Fall & winter Dog and Cat Care

Heartworm Disease: This mosquito-transmitted disease can be fatal to your dog. In areas that have a year-round mosquito problem, it is recommended that dogs be kept on a heartworm preventative throughout the year. After having your dog tested for heartworm by your veterinarian, ask about heartworm preventatives, available in chewable or pill form and given daily or monthly.

Frostbite: Remove ice and snow from your pet's paws and coat at once. Frostbitten skin may turn reddish, white or gray, and it may be scaly or sloughing. If you suspect frostbite, take your pet to a warm place immediately. Thaw out frostbitten areas slowly by applying warm moist towels that are changed frequently. Continue until the affected areas become flushed. Contact your veterinarian as soon as possible; he/she will probably want to evaluate the seriousness of the conditions.

During the holidays, keep chocolate out of the reach of dogs. Chocolate is poisonous to dogs and can kill them. Call your vet immediately if your dog does ingest a large quantity.

All animals, wild and domestic, are naturally attracted to sweets. While the taste of antifreeze is sweet, it is also poisonous. Clean spills up quickly. Or, even better, purchase antifreeze that is "pet safe." Even a very small amount of antifreeze can be fatal. Precautions are necessary with all antifreeze products on the market. Read labels and warning carefully. Thoroughly clean up spills at once. Keep containers closed tightly and store them where pets cannot get to them.

Snow Removal salt is caustic to animal paws. It can burn the paws as well as make the animal sick when they lick their paws. Shovel regularly and use a less hazardous substance such as kitty litter. Other substances produced to melt ice and snow have low to moderate toxicity, depending on the ingredients and amount ingested. Read the labels and take necessary precautions. Keep these products stored in tight containers out of your pet's and children's reach and be sure to remove salt from your pet's paws immediately.

As the daylight hours become shorter, use a reflective collar on your dog when walking in the evening. A jacket with reflective tape for you, along with a flashlight will keep both of you safe.

Napping Cats: Cats sometimes climb onto vehicle engines for warmth. Before starting your vehicle, knock on the hood and honk the horn. Even if your own cat does not have access to your vehicle, a neighbor's cat might have taken shelter there.

Cats will also seek warmth from the window sills where heat is seeping out. This often causes the cat to freeze to the sill. Again, make sure your cat is safe inside and advice those in your area to do the same.

Be sure to provide proper shelter for your pets. If yours in an indoor pet, his bed or crate should be kept in a warm, draft-free area, preferably elevated slightly off the floor. If your pet is kept outdoors, provide a warm insulated pet house or shelter. The house should be elevated enough so that moisture cannot accumulate inside. If possible, provide a "door" (perhaps of canvas) to keep out the winter winds. If your pet is in a pen, you might block the wind and weather with bales of straw and stretch canvas over the top of the pen. If the wind chill or other weather conditions become severe, bring your pet inside. If you have a dog house to donate to a less fortunate animal, please call the shelter.

Animals going outside, even for short periods in bad weather, should have an increase of fat in their diet. This will help maintain body heat. Staying warm requires extra calories, so feed your pet accordingly when the temperature drops. Always have fresh, clean water available for your pet. If your pet is kept outdoors, be sure to check his water frequently since it may freeze

Do not feed your dogs bones as a holiday treat. Bones can splinter and lodge or cut the throat, stomach and intestinal tract.

While traveling with your companion animal, be certain to have an identification tag with information on where you can be reached quickly.

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The Declaw Debate

Cats use their claws to climb and scratch, to defend themselves, and to hunt. Displaying their claws and scratching objects are also considered by many to be a social behavior of our feline friends. Outdoor cats may scratch trees to mark their territory and to remove frayed or worn outer layers from their claws. Unfortunately, this can pose a problem when indoor cats choose their owners' furniture or curtains as tree substitutes.

What can you do about your cat's destructive scratching?

A variety of options are available; however, owners often choose declawing as a means to end destructive scratching in the home. Declawing is controversial, as it provides no health benefit to the cat and is done strictly for human benefit. Opponents say it is unnatural and cruel, and can result in psychological damage to the cat. Proponents say that declawing has no more negative effects than does any other surgical procedure, and that by ridding unwanted behavior, it could increase the chances for a cat to enjoy a safe, permanent indoor home.

Your options

To help caring cat owners decide the best option in their situation, we've provided some facts on declawing and on alternative methods that address the problem of destructive scratching by house cats.

Declawing is an irreversible surgical procedure performed by a veterinarian while the cat is under general anesthesia. Hospitalization for 1-2 days may be required. As the back feet are rarely used for scratching, the front feet are usually the only ones declawed.

A cat's toe has three bones; the claw grows from the end of the last bone. In declawing, the veterinarian amputates the end section of the last bone, along with the nail. This removes the claw and prevents it from growing back. The toe is then sewn shut with absorbable sutures or closed with surgical skin glue, and each paw is bandaged snugly to control bleeding. Bandages may be removed within 1-2 days.

Declawed cats require special care immediately after the surgery. Pain medications are often administered for 3-5 days after surgery. Although difficult to do, owners need to restrict their cat's activity, especially jumping, for several days. Until healing is complete, the cat should be kept indoors, and shredded newspaper or non-granular litter should be used. Even once the cat has fully recovered, it is wise to restrict him from the outdoors as he really has no adequate means of defense.

Complication rates are very low if the procedure is performed properly. Most cats will walk fairly well within 2-3 days, although the feet will be tender for about a week or two after surgery. The cat should be seen by a veterinarian if any of these signs occur: swelling, discharge from the toes, loss of appetite or some other change in the cat's health or behavior. It is normal for a cat to initially limp or favor a paw following surgery. However, make sure to contact the veterinarian if this behavior stops and then resumes again. Additionally, keep aware of bleeding. Although some spotting after surgery may occur and is normal, if bleeding persists, the cat should be rechecked by the doctor.

Laser surgery is another option available for declawing your cat. Surgical lasers have been used for several years at veterinary colleges, but just recently has this technology become an affordable option for veterinary hospitals to offer to clients. A laser declaw surgery requires anesthesia and amputation of the bone and nails (as described above). However, a surgical laser can offer several advantages to a scalpel. As it cuts, the laser automatically seals small blood vessels and nerve endings around the cut, which means less bleeding and less pain. Patients can thus experience a quicker return to their normal activities.

It's best to declaw cats at a young age, about two to five months old. Younger cats tend to recover more quickly and adapt more easily to the loss of their claws. Many veterinarians discourage declawing in older cats because these felines will often experience prolonged and recurrent pain.

Most declawed cats will resume normal activities, including performing scratching motions. With rear claws intact, cats can still climb small trees, hunt and even defend themselves when necessary.

Flexor tendonectomy is another surgical procedure you may choose. A tendonectomy leaves the claws intact but prevents cats from extending them. The tendon controlling claw extension is cut and a small portion removed while the cat is under general anesthesia. After a tendonectomy, owners must monitor the cat's toenails and keep them clipped, because the cat's ability to shed and sharpen the claws is limited.

Regular nail trimming can often diminish the destruction caused by your cat's scratching. This is a relatively simple task that you can do, but it must be performed properly and routinely. Ask your veterinarian to show you how to trim your cat's nails.

Nail coverings attach to the claws with a nontoxic adhesive and provide a blunt nail tip so scratching does not cause damage. About once a month, the coverings must be removed, the nails trimmed, and new coverings applied. You can do this yourself, or you can take your cat to your veterinarian to have it done.

Training your cat to scratch only certain objects, such as scratching posts, can often be accomplished. Consult your veterinarian, a pet behaviorist or a good book on cat care and training for more information on how to train your cat to scratch appropriately.

As a cat owner faced with the dilemma of destructive cat scratching, you're now armed with some basic information on the options available to you. Before making any final decisions, however, you should discuss these options further with your veterinarian.