All posts by Dr. Marty Becker

vet and dog

The opioid crisis affects veterinary medicine, too. Here’s how

Pet Connection, Veterinary Medicine

In our weekly Pet Connection feature, we’re tackling the opioid crisis and how it’s impacting veterinary medicine:

If you don’t take pain medications or haven’t had surgery recently, you probably don’t think the opioid crisis you’ve been hearing about on the news has anything to do with you. But if you have pets, they could be affected. Not because they’re at risk of falling prey to drug dealers pushing controlled substances, but because pets who need surgery or treatment for acute pain are beneficiaries of the same pain-relieving medications used in humans.

A shortage of the medications — caused by a double whammy of inspection issues and production delays related to upgrades at a Pfizer facility in Kansas, plus a DEA-mandated 20 percent decrease in overall opioid production in an attempt to curb abuse by humans — means the drugs are less available for use in veterinary medicine.

Veterinarians use injectable opioids such as morphine, fentanyl, methadone and hydromorphone for surgical procedures and acute pain from trauma. Human doctors get priority when those and other opioid drugs are distributed, leaving veterinarians to scramble for ways to manage pain in pets.

Keep reading…

Read more, including how to teach a new kitten to play nicely, in Pet Connection, the weekly nationally syndicated pet feature I co-write with Kim Campbell Thornton and my daughter, trainer Mikkel Becker.

Sweet sad dog

The problem with pets and marijuana/cannabis poisoning

Pet Connection, Veterinary Medicine

The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center is receiving an increasing number of calls regarding pets who have eaten marijuana plants or dried cannabis, as are local veterinarians.

Animals can get sick from eating cannabis or edibles, becoming depressed or fatigued, dribbling urine, and developing a low body temperature and slow heart rate. More serious side effects from products with higher concentrations include low blood pressure, agitation, and seizures. At least one pet has died.

The message to owners: Don’t be afraid to call a poison control hotline or to take your pet to the vet if you know or suspect he has ingested marijuana. They won’t turn you in, and they do want to care for your pet.

Read more, including new information on why some pets are more sensitive to pain than others, in Pet Connection, the weekly nationally syndicated pet feature I co-write with Kim Campbell Thornton and my daughter, trainer Mikkel Becker.

Dog looking at camera standing by green bowl

When a pet’s ‘healthy appetite’ is something else entirely

Pet Connection, Veterinary Medicine,

Going off their food is a common sign that a pet is sick. However, a pet who is eating well — or too well — can also be suffering from illness. Here’s what I told a reader.

Q: My pet always eats well, and lately he’s been eating more than usual. I’ve always thought that a good appetite means he’s healthy, but something just seems off about him. Should I be worried?

A: We all like to see our pets enjoy their food, but eating a lot isn’t always a sign of good health. It’s normal for pets to have a big appetite when they’re growing or have an active lifestyle. Pregnant or nursing animals also eat more food than normal. But an increased appetite in the absence of those situations can be cause for concern.

Puppies and kittens with a pot-bellied appearance who are eating but losing weight may have an infestation of intestinal parasites such as roundworms. A fecal exam will tell the tale.

Pets who eat ravenously and still want more but are losing weight may have a health problem. Those signs can indicate diabetes mellitus in dogs and cats; hyperthyroidism in cats; or exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI, for short), in which the body has difficulty digesting food and absorbing nutrients.

Increased appetite accompanied by seizures can signal insulinoma, a pancreatic tumor. An unexplained appetite increase along with hair loss and increased thirst and urination can indicate a condition called Cushing’s disease.

If your pet has any of these signs, your veterinarian will conduct a physical exam and ask questions such as what your pet eats, how often, how long since you first noticed the problem and whether you’ve noticed other changes in your pet’s daily routine and habits. She may recommend screening tests such as various types of blood work or a urinalysis. Once the problem is determined, your pet can be treated.

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

dog swimming

Can swimming in a pond or lake kill your dog?

Pet Connection, Veterinary Medicine,

Beware of blue-green algae in water where your pet plays or swims. The algal blooms, often the result of agricultural runoff, produce toxins that affect the gastrointestinal tract and liver, causing vomiting or diarrhea. In severe cases, the animal can suffer liver failure.

Blue-green algae blooms look like blue or green paint spilled on the surface of non-moving water, says Steve Ensley, a clinical veterinary toxicologist at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas. Keep pets (and yourself) away from lakes or ponds with blue-green algae, which commonly develops when temperatures are high and rain falls regularly.

“Rain causes lakes and ponds to become enriched with an excess amount of nutrients, like phosphorus and nitrogen, causing bacteria to bloom at a more rapid pace,” Ensley said in a news release.

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

Freddie and his first bed

9-year-old Chihuahua rescued from puppy mill, gets his very first bed

Rescue

There are few things that make my blood boil as much as the misery of a dog who is imprisoned in a puppy mill to be used to produce puppies until they can’t reproduce anymore. Dogs are capable of so much love, sociability, and activity — and require enrichment and to have their social needs met — that it’s no surprise many dogs rescued from these places are behaviorally as well as physically damaged.

This little guy was rescued at the age of 9 after a lifetime in a puppy mill by National Mill Dog Rescue, which has been working to save dogs trapped in puppy mill nightmares for 11 years now.

When they brought Freddie into their care, they gave him his very first bed. I got tears in my eyes watching him circle and snuggle and sniff and even try to chew it (although since his previous life had left him without any teeth, no damage was done).

They rescued Freddie last May, but recently announced he has been adopted. You’re a good dog, Freddie! I hope it’s all soft beds from here on out!