Going against the vet: Cancerous dog 5 years later still going strong

Today’s pet corner in the Palm Beach Post caught my attention. This reader wrote to Dr. Michael Fox, the Post’s column vet:
“In March 2004 we adopted a 50 lbs mixed breed dog. Three months later our vet removed a tumor from under her tongue. When the lab report came back, it said that the she (the dog) had a malignant melanoma with “high potential for local recurrence as well as metastasis.” We were told she would likely not survive a year.
A local animal hospital recommended that they remove her lower jar along with most of her teeth, a move that they said might give her an additional nine months.
When I expressed horror at causing such stress to an animal for such short term results, they told me they routinely perform at least one of these operations a week.
Needless to say, I turned them down and our dog has been going strong for the past 5 years.
Still I wonder whether such procedures aren’t more cruel than helpful and whether they actually aimed at making a hefty profit for animal hospitals at the expense of well meaning owners.”
Dr. Fox responded as follows:
“Certain cancers are far more common in dogs than they are in humans.
Vaccines may play a significant role in immune system dysfunction, resulting in cancer.
There are many other cancer causing chemicals in our food, water and home environments, which are contaminating cats and dogs at much higher levels than people.
Potent antioxidants that neutralize free radicals and help boost the immune system, supplements like zinc, magnesium, Vitamins C and D, selenium retinoic acid (from Vitamin A), fucoidan (from brown seaweed) and herbal teas are some of the low cost nutraceuticals and herbs fro treating cancer and cancer prevention.
I prefer this approach to your dog’s type of cancer rather than radical surgery. Good for you and your dog for refusing the surgery.”
This article just happened to show up in the paper while I am contemplating to publish a number of comments on cancer in the nearest future.
For this particular case, I join the Dr. in his applause. Since he did not really get into the last question the dog owner had, I guess for political reasons, here is how I see it: Of course it has a lot, if not all to do with the hospital generating revenue. Whom are we kidding here? The profit greed doesn’t stop in front of the hospital doors. I don’t believe anymore that behind the hospital doors are all Saints having nothing but our very best on their mind. I believe all they have on their minds is our wallets, or better yet, how they can assist us in emptying it. This applies to both, people and animal hospitals. Just a couple days ago I was watching the news on BBC and a discussion they had on the health care reform our President is pushing for. They interviewed a government rep and she was quite candid: One of the major problems with the hospital bills is that many doctors are owners of hospitals and equipment. And if they don’t, they get all kinds of incentives to make sure these hospitals stay busy and profitable. This does not just apply to the hospitals, it applies to the pharmacy industry as well. That is just the factual truth in many, I am not saying all cases.
The sad thing is, we all are aware of it, from Joe Doe, the dog owner next door to the dog owner in the White House, our President (and not just our current one, every past one as well). And what happens? Absolutely, positively nothing. Whether it is people or our companion animals, let’s just keep messing them up even more so they keep generating revenues for the health care industry. Who cares about the actual health of a living creature? The problem is that the majority of health care professionals in many cases don’t consider it anymore as their responsibility to make sure they make us or our animals healthy, they have been programmed to make sure they make us come back for more. You can’t blame them either, let me repeat myself: That’s what they are being trained or programmed for.

Mosquito season in full swing: Heartworm risk, not just limited to dogs

This year, it appears as if the mosquitos are finally taking over. At least down here in Florida, I thought initially. But with record sales of pesticides at the on-line store it looks like the problem is all over the country. Related to this, the American Heartworm Society continues to remind pet owners of heartworm risk. Here is an example of their official campaign letter:

“As temperatures grow warmer, the American Heartworm Society (AHS) wants every pet owner to be prepared for mosquito season and the heartworm disease risk it carries for pets.
Although the risk of heartworm disease is heightened in warmer months when the mosquito population increases, the AHS recommends year round prevention for both dogs and cats. By giving heartworm prevention every month, forgetful pet owners will have their pets protected when they need it most.

"Surveys show only about 75 percent of pets are given the full dosage recommended by a veterinarian," Sheldon Rubin, DVM, AHS president and Chicago practitioner, said. "With year-round prevention, if doses are accidentally skipped, the drug is still effective."
Recently, researchers discovered that respiratory signs in cats, which are often diagnosed as feline asthma or allergic bronchitis, may actually be caused by the presence of heartworms in either larval or adult stages. The acronym "HARD" is the term for this clinical presentation and stands for Heartworm Associated Respiratory Disease. Heartworm preventive medications are the only option for cats, as there is no approved treatment for feline heartworm disease.
Heartworm disease treatments are available for dogs, but treating for heartworms is much more costly and dangerous to the animal than simply preventing it. Yet another reason to use year-round prevention is that many heartworm preventives also have activity against other intestinal and common parasites, such as roundworms and fleas.
Options for preventing heartworm infection in both dogs and cats include daily and monthly tablets and chewables as well as monthly topicals. These methods are effective, easy to administer and inexpensive. These medications interrupt heartworm development before larvae and adult worms reach the lungs and cause disease. When administered properly and on a timely schedule, heartworm infection can be prevented.
The American Heartworm Societyis the global resource for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of heartworm disease. It was formed during the Heartworm Symposium of 1974. The American Heartworm Society stimulates and financially supports research, which furthers knowledge and understanding of the disease. Its headquarters are located in Batavia, Ill.”

Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially fatal condition caused by parasitic worms living in the arteries of the lungs and occasionally in the right side of the heart of dogs, cats and other species of mammals, including wolves, foxes, ferrets, sea lions and (in rare instances) humans. Heartworms are classified as nematodes (roundworms) and are filarids, one of many species of roundworms. Dogs and cats of any age or breed are susceptible to infection.
The American Heartworm Society together with the American Association of Feline Practitioners and Pfizer Animal Health has made it one of its priorities to educate and alert cat owners of this serious problem.

“Countless cat owners throughout the United States are misinformed about feline heartworm disease, posing serious risk to their feline friends. Cats may be misdiagnosed with feline asthma, or test negative for heartworm antigens and antibodies but still have heartworms in their systems. Now, due to new research, veterinarians recognize this infectious agent is doing a whole lot more damage than previously thought.

The KNOW Heartworms campaign is a public awareness campaign sponsored by the American Heartworm Society (AHS) and the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP), and funded by an educational grant from Pfizer Animal Health. The program stresses the importance of understanding the five myths and misunderstandings about feline heartworm disease:

1. Dogs vs. Cats: Heartworm is not just a canine disease, and it affects cats differently than dogs.
2. Indoor vs. Outdoor Cats: Heartworm disease is mosquito-borne and evidence has shown indoor cats are just as susceptible to it as outdoor animals. In a North Carolina study, 28 percent of the cats diagnosed with heartworm were inside-only cats.
3. It's a Heart Disease: “Heartworm disease” is a misnomer; it mostly affects the lungs, not just the heart. The disease frequently is mistaken for asthma and other respiratory diseases.
4. Adult Heartworms vs. Larvae: New research shows that heartworm larvae at all stages, not just adult worms, can cause serious health problems.
5. Diagnosis: Accurate diagnosis can be difficult, since negative antigen and antibody tests don’t automatically rule out the presence of heartworms.

Feline Heartworm Disease
Heartworm infection takes place when a mosquito carrying infective, microscopic-size heartworm larvae, bites into a cat for a blood meal. The larvae then actively migrate into the new host and develop further as they travel through the subcutaneous tissue in the cat's body. At about 3-4 months, they usually settle into the arteries and blood vessels of the lungs, where they continue to develop to sexual mature male and female worms (Dirofilaria immitis). The average time from when the microscopic parasites enter the host until the females develop into mature worms and produce offspring is approximately eight months and is referred to as the prepatent period. This is about one month longer than in dogs.

As adults, the heartworms can mate and the females can release offspring called microfilariae (pronounced: micro-fil-ar-ee-a) into the blood stream. The cycle begins again when a mosquito takes a blood meal from the newly infected cat and draws the microfilariae into its system.

Cats are resistant hosts of heartworms, and microfilaremia, (the presence of heartworm offspring in the blood of the host animal), is uncommon (usually less than 20% of cases). When present, microfilaremia is inconsistent and short-lived. Some cats appear to be able to rid themselves of the infection spontaneously. It is assumed that such cats may have developed a strong immune response to the heartworms, which causes the death of the parasites. These heartworms may die as a result of an inability to thrive within a given cat's body.

Cats typically have fewer and smaller worms than dogs and the life span of worms is shorter, approximately two to three years, compared to five to seven years in dogs. In experimental infections of heartworm larvae in cats, the percentage of worms developing into the adult stage is low (0% to 25%) compared to dogs (40% to 90%).

However, heartworms do not need to develop into adults to cause significant pulmonary damage in cats, and consequences can still be very serious when cats are infected by mosquitoes carrying heartworm larvae. Newly arriving worms and the subsequent death of most of these same worms can result in acute pulmonary inflammation response and lung injury. This initial phase is often misdiagnosed as asthma or allergic bronchitis but in actuality is part of a syndrome now known as Heartworm Associated Respiratory Disease (HARD).

Which Cats Are Susceptible?
Although outdoor cats are at greater risk of being infected, a relatively high percentage of cats considered by their owners to be totally indoor pets also become infected. Overall, the distribution of feline heartworm infection in the United States seems to parallel that of dogs but with lower total numbers. There is no predictable age in cats for becoming infected with heartworms. Cases have been reported in cats from nine months to 17 years of age, the average being four years at diagnosis or death.

Clinical Signs
The clinical signs of heartworm infection in cats can be very non-specific, and may mimic many other feline diseases. Diagnosis by clinical signs alone is nearly impossible, but a cat may exhibit generic signs of illness, such as vomiting intermittently (food or foam, usually unrelated to eating), lethargy, anorexia (lack of appetite), weight loss, coughing, asthma-like signs (intermittent difficulty in breathing, panting, open-mouthed breathing), gagging, difficulty breathing (dyspnea) or rapid breathing (tachypnea).
Signs associated the first stage of heartworm disease, when the heartworms enter a blood vessel and are carried to the pulmonary arteries, are often misdiagnosed as asthma or allergic bronchitis, when in fact they are actually due to a syndrome newly defined as Heartworm Associated Respiratory Disease (HARD).
Some cats exhibit acute clinical signs, with disease often related to the organs where the adult heartworms are thriving. Occasionally such infected cats die quickly without allowing sufficient time to make a diagnosis or offer appropriate treatment.

Diagnosis
Heartworm infection in cats is harder to diagnose than it is in dogs and it is easy to overlook. Diagnostic tests have limitations, so negative test results do not necessarily rule out an infection. Antigen tests, for example, only detect adult female or dying male worms. Immature or male-only worm infections are rarely detected.
The diagnostic plan for heartworm disease in cats can include, but is not limited to, a physical examination, radiography (X-ray), echocardiography (ultrasound readings of the heart), angiocardiography (X-ray of the heart with injected contrast fluid), CBC (complete blood count), serologic testing (antigen and antibody study), microfilaria testing, and necropsy (after death).

Physical Examination
The results of a physical examination may appear to be perfectly normal in cats infected with heartworms. Harsh lung sounds are a frequent abnormal finding and may be present in cats without any respiratory signs. The presence of a heart murmur or abnormal rhythm is uncommon. Only rarely, have there been reports of ascites (fluid in the abdomen), exercise intolerance and signs of right-sided heart failure. In cats, the primary response to the presence of heartworms occurs in the lungs.

Treatments
Currently, there are no products in the United States approved for the treatment of feline heartworm infection. Most cats with heartworm infection that are not demonstrating clinical signs are allowed the time for a spontaneous cure to occur. If there is evidence of disease in the lungs and their blood vessels consistent with feline heartworm infection, such cases (possibly in the early stage) can be monitored with chest X-rays every six to twelve months as needed. Supportive therapy with small, gradually decreasing doses of prednisone (a cortisone-like drug) is recommended for cats with radiographic or clinical evidence of lung disease.
Cats with severe manifestations of feline heartworm disease may require additional supportive therapy, and may benefit from intravenous fluids, oxygen therapy, cage confinement, bronchodilators (which expand the air passages of the lungs), cardiovascular drugs, antibiotics and nursing care.

Heartworm extraction with various surgical devices has been performed in cats in which the worms can be visualized with ultrasound at the tricuspid valve or in the right atrium (of the heart), and especially in those rare instances of caval syndrome (obstruction of blood flow affecting the heart and the liver.

Preventives
It is generally recommended that all cats be tested for both antigens and antibodies (serology) prior to administration of a heartworm preventive. There are four heartworm disease preventive products approved by the FDA for use in cats, (see your vet for details). All of these products are considered effective in preventing the development of adult heartworms when administered properly on a monthly basis relative to the period of transmission.”

Covering the same topic, however with emphasis on latest scientific research, Veterinary Practice News recently published an article on feline heartworms. In it, Gary D. Norsworthy, DVM, Dipl. ABVP (feline) who owns and practices at Alamo Feline Health Center in San Antonio, Texas and also frequently speaks about cat health at veterinary conferences and seminar, reports of a study performed at Auburn University which has shown a new side of feline heartworms. This study, performed with financial backing from Pfizer Animal Health in NY, came to the following conclusions:
“Life CycleWhen a mosquito bites a cat, larvae (L3 stage) are deposited on the cat’s skin. Within minutes they enter the subcutaneous tissue through the bite wound. The L3 molt within a couple of days to fourth stage larvae.

L4 migrate subcutaneously in fat and muscle for two months, then molt to become a juvenile or immature adult worm. Immature adult worms enter circulation via a peripheral vein. This occurs about 60 days after infection. An antibody response begins about this time; some cats test antibody positive.

Within the next 15 to 30 days, 75 to 90 days post infection, the immature adult worms arrive in the pulmonary arteries. The vast majority of the juvenile worms die, are carried by blood flow into the lungs and cause an intense inflammatory response affecting the pulmonary arterioles, bronchi and alveoli.

It is estimated that about 3 to 4 percent of the immature adults become 6 inch long adult heartworms and live for two to four years before dying spontaneously.
HARD
Heartworm associated respiratory disease, or HARD, is unique to the cat. It is defined as vascular, airway and interstitial lung lesions caused by the death of immature adult worms, and the inflammation may last up to eight months.
The study revealed: If 100 infective larvae are administered to a dog, 75 will mature to adults. If 100 infective larvae are administered to a cat, many will become immature adult heartworms; however, only three to four will mature to adults. A very large number of immature adult worms develop but never make it to adulthood due to the effects of the cat’s immune system. Severe lung lesions are present but:
No adult worms will be present on necropsy. The immature adult worms disintegrate within the lung tissue and are very difficult to find on necropsy. Antibodies disappear very quickly. Antigen tests will be negative because there have been no adults. Radiographically, these cats may look similar to cats with allergic bronchitis. Interstitial or bronchial patterns may be present, and the caudal pulmonary arteries may be enlarged and blunted. In some cats, apparent enlargement may be due to periarterial inflammation. Repeated exposure to immature adult heartworms results in severe interstitial and bronchial disease.”

It is no wonder that this disease has eluded detection until we learned of the results of this study.

Let’s recap, in summary the 3 important points are:
1. By about three months post infection, 2 inch long immature adult heartworms are in the pulmonary arteries. .
2. Most of these are killed by the immune system, never becoming adult heartworms. They are carried by blood flow into the lungs..
3. About 3 percent to 4 percent of the immature adults become 6 inch long adult heartworms.

Dr. Norsworthy continues:
“For every 10 heartworm-infected dogs in a given locale, one cat has adult heartworms. However, it is likely that only about 10 percent of heartworm-infected cats have an adult worm. That makes the exposure and infection rates of dogs and cats about the same.

Heartworm Testing
Antibody Tests: Antibodies are produced by the presence of immature adults, and they begin to wane as the immature adult worms die. If the immature adult worms mature to adults, the adult worms suppress the immune system, causing antibodies to dissipate. Most antibody tests turn negative about four months later as long as new infections do not occur. A positive antibody test means one or more of these possibilities: A current infection with late L4.; a current infection with immature adult heartworms, a current infection with adult heartworms; a previous heartworm infection. Antibody persists about four months.

Many cats with HARD are antibody positive and antigen negative. However, many test negative on both antigen and antibody tests, making differentiation from cats with allergic bronchitis virtually impossible.

Antigen Tests: A positive antigen test means (one or both): One or more adult female heartworms and/or one or more dying adult female heartworms.

Heartworm tests are inclusionary, not exclusionary. If they are positive, they are meaningful. If they are negative, they are not meaningful.

Antigen or antibody testing is not necessary to begin heartworm prevention because there is not a reaction between current heartworm prevention products and any stage of the heartworm.

Microfilaria Testing: In contrast to dogs, very few microfilaria circulate in cats. This test has very poor sensitivity in cats. This also explains why cats are very poor reservoirs for heartworm infections to other cats or to dogs.

Summary
Positive antibody test: This cat is or has been infected with heartworms that progressed at least to the immature adult stage. It is clearly at risk of future infections
Positive antigen test: This cat is infected with adult heartworms. It is clearly at risk of future infections.
Microfilaria testing: This test has a very poor diagnostic yield.
Most cats with HARD have mild coughing, but a severe respiratory crisis can occur when a large number of immature adult heartworms die at once. These cats should be placed on a heartworm preventive product to prevent new infections.”

I know, it all sounds very scientific and can be very confusing. However, this is a topic I really want every cat owner to become familiar with. You need to know about this, heartworm is a serious problem you don’t want your pet to suffer from and have to go through the lengthy, painful treatment. What kind of surprises me is that how seemingly little we know or knew about this problem related to felines. The best site to find more details and kind of easy to understand info including graphical illustrations is the one of the American Heartworm Society. Besides background info, the site features a lot of downloadable materials (for free) and even features an educational section “Just for Kids”.

New version of Feline Obsessive Licking Disorder: Lick your sis away

Mark with his 2 cats sent in a comment in the hopes to get some input on the problem he is experiencing with his cat Freddie:

“My cat, Freddie, is 16 months old. I found him aba... My cat, Freddie, is 16 months old. I found him abandoned at about 1 month old and took him in. 3 months ago, I adopted a little sister for him from a local temple. Once he got used to this new family member, he began giving her baths. At first, it was cute, the big brother grooming the little sister.Now, however, he tries to clean her every chance he gets. His behavior is bordering on obsessive, and it doesn't seem like the younger sister always enjoys this. I have seen many posts on OLD, but haven't come across a case of one cat obsessively licking another cat. “

Mark, I do not know and have not come across a similar inquiry neither here on the blog nor at our store. Obviously you have seen my comment on the problem we are having with our Tiger. Currently it is very bad again. I am seriously thinking about placing some restrictive device like a collar on him before “he licks himself away”.

We had a couple comments on from blog participants, but nothing really addressing your problem. I decided to make this a new comment, maybe we can spark some interest this time around and get some constructive input.

Hot Spots, Rashes & Infections: Holistic skin and coat care

One of the most common medical complaint in dogs is the notorious “Hot Spot,” also called “acute moist dermatitis.” There are dozens of causes of hot spots, including allergies, parasites, or just licking and chewing, but the common factor is infection, whether bacterial or fungal or yeast. And hot spots can appear anywhere on the body: Hind leg, feet, rump area, neck, etc. The bottom line for your dog is that there is an infection and intense itching, regardless of how it got that way. Sometimes hot spots seem to appear out of thin air. For example, many dogs are very sensitive to simple lawn grasses. These animals are physically and nutritionally normal, but show signs of inflamed skin and hair loss. Or, a skin lesion can occur as a result of moisture on the skin surface from rain, pond or lake water. Minute scratches on the skin from, for example, a clipper blade, may trigger other cases. Moist eczema is one example of a hot spot type. If the coat is dense or allowed to become matted, moisture on the skin may remain long enough to allow superficial bacteria to reproduce and create an infection. Some cases of moist eczema will spread very rapidly and require rather aggressive therapy to correct.

Rashes and Skin Infections (Infectious Dermatitis)
Bacterial, fungal and yeast organisms are notoriously obnoxious skin and coat pathogens. They can cause skin infections, rashes and other problems in otherwise healthy dogs. Bacterial dermatitis rarely occurs spontaneously. Normal healthy skin has tremendous numbers of a variety of bacteria present all the time. If something upsets the normal balance, such as antibiotics eliminating one or two types, the remaining types proliferate. Any contact with grass, plastic, an abrasion or moisture, or parasitic invasion can bring down the skin’s defensive barriers and opportunistic bacteria then have their way. Fungal infections first appear as one or more small areas of hair loss that may be reddened or inflamed. As infection progresses, crusts may form on the area of hair loss, the patches increase in number and size, and large portions of skin may become involved. Yeast, a type of fungus, can irritate an already diseased skin surface. Yeast infections typically create greasy, odorous and inflamed skin in affected dogs. Symptoms may include blackening of the skin, dry flaky skin or greasy type grit on the skin. As the condition worsens, a bad yeasty smell or odor may accompany this, and the dog will experience severe itching, leading to endless biting, chewing and hair loss.

Parasites and Mange

Skin Problems Caused by Parasites (Fleas, Ticks, Mange Mites and More) A parasite is an organism (a flea, for example) that spends a significant portion of its life in or on the living tissue of a host organism (your pet) and which causes harm to the host without immediately killing it. Some parasites are relatively innocuous, some are not, and some can cause serious skin problems. Fleas, Flies, Chiggers, Ticks, and Gnats When a pet parent sees her dog scratching and biting at itself, the first thing she thinks is “Oh no! Fleas!” Chiggers, deer flies, and gnats (sometimes called No-See-Ums) can be considered nuisances and generally do not create remarkable systemic skin problems. But repeated exposure to fleas can trigger a hypersensitivity to the bite of even a single flea, leading to an allergic response, and ultimately to hot spots or worse. Tick bites seldom trigger an allergic reaction, but can leave a slow-healing lesion.

Mighty Mites and MangeMites are microscopic creatures resembling tiny spiders. Among the species that attack animals are members of the Sarcoptic mange mites (family Sarcoptidae), which burrow under the skin. Demodex mites (family Demodicidae) are parasites that live in or near the hair follicles of mammals, including humans. Cheyletiella mites look like tiny spiders under a magnifying glass and are often called “Walking Dandruff” because upon close inspection it seems like little flakes of dry skin are actually moving about. Sarcoptic mites are very nasty critters. Called scabies or red mange, infestations of these mites are highly contagious and produce intense itching, reddening of the skin, thinning of the hair (alopecia) and development of crusts and scabs. Bacterial skin infections commonly occur in the inflamed, irritated skin. Sarcoptic mite infestation, or mange, is frequently misdiagnosed as allergic dermatitis by even very competent and experienced veterinarians. The mites burrow right down into the skin where they are virtually undetectable by skin scrapings. Sarcoptic mites prefer skin with little hair, so they are most numerous on the ears, elbows, abdomen and hocks. As the disease spreads, hair is lost and eventually the mites occupy large areas of skin. Sadly, many dogs are treated with cortisone or prednisone for a supposed allergic dermatitis when in fact these Sarcoptic mites are the cause of the pruritic or inflamed skin, and the unnecessary cortisone eventually makes the condition worse.Then there are Demodectic (or Demodex) mites, which cause another kind of mange. These mites are found in small numbers in the hair follicles of normal pets. In stressful situations, however, they proliferate, and large numbers inhabit the skin and hair follicles. The good news is that Demodex mites can easily be seen on a skin scraping viewed under the microscope. The less good news is that generalized demodicosis is serious and often difficult to treat. Large areas of the body may be affected, and often the affected areas are also infected by bacteria. In these cases, the skin is red, crusty and warm, and has many pustules. It may bleed easily and has a strong, rancid odor.

Why Not Steroids?

Corticosteroid drugs, called "steroids" for short, are potent chemical substances that can reduce swelling and inflammation quickly. Common corticosteroid drugs used to treat skin issues in dogs include cortisone, hydrocortisone, prednisolone and prednisone. These compounds reduce itching by reducing inflammation. In other words, these drugs treat the symptom of itching, but can do nothing about the underlying cause of the itch. Unfortunately, they also affect every organ in the body. Prednisone is the most potent anti - inflammatory and anti-itch steroid and is often used for treating allergies in dogs. It is usually reserved for dogs with moderate to severe skin allergies, or skin diseases that are difficult to diagnose. These medications are often over prescribed without a positive diagnosis and without careful monitoring, and the pet owner can be unaware of the potential seriousness of the side-effects.

Whether a dog has hot spots or mange or allergies, often it’s the secondary infections that cause the worst itching. If steroids are given to treat the symptoms of itching, the bacterial or fungal secondary infections will be given a boost, and will get much worse very quickly. The reason for this is that cortisones depress lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, making it easier for bacterial infections to occur and then to proliferate unchecked. In other words, steroids can compromise, or crash, your pet’s natural immune system. When this happens, your dog will lose hair and his skin will become black with a terrible odor and insane itching. Traditional medicine can no longer help him when the disease reaches this stage, and your vet is likely to recommend euthanasia. Even holistic, naturopathic veterinarians may recommend treatment with small amounts of corticosteroids to give some affected pets relief during the flea season. However, these treatments may be dangerous to your pet if prolonged and only offer temporary relief of symptoms at best.

These treatments may include topical medications, soothing baths, ointments and sprays, oral antihistamines, or steroids. Caution: If you are sent home with a prescription for cortisone, or your dog has been given “a cortisone shot to stop the itching”, your dog may ultimately be worse off than before if the true diagnosis happens to be an unrecognized case of Sarcoptic mites!

We carry at our on-line store a holistic series of products coming from a company called DER Magic. I have tried their products and experienced success with both, our cats as well as our dogs, this stuff really works. You know I don’t like to advertise the products we carry at the on-line store. But sometimes I just can’t help it and feel, if in general it really helps your companions, why not passing on a recommendation. Other stores do it too, even vets make their very specific recommendations when it comes to food, treats and remedies and illness cure. Coming back to DER Magic Skin & Coat Care: This company, as so many within the holistic circle of pet food, treat and supplement suppliers, was started because it’s founder, Dr. Adelie Ritchie, also proud owner of a couple Shih Tzus, tried to figure out how she could help her pups, who often were in need of a quick fix for bug bites, rashes, hot spots or other dermal boo-boos. The doctor’s original prototype product was formulated many years ago, back when Dr. Ritchie was breeding and showing Yorkshire Terriers and teaching organic chemistry at a community college in Florida. At the time, her prize show dog developed a serious skin disease and then progressively got worse under standard veterinary treatments, to the point where her vet suggested euthanasia to put the dog out of her misery. Shenanigan was her name and she had thick black skin by this time, smelled horrible and cried constantly. Back then, as is still the case today, there just weren't any good choices out there for veterinary treatments that weren't loaded with cortisone, steroids, antibiotics or strong chemicals, and even those treatments were not effective enough to save Shenanigan's life. This is when Dr. Ritchie got to work on formulating an effective topical treatment with natural, herbal and organic ingredients. Shenanigan got dunked, slathered, gooped, and drenched in potions, all somewhat effective, but not quite enough. Finally, after a few trials, the prototype DERMagic Hot Spot Lotion was born, and Shenanigan's relief was visible and immediate. She stopped crying and scratching, and her hair was sprouting again within 48 hours of the first treatment. Within six months, she was again in full coat and was parading herself proudly around the show ring. Over the years, Dr. Ritchie used her formulations to treat dogs and cats and horses belonging to family members, friends, and her colleagues in the dog show business, but it was not until much later that a good friend challenged her to make her great products available to every pet owner facing skin problems with their beloved companion animals.
Today, Dr. Ritchie offers a well rounded program of just a few, but extremely effective holistic skin and coat care products. All of them constantly receive very positive recognition in the pet oriented and related media including for example Animal Wellness Magazine to name just one. The line includes a complete 4 step skin care system, a hot spot salve, lotions, soap bars, Dead Sea aromatherapy bath salts and of course shampoos and conditioners.

Besides the very powerful fact that they simply work, what I like the most about Dr. Ritchie’s products is that she enables me to offer yet another effective solution within a well rounded holistic program, from food and treats to supplements and skin & coat care, all together designed to successfully help our customers in their efforts to get rid of their pet’s allergy problems.

Related to today’s comment, here is how Dr. Ritchie (who also by large contributed today’s comment) addresses the task on hand: DER Magic products stop infections associated with parasitic infestations, and kill certain parasites outright. They kill bacteria, yeast and most types of fungus, fast, and are the first line of defense against hot spots. Aside from being immediately effective at relieving itch, fighting fungal and bacterial infestations and promoting healing of affected areas, these products are safe and free from corticosteroids.

Travelling and nutritional needs

With the summer having arrived, the number of activities involving our pets, one of them being travelling, has increased as well. Dogs typically enjoy travelling to the highest degree.

With new sights and smells, travel can be both exciting and overwhelming for us pets. Going into “foreign territories” is stressful at times even for well adjusted pets and can lead to drastic appetite changes. Animals are instinctively cautious about eating in unfamiliar surroundings and this lack of appetite cannot only affect bowel movements and energy levels, but even a pet’s overall health. For your peace of mind and your pet’s comfort, preparation is the key in traveling.

In times of high stress, hormones produced by the body can give animals poor appetites. So eating for calories is often the main nutritional focus. Make every bite count and travel armed with a tasty diet of foods that are just too good for a pet to pass up. Ideally this would be the pet’s normal diet to minimize any other stressful changes. But if that doesn’t work, the following suggestions might come in handy:

Foods that are higher in protein and fat are generally more palatable than foods higher in carbohydrates. Therefore, selecting a high protein and low carbohydrate food is a simple solution. For many brands, carbohydrate levels are not typically listed on packaging, but they can be easily calculated by adding all the percentages for protein, fat, moisture, crude fiber and (if available) ash and subtracting the total from 100%. The remainder is an approximation of the percent of carbohydrate in the food. Dry foods with less than 18% carbohydrates for dogs and 12% for cats would be considered low in carbohydrates. Canned dog and cat food with less than 2% carbohydrates would be considered lower in carbohydrates. Increasing fat and protein also allows us pets to get more calories per bite of food and helps boost our immune systems.

Hydration is also imperative for travelling pets to avoid overheating. One way to keep a pet hydrated is to provide frequent access to fresh, cool water. Another convenient way to help with hydration is to feed canned food. The greater water content in canned food, up to seven times as much as in dry food, can help to meet our water needs. In addition, canned wet food to some of us is just more tempting than dry foods.

Providing treats at different points on a trip is another great way to reassure pets and letting them know that travelling is fun. Selecting treats that are easily stored and that come in a variety of shapes and flavors can make giving treats both easy for you and enjoyable for your pets.

In the end, the more comfortable and satisfied we pets are during a trip, the more enjoyable the entire experience will be for everybody.

EPA scrutinizing Flea and Tick Products

According to June’s issue of the Veterinary Practice News (VPN), the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently intensifying its evaluation of whether further restrictions on the use of spot-on flea and tick control pesticides are in order. With the measurement the agency aims to better protect our pets. Under review are both, veterinary as well as over the counter products.

The magazine reports that according to an EPA spokesman this all comes because of the recent increase in reported incidents: In 2008 44,000 plus potential incident cases with registered products were reported. By federal law, all EPA registrants are required to submit reports of possible adverse reactions if they are possibly related to the use of the registrant’s products. These reports are to be submitted regardless of whether the product was or was not used according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Flea and tick products are available in a variety of application media, such as spot-on’s, sprays, collars and shampoos, however, according to VPN, most EPA reported incidents are based on spot-on products, which is what the evaluation seems to be focused on.

Active ingredients in those products include amitraz, cyphenothris, dimotefuron, etofenprox, fipronilimidicloprid, metaflumizon, permethrin, pyriproxyfen and S-methoprene. The EPA according to the magazine claims, that the adverse reactions reported ranged from skin irritations to seizures and unfortunately in some cases were even fatal.
VPN further reports that the evaluation started out at mid April of this year with a few products from about 7 different manufacturers, but by now was by the EPA extended to include all EPA registered spot-on flea and tick products. The EPA on its website provides a complete list of all registered products.

I visited the agency’s website and apparently “Since the chart previously located on this page reflected only a portion of the numerous pet spot-on products available, EPA felt that pet owners and consumers might be led to believe that only those products listed were the focus of concern. In fact, EPA is intensifying its evaluation of all spot-on products and is providing a more comprehensive list of these products.”

At this point I feel that it is also important to reiterate that “EPA is not initiating a product recall of these products nor is the Agency suggesting that the products not be used. EPA recognizes the importance of the products in effective flea and tick control. EPA’s objective at this stage is simply to advise consumers and pet owners to exercise caution when using the products and to monitor pet behavior following their use, as some animals have experienced adverse reactions following treatment.”

Here is the agency’s view on all of this:
“Pets may experience adverse reactions from flea and tick control products, including spot-on treatments, sprays, collars and shampoos. However, the majority of reports to EPA are related to flea and tick treatments with EPA-registered spot-on products. Spot-on products are generally sold in tubes or vials and are applied to one or more localized areas on the body of the pet, such as in between the shoulders or in a stripe along the back.
Flea and tick products can be appropriate treatments for protecting your pets and your family’s health because fleas and ticks can transmit disease. While many people use the products with no harm to their pets, EPA recommends that pet owners take precautions when using these products. People should carefully follow label directions and monitor their pets for any signs of an adverse reaction after application, particularly when using these products for the first time. Also, before use of these products on weak, aged, medicated, sick, pregnant or nursing pets, or on pets that have previously shown signs of sensitivity to pesticide products, EPA recommends that a veterinarian be consulted.”

Additional safety tips are available for taking care of fleas and ticks on your pet.

As VPN writes, it is all a “Matter of Perspective: One needs to temper the 44,000 potential incidents with the available units for sale in the field, said Mark Newberg, director of corporate affairs at Central Life Sciences of Schaumburg, Ill. In that context, he said, the number of adverse reactions turns out to be very small.
“And of those 44,000, I’m going to guess that the lion’s share are mild or moderate reactions,” he said.
Newberg said he believes that many of the reports involve consumers applying the product incorrectly. For example, he said, because of the ailing economy, some consumers buy a product for a larger animal and mete it out over several months instead of buying the proper dose.
“It may sound like something that everybody is preaching, but (it comes down to) the label directions,” Newberg said. “Nowhere on the label directions do you see, ‘Split up doses.’ It says very clearly, ‘Do not use these products on cats’ when they are designed for dogs. I don’t know how much clearer you can be.”
What more can be done?
“That’s exactly what the EPA meeting is for,” Newberg said. “Once we put the cards on the table, we will have the opportunity to look at the adverse reactions. Maybe there will be a sub-meeting or subgroup that puts together a task force to look at labeling. … They may come back after the meeting and say these instructions are very clear and maybe change the way adverse incidents are reported, so that numbers don’t skew one way or another.”
Whatever the result, Newberg said he is anxious to work with the EPA on this issue.”

Here are some reactions coming from the manufacturers mentioned in the VPN article: “Common misuses include pet owners applying a spot-on product dose that is inappropriate for the pet’s size and applying a product designed for a dog on a cat and vice versa, said Hal Little, DVM, director of field veterinary services for Merial Ltd. of Duluth, Ga. That is why following instructions and working with a veterinarian are so important, he added.
“The veterinarian is a very important gatekeeper,” Dr. Little said. “Clients should be working with their veterinarian, asking questions, talking about directions and about the products.”
Merial maintains that while the EPA noted a “sharp increase” in the number of reported adverse events associated with spot-ons, company records do not indicate such a case for Frontline.
“The number of adverse events reported per volume of sales has remained consistently low since the introduction of Frontline in 1996,” Little said. “Over 1 billion doses of Frontline have been sold, so there is extensive experience with the product in marketed use.”
Merial and other spot-on product manufacturers are working with the EPA. A meeting was to be held in May in conjunction with the Canadian health department, which has identified similar concerns.
Fort Dodge Animal Health of Overland Park, Kan., is working closely with the EPA to identify and resolve any issues related to ProMeris for dogs, spokes-man Ryan Noonan said.
“Before ProMeris for dogs was released to the market in 2007, it went through extensive clinical testing,” Noonan said. “Because ProMeris is a new product, there may be more questions related to its use, as compared to other available spot-on products that have been on the market for a number of years.”
Mark Levin, vice president of technical affairs at Sergeant’s of Omaha, Neb., said he thinks the increased number of reports can be tied to the fact that products traditionally sold through the veterinary channel are being sold over the counter.
“The one item we feel we at least need to get on the table … is that when (veterinary products) are sold to a consumer and the consumer has an issue with that product, they take it and the animal back to the vet,” Levin said. “The vets don’t necessarily report those adverse events back to the manufacturer. Whereas for our over-the-counter products, if a consumer has a problem with our product, they call us directly and we respond with those numbers to the EPA.”
In regard to reports of incidents involving Sergeant’s products, Levin said those numbers are low.
“We don’t feel good about even one case, and we constantly look at any opportunity that we can to improve our products across the board,” he said.
For example, Levin said the company has found cases in which consumers used the wrong size product or used the product on the wrong species. Levin said the company also found cases in which household pets licked each other shortly after application.
Melinda Fernyhough, DVM, Ph.D., manager of Scientific Affairs for Hartz of Secaucus, N.J., agrees that reading the label carefully is important.
“Hartz wholeheartedly en-dorses the EPA advisory’s call to action to pet owners regarding the importance of carefully following label directions and making informed decisions when selecting and using spot-on flea and tick pesticides,” Dr. Fernyhough said. “As the EPA states: ‘The pesticide label is your guide to using pesticides safely and effectively.’”
Fernyhough said that EPA-reported adverse effects for Hartz UltraGuard products for cats decreased in 2008 from 2007 and those for Hartz UltraGuard for dogs maintained the same low ratio of reported incidents to sales.”

While I was browsing around at the EPA’s website I followed the link “Taking care of fleas and ticks on your pet “ , where among other advice the agency makes a point of how to properly use flea and tick control products:

“To help minimize incidents that may be caused by product misuse, EPA is reminding consumers to always carefully read and follow all instructions on the label for these products and these Safety tips for pet owners:
Consult your veterinarian:
Before use on weak, aged, medicated, sick, pregnant, or nursing pets, or on pets that have previously shown signs of sensitivity to pesticide products; and
If your pet experiences an adverse effect.
If you use a spot-on product or any other pesticide on your pet, carefully read and follow the product label.
Use flea and tick control products only on the animal specified by the product label, for example, dog products for dogs only and cat products for cats only.
Follow any label prohibitions against use on weak, aged, medicated, sick, pregnant, or nursing pets, or on pets that have previously shown sensitivity to pesticide products.
Apply only the amount indicated for the size of the animal being treated.
Do not apply to kittens or puppies unless the product label specifically allows this treatment. Pay attention to the age restrictions for puppies and kittens on the label.
Monitor your pet for side effects or signs of sensitivity after applying the product, particularly when using the product on your pet for the first time. Do not apply spot-on’s to pets known to be sensitive to pesticide products.
If your pet experiences an adverse reaction, immediately bathe the pet with mild soap and rinse with large amounts of water.
Keep the package with the product container (such as individual applicator tubes). Also keep the package after treatment in case adverse effects occur. You will want to have the instructions at hand, as well as contact information for the manufacturer.
Besides spot-on’s, there are other pesticides registered for flea and tick control on pets. These include shampoos, collars, dust, and sprays. Consumers should apply the same precautions when using these products as recommended for spot-on’s. Pet owners may also wish to consult their veterinarian for advice and recommendations.”

Advice for Reporting Incidents
Keep the package with the product container (such as individual applicator tubes). Also keep the package after treatment in case adverse effects occur. The package contains the product label, which includes important information such as the EPA registration number and contact information for the manufacturer.
Report any adverse effects to the manufacturer, who is required by law to report it to EPA. Contact information can be found on the product label. In addition, you may report the incident to the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC), 1-800-858-7378
Encourage your veterinarian to use NPIC’s Veterinary Pesticide Adverse Effects Reporting portal at http://npic.orst.edu/vet to report any incidents. This portal is not for use by the public.”

Updated information on the agency’s progress is frequently being made available at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/health/flea-tick-control.html

Pet nutrition in Layman’s terms: Part 1 Nutrients and Protein

Does the food I’m providing meet my pet’s nutritional needs? As our knowledge of the relationship between diet and health continues to advance and as the range of foods available for our pets continues to expand, it’s more important than ever to base feeding choices on good information. This information can come from various sources. For example from “Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats”, a technical report issued by the National Research Council as part of its Animal Nutrition Series. The Food and Drug Administration relies on information in the report to regulate and ensure the safety of pet foods (Or better: is supposed to ensure, as we all know too well, pet food isn’t always safe). Scientists who study the nutritional needs of animals use the Animal Nutrition Series to guide future research. The series is also used by animal owners, caretakers, and veterinarians to develop specialized diets for individual animals.
To provide good information is one of my goals with this blog. At numerous times I have published on this blog comments and articles about pet nutrition in general. The problem is that many of those articles sometimes get very technical and can be confusing to some of us, others again maybe based on opinions or written for a certain purpose, like for example in order to sell a certain type or brand of food. What I have been missing is simple explanations, kind of written in Layman’s terms and understandable for everybody, easy to read and short and quickly getting to the bottom of things. That was until now when recently, while doing my daily research work, I came across a course, which I decided to publish here with slight modifications. The site itself looks to me like it has not been maintained for quite a while, the last time its copyright notice was updated was in 2005 and many parts of the site are no longer accessible or corrupted. We don’t have to worry about the age of the info, nothing has changed about the basics. The Australian pet food manufacturer Advance created the self study course in cooperation with the Waltham Centre for Pet Care and Nutrition. Waltham, since 1965 has contributed to the advancement of global knowledge on nutrition for companion animals and now has over 600 research and development personnel all over the world. They continuously study in detail the nutrition and behavior of companion animals in a non invasive environment. Their studies cover many specialist areas including veterinary medicine, dietetics, biochemistry, animal behavioral science and breeding science. While this initially all sounded too science oriented to me, it turned out they came up with a pretty cool “crash course” and I decided to share what I was able to salvage here on this blog. As a result I hope I will be able to come up with a simple series designed for those of you who want to learn more about pet nutrition. A series suitable for breeders, vet nurses, pet store retailers, animal trainers or any pet owner who simply wants to learn more about feeding their dog or cat. Today let’s get started with Nutrients and Protein.

Nutrients

Our companion animals, just like we pet owners or as a matter of fact any living creature require food in order to grow, stay alive and live healthy. Food can be defined as either solid or liquid. When ingested, food supplies any or all of the following: Energy providing materials used by the body to produce movement, heat or other forms of energy, material for growth, repair or reproduction and substances necessary to initiate or regulate the processes involved in the aforementioned categories.

The components of food, which have these functions are called nutrients. The food ingested is commonly referred to as diet. Nutrients, which are required by an animal and cannot be synthesized in the animal’s body are called essential nutrients and must be provided for the body via dietary sources, i.e. food.

Diets containing no essential nutrients at all or only in insufficient quantity are considered inadequate. Feeding inadequate diets long term can and will most likely result in suboptimal performance or even in disease.

This series will take a closer look at the basic nutrients, their structure and their functions within the animal’s body. Today we are getting started with Protein.

What is protein? Proteins are very large molecules made up of hundreds of simple, single units called amino acids, bound together by peptide bonds. A wide variety of different proteins are found in nature, with each made up of strings of hundreds or thousands of amino acids, like the beads in a necklace. There are only about 20 amino acids typically found in proteins, but these may be arranged in any combination to give an almost infinite variety of proteins, each with its own characteristic properties. Functions of proteinAll animals need protein in their diet. Proteins are essential components of all living cells where they have several important functions including regulation of metabolism as enzymes and some hormones and a structural role in cell walls and muscle fiber. Protein is continually being lost in feces, hair, skin and sweat, so there is a constant turnover of protein in the body, even in adults. Of course a growing body needs large amounts of protein for building new tissues. Additional protein is required during periods of growth, pregnancy, lactation and for repair of damaged tissue, such as wound healing. Protein is essential for the body's defenses against disease, including the formation of antibodies. Proteins are also a source of energy in the diet. A Cat's and dog's coat is made primarily of protein. Protein is required for the normal growth of hair and epidermal cells, for skin pigmentation and for sebum production. In a dog, this may account for an amazing over one quarter of the daily protein requirement. Essential and non essential amino acidsAmino acids are classified as either essential or non essential. Essential amino acids cannot be synthesized by the body in sufficient amounts and must, therefore, be provided in the diet. Non essential amino acids are equally important as components of body proteins, but they can be synthesized from excesses of certain other dietary amino acids or other sources of dietary nitrogen. The amino acid profile of a protein determines the proportion of essential and non essential amino acids. Animal proteins generally have a more balanced amino acid profile, with a greater proportion of essential amino acids, and better digestibility than plant proteins. As a general rule, the more egg, fish, poultry and meat protein a food contains, the better it meets the animal's needs for amino acids. This does not mean that pets should be fed entirely on meat, milk and eggs, but the diet should be carefully balanced with amino acids if cereals form a large part of the diet.Protein quality

It all comes down to this simple formula: Amino Acid Profile + Digestibility = Protein Quality Not all the nutrients in food can be digested and absorbed, so the amount of protein an animal needs in its diet also depends on how easily it is digested by the animal. Digestibility is a measure of the how efficiently the nutrients in a food are digested and absorbed into the body. The digestibility of proteins varies from 50 to 95%. This means that between 5 and 50% of protein in food remains undigested and is not available to the animal. Plant proteins generally have lower digestibility than animal proteins. The protein in high quality pet foods usually has a digestibility of over 75%. However over processing of prepared pet foods can reduce their digestibility. The protein cycleWhen foods containing protein are eaten and digested, the amino acid necklace is progressively cut into smaller pieces by specific digestive enzymes in the gut, until eventually the whole structure has been dismantled either into single beads or pairs of beads called peptides. Protein can only be absorbed from the gut into the bloodstream in this simple form. Once absorbed into the bloodstream, most of the beads are taken in by the body's cells and reassembled in a different order to build the protein structures which the body needs e.g. hair protein or muscle tissue. Therefore after a dog digests a meal containing beef protein, the components of the protein are pulled completely apart and rebuilt into new dog proteins, leaving no trace of the original beef protein in the dog's body. The urea cycleExcess protein is not stored in the body. Instead the left over protein is used to produce energy in a system known as the urea cycle. This process creates a waste product called urea, which must be eliminated from the body via the kidneys. Unlike fats and carbohydrates, proteins contain nitrogen molecules, and urea is one of the few safe forms in which nitrogen can be eliminated from the body. Protein deficiencyProtein deficiency can result from either insufficient protein in the diet or from a shortage of particular amino acids. Signs of protein deficiency include poor growth or weight loss, rough and dull hair coat, anorexia, increased susceptibility to disease, muscle wasting and emaciation, oedema and finally death. Deficiency of a single essential amino acid results in anorexia and subsequent negative nitrogen balance. Protein excessDietary protein in excess of the body's requirements is not laid down as muscle but is, instead, converted to fat and stored as adipose tissue or fat. Feeding excess protein is a relatively inefficient and expensive source of energy in the diet. Concluding key points: Protein is an essential component of the body: Tissues and body fluids, hormones, enzymes and anti bodies. The arrangement, sequence and proportion of amino acids in each protein give it unique properties. There are about 20 different types of amino acids, of which 10 are essential, since they cannot be made in sufficient quantity in the body. Protein quality is a function of the protein source and its digestibility. Excess protein is not stored, but broken down to produce energy in the urea cycle. Protein deficiency causes poor growth, lack of appetite, loss of coat condition and impaired immune function.

How does it all relate to our pets?
Dogs cannot survive without protein in their diets. Dietary protein contains 10 specific amino acids that dogs cannot make on their own. Known as essential amino acids, they provide the building blocks for many important biologically active compounds and proteins. In addition, they donate the carbon chains needed to make glucose for energy. High quality proteins have a good balance of all of the essential amino acids. Studies show that dogs can tell when their food lacks a single amino acid and will avoid such a meal. Dogs are known to selectively choose foods that are high in protein. Whether this is simply a matter of taste or a complex response to their biological needs for all 10 essential amino acids is not known. However, dogs can survive on
a vegetarian diet as long as it contains sufficient protein and is supplemented with vitamin D.

As carnivorous animals, cats derive most of their protein from meat, fish, and other animal products. Some animal-based protein is easier to digest than plant based protein and is better suited to the cat’s digestive system. Dietary protein contains 10 specific amino acids that neither cats nor dogs can make on their own. Known as essential amino acids, they provide the building blocks for many important biologically active compounds and proteins. In addition, they provide the carbon chains needed to make glucose for energy. High quality proteins have a good balance of all of the essential amino acids. Deficiencies of single essential amino acids can lead to serious health problems. Arginine, for example, is critical to the removal of ammonia from the body through urine. Without sufficient arginine in the diet, cats may suffer from a toxic buildup of ammonia in the bloodstream. Although not the case for dogs, the amino acid taurine is a dietary essential for cats. Taurine deficiency in cats causes a host of metabolic and clinical problems, including feline central retinal degeneration and blindness, deafness, cardiomyopathy and heart failure, inadequate immune response, poor neonatal growth, reproductive failure, and congenital defects. Found abundantly in many fish, birds, and small rodents, taurine is either absent or present only in trace amounts in plants. Strict vegetarian diets are not appropriate for cats
unless supplemented with nutrients essential for cats that are not found in plants.

Protein requirements for pets:
Are usually expressed in grams. For example, a kitten weighing 1.8 lbs requires 10 grams, an adult cat weighing 9 lbs 12.5 grams and a nursing cat mom weighing 9 lbs having 4 kittens needs 41 grams of protein daily. A 12 lbs puppy, expected to weigh 33 lbs at maturity needs 56 grams, a mature dog weighing 33 lbs needs 25 grams, a pregnant bitch regularly weighing 33 lbs and expecting 6 puppies 69 grams and a 33 lbs nursing mother with 6 puppies needs, yes, 158 grams of protein daily.

Figuring Grams of Essential Nutrients from Pet food labels
Pet food labels generally do not list amounts of essential nutrients in grams. However, all pet food labels must state guarantees for the minimum percentages of crude (referring to the specific method of testing the product, not to the quality of the nutrient itself) protein and crude fat, and the maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture. To convert these percentages to grams, simply multiply the crude percentages times the weight of your pet’s daily portion. For example, if you feed your cat one 6-oz (170-gram) can of food per day, and the food contains 8% crude protein, the grams of protein would be 0.08 x 170 =13.6 grams.

Note: For weight conversions use these conversion tools
Sources:
Advance Pet Foods
Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats, National Academies Press

General raw feeding guide lines for felines

Today’s comment is not about the usual discussion of raw, like which ingredients to look for or to avoid, nor whether it is advantageous. About the ladder one, to me there is no question anyway. Today is more about the little details, which we all too often don’t pay enough attention to, but, which make a difference to our beloved animals.

Please consider my recommendations as only being my guess. Your starting point when trying to figure out what works the best for your cat with regards to feeding amount and feeding times. It is a discussion about feeding adult felines only, I will address kittens, expecting and lactating queens in a separate comment at a later point.

So let’s get right into it:
Determining your cat’s ideal daily portion size is unfortunately not as easy as a chart telling you if your cat weighs X, feed her Y. Cats are individuals. Some are big and skinny, others small but fat. And yes, you guessed it right, cats can be young and old, male and female, active or sedate, and more. Some have fast metabolism and others don’t.

Any chance of providing you with a simple chart is made more difficult by the fact, that a homemade diet will turn out differently with the meat you use and with how precisely you follow instructions. I know of cat owners who use lean poultry, others use fatty beef. A fatty beef diet will be more filling and calorie dense than the same volume of a lean turkey diet. Some people add more water, giving the food more volume but not more calories, while another group omits water and wonders why their cats gain weight on so little food.

Like this one customer of mine who complained the other day: “My cat is “inhaling” her food like a dog” (now, who told that women that every dog eats like that?), cat owners are often distressed about their cat’s behavior of finishing their plate in less than a minute, asking for more food, pestering them at the fridge, or taking food stuff off counters or out of the trash, prompting them to think that their cat is starving or lacking something! Some cats don’t do this, but most will not miss an opportunity to eat. It is natural for an animal to be opportunistic. This is just part of their instinctive drive to survive. However, and I always stress this, much of this is conditioning. It really has a lot to do with how your cat was raised and how your cat has trained you! Most “monsters” are created by their owners.

Remember, food requirement should be based entirely on body condition, and not on behavior. If your cat suddenly looses weight without changes in the diet, keep a real close eye on her and possibly consult your veterinarian about possible illness or internal parasites.
It is especially difficult to monitor food intake and its effects on a cat allowed outdoors. Outdoors, you cat can regurgitate food without you knowing, and all you notice is that he or she is loosing weight. The eating of mice and other prey will add calories, but also predispose your cat to intestinal parasites. Outdoor, cats will often travel long distances, which takes extra calories. Outdoor, cats may scavenge food from neighbors, which puts them at a great risk not only from weight gain.

Most cats prefer to eat off a flat dish with the food spread out onto it. For regular raw food, my suggestions are to feed a daily portion of 1/2 cup or appr. 5 oz to appr. 6 oz or 2/3 cup divided into two meals every day. If you have a dainty female cat, start by feeding ¼ cup in the morning and the same in the evening. If you have a robust male cat, feed 1/3 cup in the morning and the same in the evening. Unless you have a very large cat, like a young, active, outdoor, male Main Coon cat, or a crazy Siamese, 99% of cats will fall into this portion range. Some older, more sedate cats will actually gain weight on only 5 oz of food a day. Always follow the manufacturer’s feeding instructions and your vet’s recommendations. Remember that manufacturer’s instructions stating how much to feed your cat at which weight is based on the “ideal” body weight, not the actual weight. This means for example, if your cat is overweight and you feed her based on her “actual;” weight you continue to over feed her, which is obviously not helping in getting rid of the obesity problem.

Here are some other facts you may want to keep in mind:
Some cat owners and vets say that cats will digest food better and get more out of it, when given small portions 3 to 4 times a day. Cats will also pester you less for food, if you divide their daily portion into more frequent meals. Contrary to this advice, we feed our cats once a day. I wanted to make sure, they pester me only once a day. Just kidding, but my point is, this is what they are used to and they don’t seem to have a problem with that. Though I have to add that: They are 50/50 indoor/outdoor cats, i.e., I take it during their 50% outdoor time they may scavenge and hunt and possibly get food this way, plus they always are around me with our pet food store and Daddy always has a treat or sample to try and spare.

Most cats will not digest a portions size of ½ cup well, and will likely suffer from a degree of indigestion. Many cats will actually regurgitate food if you feed a portion larger than ¼ cup. A cat’s ability to eat a large meal in one sitting decreases with age. Occurrence of regurgitation is more frequently observed in middle aged to older cats. I noticed this with our oldest cat
Young cats often behave especially frantic to get their paws on food. They may climb up on you while you are preparing or serving their food, climb right into the fridge when it is being opened, and come running at any sound of activity in the kitchen. Young cats, but not exclusively so, may steal food left out on counter tops, sometimes even take off with a loaf of bread. I don’t remember now where exactly I found this part, but have to say, observing our cats, this does not just apply to the young ones. Young and old, in our family they are all the same.

Cats are individuals. Some will maintain a level of excitement about food throughout their live. Others are largely uninterested in eating, and need coaxing to eat even as kittens. Most cats do well eating three meals every day, but some are not interested in eating more often than twice every day; sometimes they only show enthusiasm for one meal per day. Other cats will eat anything, any time, for no reason. Cats’ personality and emotional state is very much expressed by how they eat!

Cats’ appetite and attitude towards food does not only hinge on a certain personality type, but also on early kitten hood conditioning. Competition from other kittens, type of food fed, and frequency of food fed will all affect what kind of relationship cats will have with food later in life.
Cats’ behavior towards food and eating is also influenced by how well they have trained you. Do you respond to their begging by feeding them something when you have a meal yourself, work in the kitchen, or open the fridge? A rewarded behavior will be repeated. Although your intention may not have been to reward your cats for that behavior, you did nonetheless yield to their pressure.

If you find a begging cat intolerable, start conditioning your cat early and consistently by feeding him or her at a quite, designated place, preferably not in your kitchen or dining room, so your cat does not form a strong food association with these areas. If you feed your adult cat three times daily as much as he or she needs to maintain body weight, and refrain from giving food out of the fridge or from the table, your cat should settle into a routine that is comfortable and predictable for both of you. Feed treats away from areas where you prepare and eat your own food, and keep groceries and the trash out of your cat’s reach. If your cat is allowed into the kitchen and on counter tops keep food stored away and inaccessible. If your cat is successful in snatching food off the counters once, it will continue to check out these areas for food. After all, they are not stupid and will not resist instinct simply to be a good kitty just to please you.

Cats of the genus Felis, including the domestic cat, are adapted to prey on rodents, small birds, and the occasional reptile and amphibian as the main staple of their natural diet. A single mouse weighing no more then 30 gram provides approximately 60 kcal. So, in order to meet daily caloric requirement a cat must eat an average of five prey animals daily. This amount of food is not consumed all as one meal, but as separate meals throughout the day as the cats succeed in catching that prey. Researchers during field observations have concluded that most small cat species are adapted to and prefer to be active during dusk and dawn, the time when they will hunt most of their prey, resulting in an intake of several smaller meals during these hours. Naturally, cats will rest, groom, doze or sleep during daytime hours.

Transferring that insight from Mother Nature’s model onto our domesticated animals, feeding five meals of 1 oz each during the morning and evening hours is sort of an impossible solution for most of us. Reporting on feedback from my customers I would say that cats do very well by eating meals of 2.5 to 3 oz each given twice daily. By the way, weighing of the servings is a good idea since we pet owners have a natural tendency to over feed.

If regurgitation of food is a problem, try feeding smaller meal sizes not exceeding 3 oz ea. and feed the daily portion spread out over 3 to 4 meals. Young, large, active cats requiring more than 5 oz of food daily should be given an extra meal rather then increasing the size of their meal. Remember that a cat’s stomach size is about the size of a walnut when empty. I can stretch, but trying to fit a ½ cup of food into it as one meal, is over stretching it a bit. Saliva and digestive juices will add additional volume. If the cat does not bring the food back up, proper digestion will be difficult. Additionally, your cat will not always select instinctively what he or she needs and how much of it. There are many cats that if offered as much food as they want, they will eat until overcome with an urge to purge. Only some, those raised without siblings and competition for food will eat until full and leave the rest behind.

And finally: Always remember that cats are individuals. While I can give you ideas, none of them may work for your cat. Cats are a joy and a challenge at the same time. The ladder especially holds true when it comes to feeding. Since cats are so specialized in what they would eat naturally, cat owners have a very narrow margin of error of what cats thrive on or die from.

Allergies in Dogs: Holistic Skin & Coat Care

Pet allergies, and especially dog allergies, are very common. Food, carpeting, blankets, dust mites, mold spores in the air, pollen, plastic food dishes, furniture stuffing and ornamental plants, all have the potential to trigger an allergic reaction in your dog. In some instances, a highly allergic pet may have several allergies at once. The severity of allergies, which can be seasonal or year round, varies greatly. The most common symptom from an allergy is intense itching (known as pruritus), which may be localized at spots or might be systemic, covering the pet's entire body.

Contact Allergies
Fleas are a common source of contact allergies. Other common contact allergens include grasses, hay, plants, and trees. Toxins and chemicals (pesticides, carpet cleaners, etc.) provide additional potential sources for contact allergies for both outdoor and indoor pets.

Let’s take a closer look at flea bite allergies: Flea bite allergy is the most common allergy affecting dogs. In spite of common belief, a normal dog experiences only minor skin irritation in response to flea bites. Even in the presence of dozens of fleas, there will be very little itching. On the other hand, the flea-allergic dog has a severe, itch-producing reaction to flea bites. This occurs because the dog develops an allergic response to flea saliva. When the dog is bitten, flea saliva is deposited in the skin. Just one bite causes intense itching. This type of reaction is not to the flea itself but rather to proteins in its saliva. Dogs most prone to this problem, interestingly enough, are not dogs who are constantly flea ridden, but those who are exposed only occasionally! A single bite can cause a reaction for five to seven days, so you don't need a lot of fleas to have a miserable dog. The dog's response to the intense itching is to chew, lick, or scratch. This causes hair loss and can lead to open sores or scabs on the skin, allowing a secondary bacterial infection to begin. The area most commonly involved is over the rump (just in front of the tail). Many flea allergic dogs also chew or lick the hair off of their legs. In most parts of the country, the problem is seasonal. It is most severe in summer and fall in areas of the country that have cold winters. In warm climates where fleas are active year-round, they are a year-round problem, intensifying during summer. Veterinarians may recommend treatment with small amounts of corticosteroids to give some affected pets relief during the flea season. However, these treatments may be dangerous to your pet if prolonged and only offer relief of symptoms at best. The most important treatment for flea allergy is to get the pet away from all fleas. Therefore, strict flea control is the backbone of successful treatment. Unfortunately, complete flea control is not always possible for pets that live outdoors in warm and humid climates, where a new population of fleas can hatch out every 14 to 21 days.

Food Allergies are generally due to ingredients in your pet's food or treats. Symptoms of food allergies include itching and/or noticeable digestive trouble. A food allergy can be a reaction to almost any ingredient such as soy, wheat, yeast, or beef. Food allergies are so common that pet food manufacturers have invested millions of dollars in research, development and promotion of diets to help dogs with food allergies. I have been and keep addressing food allergies many times within this blog and refrain from more details in today’s comments.Inhalant Allergies
With inhalants, pollen is the most common type of allergen, but cigarette smoke, air fresheners, smog, or other airborne pollutants can also be problematic.

Allergic Dermatitis (Skin problems caused by allergies)Regardless of what causes the problem, this condition is common, it can last a life time, it is a challenge to diagnose and once identified it can be resistant to attempts at treatment. Dogs with inhalant dermatitis will lick and chew at their paws and scratch their face, eyelids and ears. Others may erupt in hot spots or their skin may redden and be intensely itchy all over.

The list of symptoms is endless, but severe itching is the common ailment. Diagnosis of allergies is difficult, time consuming, very costly, and often inconclusive. As a result, allergies are seldom properly diagnosed, and instead, the symptoms are treated in hopes of relieving the pet’s discomfort. These treatments may include topical medications, soothing baths, ointments and sprays, oral antihistamines, or steroids. Caution: If you are sent home with a prescription for cortisone, or your dog has been given “a cortisone shot to stop the itching”, your dog may ultimately be worse off than before if the true diagnosis happens to be an unrecognized case of Sarcoptic mites! A key point to remember is this: There is no cure for allergies! What we can do is avoid the food, material or parasite that is triggering the immune response, and treat both the symptoms and the resulting infections to restore the skin to good health.

We carry at our on-line store a holistic series of products coming from a company called DER Magic. I have tried their products and experienced success with both, our cats as well as our dogs, this stuff really works. You know I don’t like to advertise the products we carry at the on-line store. But sometimes I just can’t help it and feel, if in general it really helps your companions, why not passing on a recommendation. Other stores do it too, even vets make their very specific recommendations when it comes to food, treats and remedies and illness cure. Coming back to DER Magic Skin & Coat Care: This company, as so many within the holistic circle of pet food, treat and supplement suppliers, was started because it’s founder, Dr. Adelie Ritchie, also proud owner of a couple Shih Tzus, tried to figure out how she could help her pups, who often were in need of a quick fix for bug bites, rashes, hot spots or other dermal boo-boos. The doctor’s original prototype product was formulated many years ago, back when Dr. Ritchie was breeding and showing Yorkshire Terriers and teaching organic chemistry at a community college in Florida. At the time, her prize show dog developed a serious skin disease and then progressively got worse under standard veterinary treatments, to the point where her vet suggested euthanasia to put the dog out of her misery. Shenanigan was her name and she had thick black skin by this time, smelled horrible and cried constantly. Back then, as is still the case today, there just weren't any good choices out there for veterinary treatments that weren't loaded with cortisone, steroids, antibiotics or strong chemicals, and even those treatments were not effective enough to save Shenanigan's life. This is when Dr. Ritchie got to work on formulating an effective topical treatment with natural, herbal and organic ingredients. Shenanigan got dunked, slathered, gooped, and drenched in potions, all somewhat effective, but not quite enough. Finally, after a few trials, the prototype DERMagic Hot Spot Lotion was born, and Shenanigan's relief was visible and immediate. She stopped crying and scratching, and her hair was sprouting again within 48 hours of the first treatment. Within six months, she was again in full coat and was parading herself proudly around the show ring. Over the years, Dr. Ritchie used her formulations to treat dogs and cats and horses belonging to family members, friends, and her colleagues in the dog show business, but it was not until much later that a good friend challenged her to make her great products available to every pet owner facing skin problems with their beloved companion animals.
Today, Dr. Ritchie offers a well rounded program of just a few, but extremely effective holistic skin and coat care products. All of them constantly receive very positive recognition in the pet oriented and related media including for example Animal Wellness Magazine to name just one. The line includes a complete 4 step skin care system, a hot spot salve, lotions, soap bars, Dead Sea aromatherapy bath salts and of course shampoos and conditioners.

Besides the very powerful fact that they simply work, what I like the most about Dr. Ritchie’s products is that she enables me to offer yet another effective solution within a well rounded holistic program, from food and treats to supplements and skin & coat care, all together designed to successfully help our customers in their efforts to get rid of their pet’s allergy problems.

To return to today’s topic and in conclusion, always, at the very first sign of itching, look for broken skin, a bite, a sore, or any irritation, and apply DERMagic Hot Spot Lotion or Hot Spot Salve to kill the infection and prevent the irritation from getting worse. In most cases, this is the only remedy you will need. Both products are safe, free from corticosteroids and also are immediately effective at relieving itch from flea allergies, fighting the associated fungal and bacterial infestations, and promoting healing of affected areas.

Blood in stool: Part 2 Digested Blood: Melena

Bloody stools in pets can be attributable to a variety of underlying causes. While red blood in small quantities, sometimes mixed with mucous, is fairly common, it is always best to consult your veterinarian to pursue a diagnosis.
There are two variations of this problem. hematochezia and melena. Hematochezia is the presence of bright red and fresh blood in the feces, while melena is the passage of dark, tary and black feces. Melena is actually the passage of old, digested blood from bleedings which have occurred higher up in the intestinal tract. The causes, diagnostics and treatments for hematochezia often differ from those for melena. In part 1 of this series we discussed hematochezia, today we will talk about melena.

In medical terms, melena or melaena refers to the black, "tarry" feces that are associated with gastrointestinal hemorrhage. The black color is caused by oxidation of the iron in hemoglobin during its passage through the ileum and colon. Melena is different from fresh blood in the stool (hematochezia). It may represent a severe, life threatening illness, and should not be ignored. It must especially be addressed if it persists or worsens.

Melena develops when bleeding occurs into the stomach or small intestines. The bleeding must be high in the intestinal tract in order for the blood to be digested and become discolored. In contrast, hematochezia or bleeding into the colon or rectum appears as fresh blood in the stool.

Melena usually indicates the presence of significant upper gastrointestinal disease, although occasionally other diseases, such as clotting disorders, ingestion of blood, etc. unrelated to the gastrointestinal tract may present with melena. The classic appearance of melena is black, shiny, sticky, foul smelling feces with a tarry consistency. Melena may be seen as the only clinical sign, although other systemic signs often accompany it. Ingestion of blood must be ruled out, including swallowing blood from the oral cavity or respiratory tract, and licking blood from a wound. A careful history and thorough physical examination of these patients is essential. The presence of melena generally warrants hospitalization, extensive diagnostic testing, and supportive care. It is best to determine the underlying cause and treat the specific problem.There are many potential causes for melena to include infectious agents, certain drugs, cancer, foreign bodies in the stomach or intestines, infiltrative and inflammatory gastrointestinal diseases, ingestion of blood, bleeing disorders or coagulopathies, metabolic and other diseases that cause gastrointestinal ulceration, perioperative hemorrhage, which is bleeding associated with surgery on the intestinal tract, gastrointestinal ischemia or lack of blood supply and as an uncommon cause, ingestion of heavy metals.To determine if your pet is suffering the disease, watch out for dark, almost black stools, diarrhea, vomiting, pale gums, other areas of bleeding or bruising on the body, weight loss, poor appetite and excessive drinking or urinating.

To diagnose melena, a thorough history and physical examination are often helpful in determining if melena is present and in suggesting an underlying cause. To determine the exact cause, an extensive battery of tests is often required to identify or isolate the specific cause. Such tests may include:

Complete blood count (CBC) to evaluate for the presence of infection, inflammation and anemia associated with some diseases that cause melena, a biochemical profile to rule out metabolic causes of melena and to evaluate electrolyte and protein levels, urinalysis to evaluate the kidneys, the hydration status of the patient and the presence of blood in the urine, fecal examination for parasites and fecal culture for bacteria, abdominal and chest X-rays to identify foreign objects or tumors and to evaluate for the presence of fluid/blood or metastasis/spread of tumor in the lungs, serology for certain infectious diseases, coagulation profile and platelet count to assess blood clotting, abdominal ultrasonography, upper gastrointestinal barium series, endoscopy, dietary recommendations vary depending on the cause; however, a bland diet that is easy to digest may be recommended.

Avoid all gastrointestinal irritants like corticosteroids and aspirin drugs. Drugs that block the production of stomach acid and coat the stomach may be recommended. In severe cases, hospitalization is warranted for intravenous fluid therapy, blood transfusions, and supportive care.As the above diagnostic tests are underway, your vet may start symptomatic therapy, especially if the problem is severe. The following nonspecific, symptomatic treatments may be applicable to some pets with melena. They may reduce the severity of symptoms and provide some relief to your pet. However, nonspecific therapy is not a substitute for definitive treatment of the underlying disease responsible for your pet's condition.

Temporarily discontinue all oral liquids and food, especially if the animal is also vomiting. This allows the GI tract to rest and may facilitate healing of the lining of the GI tract. Gradual reintroduction of small amounts of bland food may then be instituted if the clinical signs have subsided. Subcutaneous or intravenous fluid and electrolyte therapy may be necessary in some patients with melena to correct dehydration, acid base, and electrolyte abnormalities. Blood transfusions may be indicated in the patient that becomes anemic from the melena. Plasma transfusions and vitamin K therapy may be indicated in patients with coagulopathies. Drugs that decrease acid production by the stomach may expedite the resolution of melena, especially if it is secondary to gastrointestinal ulcers. Gastrointestinal protectants and adsorbents or bind harmful substances may be considered. Protectants containing bismuth should be avoided because they often turn the stools black and can make it difficult to determine whether the melena has resolved. In some cases surgical intervention is recommended, especially when a bleeding ulcer, gastrointestinal tumor, foreign body, or malpositioning of the stomach/intestines is diagnosed.

Most of this information I found in an article written by Dr. Bari Spielman for the PetPlace.com.
While I am not a vet and you most certainly need to follow your vet’s advice, I personally would prefer an alternative treatment over the conventional “throw some hard core meds at the problem” solution. Natural remedies can be great alternatives. They are very effective and safe to use as well. Look out for homeopathic medications with powerful herbs. Apart from giving the right medications make dietary changes. Highly processed food affects your pet’s health badly. As a first line of defense, you may try giving your pet a bland diet that consists of rice as well as potatoes and substitute these foods for its regular food. The best solution is raw, unprocessed food and plenty of water to drink. And maybe you want o look for a vet fit in holistic animal care.

Note: Blood in stool: Part 1 Fresh Blood: Hematochezia