DON'T PUNISH YOUR PET IF SHE BITES – JUST FREEZE
The average housecat weighs about 10 pounds, but boy can she pack a punch when she needs to. Believe me, a lot more veterinarians are injured by cats than by dogs. We do get dog bites from time to time, but dogs don't have those little bacteria-tipped, hypodermic-needle claws on the ends of their paws, and their teeth are not all razor-sharp like the ones your cat's got.
A cat can shred your arm in a second, and she won't hesitate if she thinks she's in danger. Because cat bites need to be taken seriously, there are a couple of rules every cat owner should always follow:
-- Respect your cat's limits. Many cat bites are simply the result of an owner pushing an interaction just a minute or two too long. Cats almost always give body-language warnings before they attack. You need to know what to look for, so yours doesn't have to tell you "the hard way" when she's had enough. Signs a cat is getting edgy include tail swishing, crouching, ears rotated back or lowered, dilated pupils and hair standing on end. Tuning in and ending an interaction before your cat reaches her breaking point will be a vast improvement for both of you.
-- Freeze! If your cat does go after you, you need to think fast to prevent serious injury. First, if you are holding her, let go. Second, don't move a muscle. Your cat's instincts are to fight until she wins, and your lack of movement tells her you're not a threat anymore. The worst thing to do is fight back, or to hit your cat. In the short run, you will escalate the conflict and worsen the possibility of injuries for you both. In the long run, you'll be teaching your cat to fear you. Punishment is controversial when dealing with dogs -- trainers argue that there are kinder, more effective ways to get the behavior you want using positive reinforcement. But there's no debate that punishment is not a match for training your cat.
-- Never, ever get in the middle of a catfight. If you have more than one cat, the possibility of a fight is always real, even if it's a remote one. If a fight breaks out, the last thing you want to do is put your hand in the mess -- it's like reaching into a blender to try to fish something out -- maybe you get it, maybe you don't, but you darn well might lose a finger. Instead of reaching between fighting cats, do something to startle them and redirect their attention. Throw a blanket over them, make a loud noise, or spray them with water to break their focus.
-- Get yourself to a doctor. Because cats carry bacteria on their claws, a high percentage of scratches become infected. If you get scratched or bitten, you'll likely need antibiotics to heal. Better to head things off at the pass by calling your doctor sooner rather than later. Cat scratches and bites have been known to lead to nasty infections and even disease.
If your cat has a hair-trigger when being petted, you can build up her tolerance by limiting your scratches to the underside of the chin and possibly the base of the tail. When your cat's body language suggests overstimulation, just stop. If you're consistent, you will build up the amount of petting your cat can tolerate. If the situation doesn't seem to be improving, ask your veterinarian for a referral to a veterinary behaviorist.
Q&A
Dealing with leaks
from a spayed dog
Q: My dog has been leaking urine while she's asleep, and it's getting worse. I ordered dog diapers over the Internet, but now the skin in that area is irritated. What can I do? -- via email
A: Take your dog to the veterinarian and have her checked for a bladder infection or some other health condition that can cause involuntary urinary leaking, or that can increase drinking and urination. These include structural problems, endocrine disorders such as Cushing's or even obesity.
If those medical causes are ruled out, ask your veterinarian if it could be spay incontinence. This is a form of urinary leaking caused by a lack of estrogen, known to control the ability of the dog's body to hold in urine when the bladder is full. In the typical leaky spayed female, the problem is worse when the dog is asleep or at rest, after which owners will find wet spots where the animal was reclining. The problem is more common in large dogs than in small, and the risk seems to increase slightly for those animals who were spayed before their first heat.
Why are spayed females prone to these problems? The lack of the female hormone estrogen weakens the sphincter.
Fortunately, spay incontinence is usually easy to treat. Your veterinarian will likely prescribe one of two drugs: phenylpropanolamine (PPA, brand name Proin), which tightens the sphincter muscle, or some form of estrogen, most commonly diethylstilbestrol (DES). There is also a new drug just recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Incurin (estriol), a natural estrogen hormone, which should be available through veterinarians in the United States soon. -- Dr. Marty Becker and Christie Keith
Do you have a pet question? Send it to petconnection@gmail.com.
THE BUZZ
Why dogs love
a stinky roll
-- While veterinary behaviorists aren't sure why dogs like to roll in stinky stuff and eat rotten things, many believe these pets are marking themselves with their most prized possessions to show them off to all of their two-legged and four-legged friends. For a dog, wearing stinky stuff is like wearing the best of all designer-label scents. Forget trying to prevent your dog from rolling in the stinkiest things imaginable. The only way to stop the smelly search-and-roll is to keep your dog on a leash -- or to teach a foolproof come-hither when called.
-- The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that 5 percent of U.S. pets are microchipped, compared to nearly a quarter of European pets.
-- The American Veterinary Medical Association has sided with United Egg Producers and the Humane Society of the United States in supporting federal legislation to improve the lives of chickens. The Egg Products Inspection Act Amendments would nearly double the space for each hen and add perches and nesting boxes. It would also enforce the AVMA's standards for humane destruction of non-productive hens. The American Farm Bureau Federation does not support the proposals, which would take nine to 15 years to implement. -- Mikkel Becker and Dr. Marty Becker
ABOUT PET CONNECTION
Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet care experts headed by "Good Morning America" and "The Dr. Oz Show" veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Gina Spadafori. The two are affiliated with Vetstreet.com and also the authors of many best-selling pet care books. Dr. Becker can also be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker.