such as bladder infections or urinary tract obstruction are often behind the problem. Another likely culprit: arthritis or an injury that makes getting in and out of the litter box difficult.

If you’ve ever had a bladder infection or back injury yourself, you know both conditions are painful. Your cat may associate that pain with the litter box or may not be able to hold it. Either way, you need to work with your vet to rule out physical causes for litter box avoidance.

After your cat’s condition is treated, will she go back to using the box? Possibly, but it may not be that simple. The association of pain with the box might mean some re-training is in order. If the problem is arthritis, it may be necessary to get a box with only three sides, so the cat can get in and out without discomfort.

If there’s no underlying physical cause, or the problem persists after treatment, it’s time to talk to yet another veterinarian. A veterinary behaviorist can work wonders with management strategies, behavior modification, supplements and medications. Behaviorists often work via telemedicine consultations with your own veterinarian. You can locate one at dacvb.org, the website of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists.

Read more in Pet Connection, the weekly nationally syndicated pet feature I co-write with Kim Campbell Thornton and my daughter, trainer Mikkel Becker.

 

 

cat in winter

How to offer kindness and shelter to feral cats in winter

Pet Connection, Rescue, ,

Until we adopted our little Talley, all our cats were barn cats. They were all adopted to live in our barn because they were considered “unadoptable” for some reason or other. Some have been feral, others were just not people-oriented, and others had behavior problems that no one could fix. One and all, they had issues that made life indoors as a pet more cruel than kind. So they came to us.

We provide basic veterinary care, food, and shelter to these cats, and in exchange their presence keeps rodents away. But not all feral cats are lucky enough to have a safe place to shelter when winter turns ugly.

In this week’s Pet Connection newspaper feature, my writing partner, Kim Campbell Thornton, and I dig into the many ways  animal lovers can create and provide shelter for feral cats in their community or neighborhood. These methods are simple and inexpensive (or free!), and can mean the difference between life and death for a cat in winter.

They can also make it possible for those who work to spay/neuter and vaccinate these cats, to reduce illness and overpopulation, to more easily trap the kitties.

If you have unowned cats near you, and have wondered how they’ll get through  the winter, please take a look at the information we’ve pulled together, and share it with your family, friends, and neighbors!

Out of the Cold: Keep community cats comfortable and safe during winter’s chill

Thanks, friends.