Pandemic Puppies: Tackling A Growing Problem

In March 2020, as the reality of lockdown began to bite and millions of people began to adapt to their new circumstances, the UK saw a huge increase in demand for pets. Dogs in particular were seen as a way to gain companionship and give purpose to daily exercise regimes.

According to Pets4Homes, by May 2020 there were more than 400 buyers for every pet advertised in the UK. Pet insurance policies increased by 59%, according to data from LV= General Insurance, and Google searches for “buy a puppy” increased by 115%, with prices for some of the most sought-after breeds reaching record levels.

Fast forward just over a year, and animal shelters are bracing for an incoming wave of animals, and pet sales websites are filling up with listings for puppies being resold.

To read more on this story, click here: Pandemic Puppies: Tackling A Growing Problem

FOLLOW US!

Did You Know That Cats Are Really Bad at Catching Rats?

Cats are good at so many thing — napping, chasing laser pointer dots around the room, napping, eating, and napping, just to name a few — but apparently they’re really, really bad at catching rats. A new study published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution explains just how terrible they are at doing one of the things they’re supposed to be good at.

As Wired reports, researchers led by Michael Parsons set up shop at a waste disposal facility in New York City in the hopes of studying urban rats in their natural environment. The original plan was to catch and release the rats and then study their behavior so that they could come up with more efficient ways of curbing rat populations. That’s when the cats spoiled their party… well, sort of.

Not content to just throw in the towel, the team decided to observe how the rats interacted with a group of feral cats which had made the facility their home. The felines, which are well-known as rodent hunters, would surely make life difficult for the rats, right?

Apparently not.

Using cameras to document the happenings inside the dump’s walls, the researchers found plenty of instances of the cats and rats being in the same place at the same time. They recorded over 300 instances of both cats and rats within close proximity of each other.

However, only 20 times did a cat actually attempt to hunt its rodent prey, and almost never actually followed through. In fact, only two rats were killed during the entirety of the observation period. Most of the time the cats just kind of watched the rodents from afar or ignored them completely.

But while the cats were clearly not adept at killing the rats, they did affect how the rats behaved in other ways. When the cats were present, the rats were more careful about their movements, sneaking around rather than trotting out in plain sight. This, as it turns out, does more harm than good, since stealthy rats are harder for humans to control and eliminate.

Feral cats have proven to be troublesome pests in their own right. In Australia, cats which hunt birds are such a massive problem that huge “cat-free zones” are under construction that will serve as a haven for bird populations to recover.

Coming up with new ways of controlling rats in urban environments is certainly a noble effort, but cats are apparently not the answer.

FOLLOW US!

Police Dog Gets Fired From K-9 Job For Being Too Cute And Friendly, Later Gets An Even Better Job

When it comes to the qualities of a good police dog, we have to mention their intelligence, aggression, strength, and sense of smell. They are specifically trained to assist police and other law-enforcement personnel. For this reason, if a dog is too cute and friendly, he is just not for this type of work.

Meet Gavel, the adorable German shepherd who was fired from k-9 job for being too friendly. Yup, instead of sniffing out explosives or tackling suspects for the Queensland Police Service in Brisbane, Eastern Australia, Gavel was more interested in getting belly tickles and cuddles from strangers.

To read more on this story, click here: Police Dog Gets Fired From K-9 Job For Being Too Cute And Friendly, Later Gets An Even Better Job

FOLLOW US!

Oak-Mite Bites: Cicadas May Have Left D.C. Region An Itchy Gift

The incessant, shrieking sounds of cicadas may no longer be afflicting the Washington region, but experts say the insects may be bringing a new nuisance — oak leaf itch mites. And they bite.

“We wake up at night just scratching,” said Cynthia Palmer of Arlington, speaking for herself and her 16-year-old daughter. Palmer said she has 12 to 15 bites all over her body and finds new ones daily. “It’s like we have splotches of white paint all over us now that we’re using the calamine [lotion]. The sores are red and swollen, so it’s not pretty.”

To read more on this story, click here: Oak-Mite Bites: Cicadas May Have Left D.C. Region An Itchy Gift

FOLLOW US!

‘High-Rise Syndrome’ In Cats: They Don’t Always Land on Their Feet -Breaking the Myth

It is often said that cats always land on their feet – and indeed they do have a complex righting reflex that naturally kicks in as a cat falls, allowing it to orientate itself to land on its feet. However, the fall needs to be high enough to allow the cat to twist, but not too high to cause serious injury, and the cat’s legs need to be able to absorb the shock of the fall. With high falls the jaw often hits the ground and is broken, and other severe injuries can also occur. Older or less agile cats may also not be able to right themselves in time.

To read more on this story, click here: ‘High-Rise Syndrome’ In Cats: They Don’t Always Land on Their Feet:- Breaking the Myth

FOLLOW US!

I Cannot Figure Out Why My Cat Begs For Water From the Sink, So I Asked 2 Vets

My cat Elvis is very particular about the water he drinks, almost never drinking from the water dish my two other cats use. Instead, whenever I brush my teeth, he sits on the counter waiting for his cup of bathroom tap water. Recently, he's started begging to drink water straight from the tap. He'll jump into the bathtub to lap up the water after someone showers. My dad has even gone so far as to figure out that Elvis's preferred drink is a blue bowl of water from our fridge, microwaved for one minute to warm it up, and set down for him on the floor right next to his scratching post.

To read more on this story, click here: I Cannot Figure Out Why My Cat Begs For Water From the Sink, So I Asked 2 Vets

FOLLOW US!

These Common Household Foods Can Be Poisonous To Your Pets

(Meredith) -- It’s National Pet Poison Prevention Week and many pet owners may not be aware of all of the foods that can be dangerous to their cats and dogs.

Pet expert Haylee Bergeland from DailyPaws.com has some important information you should know to keep your pet happy and healthy.

Bergeland says that common pet poisons owners tend to forget are things like caffeine.

To read more on this story, click here: These Common Household Foods Can Be Poisonous To Your Pets

FOLLOW US!

Dog Paw Problems: What You Can Do About Them

The eyes are windows to the soul, but your dog’s paws might be windows to his well-being. They provide a prominent place for health issues to reveal themselves to you and your vet.

“Dogs feet are generally hardy, and minor cuts and abrasions usually heal quickly,” says Dr. Neil Marrinan of Old Lyme Veterinary Hospital in Old Lyme, Conn. But some injuries and conditions need your vet’s attention. Dr. Marrinan and Dr. Brett Levitzke, medical director of the Veterinary Emergency and Referral Group, Brooklyn, N.Y., describe some common paw problems and what pet parents can do about them.

Fungal Infections

Yeast organisms (fungi) are normally found on your dog’s paws, but an underlying condition can cause them to multiply and cause problems. Licking excessively is a tell-tale sign of a yeast infection, Levitzke says, along with red nail beds, a reaction to salivary enzymes. Other symptoms include itching, redness and discharge.

Yeast infections are often secondary to allergy, the doctors say, with the most likely culprit atopic dermatitis. However, environmental or food allergies also could be to blame. “The vast majority of dog paw problems are skin problems that are worse at the feet,” Marrinan says.

Your vet can test the area to determine if yeast is the culprit and treat the infection with topical products, antifungal wipes and shampoos. If these treatments don’t do the trick, the underlying allergy may need to be addressed with antihistamines, steroids or anti-itch medications, Levitzke says. If a food allergy is suspected, elimination diets—where ingredients are taken out and then added back in—can help identify the trigger.

Ringworm, a fungus found in soil or brought in from other animals, plants or from dog parks, also can infect your dog’s feet, and is not actually a worm or a ring. “It can look like a swollen toe or an abscess,” Marrinan says. Your vet will examine a sample of hair or skin under a microscope or send it to a lab for diagnosis. You can treat ringworm and prevent its spread with medicated bath products and a thorough cleaning of your dog’s environment. Ringworm is contagious and may spread to humans or other pets.

Bacterial Infections

Like yeast, bacterial organisms also are normally found on your dog’s paws, but a secondary health condition can cause them to multiply excessively. Symptoms include licking/biting, redness, swelling, pain/itching and abscess. Your vet can take a sample tissue from the affected area and evaluate it to determine if bacteria are the problem and, if so, prescribe either oral or topical antibiotics and antibacterial shampoos and soaks.

Ingrown Toenails

Nails that are not trimmed properly or naturally worn down by walking outside can become painful ingrown toenails. Your vet can treat them with antibiotics and pain medication, but severely ingrown nails might have to be surgically resected, Levitzke says.

Torn Toenails

A torn nail is common in the emergency room, Levitzke says, often after a tussle with another dog or a paw snags on carpeting or other material. When the entire nail has been pulled off,  take your dog to the vet for immediate treatment to stop bleeding and manage pain. Antibiotics also might be prescribed. “If the nail has been incompletely removed, the treatment would be to remove the remaining bit,” Levitzke says.

Burns

Hot asphalt can hurt your dog’s paws, and burns need to be treated immediately. Bandaging usually is required as a protective barrier on the skin or paw pad affected, Levitzke says. Antibiotics and pain medication are also typically indicated.

Frostbite

Think of frostbite as a cold burn. As with burns from hot asphalt or pavement, these injuries need immediate veterinary attention. Treatment for frostbite includes bandaging, pain control and anti-infection measures. Avoid this injury by limiting your dog’s exposure to the elements.

Winter Salt

Prevention is the best way to avoid these injuries, Levitzke says. Put booties on your dog’s feet and use dog-safe salt. If your dog does get salt on his paws, wipe it off with a towel/paper towels. “We find that it tends to burn particularly when the paw pads with salt on them touch the snow, so try to avoid walking through salt and then snow, or wipe off feet between getting salt on them and walking through the snow,” he says.

Ticks

“One of the more common places we find ticks hiding is between the toes,” Levitzke says. “It is best to have a veterinary medical professional remove the tick.” Never take a lit or recently lit match to the tick. If you can’t get to the vet, use tweezers to grip the tick from the head and gently pull it out. The head must become detached along with the body for successful removal, he says. Pet supply stores also sell special tick-removal tools.

Mites

Mites such as Demodex canis can present a frustrating problem and require a deep skin scrape or a biopsy to diagnose, Marrinan says. These mites can cause Demodicosis in which the mites that normally live in your dog’s hair follicles multiply and cause swelling, hair loss and scaling on your dog’s paws. Your vet will examine hair or skin samples under a microscope to accurately diagnose the condition, which is treated with medication, sometimes for several months.
Hairy Feet

Dogs with lots of hair on their feet can catch gum, sticky asphalt, burrs and thorns in crevices, which can be hard to find and painful to remove. Prevent these problems by having the hair clipped by your groomer. Ingrown hairs manifest in short-haired dogs as tiny pimples and can lead to furunculosis, an infection deep in the hair follicle that can abscess and cause tissue damage.


~Source~
Dr. Neil Marrinan/Old Lyme Veterinary Hospital in Old Lyme, Conn. 
Dr. Brett Levitzke, Medical Director/Veterinary Emergency and Referral Group, Brooklyn, N.Y.



FOLLOW US!