pets

Taking Your Cat to the Vet Doesn't Have to Be Terrifying

Pet Connection by by Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton and Mikkel Becker
by Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton and Mikkel Becker
Pet Connection | July 13th, 1997

Ozzie is a beautiful cat, black with perfectly placed patches of white on his chin and his chest, a fluffy purr machine whose job in life is sitting in the lap of my friend Jan. His veterinarian wouldn't recognize the lovely cat he is at home, though, because in her office he's a spitting, slashing, yowling feline demon.

Sweet Ozzie is not alone in his Jekyll-and-Hyde routine.

Taking a cat to the veterinary hospital can be an ordeal for all involved. For many cats, the only time they leave home is to be taken to a place that smells funny, is often full of dreadful d-o-g-s, and has strange people who poke and prod them and handle them in ways they'd rather not be. The first sight of a carrier is often the last sight of a cat -- stupid, they are not. Although most cats are more cooperative than Ozzie, the difficulties in getting cat and veterinarian together may be enough to keep a cat-lover from making an appointment. This delay can keep cats from getting the preventive care they need, or even prompt attention to illnesses that could turn serious.

Although you may not ever make your veterinarian your cat's favorite human being, you can do a few things to make the trip easier. Here are a few tips:

-- Use a carrier. A startled or frightened cat is hard to hold onto, and either or both of you could be injured if you try -- or you may lose your cat in the parking lot. No matter how much you want to comfort your pet, leave him in the carrier until you're safely behind the closed door of the examination room.

-- Get your cat used to his carrier. If the only time your cat sees his carrier is when he's going to the veterinarian's, you may have a hard time putting him in it. Bring the carrier out of the closet from time to time, and put it in the middle of the room. Leave the door open, put treats or toys inside, and let your cat explore.

-- Take trips that don't end with a shot. Put your cat in his carrier and take a short car trip now and then. A towel over the carrier may make your pet feel more secure -- not only in the car, but also in the vet's waiting room.

-- Avoid feeding your cat before the appointment. Don't give your cat food within three hours of a trip to the veterinarian's. He could vomit during the car ride, and some blood tests are not valid if taken soon after a meal.

-- Avoid the use of tranquilizers. Don't give your cat a tranquilizer without consulting your veterinarian first -- even if you've given them before and have them in your medicine chest. These drugs may mask symptoms of illness.

-- Work to minimize stress. If your cat is especially freaked out by dogs (as is often the case if he doesn't live with one), ask for the first appointment of the day or the first after the clinic opens after lunch. You may also consider a cats-only clinic or a hospital that has separate dog and cat waiting rooms.

If you feel you can't handle taking your cat in at all, ask your veterinarian about house calls or consider a veterinarian whose practice is mobile. If you use a house-call service, confine your cat to a small area before the veterinarian arrives -- dragging your pet out from under a dresser is a lousy way to start an exam.

CYBERLINKS -- Cindy Tittle Moore is the wonder of pet cyberspace, the woman behind a library of FAQs (netspeak for Frequently Asked Questions) that'll keep any cat- or dog-lover up-to-date on behavior and health issues. Her rec.pet.cats FAQ homepage (http://www.zmall.com/pet(underline)talk/cat-faqs/homepage.html) offers links to documents on infectious diseases, behavior problem and even genetics. You can also explore e-mail lists and newsgroups from there, or jump to the dog areas. When it comes to cats, though, nothing beats the Cat Fanciers site (www.fanciers.com) with information on cat breeds, rescue and shelter groups, health and behavior, showing and referrals to breeders.

Gina Spadafori, the award-winning author of "Dogs for Dummies," is affiliated with the Veterinary Information Network Inc., an international online service for veterinary professionals. Write to her in care of this newspaper, or e-mail to Giori(at)aol.com.

4520 Main St., Kansas City, Mo. 64111; (816) 932-6600

pets

Death of a Pet Can Help Children Learn About Loss

Pet Connection by by Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton and Mikkel Becker
by Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton and Mikkel Becker
Pet Connection | July 6th, 1997

From the goldfish won at a school carnival and gone just as fast, to the hamster who escaped from his cage and was never seen again, to the cat or dog who has been in the family for years and is now taking a final trip to the veterinarian's, the death of a pet can be a wrenching experience for both child and parent.

Rachel Biale calls it something else: an opportunity.

"Even though the death of a pet can be a sad and even scary experience for a child, it is also a chance for parents to set a model for grief and death," she says. "For most children, this will be the first time they deal with death, and it's an opportunity to teach them how to deal with painful experiences."

Biale is a Berkeley, Calif., family therapist and the author of "My Pet Died" (Tricycle Press, $7.95), a wonderful little book designed to help both children and parents through what can be a difficult time.

The paperback has pages of activities to help children recognize and work through their emotions, as well as a thoughtful tear-out guide for parents. On one page, Biale suggests that the child draw or paste a picture of the pet, then a couple pages later, finish the sentence: "Thinking about (my pet's name) dying makes me feel ..." Later in the book, children are asked to name people to talk to if they're feeling sad, and allows them to consider the possibility of another pet in the future.

Perhaps a little disconcerting to many parents, Biale even asks children to consider what happened to their pet's body. Such openness is important with children, the therapist says, even though it may run counter to parents' own experience as a child. If you don't give children the answers to their questions, the answers they make up may be even worse than the truth.

"Children are very literal, which is why it's important to ask and find out what the child understands," says Biale. "Ask the 4-year-old, 'What do think "dead" means?' For some, they think it's a game: 'Bang, bang. You're dead.'

"It's most important to be truthful and factual. Let the child know that it's OK to talk about anything, and it's OK to have the feelings they do."

Some other suggestions for parents:

-- Don't sugar-coat the facts. "Parents need to remember not to use euphemisms," said Biale. "Telling a child a pet was 'put to sleep' may leave the child afraid to fall asleep himself."

-- Follow the child's lead. Children may even benefit from seeing the body, said Biale. "Some children would say 'yes' because they're curious; some would say 'no.' There's no rule. Ask the child, and prepare by explaining the pet won't meow or won't lick."

-- Use more than words. "Children are not as focused on words as we are. They may want to play the death scene over and over, which may be disturbing to adults, but it's their way of working it through. Children also can express their feelings through painting and drawing, and cutting and pasting."

-- Share you own grief, but don't burden your child. "It's a fine line. It's very important for a child to see your feelings," said Biale. "But if parents are feeling overwhelmed, they need someone else besides their child for support."

-- Don't rush your child. "Grief can be a long process. We're so pushed to be the 'one-minute gourmet' or the 'one-minute parent,' but it doesn't work that way."

While it isn't going to be easy, Biale says that when handled well, the death of a pet can leave children well-prepared for the losses we all face in our lives.

A pet's death, in other words, can be a final gift of love and learning to a child.

CYBERLINKS: ChinNet brags on its home page (http://www.chin.buffnet.net) of being "The chinniest site on earth," and it's easy to believe they have the competition smoked. The site is dedicated to bettering the lives of pet chinchillas everywhere, with information on care and genetics, and links to a couple dozen other chinchilla pages as well as the chinchilla mailing list.

Gina Spadafori, the award-winning author of "Dogs for Dummies," is affiliated with the Veterinary Information Network Inc., an international online service for veterinary professionals. Write to her in care of this newspaper, or e-mail to Giori(at)aol.com.

4520 Main St., Kansas City, Mo. 64111; (816) 932-6600

pets

Avoid Traumatic Fourth With a Little Common Sense

Pet Connection by by Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton and Mikkel Becker
by Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton and Mikkel Becker
Pet Connection | June 29th, 1997

Dr. Roger Gfeller has seen a lot of hot dogs on the Fourth of July. He has also set a lot of broken bones and stitched up a great many nasty lacerations.

The veterinarian has been working the urgent-care beat for more than 20 years, the last five as a board-certified expert in one of the newest veterinary specialities, emergency and critical care. Gfeller, a consultant to the Veterinary Information Network online service and chief of staff at Veterinary Emergency Service Inc., of Fresno, Calif., is one of only 52 veterinarians nationwide who've earned the special accreditation.

Independence Day is one of the busiest of the year for emergency-care veterinarians such as Gfeller, who says that many of the problems he'll see on the holiday could have been prevented.

To protect your pets over the long holiday weekend, Gfeller offers some precautions:

-- FIREWORKS. "Bring your pets indoors and turn on the stereo," he said. "Give them some white noise, something to distract them from the booming outside.

"'Denning' is another good idea, in a flight kennel or crate. Give them the comfort of their den, if that's what they're used to."

Gfeller says the decision to tranquilize a pet should be considered carefully by its owner and discussed with a veterinarian. "Tranquilizing a pet is not something I'd prefer," he said, "but we all recognize that some animals need it."

People should consider their past holiday experiences, he said, as well as a pet's everyday temperament when considering if a tranquilizer is appropriate.

-- HEAT STROKE. "Shade, lots of shade, and water, lots of water," said Gfeller, who added quickly that it is really better to bring pets inside on the hottest days of summer.

Knowing the signs of heat stress, he said, can save your pet's life. "Hot dogs pant, of course, but with a dog in trouble the panting is very aggressive. Cats will pant, too, but it's unusual.

"Look for the pet with lips pulled back, foamy at the corner of their mouths. These are animals who are working hard to move air."

Hot pets need to be cooled down, but not too severely. The optimum is to soak them in 90-degree water, and to use a fan to cool them off. Water from a hose is usually fine, said Gfeller, but not if you draw from a deep well where the water is ice-cold. Forget ice, too, he said. Think cool, not cold. And call a veterinarian.

"If it's too cold, you turn the outer layer of flesh into a layer of insulation," he said, thereby keeping the cool from getting to where the real problem is, the vital organs."

-- ACCIDENTS. The Fourth of July brings two kinds of fireworks-related accidents, both caused by fear. Some dogs jump through windows and sliding-glass doors and are cut up in the process, while others run away in a panic and are hit crossing streets.

Keeping pets secure inside is the key to preventing accidents, said the veterinarian, who also stressed that even lost dogs who aren't injured often end up at his hospital because no one knows who their owners are.

Gfeller is an advocate of embedded microchips, and says that many emergency clinics "scan" lost pets for the ID device in hopes of a happy reunion.

"I really think people need to spend the day with their pets. Stay home, or take your dog with you," he said. "It's like having a child. If your child was with you, got scared and started crying from the fireworks, you'd go home.

"I'm probably showing my bias, but I think our pets deserve the same kind of care."

CYBERLINKS: When the weather gets hot, think of water. Cool, relaxing water. If you can't pop for a swimming pool, how about an aquarium? Sure, you can't swim in it, but studies have shown it's plenty relaxing. Just watch the fish. If you don't know where to begin, check out the Aquaria Page O' Links (http://www.kkreate.com/aqlinks.htm), with connections to every imaginable fishy spot on the Internet. If setting up an aquarium and caring for fish is too much effort, visit WWW Cameraquarium (www.sccs.swarthmore.edu/(tilde)jim/fish.html), a page linked to various "fishcams," constantly refreshed pictures of a variety of fish tanks.

Gina Spadafori, the award-winning author of "Dogs for Dummies," is affiliated with the Veterinary Information Network Inc., an international online service for veterinary professionals. Write to her in care of this newspaper, or e-mail to Giori(at)aol.com.

4520 Main St., Kansas City, Mo. 64111; (816) 932-6600

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