Urgent Press Release From LA County Public Health Re Rabid Bat At Santa Fe Dam Recreational Area

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health sent out the attached press release today. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ For Immediate Release: June 22, 2012 Persons who may have had contact with rabid bat sought: Bat found at Santa Fe Dam Recreational Area in Irwindale LOS ANGELES – County health officials are seeking help from the community in locating anyone who may have touched or had contact with a bat found at the Santa Fe Dam Recreational Area in Irwindale on Saturday, June 9, 2012. The bat was found clinging to the side of a rock column inside the snack area near the boat and bike rental concession. A crowd of people, including children, were gathered around the bat for about 30 minutes before park officials intervened. The bat was captured and tested positive for rabies. “It is very important that any individuals who touched or had contact with this bat contact our department. We can help determine if you will need to receive urgent rabies preventive treatment,” said Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH, Director of Public Health and Health Officer. Individuals who touched or may have had contact with the bat found at the Santa Fe Dam Recreational Area on June 9th should contact Public Health’s Acute Communicable Disease Control unit at (213) 240-7941 for evaluation. Eleven rabid bats have been found in Los Angeles County so far this year, suggesting that the disease is increasing in bats. Although the vast majority of bats in nature do not have rabies, on average, about eight to 12 rabid bats are detected per year. Public health officials have not determined why there is an increase. Any contact with bats and other wild animals should be avoided, as it is not always possible to visually determine if an animal has rabies. A bite from a rabid animal could cause rabies infection in people or other animals. “Bat bites can be undetectable as they have very small, very sharp teeth. No one should touch or handle bats found near or on the ground, and children should be taught to avoid touching bats or other wild animals,” said Dr. Fielding. “Make sure you maintain current rabies vaccines for your pets as well. If a bat may have bitten a person or a pet, contain the bat as safely as possible without touching it and contact your local animal control department. Individuals or pets who may have been bitten should seek immediate medical attention.” The Department of Public Health is committed to protecting and improving the health of the nearly 10 million residents of Los Angeles County. Through a variety of programs, community partnerships and services, Public Health oversees environmental health, disease control, and community and family health. Public Health comprises nearly 4,000 employees and has an annual budget exceeding $750 million. To learn more about Public Health and the work we do please visit http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov, visit our YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/lapublichealth, find us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/lapublichealth, or follow us on Twitter: LAPublicHealth. _______________________________________________________________________________ This press release may be shared freely. Please help us spread the word about rabies and find those who might have had contact with the rabid bat. Additional information about local bat rabies, including maps showing where they have been found, is posted on the Veterinary Public Health website:: Program web site: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/vet/index.htm 2012 Bat Rabies info: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/vet/rabiesmap2012.htm

Keep Fluffy Away From That Medical Cannabis

Here's an excellent article from Boulder, CO (of course) about the hazards of marijuana in dogs and cats. This had sort of dropped off my radar, since I just do cats and they aren't often poisoned because of their discriminating taste buds, but young cats especially might be tempted to ingest the edible form. I've only seen one patient in my career that got into trouble with cannabis - a young dog, probably over 25 years ago, was presented for lethargy and stumbling around. The owner was reluctant to talk about what had happened but eventually confessed to having left something tasty out where the dog found it. I assured him I wasn't going to call the police, and the dog didn't require hospital care. These days, with so many people using medical cannabis the risk to pets is going to be higher. Be safe with your meds and keep them out of the reach of pets at all times, just like you would for children.

VERY big news day in the area of feline kidney disease!

Scientists in China have found a feline morbillivirus (that's the family of viruses that includes canine distemper and human measles) that appears to be connected to a significant percentage of kidney failure cases in cats. Because vaccines can be made easily for morbilliviruses, and they work REALLY well, this could be a huge breakthrough in the actual PREVENTION of this common cat disease.

For so many years we have had to shrug and admit we just don't know when people ask what causes so much kidney failure in cats. Some cases are due to a congenital genetic disorder, but most were always just a mystery.

I am really excited by this news and hope it turns out to be reproducible research, and most importantly that a vaccine is swiftly developed. I have lost too many patients and cats of my own to kidney failure.

Upper Respiratory Infections - Human and Feline

As I sit at home this holiday weekend, trying with marginal success to fight off this nasty cold/bronchitis/laryngitis, I thought I would address some of the issues my clients express concern about with human and feline "colds".

Firstly, I did NOT catch this bug from any of my patients. Humans cannot catch feline upper respiratory viruses - most of those are due to FELINE herpesvirus, and most of the rest are due to FELINE calicivirus. I almost certainly caught my illness from the sick toddler I sat next to on the flight from LAX to Minneapolis, or perhaps in one of the three airports I was in that day, or even at the very busy shopping mall the next day.

Secondly, I am always a little concerned about spreading this sort of thing to my patients or my own cats because it IS possible for a few of the hundreds of human cold viruses to be spread to cats. This is known as a reverse zoonosis or an (and I like this word better, it's so scientific-sounding) anthroponosis. Fortunately, if a cat should be unlucky enough to catch it from me, it would tend to be fairly mild and self-limiting, and would not be able to spread on to other cats or back into humans - it would come to a dead end in that particular cat.

Thirdly, if this had been influenza instead of a cold (it's far too mild to be flu), I would have some serious concerns about spread to cats, but only if I had failed to get immunized against H1N1 influenza. That is the strain that was in the news so much a couple of years ago - I was vaccinated against it then, and I noted that it is also a component of this years routine annual flu shot. H1N1 has in the past spread to an unfortunate few cats and had a mortality rate of about 50%, so I consider it imperative that I protect myself as a way of protecting my patients and my own pets, along with humans.

Lastly, let's go back to that nasty feline herpesvirus. This is the bug that causes the majority of feline upper respiratory disease AND nontraumatic eye disease. It is probably the most common pathogen in cats, and one we have vaccinated cats against for decades. Being a herpesvirus, cats can only catch it once - then they have it, for life. So one would think that vaccinations at that point would have no value. But it turns out that cats with strong immunity to the virus from annual vaccinations do a better job of fighting the darned thing when they have those seemingly inevitable "recrudescences". Back before the recession, when most of my patients were current on their annual FVRCP-C vaccination, I rarely saw cats with upper respiratory or herpes-related eye problems that warranted any treatment whatsoever. But now that so many cats are overdue on vaccinations and their immunity is waning, medical intervention and good home nursing care are much more necessary.

So I guess the gist of this post is (big surprise here): get your annual flu shot, and get your cat vaccinated annually, too. The alternative is much bigger vet bills, and often a much sicker cat.

Here is my current likely nemesis - a picornavirus (actually, a whole cluster of the little devils - if you look close you can even see their horns and cloven feet):

38 Cases of Bat Rabies in Los Angeles County in 2011

LA County Veterinary Public Health has published this latest information about the tremendous increase in bat rabies this year.

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Circumstances of rabid bats found in 2011

1. Palmdale. Bat found in airplane hangar.
2. Agoura Hills. Bat found sick, alive, outside.
3. Saugus. Bat found on ground in daylight in parking lot.
4. Los Angeles. Bat found stuck to sticky rat trap in apartment near Downtown LA. Eight people and one dog exposed.
5. Bellflower. Bat found dead on front porch.
6. Agoura Hills. Bat found sick, alive, outside.
7. Cerritos. Bat found on ground at a high school campus.
8. Canyon Country. Rabid bat being carried around by a dog, in the dog's mouth, in a condo complex.
9. Glendale. Bat found in elevator shaft in apartment complex.
10. Santa Clarita. Bat found in pool.
11. Newhall. Bat found in backyard on lawn.
12. Baldwin park. Bat found near a car.
13. Newhall. Found alive on ground outside, next to garage door.
14 and 15. Woodland Hills. Two rabid bats found on front lawn on same property. An additional bat in home tested negative for rabies.
16. Hollywood Hills. Bat found on ground outside home.
17. Topanga. Bat fell into fish pond.
18. Valencia. Found outside a home.
19. Santa Clarita. Found dead outside a home.
20. Malibu. Bat was found outside the home on a patio.
21. Valencia. Found alive on ground near school.
22. Stevenson Ranch. Dead bat found outside front door.
23. Newhall. Bat found alive clinging to stucco wall in daylight, high above ground.
24. Valencia. Bat on floor in bathroom at a school latched on to student's sandal, but reportedly did not bite the student.
25. Burbank. Bat found alive, at a private home.
26. West Covina. Bat found alive, at a private home.
27. Valencia. Bat found clinging high up on a wall at a school.
28. Pasadena. Found dead in a basement.
29. Arcadia. Found on ground, alive, outdoors.
30. La Verne. Bat found dead outdoors.
31. Monrovia. Bat found dead outdoors.
32. Canyon Country. Found alive outdoors while gardening.
33. Long Beach. Found along a bike path.
34. Agoura Hills. Bat hanging in daylight from eaves of home, one wing hanging down.
35. Santa Clarita. Found alive outside an elementary school.
36. Sylmar. Found alive near front door.
37. Glendora. Found alive on floor of warehouse.
38. Santa Clarita. Bat found on front porch. Seemed dead until lightly touched with stick - it squeaked.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Get those cats in for annual checkups and vaccinations (which always include rabies vaccination at Cat's Meow Veterinary Clinic, regardless of the cat's lifestyle and owner misperceptions of risk)!

A Particularly Important Reason to Never Feed Your Cat Raw Meat

If NDM-1-containing Salmonella ever gets established in poultry farms in the US, it's game-set-match in the battle against this particular food-borne bacterial infection. If you don't care about your own life, I can't make you. But I care about mine and that of my staff and patients and clients. I have seen presumed Salmonella infection in several cats that were fed raw poultry, and it can make kitties (and humans who associate with them) extremely ill. If we have no antibiotics to fight it, cats will have to be euthanized and humans will simply die if they catch it.

NO RAW MEATS. USE GOOD FOOD HANDLING SAFETY TECHNIQUES IN YOUR KITCHEN. BE INFORMED - READ ABOUT NDM-1 IN SALMONELLA HERE.

Salmonella Redux

It seems like this is one that will just never go away. Salmonella, a bacterium, causes far too much illness in the US and lack of adequate poultry testing from farm to table is the main problem. Without following the entire chain of custody, there is no way to know how or where the Salmonella is getting into the food supply.

This excellent article over at iwatchnews.com is an excellent backgrounder for the interested lay public. I wish the not-so-interested lay public would read about it, too, but I suppose that's hoping for too much.

ETA: The whole point of this post, which I forgot to mention, is that Salmonella in poultry is a potential health threat to our kitties, too. And a major reason why I oppose feeding raw meats.

Today is World Rabies Day

The World Health Organization and CDC team up every year to promote rabies education and prevention around the nation and the world. Rabies is primarily a human threat in Third World countries, but only an active animal rabies prevention effort makes it the minor threat in the US that it currently is.

~~~~~~~~
From the CDC website:

Rabies is a deadly virus that can kill anyone who gets it. Every year, an estimated 40,000 people in the U.S. receive a series of shots known as post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) due to potential exposure to rabies. In addition, the U.S. public health cost associated with rabies is more than $300 million a year. Each year around the world, rabies results in more than 55,000 deaths – approximately one death every 10 minutes. Most deaths are reported from Africa and Asia with almost 50% of the victims being children under the age of 15.

The Challenge of Rabies
Rabies is present on every inhabited continent. People usually get rabies when they are bitten by an animal that has the virus. In the U.S., the animals that most often get rabies are wild animals. Fortunately, the U.S. has been successful in eliminating a particular kind of rabies – known as canine rabies – that is responsible for rabies spreading from dog-to-dog.

However, canine rabies has not been controlled in many regions of the world, further threatening the health of humans and animals in these areas. In addition, some areas of the world have problems with large numbers of stray dogs, which can often come in contact with wild animals that have rabies. This often causes an increased number of rabid animals that have the potential to transmit the virus to humans.

The good news is that people can easily take steps to help prevent and control rabies.

Keep Away From Wildlife and Unfamiliar Animals
More than 90% of all animal rabies cases reported to CDC each year occur in wild animals. The main animals that get rabies include raccoons, bats, skunks and foxes.

One of the best ways to protect yourself and your family is to avoid contact with wild animals. Do not feed or handle them, even if they seem friendly.

Unfamiliar animals that are often thought of as pets, such as dogs and cats, should also be avoided. These animals are often in contact with wildlife and can also transmit rabies to humans.

If you see an animal acting strangely, report it to animal control. Some things to look for are:

General sickness
Problems swallowing
Lots of drool or saliva
An animal that appears more tame than you would expect
An animal that bites at everything
An animal that's having trouble moving or may even be paralyzed
Sometimes, people may come across a dead animal. Never pick up or touch dead animals. The rabies virus may still be present in the saliva or nervous tissue, especially if they have only been dead for a short time. If you see a dead animal, call animal control to take care of the animal's body.



Take Pets to a Veterinarian for Their Rabies Shot
Make sure to take your pets, such as dogs and cats, to the veterinarian each year. A veterinarian can make sure your pets are up to date on their rabies shot, which can protect them from getting rabies. This in important, since animals that have not received a rabies shot and are exposed to rabies must be quarantined for six months, or put down.

Talk to your veterinarian about spaying or neutering your pet. This helps cut down on the number of unwanted and stray animals. These animals often do not have their rabies shot and are in close contact with wild animals.

Stay Rabies Free In and Around Your Home
No matter where you live, rabies can threaten your family's health. Fortunately, there are things you can do around the home to help reduce the risk of getting rabies.

Keep your pets indoors. When a dog goes outside, make sure an adult is there to watch it and keep it safe.
Do not feed or put water for your pets outside and keep garbage securely covered. These items may attract wild animals or stray animals to your yard.
Teach children never to handle wild animals or unfamiliar domestic animals.
While most wild animals are found primarily outdoors, bats can sometimes fly into buildings. This includes your home and even the room where you sleep. If you see a bat in your home, confine the bat to a room by closing all doors and windows leading out of the room except those to the outside. The bat will probably leave soon. If not, approach it slowly, and when it lands and place a box or coffee can over it. Slide a piece of cardboard under the container to trap the bat inside. Tape the cardboard to the container securely. Be sure to contact your health department or animal control authority so they can test the bat for rabies.

There are also steps you can take to "bat-proof" your home. Learn more about bats and how to ";bat-proof"; your home.

~~~~~~~~~

Visit the CDC rabies web page for links to more information, including rabies safety during travel.

http://www.cdc.gov/Features/Rabies/?s_cid=fb1169

And if your cat is overdue for its rabies vaccination, make an appointment today!

Today is World Rabies Day

The World Health Organization and CDC team up every year to promote rabies education and prevention around the nation and the world. Rabies is primarily a human threat in Third World countries, but only an active animal rabies prevention effort makes it the minor threat in the US that it currently is.

~~~~~~~~

Rabies is a deadly virus that can kill anyone who gets it. Every year, an estimated 40,000 people in the U.S. receive a series of shots known as post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) due to potential exposure to rabies. In addition, the U.S. public health cost associated with rabies is more than $300 million a year. Each year around the world, rabies results in more than 55,000 deaths – approximately one death every 10 minutes. Most deaths are reported from Africa and Asia with almost 50% of the victims being children under the age of 15.

The Challenge of Rabies
Rabies is present on every inhabited continent. People usually get rabies when they are bitten by an animal that has the virus. In the U.S., the animals that most often get rabies are wild animals. Fortunately, the U.S. has been successful in eliminating a particular kind of rabies – known as canine rabies – that is responsible for rabies spreading from dog-to-dog.

However, canine rabies has not been controlled in many regions of the world, further threatening the health of humans and animals in these areas. In addition, some areas of the world have problems with large numbers of stray dogs, which can often come in contact with wild animals that have rabies. This often causes an increased number of rabid animals that have the potential to transmit the virus to humans.

The good news is that people can easily take steps to help prevent and control rabies.

Keep Away From Wildlife and Unfamiliar Animals
More than 90% of all animal rabies cases reported to CDC each year occur in wild animals. The main animals that get rabies include raccoons, bats, skunks and foxes.

One of the best ways to protect yourself and your family is to avoid contact with wild animals. Do not feed or handle them, even if they seem friendly.

Unfamiliar animals that are often thought of as pets, such as dogs and cats, should also be avoided. These animals are often in contact with wildlife and can also transmit rabies to humans.

If you see an animal acting strangely, report it to animal control. Some things to look for are:

General sickness
Problems swallowing
Lots of drool or saliva
An animal that appears more tame than you would expect
An animal that bites at everything
An animal that's having trouble moving or may even be paralyzed
Sometimes, people may come across a dead animal. Never pick up or touch dead animals. The rabies virus may still be present in the saliva or nervous tissue, especially if they have only been dead for a short time. If you see a dead animal, call animal control to take care of the animal's body.



Take Pets to a Veterinarian for Their Rabies Shot
Make sure to take your pets, such as dogs and cats, to the veterinarian each year. A veterinarian can make sure your pets are up to date on their rabies shot, which can protect them from getting rabies. This in important, since animals that have not received a rabies shot and are exposed to rabies must be quarantined for six months, or put down.

Talk to your veterinarian about spaying or neutering your pet. This helps cut down on the number of unwanted and stray animals. These animals often do not have their rabies shot and are in close contact with wild animals.

Stay Rabies Free In and Around Your Home
No matter where you live, rabies can threaten your family's health. Fortunately, there are things you can do around the home to help reduce the risk of getting rabies.

Keep your pets indoors. When a dog goes outside, make sure an adult is there to watch it and keep it safe.
Do not feed or put water for your pets outside and keep garbage securely covered. These items may attract wild animals or stray animals to your yard.
Teach children never to handle wild animals or unfamiliar domestic animals.
While most wild animals are found primarily outdoors, bats can sometimes fly into buildings. This includes your home and even the room where you sleep. If you see a bat in your home, confine the bat to a room by closing all doors and windows leading out of the room except those to the outside. The bat will probably leave soon. If not, approach it slowly, and when it lands and place a box or coffee can over it. Slide a piece of cardboard under the container to trap the bat inside. Tape the cardboard to the container securely. Be sure to contact your health department or animal control authority so they can test the bat for rabies.

There are also steps you can take to "bat-proof" your home. Learn more about bats and how to ";bat-proof"; your home.

~~~~~~~~~

Visit the CDC rabies web page for links to more information, including rabies safety during travel.

http://www.cdc.gov/Features/Rabies/?s_cid=fb1169

And if your cat is overdue for its rabies vaccination, make an appointment today!

10 Bats Test Positive for Rabies in Moorpark

Here I go again with another rabies post - but we can never do enough to get the word about this very real deadly disease threat in our own neighborhood. Moorpark, like much of Los Angeles County, has a bat rabies problem. And these rabid bats can and do get inside people's homes on a regular basis. So this report from the Sacramento Bee comes as absolutely NO surprise. Well, other than that we have to find out about this from a newspaper up north.....

This serves as a reminder that we need to keep our cats (and dogs) current on their rabies vaccinations at all times and regardless of their lifestyles. Rabies vaccine is extremely safe and highly effective, so there is no medical justification for not giving it (other than recent fever or physical debilitation).

And of course annual rabies vaccinations are an important time for your cat to get its annual or semi-annual physical exam to ensure that all its health needs are being met.

Read more about rabies at CDC's web page.

Oodles of Great Videos

I just managed to rediscover the CATalyst Council's video page. I guess that's sort of like reinventing the wheel.......

My personal favorite is Scotty's trip to the vet from his own perspective.

For clients, my top recommend is for the two videos about getting your cat accustomed to the carrier.

Gosh, No One Could Have Forseen THIS!

Those of you who have been bringing your kitties to me at Cat's Meow Veterinary Clinic have probably heard a rant or two of mine when it comes to feline nutrition. Well, here we go again.

A company producing RAW meat cat food (that should be an oxymoron, but it isn't) has had to recall product due to Salmonella contamination.

No, really. Imagine THAT. And it's got raw chicken. I'm simply stunned.

Not.

I guess this is as good a time as any to link back to my original raw meat rant.

The company even admits that raw chicken has a high rate of contamination with Salmonella:
".....Raw meat, especially poultry, harbors pathogens (bacteria). That is why it is essential for you to wash your hands after handling raw meat and to clean surfaces and utensils that have been in contact with raw meat. Approximately 7 percent to 15 percent of all poultry is estimated to be contaminated with Salmonella by the time it reaches the age of slaughter. Therefore, contamination takes place long before the poultry parts ever make it to raw diet manufacturers for processing. The USDA recognizes Salmonella as a fact of life and has even set "tolerance levels" for Salmonella - so poultry producers are allowed to have a certain amount of Salmonella present in their birds....."

Knowing this little factoid should give them substantial pause about the entire raw poultry concept, but they appear to live by magical, wishful thinking.

Oh, and I am not naming the company here because that just gives them free advertising. Click on the link to get the details.

Feral cats identified as possible Willow Creek rabies source; victim currently in stable condition

For decades I have been harping on the subject of rabies as a public health issue, constantly telling clients, friends, family, and a whole host of other acquaintances that the rabies threat is real, that it is and will always be with us here in North America, and that cats should never be ignored as potential rabies vectors. We have a huge feral cat population in Los Angeles, and they have always troubled me because they are by and large unprotected against this ancient scourge. Our local bats are an ongoing rabies threat, and cats by their curious and predatory natures are especially at risk when rabid bats are around. Where this case occurred rabies is also common in skunks and gray foxes.

So it appears now that a perfect storm of events may have occurred in Northern California: high local incidence of rabid skunks and foxes, with some rabid local bats also; significant feral cat population; susceptible humans. The result is a woman in a fight for her life, and the only good news is that the Milwaukee Protocol appears to be working and she is now in stable condition. Every one of the half dozen rabies survivors worldwide is a small miracle because this viral disease has the highest mortality rate of any infectious disease: essentially 100%.

While I am thrilled at the woman's probable survival, I worry that people will use this as an excuse to have an even more lackadaisical attitude toward rabies than they do now (and that's really saying something). We have a serious feral cat issue here, and they pose a significant zoonotic disease threat even without taking rabies into consideration.

We still need to, as a community, come together to eliminate the feral cat problem, not just perpetuate it by dumping the poor things out on the street after neutering and a one-time vaccination and calling it good. Cats are NOT a native species and have no place in any North American ecosystem other than our households. As domestic animals, they have every right to a clean, safe home; protection from the elements and outdoor hazards; and most importantly, ongoing and adequate medical and preventive care by a licensed veterinarian.

I hope this is a wake up call for Angelenos. I fear that it will not be.

Information for Pet Owners During Disasters

Los Angeles Veterinary Public Health has produced a brochure called Information for Pet Owners During Disasters. If you click on the link you can get a downloadable copy of it.

It seems like these sorts of considerations are in the news right after a disaster, but then they seem to fall out of favor as celebrity divorces and two-headed baby animals get back into the headlines.

I keep plenty of dry cat food on hand at home, and have a 30 gallon hot water tank for fresh water in emergency (accessed via the drain spigot). My cat carriers are clean, handy, and lined with fresh terrycloth towels. I recommend that you also have a summary of your cat's medical history and veterinary contact information stored on your computer on in paper form (I prefer Dropbox for online AND hard drive storage with synchronization for my important personal information).

It's not a bad idea, either, to have a game plan in mind for where you might house kitty temporarily in case of emergency. We can and do board our existing patients if fire threatens or someone has an urgent need to vacate their home temporarily. We are not a public boarding kennel, so your cat won't be needlessly exposed to random hordes of cats from heaven-knows-what background and vaccination status. We DO require that any cats staying with us be current on vaccinations, so if they are overdue they will need to be vaccinated upon entry.

Cat Fur

We aren't a grooming parlor, but we DO get involved in feline grooming issues when a groomer can't or won't tackle it. Sometimes this is because a cat is simply too fractious (I like that term - it sounds so much less judgemental than "nasty") to be combed or shaved, and sometimes it is because the groomer sees something scary about the cat's condition and alerts the owner that medical attention is needed, not simply grooming.

Either way, when a cat comes to us with grooming issues, we always start with an EXAMINATION. By the DOCTOR. In the EXAM room. And yes, we do charge for this exam. It's part of what I consider appropriate medical care, and is essential so that we can do a thorough evaluation of the cat's overall needs (we don't treat fur - we treat PATIENTS) and give an accurate fee estimate.

You'd be surprised at the vast number of phone calls we get from people demanding a bath and combout or shave WITHOUT my ever examining the patient. It would be funny if it weren't so sad, because this demand is usually AFTER the receptionist has already explained the need for an EXAM.

And no, we can't tell you how expensive it will be to combout or shave your cat, who we have never seen before, without having a good look at it. We don't have a magic crystal ball to intuit the concomitant kidney failure, or out-of-control hyperthyroidism, or advanced oral cancer that we sometimes see in cats presented for "grooming".

I try not to get frustrated by these things, but it's hard. Especially when it's clear the owner doesn't care nearly as much about their cat's medical well-being as they do their own personal convenience or entertainment budget.

We had a cat come in recently that was old and decrepit, and badly matted. When we got done shaving her, it was hard to tell which was the pile of fur and which was the cat. It ended well - she went home feeling much better than when she came in. But it was scary - and she isn't the worst I've ever seen.

So, which is the cat? And which is the fur? You decide.





Disclaimer: The cat depicted is alive. No cats were harmed in the production of this blog post.

Helpful suggestion: Grooming implements

Medications Top List of Most Common Cat poisons

According to the Pet Poison Helpline, a 24/7 animal poison control center, the most common causes of poisoning in cats are:
1) Human and veterinary medicines (40%)
The problem is often with misuse/failure to follow instructions/not reading labels, in my experience. And then there was the cat I saw years ago whose owner almost killed it with cyanide poisoning from laetrile. Coma resulted in the cat's blindness, deafness, and inability to relate to its environment or even eat/drink, so we had to euthanize. All because the cat's owner wouldn't let me amputate the leg to cure its cancer, and decided that mumbo jumbo was better.
2) Poisonous plants (14%)
Lilies, of course, come to mind this time of year - ALL lilies are deadly poison to cats and can destroy their kidneys even in small doses - don't decorate with Easter lilies or any other kind.
3) Insecticides (9%)
I have seen numerous poisonings due to use (correct or incorrect, BTW) of OTC flea control products - some are intended for use in cats but are simply obsolete due to safety/effectiveness issues, and some are intended for use in dogs but for whatever reason pet owners think they can disregard this and use on cats. I have NEVER seen toxicity of any kind with proper use of Advantage, Frontline, or Revolution.
4) Household cleaners (6%)
Most household cleaning compounds are unnecessary in my opinion. I make my own cleaning concoctions such as laundry pre-spot, all-purpose cleaner, soap for handwashing delicates, and all manner of baking soda/lemon juice/vinegar combos for kitchen use, and only rarely use bleach or ammonia. I don't want these things in my home where they can spill or leak and get on kitty paws, and toxic residues can be left on surfaces. Someday I should do a blog post with my recipes for cat-safe cleaners!
5) Other poisons (31%)
One memorable poisoning I saw several years ago was the poor cat who tried to drink the liquid simmering potpourri liquid stuff, which is chemically like concentrated detergent. Poor thing had caustic burns in her mouth, which did heal, but it was a painful and expensive lesson for the owner.

Cowpox in a Dog

Oh noes!! What is that crazy Doctor Robison writing about NOW that has nothing to do with cats??

Well, patience has its virtue. Do read on at this link, because cowpox has more relevance to cats and their owners than it does dogs, as Scott Weese over at Worms and Germs explains.

I don't think we have endemic cowpox in our local rat population, but it is always possible. So it's one MORE reason to keep your cats indoors to minimize their contact with wild rodents.

I don't spend time worrying about this one, perhaps because I am fond of our friend cowpox, which gave us the smallpox vaccine (smallpox being the only deadly human virus mankind has ever completely wiped out in nature, a huge public health victory). Read more about that here.

MT wildlife expert offers raccoon advice

I found this piece online that discusses some of the dangers raccoons can pose to public health. While we don't have raccoon rabies here in Southern California, the local raccoons can and do carry the very dangerous raccoon roundworm, Baylisascaris procyonis, which is not mentioned in the very brief piece by a tv station (typical!).

Don't let raccoons set up a latrine on your property. If they do, clean it up using good hygiene to minimize the risk to human and animal health. Baylisascaris can infect and kill perfectly healthy humans and their pets.

Wikipedia entry on B. procyonis

B. procyonis factsheet from Wisconsin's DHS

Oopsie!

When Hormone Creams Expose Others to Risks

Dr. Richard Fried, owner of the Lincoln Square Veterinary Hospital in Manhattan, said he recently saw two cats that seemed to go back into heat after spaying by a different vet. Tests in one cat showed high blood levels of estrogen, but before he could spay it again, the cats’ breeder suggested that the culprit might be the owner’s hormone treatment.

“We are always warning pet owners to be careful about their medications,” Dr. Fried said. “But this is a much more insidious kind of problem that most people don’t think about.”

"Dr. Stuenkel says women should be counseled about safe use of the drugs.

"After using a topical hormone cream, they should thoroughly wash their hands before handling food, children or pets. Products should dry completely before the user comes into contact with people or animals, and women may want to consider changing the area where they apply the cream or covering it with long sleeves or slacks."

I haven't seen any suspected cases of this. Yet.

Holiday Safety, Etc.

It's that time of year again, and we need to remind clients of the many household dangers to cats that are unique to this time of year. I posted about this two years ago (I have been blogging two years??).

If you are looking to give kitty a holiday gift or two, remember to choose toys carefully. Avoid playing with anything involving string, thread, yarn, ribbon, newspaper ties etc. Catnip mice are always lots of safe fun. Toys made of sisal rope are NOT a good idea - I have seen one cat die as a result of ingesting this tough indigestible fiber. Our Pancake really loves her fuzzy little creatures (similar to these)- she can easily pick them up and carry them around, which she can't do with larger, heavier toys. And sometimes the best toy is just a cardboard box with a couple of doors cut into it.

Pointsettia WILL make your cat vomit so much it will need a trip to the vet, which can get costly on a holiday weekend, so let people who don't have cats display them, or keep yours where no kitties can get near it.

I will be out of town for a full week over the Christmas holiday so plan your visits accordingly. I'm leaving the 22nd and will be back to work on the 29th. The office will be open short hours while I am gone and Alison will be here to help you with your medication and food needs and scheduling appointments. Emergency care is available at VSV. If you have routine needs that can't wait until I get back, Capri Plaza Pet Clinic is the nearest alternate day practice to us.