More on the H1N1 Swine Flu in Pets

There have been several confirmed cases of H1N1swine flu infection in domestic dogs and cats. The latest case was found in Los Angeles by a local veterinarian just 4 days ago. All of these animals have appeared to have acquired the disease from an infected human being. The symptoms are much the same as seen in the human involving the respiratory tract. Sneezing, nasal dischage, coughing, weakness and fever are usually present. Nationwide, there have been several reported cases in animals, including cats, ferrets, turkeys, swine, a cheetah, and most recently a dog in New York. Elsewhere in the world, the virus has been detected in swine, turkeys and dogs (2 in China). While transmission of this virus to animals appears to be rare, it is still important for individuals with influenza-like illness to take precautions which will minimize spread of the virus to both humans and animals.

People can keep their pets healthy by washing their hands, covering their coughs and sneezes, and minimizing their contact with their pets when they are ill. If a pet becomes ill, they should consult their veterinarian.

Pet Hoarding on the Rise

A rash of hoarding discoveries has hit the news this month that has left authorities pondering the cause. Whether it be a dog breeder out of control or simply a kind soul with good intentions feeding the ever-growing population of wild domestic pets. Is it a sign of the times? Should a pet "hoarder" in Oregon face charges for feeding wild dogs who come to eat their cattle? 100 dogs were found by Oregon authorities last week and the farm owners were charged with animal cruelty.

Another hoarder/breeder was found to have 100 chihuahuas living and 150 dead in his home. It appears he is fit for trial. Since he methodically selected for the best in breed by euthanizing the ones he didn't want and in some cases feeding them to the fittest dogs.

I do believe there is a mental illness involved in hoarding. I have witnessed my own late cousin, who did not have nor could afford a pet, severely disabled by the need to save every single piece of paper, magazine, receipt, file, book, record, notebook, old equipment, clothing, photos, thousands of VHS tapes, piles and piles of boxes. This is all in a 10 x 20 foot room.

As for pet collectors I have witnessed a few. Usually these people are very intelligent. They are more than willing to sacrifice cleanliness and sanitary conditions to house a multitude of pets. They are of the rescuer archetype, as am I. They believe strongly in caring for these animals and will do anything for them. It is difficult to turn away a creature that needs help. The person has an inner loss. The person was not rescued. The person was abandoned. The person is needed for this higher purpose. Death of an animal in their care is devastating. But death is a part of life. And a good life, shelter and food was given to this pet.

I do have very many clients with multiple pets who may be pushing the legal limit but manage to maintain sanitary humane conditions for all. These folks seem to have a grounded sense of practicality and are releastic in their ability to maintain the herd.

Yes I have anonymously reported a client for what I felt was inhumane and dangerous conditions. Well I guess not too anonymous now.

I always like to use a rule of thumb that seems to work in the field. 1 pet per 400 square feet.

Inhumane Pet and Owner Living Situation

Every so often I come to a home to help a pet and end up wanting to help the human. Last week I visited an elderly woman in her 80's living in a small, albeit hip, Hollywood apartment. She was very hard of hearing and had poor vision, but was able to get around. I walk through the door and nearly had projectile vomit from the smell. The cat Tootles, was walled off behind a flimsy sliding door to the kitchen. There was literally feces everywhere. There was evidence that the cat had chronic diarrhea and was defecating under a counter, behind furniture and every other corner. I stepped around it and took a history. The woman was self-educated in holistic medicine and had self-prescribed a multitude of supplements that she takes along with a battery of pet products. Her diet consisted of different "natural" pet foods including Wellness. I have seen diarrhea in cats on Wellness alone, but there were so many things going into the poor skinny cat's body it was hard to determine the cause.

I had to repeatedly exit the apartment to breathe and collect my wits. Part of me wanted to run and not come back. The other tenants seemed to know all about the crazy old cat lady but just accepted her. They must've remodeled the place around her. She claimed there was new carpet, but it still should be ripped out and replaced. The most confounding thing was the difficulty communicating with her. I had to shout into her ear. She was not stupid or even very senile. She was adamant about givng the cat supplements and assumed the problem was behavioral. She had a bevy of litterpans, some of which appeared to be aluminum pans (usually distateful to cats) and very little litter. She had stretched handle grocery plastic bags as litter liners. Not too comfortable. I finally got her to agree to run some tests on the cat who had rotten teeth, a poor coat and was underweight. Below is the actual letter I had to snail mail her (no email of course)

Dear Ms. Edwards (name changed):
The lab tests for Tootles (name changed) are in. The only abnormalities are an increase in muscle enzyme. The source is either the heart, the skeletal muscles or the stomach. It is possible there is heart disease. Further tests would be needed to determine this. She was negative for cat viruses and parasites. As far as her constant diarrhea and inappropriate defecation: I am very concerned that the multiple supplements you are giving are causing diarrhea. The food or any treats may also be causing chronic diarrhea. In any case my assessment of the cat is there is a chronic wasting disease or malnutrition. Here rear teeth are rotten and need extraction. This makes it difficult to eat. In addition, the manner in which you keep the cat box with plastic bags tightly lining the pan makes them unattractive and uncomfortable to cats. Small wonder she is pooping everywhere else.

I hope you can read, or have this read to you and understand up to this point. My recommendations to you are as follows:

I am very concerned about your living conditions. They are currently unhealthy and dangerous to your health and to your cat. In the interest of both of your health and safety, I recommend:
Board Tootles at the hospital and have her teeth extracted and given a controlled meal. If further diagnostics are warranted, it can be discussed. You yourself should temporarily stay at a hotel for a few days while your home is cleaned, disinfected with the possibility of installing a hard floor. Pergo is sturdy and relatively inexpensive.

Stop all supplements given to the cat. They are not helping and may be hurting, especially the high dose of vitamin C you’ve been giving. Digestive enzymes are not needed for unless there is a diagnosis determined by a veterinarian of pancreatic insufficiency.

The cat should be on a single type of food that is easily digested. Once the place is clean and the cat has recovered from the dental work and has shown normal stools, she can return to the home. First, she should have a large litter box filled with clumping litter. The liners are unnecessary and may hinder the cat’s desire to use the box. Get a plastic litter box. The aluminum pans are not well tolerated by cats. In fact we use aluminum foil as a deterrent for cat. Place the one litterbox in a quiet area (not the bathroom) perhaps in her “safe” area in which she has been defecating.

I am very sorry for the sad situation that you and Tootles find yourselves. I hope we can help. Please let us know.

Sincerely,
Dr. Steve Weinberg
911 VETS Home Pet Medical
1-866-491-1838

PS. I was able to speak to her about the letter and found her to be in complete denial and that the cat is improving. She wants to keep giving supplements and doesn't think the pans are a problem. My next step is to contact Social Services. Extremely frustrating situation that demonstrates again that the clinic veterinarian is handicapped by the inability to witness the living situation of the pet and owner and is probably fooled by the information given. But the housecall vet must get personally involved to help the pet and owner.

The Situation of the Guard Dog

Here is an actual letter sent to the owner of a home guard dog that was visited and treated. Note the extreme advantage of a house call for such a pet where the whole situation can be evaluated.
The names were changed to protect all

"Belmont" 10yr Staffordshire Terrier Male

Diagnosis: severe, deforming pinnal fly-strike dermatoses

I visit many homes with the situation of the outdoor guard dog. He is usually penned in on the property and has little interaction with the human family. Some family members are afraid of him because he is strong and intimidating. But he is actually starving for attention. He only wants to be part of the pack. That's how dogs view their family. When they are isolated away from the humans in the pack they become destructive to property or to themselves. Since these guard dogs live outside one can lose track of their living quarters. Feces and rotten stuff can accumulate and attract flies. For some reason, flies also like to bite the top of the dog's ears. They land and open him up for other flies to dine. Flies will also attack pressure points that have opened and bled. These happen when dogs lie primarily on hard concrete. Unfortunately, when they are supplied with a doggie bed, they usually destroy it out of anxiety. So time goes on and the dog gets little exercise and persists in isolation barking at whomever or whatever comes near; like a good dog. The flies continue to attack into the thick of the hot summer and slowly cause the cartilage of the ears to scar and deform. A secondary bacterial infection occurs and thick crusts that include fly feces build up on the ears and the pressure points.

So we've addressed a few things for Belmont
1. The wounds were cleaned
2. Fly repellant antiseptic ointment is applied, but better, we
3. Moved Belmont to the side gated area away from the flies and more shade. White dogs need more cover from the sun since they are prone to squamous cell carcinoma skin cancer of the ears, nose, etc. The muddy dog house area is not so great.
4. Treating with antibiotics for the secondary infection
5. Showed owner's girlfriend not to be afraid and how to walk Belmont in the neighborhood. Use a good pinch collar. It won't damage him, just get his attention

Things to consider:

1. More socialization with the family. Is he allowed inside? He would love it.
2. Consider (I know, gasp) having him neutered. Why? The typically problematic male traits should be reduced: pissing on everything, aggression toward other male dogs and possibly small children, and of course, prostate cancer later in life.
3. Get more fly ointment and treat for fleas. I recommend Comfortis. We can order it for you, it's prescription only.
4. Walk him daily and you'll gain great upper body and leg strength.

Sincerely,
Dr. Steve Weinberg
911 VETS Home Pet Medical

Fleas Finally Gone Packing

After weeks of misery, the fleas has finally left the building. Itchy bleeding scabs on the body of me and my children have finally healed leaving barely a scar. The dogs are now only scratching at their Standard Poodle ears: a constant source of yeasty aggravation requiring weekly flushing, plucking and medicating. Our Hero? An oral medication called Comfortis. Every few years a new killer anti-flea product comes on the scene and becomes the latest annihilator of the dreaded insect. It all is extremely effective until the medication seems to "lose power". This is followed by the discovery of live, biting fleas roaming the poor pet. Classic re-infestation. The new med is not working anymore. I have seen resistance to Frontline, Advantage and Program. This new oral med has promise and has worked so far with Garbo and Rupie (pictured).

The place was sprayed madly with the only product I found to work: Vet-Kem Siphotrol plus Premise spray (we can get you a good deal). I had to spray my vehicle since my ankles were attacked while I WAS DRIVING?! It makes for a difficult drive when you are constantly picking at small brown objects on your legs. The Vet-Kem did the trick after several applications. I used 4 cans between the home and the cars. You have to spray the carpets, the corners of the room, the couches including under the cushions. Move the bed and spray beneath. Strip the mattress and stand it on end. Spray both sides of the mattress. Spray and wash all pet beds. Spray the dog house (with dog removed). Consider using Vet-Kem yard spray. I found if you skrimp on the spraying, the fleas that have not been eradicated will return with a vengeance. Hateful little creatures.

Well anyway, they seem to be gone for the time being. That is, until the Comfortis is no longer effective and we have to use the next generation of cold-hearted flea killaz!

Fleas Still on Attack

Day 10: it's madness here in this house. They are biting us all over. The children are scratching themselves to bleed. I keep fighting the little buggers. We spray and double apply Advantage and they keep coming. I keep finding them on myself when in the car (which I bombed), when in my bedroom (which was bombed...twice). Okay. So in the interim we acquired another canine host: Garbo. A 9 year old Standard Poodle, white. She is very sweet, and susceptible to skin allergy and infection (secondary to flea bites). Oh and she also has an E. Coli urinary tract infection. That's under control with Baytril. Anyway we now all have to get out and torch this house to end the insanity. Every twitch an imagined flea is biting into my leg, my back, belly. Is that a FLEA on me, or a mole???? Oh crap, I ripped off a mole, no... it IS a flea!
Am I going insane? Why can't a vet control a simple flea infestation??? Why? Because these are the aforementioned NUCLEAR fleas. They have spent many generations living at the grooming parlor perfecting their invincibility through constant bombardment with a myriad of insecticides, shampoos, harsh chemicals and emerged a NEW SUBSPECIES capable of exponentially multiplying, infesting the house while dining on the human and canine inhabitants therein. These mutant bloodsuckers brush off harmless chemicals, like Advantage and Siphotrol, laughing and munching as they go. These little bastards who are biting the living hell out of my family originally smuggled themselves here upon my unsuspecting male Standard, Ruprecht. He must have brushed against an infested dog there, or from the cracks of the dark, damp holding kennels and cages of the grooming parlor. I must descend on them with mighty fury a camera crew and fix them...In any case we need to vacate. I'm going to use Borate powder to desiccate the fleas in the carpets, yet the couches and beds are infested. I might call a company like Terminix [visited site] Ah yes this is what we are dealing with: I captured one and it appears it is the cat flea (More viscous to pets and people). It is darker and smaller than the less hearty dog flea.

Time for the big guns. Moral again: Check pet for fleas with careful inspection using a flea comb before leaving any grooming, boarding facility, veterinary hospital. Use a verifiably effective flea product for all pets. Check for fleas regularly.

Home Infested with Fleas due to Groomer

Yes, I have become a victim of flea infestation. You see, our white Standard Poodle, Ruprecht, gets groomed every five weeks. I usually use Advantage on him to control fleas. The directions say to apply once a month. So the Advantage was running out of power and the dog had to be groomed. Now this groomer has been hit or miss with his haircuts. It was always kind of a mystery as to what he would look like. This time he received a very close cut. And it was uneven. We immediately noticed that Rupie was restless. We chalked it up to a bad, close haircut. I noticed his skin was redder than usual. He was running back and forth through the house. He is normally a nervous, active guy so we didn't think much of it. Now a veterinarian's pet is supposed to be exempt from problems, right? Wrong. Upon closer examination, spread his tight curly coat, he was TEAMING WITH FLEAS. Now these fleas are of the nuclear survivor variety. Fleas acquired from a grooming parlor are those who have survived the harshest flea shampoo. They have survived Advantage, Frontline and Revolution. These are angry fleas looking to set up shop in some poor, unsuspecting veterinarian's house will have a field day. This is because that vet will be in such a state of denial that his pet could have any problems he can't fix, or prevent. How dare fleas attack my dog?? I'm a vet.

By the time we noticed this infestation, it was too late. The house was overcome with these nasty little bugs. They were chewing up my kids in their own beds. See we have hardwood floors, but there are several throw rugs that are happy homes for these nuclear fleas. I immediately applied Advantage to Rupie and watched them succumb. They were dying and moving to his head and tail like passengers of the Titanic leaping off both ends of the ship. The nuclear survivors were mad and looking for their next meal. Unfortunately we were the main course. Although the dog was now safe, we had to act fast(actually too late). My wife bought a "natural" spray to "kill" the fleas. We sprayed everywhere and although there was a nice scent, the fleas simply laughed and continued on their merry way. I have ordered Vet Kem Siphotrol, a product I know (and hope it still) works. It's actually good for ants, as I recall. I hope our counter-barrage is successful.

The moral of the story: ALWAYS check your pet for fleas before you leave the grooming parlor. If there are fleas, demand another bath, or apply a topical flea med from your vet (not Hartz, or other over-the-counter cheap solution - it is usually toxic to the pet). It's gonna be a long, hot summer. Use flea preventatives now. You can order directly from our vetstore. Don't allow the nuclear grooming parlor fleas set up their camp in your home. I was in denial.

Update: We stripped every bed and couch and sprayed the Siphotrol everywhere. We then aired it out. Tonight, my son had a flea jump on him and jump away. Another survivor...