FELINE IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS IN CATS TAKES A SURPRISING JUMP

Last month, the folks at Banfield Pet Hospital, who care for more than 2.7 million pets nationwide, including 470,000 cats, released their 2014 State of Pet Health report. It included a startling statistic: a 48 percent increase in the prevalence of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection in cats seen at Banfield's more than 850 hospitals.

Does it mean your cat is at risk? Not necessarily. A lot depends on his lifestyle.

Cats can get FIV through contact with saliva from an infected cat. Cats with the disease typically acquire it through bite wounds when they get in fights with FIV-infected cats. That's a really good reason to keep your cat indoors.

We don't know what's behind the increased incidence in FIV infection. It's not explained by changes in the rates of testing or of vaccination.

What is known from the report is that male cats are three times as likely to be infected with FIV as female cats, and that adult, unneutered cats were 3.5 times more likely to be infected with FIV as adult cats who were spayed or neutered. That makes sense, because unneutered tomcats are the ones who are going to be out there fighting and biting.

Interestingly, a recent study found no evidence that FIV-positive cats living peacefully with disease-free cats passed on the disease. In the same study, FIV-positive mothers did not pass on the disease to their kittens. So while the possibility of transmission is there, simple exposure to an infected cat may not be as risky as previously thought -- as long as the cats are friendly toward each other.

There are a couple of important things to know about FIV. First, while FIV is contagious among cats, it's not transmissible to humans.

Second, it's not a death sentence. It's not curable, but with good care, cats with FIV infections can live long, healthy lives.

FIV affects the immune system, so cats with the disease can be more prone to respiratory, dental, eye or skin infections. Cats with FIV may develop a fever or seem tired all the time. Chronic diarrhea and weight loss are also associated with FIV. Some cats don't show any signs, although they are still infectious.

Protect an FIV-infected cat from injuries or wounds that could cause secondary bacterial infections as well as from other viruses and parasites that could cause illness. Depending on your cat's lifestyle, environment and clinical signs, your veterinarian may recommend other measures as well to manage the disease.

The most important safety measure you can take is to keep your cat indoors -- both to prevent exposure to potential injuries and infections and to make sure he doesn't spread the disease to other cats.

A vaccination is available for FIV, but it is not among the core vaccines recommended by the American Association of Feline Practitioners. That's because it doesn't protect against all the strains of FIV and because the FIV test cannot distinguish between the actual disease and the antibodies produced by vaccination. That can make test results unclear if a cat's vaccination history is unknown.

The AAFP recommends the vaccine only for cats who are at high risk of infection -- in other words, cats who go outdoors. Those cats should have a microchip indicating that they've had the vaccination to prevent any confusion about their infection status.

Your veterinarian may suggest testing your cat for FIV if she has a fever, frequent infections or other signs of illness. A simple and accurate blood test gives rapid results. Kittens born to FIV-infected mothers may test positive while they are young, but negative after they are 6 months old, so it can be a good idea to retest them after that age.

Q&A

How to teach kids

good dog care habits

Q: We have a dog, and we want to teach our kids to learn to love and care for him as much as we do. What are some good ways we can do that? -- via Facebook

A: Sounds like you are already off to a good start. We think no one should get a dog for the kids unless they truly would love having a dog themselves. Helping children to build a strong and loving relationship with the family dog reinforces that he's really a member of the family. Here are some good ways to do that:

-- Have your child help you with pet care tasks. Depending on your child's age, this can include things like refilling the water bowl, washing the food bowl, giving the dog his monthly flea-control or heartworm pill, or stuffing a Kong toy for him. That helps to reinforce the importance of regular pet care.

-- Take your child to training class with the dog. It's important for everyone to learn how to train correctly. And when you go to class, you can get help from the trainer right away if you're having problems.

-- Make sure you all practice what you learn in training class at home during the week. Call it "dog homework."

-- Teach your children to respect the dog's space. They should leave him alone when he's in his crate, on his bed or eating a meal.

-- Let your child help you walk the dog, first with each of you holding a leash attached to the dog's collar and then under supervision. When your child is old enough and has learned what to do in case, say, a stray dog approaches, you'll have a built-in dog walker as well as a budding dog lover. -- Mikkel Becker

THE BUZZ

Pilot program lets

pets ride the rails

-- It's a pet peeve of many train travelers: Amtrak doesn't allow their four-footed friends on board, with the exception of service dogs. But a six-month program in Illinois is testing the idea, on the Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg trains between Chicago and Quincy. Riders with pets (dogs or cats up to 20 pounds) must reserve seats in advance and pay a pet fee of $25. As on airplanes, they must ride in carriers that fit beneath the seat. Reservations are available through Nov. 2.

"Amtrak is supportive of accommodating pets on trains, and through direct collaboration with the Illinois Department of Transportation and a working group led by U.S. Rep. Jeff Denham of California, we are optimistic a plan can be reached to accommodate the needs and concerns of all our passengers," says Amtrak President and CEO Joe Boardman.

-- Say cheese! Admit it. You take more pictures of your pet than of your spouse, don't you? Research last year by British pet insurance company Direct Line found that a whopping 90 percent of dog owners take more pictures of their pets than their partners, with 31 percent taking pictures of pets daily. The photos end up as screen savers (86 percent) and on social media profiles (45 percent). Because, let's face it -- pets are just cuter than spouses.

-- A pair of friends were reunited after a two-year separation. When U.S. Army Sgt. Jason Bos injured his back and had to retire from the military in 2012, his bomb-sniffing dog, Cici, had to remain on duty in Germany. Bos was elated when the kennel master contacted him recently and asked if he'd like to adopt the soon-to-retire dog. The American Humane Association and Mission K-9 Rescue helped pay the expense of flying Cici from Germany to Michigan. -- 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.

Keeping chickens as pets and egg-layers is a popular pastime, but it's a good idea to know what you're getting into

By Dr. Tony Johnson

About three years ago, my wife and I "happened" upon some chickens. A family friend had gotten caught up in the recent rage of urban chicken acquisition and had obtained six chickens. They had forgotten to obtain any housing for them, so we offered to help out and take three of the birds.

We read up on chicken husbandry, built a coop and drove over to bring home our new flock in cat carriers.

Here's the upside to chicken ownership:

-- Great, fresh eggs, every day (on average, each chicken lays one egg per day).

-- No need to buy eggs anymore -- a cost savings, and we know our chickens are humanely treated.

-- Fun for the kids to watch (us, too -- chickens are hilarious goofballs).

-- Easy disposal of our kitchen waste -- they eat everything (as long as it's not moldy or an avocado; avocados are chicken kryptonite). With two 2-year-olds at home, we have lots of leftover "I won't eat that!" food.

Now, here's the downside:

-- They are noisy: They squabble and fight like junior-high girls at the Filene's Basement shoe sale rack. Sometimes, I have to go out back and shout a loud: "SHHHHHHHH! If you don't shut up, I am calling The Colonel!"

-- Poo. Everywhere. There's no way to potty train a chicken, and there's no such thing as a chicken diaper. We let them out for some fresh air and bug-eating, and they poo. A lot. Everywhere.

-- Although ours have tested negative for salmonella, I do worry about our family's exposure to it, given the large amount of poo around. (More on this below.)

-- We will never, ever have nice landscaping. In their obsessive quest to find the juicy bugs and worms, they dig up everything. Then, for good measure, they poo on it.

Chickens have become a feathery emblem of the "new naturism" -- if you fancy yourself a self-sustaining, eco-minded person, a wee flock is de rigueur these days. And, like many fads, the initial rose-tinted joy soon fades to reality.

Chickens can carry salmonella and a few other bacterial baddies. These can do a number on your GI tract and really put a hurting on you if you're very young, very old or have weakened immunity. If you get it, you'll be hugging the commode for a few days, or worse.

We constantly clean up after them, and even then I feel like we always have some poo lying about. Washing hands after handling them or the eggs is a must. Here is some CDC info on safe home chicken ownership: blogs.cdc.gov/publichealthmatters/2010/10/thinking-about-keeping-live-poultry

Another great source of information and support is the community at Backyard Chickens: www.backyardchickens.com.

Egg handling is important, too. There is a healthy debate about washing the eggs: Some say it removes an invisible slime layer that keeps bacteria out, while some say to wash them. Since we eat them as soon as we collect them, we don't wash our eggs (unless they are really dirty), but just wipe them off. Here is a link to safe egg-handling information: www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09377.pdf.

The life of a chicken owner is easy, delicious and fun. It's a great way to lessen your eco-footprint and teach your kids where their food comes from. But you don't want to get halfway into it and say to yourself, "What the CLUCK were we thinking?"

With a little prep, a little reading and a little precaution you, too, can safely enjoy all the benefits of having your own flock!

Guest columnist Tony Johnson, DVM, is an emergency and critical care specialist and serves as Minister of Happiness/Medical Director at Veterinary Information Network.

Q&A

Protect your dog before

enjoying fun in the sun

Q: We have a new white bull terrier puppy, and we live in Florida. The breeder said we should put sunscreen on him when he's outdoors, especially if we take him to the beach. Really? -- via email

A: Really. Dogs can get sunburned, and they are susceptible to skin cancer. Your dog's hair gives him some protection from the sun, but light-colored dogs need extra help to prevent a damaging sunburn.

Dogs who are most at risk have thin or light-colored coats, so your bull terrier is doubly in need of protection. Other breeds whose owners should think about applying sunscreen include American pit bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers, bulldogs, white boxers, Chinese cresteds or any other hairless breeds, Dalmatians, smooth fox terriers, white German shepherds, greyhounds, Jack Russell terriers, rat terriers, Weimaraners, whippets or any dog with light skin and a pink nose.

Apply sunscreen to the ears, muzzle and belly of any shorthaired dog who enjoys sunbathing. If you have a short-coated white dog, apply it all over the body. Wipe it off after your dog comes indoors, so he doesn't get it on the furniture or walls.

Choose a PABA-free sunscreen that's free of zinc oxide. Both substances can be toxic if your dog licks them off. Look for natural sunscreens made for children or sunscreen made specifically for dogs, which you can find at pet-supply stores. Just as you would for yourself, reapply frequently if your dog spends a lot of time outdoors, especially if he enjoys playing in water.

If applying sunscreen isn't your thing, cover your dog's skin with sun-protective dog clothing. Yep, it's out there, made by companies such as Ruffwear, Kong and Playa Pup. If you and your dog will be spending a lot of time at the beach or on a boat, it's also a good idea to protect his eyes from glare with canine eyewear, such as Doggles. -- Dr. Marty Becker

Do you have a pet question? Send it to askpetconnection@gmail.com or visit Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker.

THE BUZZ

Bee careful: Dog wears

a honey of a suit

-- An Australian beekeeper trained his black Labrador retriever, Bazz, to sniff out hives infected with a bee-killing bacterium called American foulbrood. But there was just one problem: Bazz kept getting stung. To protect him, owner Josh Kennett designed the ultimate in dogwear: a beekeeping suit. After a long process of trial and error, he came up with a design that covers Bazz from head to tail, including protective sneakers and a covered, conelike headpiece. You might say it's the bee's knees. Getting Bazz to actually wear the gear took some time and training, but now he's back on the job, sniffing out the bees' disease.

-- Hank is in the house! The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that the Brewers' cute new mascot will soon be moving into "Hank House" at Miller Park. The dog's cozy digs? A roomy one-bedroom Cape Cod-style doghouse that will move around the ballpark throughout the season. Hank became a star after wandering into the Brewers' spring training camp in Arizona in February. He now has a line of T-shirts, and a Hank bobblehead debuts in September. A portion of the proceeds of Hank merchandise will benefit the Wisconsin Humane Society.

-- We can all agree that dogs don't live long enough, but by studying how they age, scientists at Cornell University and elsewhere hope to learn how genetic and environmental factors influence aging and what interventions might mitigate age-related diseases. Dogs not only share many genetic characteristics with humans, they also share our environment and many of our health care options. The Canine Longitudinal Aging Study will use not only traditional demographic and epidemiological approaches, but also new techniques, such as comparative genomics, to identify treatments and factors that may help extend healthy life spans in dogs and humans. -- 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.

EVEN AN INDOOR KITTEN CAN BENEFIT FROM A FELINE LEUKEMIA VACCINATION

Is your kitten vaccinated for feline leukemia virus? You may not have thought to do so if you plan for him to be an indoor cat, but veterinary immunology expert Ronald Schultz, DVM, says that vaccination during kittenhood, followed by a single booster vaccination at 1 year of age, is the best way to prevent the spread of the disease and reduce its incidence.

Feline leukemia virus is the most common cause of cancer in cats and can cause various blood disorders. Some cats with the disease have poor immune systems and are unable to fight off infections. Signs of the disease include appetite loss, weight loss, poor coat condition, pale gums and persistent diarrhea. In the United States, approximately 2 to 3 percent of cats are infected with the virus. That's a low percentage, but it's still a serious disease that is highly communicable.

Infected cats shed the virus through bodily fluids such as saliva, milk, urine and feces. They can spread it when they groom other cats, share food and water bowls, or use the same litter box. Nursing mothers can pass it on through their milk. Kittens younger than 4 months and sick cats have the highest risk of infection and a higher rate of infection -- 13 percent or more.

Cats who are vaccinated as kittens and boosted at 1 year will most likely have lifelong protection from the disease, even if they never receive another vaccination. Age-related resistance to the disease typically develops when cats are about a year old.

"If we could have as many cats immune as possible, we probably would start to see very little FeLV," Dr. Schultz says. "Now some people say 'Well, it's not that common anyway,' but it still creates some significant disease."

Many cat owners whose pets don't go outside skip this vaccine, assuming that it's not necessary. But cats can be escape artists or experience changes in lifestyle.

"I know an awful lot of indoor kittens that became outdoor cats," Dr. Schultz says. "Can we ever know when that animal is a kitten that it's never going to go outside and never be in contact with a potentially persistently viremic cat? The answer to that is no."

Other concerns include potential reactions to the vaccine, which can include swelling or pain at the injection site, lethargy or fever. Some cats develop granulomas (inflammatory nodules) or sarcomas (soft tissue tumors) at the injection site. The University of California at Davis' School of Veterinary Medicine suggests using a recombinant FeLV vaccine, citing evidence that this type of vaccine is associated with a decreased risk of sarcoma formation.

The advisory panel of the American Association of Feline Practitioners seconds Dr. Schultz's advice to vaccinate kittens and boost the vaccination when they are a year old, but it does not consider FeLV a core vaccine, meaning one that is recommended for all cats. Adult cats should be vaccinated for FeLV only if they are at risk, according to the AAFP. Cats are at risk if they go outdoors, live with other cats who are known to be infected with FeLV, or live with other cats whose disease status is unknown.

If you discover that one of your cats has FeLV, have any other cats in your home tested for the disease. If they are infection-free, it's best to have them live separately from the infected cat so they don't share food and water bowls or litter boxes. Ask your veterinarian about the pros and cons of having the uninfected cats vaccinated, since vaccination doesn't help cats who are already infected.

Q&A

It's a chore to rid

pets of skunk funk

Q: Help! My dog had a close encounter with a skunk. How do I get that awful smell out of his fur? -- via Facebook

A: Ugh! There's not much worse than skunk smell. The striped critters are masters of chemical warfare, deterring predators with a stinky solution produced by their anal scent glands. It contains sulfurous chemicals known as thiols, and skunks can spray it up to 15 feet. Many curious pets get a blast of it right in the face.

A dog or cat who gets hit at point-blank range will have a soaking wet face and eyes that are watery and red from irritation. Move quickly if you see him get skunked. Before he runs into the house to rub his face all over your furniture in an attempt to ease the agony, wrap him in a towel and bathe his eyes with a soothing eyewash solution available from your drugstore. (Keep it on hand if you live in skunk country.)

Then it's bath time. Wearing rubber or latex gloves to protect your own skin from odor, shampoo your dog thoroughly, preferably outdoors. Rinse and repeat. Before or after the bath, soak your dog in one of the many home remedies that are said to help eliminate the odor. They include tomato juice, apple cider vinegar and a concoction consisting of 1/4 cup baking soda, 1 tsp liquid soap and a quart of hydrogen peroxide. They have varying levels of success, depending on the individual dog, how badly he was skunked and how thoroughly you apply them.

Whatever you use, it will probably take multiple treatments over a period of weeks for the odor to fully dissipate. Try not to let your dog get wet for a while after you've cleaned him up from a skunking. Moisture seems to reactivate and even worsen the odor. -- Kim Campbell Thornton

Do you have a pet question? Send it to askpetconnection@gmail.com or visit Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker.

THE BUZZ

10 ways to be

kind to animals

-- Be Kind to Animals Week celebrates its 99th birthday this year. Here are the top 10 ways you can observe it: Spay or neuter your pet; make sure your pet wears identification and is microchipped; make time to play with your pet every day; train your pet; feed your pet good food, but not too much; adopt or foster a pet from your local shelter; understand and meet your pet's physical and behavioral needs; teach your children how to safely and kindly interact with animals; make a donation of money or goods to your local humane society; and take your pet to the veterinarian for regular checkups.

-- If you can no longer keep your lionfish, python, iguana or other exotic pet, find him a new home -- and not by releasing him into the ocean or your local wilderness area. If they become established, invasive species can wreak havoc in non-native habitats, shoving out or killing animals and plants that belong there. The same applies to pets such as parrots, rabbits, hamsters and guinea pigs. They may be unable to survive on their own and quickly become a meal for another animal, be hit by a car or face a long, painful death by starvation. Seek out rescue groups that can help you place your pet.

-- Shelter medicine has officially become the newest veterinary specialty recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association. The work of shelter veterinarians is varied and can include performing spays and neuters, examining animals brought to the shelter, treating pets with health problems, advising adopters, testifying in abuse cases and performing administrative duties. Their goal is to improve the quality of life for animals in shelters through preventive medicine, disease management and stress reduction. Most U.S. veterinary colleges now offer shelter medicine programs. -- 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.