VETERINARIANS TRAIN TO SAVE AMERICA'S COMMUNITY CATS
They live on our streets, in fields and barns, behind shopping centers and in our neighborhoods. They eat on back porches and in city parks, fed by dedicated cat lovers. They're the felines now called "community cats," and while many of them are feral, some are strays or abandoned former pets who have adapted to life outdoors.
Some estimates suggest there are as many unowned as owned felines in the U.S., most of them unvaccinated and never spayed or neutered. Left free to reproduce, they'll create the next generation of community cats, and the next, and the next.
Operation Catnip aims to change that, says founder Dr. Julie Levy, director of the shelter medicine program at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine. The trap-neuter-return (TNR) organization has been running free high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter clinics for community cats in Gainesville, Florida, since 1998. In 2014 alone, they helped 2,693 cats and prevented the births of an estimated 6,142 kittens just in the first year following surgery.
Now, thanks to a grant from PetSmart Charities, they're throwing open their operational model and training program to veterinarians, veterinary students and veterinary technicians from all over the country.
"Our vision is to train an army of veterinarians to spay and neuter America's community cats," said Levy. "This approach, along with vaccination, will allow us to reduce cat population, control infectious diseases and improve the lives of the cats."
Operation Catnip clinics are run MASH-style, with each cat tended by volunteer veterinarians, technicians and veterinary students. Each cat receives a medical examination and, if healthy, is spayed or neutered, treated for fleas and other parasites, and returned to the same place she or he was trapped.
It's easy to tell if a cat has been treated at the clinic, because of the distinctive "ear tip" each one receives during their surgery. This means those cats can easily be identified as having already been sterilized, so they won't be trapped again, putting them through unnecessary stress and taking the place of cats who still need care.
One graduate of the program, Dr. Amy Karls, was so inspired by her training with the Operation Catnip program that she now volunteers her services with four different community cat organizations near her North Grafton, Massachusetts, home -- all that on top of her full-time career as a veterinarian.
"I wasn't taught the high-volume, high-quality surgical techniques now commonly used in TNR programs while I was in veterinary school," she said. "We learned new surgical skills, colony management and trapping techniques, and feline medical and behavioral pearls."
America is a nation of cat lovers. One 2007 study found that 81 percent of us would prefer to see cats left where they are rather than killed, if those were the only two choices. Programs like Operation Catnip offer something better than either: reduced population over time, vaccination to help prevent infectious disease, and a chance for healthy feral cats to return to their homes in our communities without adding to the feline population.
It also offers a chance for veterinarians to become better surgeons, and for all veterinary professionals to learn innovative strategies for managing community cats in their hometowns.
"I was able to bring everything I learned back to our local rescue and TNR groups," said Karls. "It was truly wonderful to see so many people united for the common goal of improving the lives of the homeless cat population."
To learn more about Operation Catnip, or to sign up for one of their upcoming training sessions, visit operationcatnipclinic.org.
Q&A
Bladder cancer
concerns in dogs
Q: My dog keeps having urinary tract infections, and our veterinarian wants to do a biopsy to see if the cause may be transitional cell carcinoma. What can you tell me about this disease? -- via email
A: Invasive TCC is a rare disease overall, but it's the most common cancer of the urinary tract in dogs. Certain breeds are at higher risk: Scottish terriers, Shetland sheepdogs, beagles, West Highland white terriers and wirehaired fox terriers. We don't know exactly what causes the disease, but researchers suspect a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental factors, including exposure to lawns treated with herbicides and insecticides. At highest risk are obese female dogs.
The disease occurs when a malignant tumor develops from the transitional epithelial cells that line the bladder. It invades the deeper layers of the bladder, including muscle layers, and affects the dog's ability to urinate. Symptoms can mimic those of urinary tract infections: blood in the urine, straining to urinate and frequently recurring urinary tract infections.
The disease is diagnosed through a tissue biopsy, obtained with a fiber-optic scope inserted into the bladder. If the tissue sample is determined to be cancerous, your veterinarian or the oncologist (cancer specialist) can follow up with radiographs (X-rays), ultrasound or a CT scan to determine the location and size of the tumor and whether the disease has spread to other areas of the body.
If possible, the tumor is removed surgically. Otherwise, chemotherapy drugs and cox inhibitors may help to shrink it or prevent it from growing. With treatment, dogs have a good chance of living two years or more.
Researchers hope to find ways to prevent the disease or detect it earlier as well as better ways to treat it. Fascinating fact: One study showed that dogs who ate vegetables at least three days a week had a reduced risk of bladder cancer. Bring on the carrots. -- Dr. Marty Becker
Do you have a pet question? Send it to askpetconnection@gmail.com or visit Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker.
THE BUZZ
Boxer makes history
in working events
-- An almost-10-year-old boxer recently became the first breed from the Working Group to earn both herding and tracking championships awarded by the American Kennel Club. The only other dogs to hold both titles are two border collies and one Australian shepherd. Handled by her owner, Reegan Ray of Encinitas, California, some of Pip's other accomplishments include two advanced titles from the American Herding Breed Association, a Companion Dog (CD) title in obedience, a Rally Advanced (RA) title in Rally, and an Excellent Agility Jumper (AXJ) title in agility, plus multiple High in Trial awards.
-- Can you purr a few bars? Cats like music that incorporates the same frequency range and tempos as their natural vocalizations, according to a new study accepted for publication in the journal Applied Animal Behavioral Science. Researchers Charles Snowdon of the University of Wisconsin, his colleague Megan Savage and composer and musician David Teie created music that was about an octave or more higher than human voices and referenced tempos of purring and suckling. While the music was on, the listening cats turned toward or approached the speaker, often rubbing against it, Snowdon told Discovery News. The researchers hope their work can benefit shelter cats by helping them feel less anxious.
-- The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine is seeking dogs with chronic gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhea and vomiting to participate in a clinical study. The goal is to determine the composition of the micro-biome (naturally occurring bacteria in the gut) and how it changes during and after treatment. Eligible dogs will receive standard diagnostics for canine chronic enteropathy (CCE) and standard treatment for up to eight weeks. Owners must commit to four visits to Penn Vet and to collection of stool samples at home. For more information, call 215-573-0302 or email vcic@vet.upenn.edu. -- Kim Campbell Thornton
ABOUT PET CONNECTION
Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet-care experts headed by "The Dr. Oz Show" veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Kim Campbell Thornton. They are affiliated with Vetstreet.com and are the authors of many best-selling pet-care books. Joining them is dog trainer and behavior consultant Mikkel Becker. Dr. Becker can be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker. Kim Campbell Thornton is at Facebook.com/KimCampbellThornton and on Twitter at kkcthornton. Mikkel Becker is at Facebook.com/MikkelBecker and on Twitter at MikkelBecker.
CAPTIONS AND CREDITS
Caption 01: Fluffy is one of Operation Catnip's "graduates." Position: Main Story
Caption 02: Volunteers are a key component to Operation Catnip's efforts. Position: Main Story
Caption 03: In a recent herding trial, boxer Pip earned 200 points more than the highest-scoring border collie. Position: Pet Buzz/Item 1