Dogs need walks—for fitness, for mental well-being, and for bonding time with their people. In the summer, though, even the most fastidious of dog lovers can make one common and painful mistake: underestimating how hot summer pavement really gets. Since dogs don’t (usually) wear shoes, we must consider the pain and damage that can happen to their paws.

Photo by Medical Lake Veterinary Hospital

Animals are generally much more stoic about their discomfort than humans are. It’s up to us to stay engaged and alert. Dogs aren’t likely to show us that their feet are too hot until they are very hot. By then, some injury may already be happening.

Here’s a perfect example: Last summer, Medical Lake Veterinary Hospital in Washington posted photos of a Golden Retriever on Facebook that went viral. He had been on a one-mile walk with his owner on a hot day. His owner said he didn’t whine or limp on the walk, but later when they were home, they noticed that his paws had been badly burned. Scary to think how easily this can happen.

How Hot is Too Hot to Walk Dogs on Pavement?

This comes down to a combination of air temperature and time of day. Since pavement cools some during the night, 80°F in the morning isn’t yet going to yield pavement temperatures that 80°F in the afternoon will. So how do you know for sure?

If it’s too hot for your hand to stay on the pavement for 5 seconds, it’s too hot for paws.

This applies to parking lots, too. It may seem like a super-fast trip into your local pet store with your pup, but hot is hot! Do a check, and take the long, shady route into the store if there is one. Further, in extremely hot weather, even synthetic grass like AstroTurf or light-colored concrete can be painful.

Photo by Medical Lake Veterinary Hospital

So What’s a Dog Lover to Do?

• Stick to the grass and dirt as much as possible, even if that means altering your normal route.
• Shift your schedule to early morning walks.
• Try dog shoes! There are many brands of dog shoes available to protect paws from extreme weather.

Just like humans, cats are living longer than they used to. Improved nutrition, more “indoor cats”, and more frequent veterinary care compared to years past all add up to an older, healthier feline pet population. This is great news for cats and their people, but there are still some prevalent misconceptions about aging cats and the extra attention they need. Let’s look at how to best care for senior cats to keep them happy, comfortable, and healthy.

It’s Not Just “Old Age”

Let’s get right down to business. Veterinary professionals want you to know that the assumption that any pet “slowing down” is just “old age” is far too much of a blanket statement. It makes it easy to shrug off health problems that are individual and, often, easily managed and improved. This might be especially true with cats given that they are naturally more guarded about showing pain or illness than dogs are. If you can easily see that your cat is declining, there could be something significant going on.

It’s Not Just Bad Behavior

Older cats sometimes begin unwanted behaviors in the house. Your cat isn’t being a jerk. These are often the result of pain or disease. Your cat might be pooping outside the litter box now because high-sided boxes are becoming painful for stiff joints to step into. Urinating in inappropriate places might have far more to do with kidney function or a UTI than with a newfound interest in marking territory. Keep an open mind, and always see your vet to rule out medical problems.

The Importance of Regular Wellness Exams

Your cat’s check-ups are more important than ever in their senior years. Ideally, veterinarians would love to see their feline patients begin to have wellness exams and geriatric blood panels every six months. The reason is simple. The earlier that the most common and serious health problems are caught, the more easily the illness can be managed or treated. Of course, this is great for your cat, but it’s also easier on you. Cat lovers know that their little lions aren’t always great patients when it comes to advanced illnesses that require medications. Best to treat and prevent early than to incur the sass of a cat who already feels poorly.

Common Health Problems in Senior Cats

Osteoarthritis

As with any senior citizen, osteoarthritis is to be expected to some degree. Pain management options for kitties are not the same as for dogs. Cats have fewer options that are safe for them, so never try to treat pain on your own. There are some prescription pain relievers that your vet can dispense as well as cold laser therapy.

Hyperthyroidism

Cats who are eating lots but losing weight, their coats are looking unkempt or dull, or who are excessively thirsty might have overactive thyroid disease. This is very common in cats. Essentially, they eventually appear to be “wasting away” as they become emaciated. When untreated, it can also cause hypertension, stroke, blindness, and death. The good news is that hyperthyroidism is very easy and affordable to manage.

Chronic Kidney Disease

Also known as CKD, chronic kidney disease is a leading cause of death in cats. There is no cure for it, but there are diets and medications that can help to slow its progression and treat or manage secondary illnesses like hypertension that could result in stroke or blindness. Diagnosing kidney disease with a blood test is a critical first step. Symptoms include increased drinking and urinating, weight loss, decreased appetite, vomiting, depression, and weakness. As with hyperthyroidism, the weight loss can progress to emaciation in advanced stages.

Diabetes

Not even cats are immune to the dreaded diabetes mellitus. In fact, it’s common for it to develop in both cats and dogs, especially if they have been overweight or eaten a poor quality diet for a long time. As with humans, treatment will require a modified diet and, often, insulin injections. Symptoms include weight loss, increased thirst and urination, increased appetite, weakness, loss of coordination, vomiting, and eventually a loss of appetite.

Give Them Extra Help

Grooming
As cats age, reaching some areas of their bodies for grooming can become more difficult. Find a brush or comb that your cat likes, and give them a hand! This will prevent mats and help to keep coats in top shape by distributing body oils.

Litter Box Access
Traveling up and down stairs can become painful due to arthritis, so it’s a great idea to place a litter box on each floor of your home.

Access to Favorite Places
If it has become difficult for your cat to jump up to a window sill or onto a favorite piece of furniture, make these simple joys in their day easier by providing a more gentle way for them to reach their cozy spot.

Do you have a senior cat? Has he or she had a recent wellness exam? We’d love to work with you to maintain your cat’s health in their later years!

What is that brown, waxy, smelly crud in your cat’s or dog’s ears? The ears seem so itchy, too! It might be the tell-tale signs of ear mites. Unlike dogs, cats tend to have relatively few ear problems, but ear mites are the most common exception (allergies could also be the culprit). For dogs, who tend to be more prone to other bacterial and yeast infections in the ears, mites could be confused with something else, so a proper diagnosis is important. All pet owners should know not to take it lightly if you suspect your pet has mites as the damage could become severe.

What are Ear Mites?

The mites that we find in cat and dog ears are most often a species of mites called Otodectes cynotis. They are tiny—about the size of the head of a pin, so viewing them with the naked eye is best left to the youthful with perfect vision. (Generally, their presence will be confirmed with a microscope to be sure that Otodectes cynotis is, indeed, the source of the problem.) They feed on epidermal debris that is naturally present within the ears. Sometimes, they are found on other parts of the body, but ears are their favorite place.

They reproduce rapidly. Eggs take just four days to hatch, then 18-28 days to reach maturity.

How Do Ear Mites Spread?

Ear mites spread from contact with other animals that have an infestation. This is why it’s a common problem with outdoor cats, in particular. They don’t fly or hop to find their hosts; they crawl. Being so tiny makes it easy for them to crawl under the radar until they’ve found their ideal home in your pet’s ears. It is warm and protected there since ears are one of the few body parts that our flexible felines and their less fastidious canine counterparts can’t reach to lick during their grooming sessions.

Are They Dangerous?

If left untreated, yes, they can be. Inflammation, painful lesions, and infections are likely to happen as the infestation worsens and the pet scratches at the painful and itchy ears, causing further damage. The longer this goes, the greater the potential for this external infection to progress deeper into the ear and damage the eardrum.

How Are Ear Mites Treated?

After having it confirmed by a veterinarian that ear mites are indeed the creepy, crawly culprits, your vet will thoroughly clean the ear, removing wax and debris. Treatment methods can vary from a specific topical flea and tick preventive that also addresses ear mites to liquid ear drops. Your vet will select the best option for your pet based on their history.

Suspect ear mites? Call us!

In recent weeks, humans are not the only ones who have been affected by stay-at-home orders. As most of us have been home so much more than usual due to efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19, pets have settled into new routines of having their families with them nearly all the time. This has likely provided great bonding, play, and exercise time together, as well as so many extra cuddles. Just being in the same room is pleasant for both parties, not to mention the science behind pets being good for our health and boosting our oxytocin levels. Cats and dogs are creatures that thrive on routine. Now, as states and counties across the U.S. are in the early stages of lifting some restrictions, many pets are about to have their schedules turned upside down again. This is a recipe for separation anxiety for some of our fur kids.

Separation anxiety hasn’t been a problem before? Not familiar with it? Let’s start with what it is.

What is Separation Anxiety?

If your dog “freaks out” when you leave home, he or she might have separation anxiety. If your cat is suddenly peeing or pooping on your personal belongings only when you leave home, he or she might have separation anxiety too. Sometimes this can be confused with a medical problem, a pet who simply needs some patient training to learn house manners or exercise to help burn some energy. If in doubt, always talk to your vet to rule out medical problems first.

Separation anxiety is distress that happens as a result of your pet being upset or fearful that you have left. This is a real anxiety that can range from mild to severe, and we know that anxiety isn’t always entirely rational. It’s panic. It’s stress. And simply being told to “calm down” doesn’t do the trick for people or for animals. Further, pets don’t have the ability to call you and ask for assurance that you’re not leaving them forever or to book an appointment with a therapist to discuss feelings of abandonment. So they react the only way they feel a personality with no thumbs and limited vocal abilities can.

We don’t fully understand why some pets develop separation anxiety but others don’t. It’s important to know, though, that there are varying degrees of it. On one end of the spectrum, you’ll have no doubt what’s going on, but keep an understanding eye out for milder symptoms too.

Signs of Separation Anxiety

• Peeing and/or pooping in the house when they normally wouldn’t
• Barking, howling, or meowing excessively
• Pacing
• Panting 
• Destructive chewing or clawing at doors or windows
• Trying to escape the home

START NOW: How to Handle Separation Anxiety in Dogs & Cats 

First and foremost, scolding or otherwise punishing an animal for being scared will NEVER help the situation. It will likely have the opposite effect.

Not heading back to work or school yet? This is the perfect time to ease your pet back toward a new routine of you being gone from home more. The most important thing to remember is to start small. Leaving the house for several hours at a time, day after day, will not typically result in them “just getting used to it”. Likewise, crating them if they don’t already have existing associations and training in place to make the crate a safe, positive place that they enjoy will likely be stressful. Instead, take baby steps, be positive, and be patient.

Begin by making an effort to associate some positives with you leaving. For example, a stuffed Kong toy or treat puzzle that your pet only gets when you’re leaving can be helpful. It should be high-value to them and also take 20-30 minutes for them to finish it.

If your pet’s anxiety is more than very mild, then you’ll need to invest time into many short, positive instances of you leaving the house. This might be a 60 second trip down your street then right back, three times daily until you can see that there has been no panic, just calm. Work up from there over the course of days or weeks. Don’t rush your pet. Patience and consistency are everything.

For severe separation anxiety, it’s best not to go at this alone. Find a reputable trainer who only uses positive reinforcement tactics. Ask for references specific to fear or anxiety. Any punishment or negative association will only make things worse, so don’t even think about a shock collar to stop the barking. That will take the anxiety that is already present, and double down on fear without ever addressing the core problem.

Aren’t sure if your dog or cat is feeling separation anxiety? Worried that it might be confused with a medical problem? Your veterinarian can help determine exactly what’s going on, and what your approach should be.

And as always, feel free to ask us questions!

Ever wonder why cats have such striking eyes? They really are beautiful. Vibrant iris colors that shine like gems contrasted by stark, vertical pupils that make feline eyes seem much more intense than our own. We all know that most bits of anatomy have a specific purpose. A cat’s slivered pupils, in particular, are no exception. They are perfectly designed!

Cats have vertical pupils for two reasons. One is to enchant their people into serving them. We can vouch for this as willing servants who spent eight years at universities so that we could tend to everyone else’s cats too. (Maybe NC State’s Vet School should recruit a couple of cats to their admissions and marketing teams.)

The second and far more scientific reason? Cats are designed to be amazingly efficient predators. Ironic that domestic cats are still so great at this when all they have to do is just enchant their people into refilling the food bowl, eh?

Vertical Pupils in Predators…and Kibble-Eating Housecats

In a 2015 study of 214 animals, researchers concluded that vertical pupils are superior for judging depth, even in very low light conditions. This allows animals, and ambush predators in particular, sharp accuracy. If you’ve ever watched your cat slink around a corner then suddenly pounce on anything, you know that your little lion loves the thrill of the ambush and rarely misses the target.

How does it work? Our brains take information from both eyes at the same time to give us one picture of what we’re looking at, to oversimplify it. This is called stereopsis. But if you close one eye and hold your finger up, then switch eyes to look at the same finger, it feels like your vision jumps because your brain is only getting the data from one eye at a time. The researchers found that vertical pupils are much better at measuring depth by way of stereopsis than other pupil shapes.

These pupils were found in nocturnal and polyphasic (active during day and night) animals. Of the animal subjects in the study, none of them were herbivores, which leads us to another interesting finding…

So What’s Up With the Horizontal Pupils?

Horizontal pupils are common in animals that are more susceptible to being prey, including many grazing animals like goats, sheep, and horses among others like frogs. Having horizontal pupils is nature’s balance for vertical ones. They allow animals to have a sharper view of a wider horizon, compared to a cat that is great at pin-pointing a single target in front of it.

Domestic Cats & the Art of the Hunt

Guess what? Your kitty is a great hunter, descended from great hunters, but he or she doesn’t actually need to be. In fact, our cats are a paradoxical mix of their ancestry and of their modern lives. They very effectively and uniquely hunt for sport—not just food—while having a disproportionate effect on local wildlife. Mostly, they just prefer to sit on your laptop when you try to type, taunt your dog, knock things off your nightstand, and curl up in your lap until it’s time to request a stir of the kibble bowl again. And they are purrfectly happy living lives of luxury while chasing the occasional housefly around the house.

There’s no denying, though, that instincts and ability are powerful parts of who your cat is, and it’s great to indulge them with play that hones in on natural talents. Put those beautiful eyes and that feline brain to work by spending time each day with your cat and his or her favorite toys. Once you start thinking on what their eyes are doing right before they pounce and just how accurate each pounce is, you’ll be very impressed…as you should be. Meow.

Is your cat an “outdoor cat”? Even just sometimes?

How often do you think your kitty crosses roads? How far does he or she go?

For every dead bird or baby bunny it brings back to your house, how many do you think it kills and leaves behind?

Thanks to a study utilizing GPS data from 925 pet cats, we are able to quantify what cats are actually up to when you let them out of the house. The numbers are surprising!

The study, published in Animal Conservation, was conducted in the US, UK, Australia, and New Zealand over the course of about a week. What we now know is that most cats keep to their neighborhoods, maintaining a surprisingly small travel area within about 330 ft of their home. But this is a problem for small wildlife. They also crossed the road at dangerously high rates that exceeded what most of their owners assumed.

Cats Cross Roads an Average of 4.5 Times Each Week

This is incredibly dangerous, and proof that “my cat knows not to cross the road” is simply untrue. In fact, when the study’s researchers followed up with the cat owners several months after the study was conducted, many of the cats had been hit by cars. This is proof that a cat doesn’t have to travel far to still be at high risk of death, even in neighborhoods with low speed limits on roads that are familiar to them.

Each Cat Kills an Estimated 126 Small Animals Yearly

More sad news about outdoor cats: they are having a very disproportionate effect on local wildlife. Owners reported receiving an average of 3.5 “gifts” of dead prey from their cat monthly, or 42 each year. But that’s just what they bring home. Researchers estimate that our not-hungry-at-all, cuddly little balls of fluff are actually killing 2-3 times that many each year. That is a very high number of kills of native wildlife no matter how you look at it, but it’s a significant problem when compared to how small their travel territory is and how many different cats are roaming around the same neighborhoods doing the same thing each day.

Our well-fed cats are killing songbirds, baby bunnies, beneficial lizards, butterflies, and more at higher rates than the natural, wild predators in the same areas who do depend on the kills to survive.

One More Point: Lifespan

One point the study did not address is the variance in lifespan of indoor-only cats vs cats who spend time outdoors. The estimates vary from source-to-source, but across the board, there is consensus that indoor cats typically live years longer than outdoor pet cats. This is for a variety of reasons that range from the dangers of cars or ingesting toxins (for example, eating a rodent that had been poisoned by a neighbor) to increased exposure to disease and parasites.

Put your shoes on, grab a leash or a dog toy, and get outside! April is National Canine Fitness Month, and when dogs are involved, fitness is so much more fun. It’s a win-win for us and our furry friends!

COVID-19 (coronavirus) and the subsequent “stay at home” orders have us in strange times across the globe, and Raleigh, NC is no exception. Fortunately, we’re allowed to still get out for a walk or run to exercise as long as we maintain proper social distance. So at a time when we need to exercise more than ever—both for our physical health and our mental health during a stressful period—our sweet pups also need to keep fit and healthy to ensure they live long, comfortable, happy lives! We’re all in this together, dogs included.

Dog Fitness Benefits

It may seem obvious, but dogs, like humans, benefit hugely from keeping fit with regular exercise and a healthy diet. From preventing diabetes and weight-related stress on joints to meeting their mental needs, the impact of great canine fitness is crystal clear. It benefits a dog’s day just as it benefits it’s lifetime. A happy, healthy dog means a happy dog owner too!

• Healthy weight and body condition lead to longer, happier lives.
• Even old dogs need to move their joints and maintain muscle (within reason).
• Exercise and interactive play reduce stress, anxiety, boredom, and unwanted behaviors.
• Great training routines and bonding time with you are the icing on the cake.

6 Tips for Your Dog’s Fitness Routine

If your dog has been living a mostly sedentary lifestyle, start slowly. Just like us, they need some time to build up their fitness. Keep an eye out for pain or exhaustion.

Start a walking routine. This is a good time to work on leash manners too. Not all dogs are in condition to run with their people, so if you’re a runner, don’t push your dog to be one too unless you are certain they are able to do so without pain. With that said, some dogs make great runners!

Fetch definitely counts! You don’t have to lace up your sneakers and clip on a leash to exercise your pup. Barefoot in the grass and a glass of tea in one hand will work just fine for tossing a ball around the yard for 20 minutes.

Don’t forget diet! Fitness starts with nourished bodies and appropriate, high-quality calorie intake. Check out our list of healthy, easy snacks straight from your kitchen!

Be careful on hot days. You’d be amazed at how easily heatstroke can happen, and the risk is higher in older pets. Keep them comfortable and hydrated, and be observant about any changes in recovery times or behavior on hot days.

Have fun! Dogs are amazing for all the wonderful qualities they have. They are the best cuddlers, and it’s a scientific fact that their puppy dog eyes give us an oxytocin bump. High on the list is that they are pure fun and goofiness, so keep your fitness routine enjoyable for both of you! This is good for your minds and good for your will-power to stick to the routine.

As always, and a pandemic is no exception, stay in touch with your veterinarian about any questions or concerns you may have about your dog’s health!

Spring is here, and with the tulips and warm days come pollen, fleas, heartworm-spreading mosquitoes, and…ticks. We’re coming out of an unusually warm winter, so expect to see lots of them! Of course, ticks are more than just an itch-causing nuisance. They spread life-threatening diseases to their hosts. You’ve probably heard of Lyme disease, and maybe even Rocky Mountain spotted fever, but are you familiar with Ehrlichiosis?

What is Ehrlichiosis?

“Ehrlichiosis” is a broad term for any of a group of diseases caused by the closely-related Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, and Neorickettsia bacteria. Dogs and humans are much more susceptible than cats are, and dogs are primarily affected by Ehrlichia canis. Brown dog ticks spread the illness when they bite their hosts, and in the United States, it is most common in the South. We see it every year in Raleigh!

Initially, ehrlichiosis presents with mild symptoms and can therefore go undetected for years without regular testing. Don’t let the thought of “years” give you the wrong idea about how dangerous it is, though. It is deadly. Ehrlichiosis acts by infecting blood cells. The longer it goes untreated, the harder it is to treat at all.

Simple, annual blood tests can detect the presence of Ehrlichia! This is easily paired with your dog’s annual heartworm test.

K9 Martin, police explosives detection dog, always uses tick prevention. Follow him on IG! @k9_officer_martin

3 Stages of Ehrlichiosis

After infection and an incubation of up to three weeks, the disease progresses in three stages:

Stage 1 Symptoms (Duration of 2-4 Weeks)

• Fever
• Lethargy
• Sores on mucous membranes
• Bleeding disorders

Stage 2 Symptoms (Duration of up to 5 Years)

• No obvious symptoms

Stage 3 Symptoms (Duration until Successful Treatment or Death)

• Anemia
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Lameness
• Neurological signs
• Inflammation of blood vessels
• Eye problems

Treatment is done with antibiotics and is very successful during stage one.

Some Breeds are Especially Prone to Severe Illness from Ehrlichiosis

K9 Martin plays it safe with tick prevention! Follow him on IG! @k9_officer_martin

All dogs can get sick from this tick-borne disease. But German shepherds, Siberian huskies, and Belgian malinois are especially at risk to progress to stage three. Ironically, all their fluffy hair also makes it harder to spot any ticks that have gotten on them, so be vigilant!

Prevent Tick-Borne Illness by Preventing Ticks!

As always, prevention is your first line of defense. Be conscious of tall grass or debris that ticks love to wait around on for a new host to brush by. And be consistent with your flea and tick preventive! There are many good products available in different formulations, so a dog who doesn’t want to take a tablet might be best suited to a topically-applied product. Ask your vet for the best recommendation for your pet!

A Note on Cats:
Never give your dog’s flea and tick prevention to your cat! This can be deadly to them.

***Special thanks to K9 Officer Martin for modeling for our blog, setting a good example in our canine community, and for being so handsome!