Not so fast. Going nuclear with antibiotics can cause bigger problems than it solves

By Kim Campbell Thornton

What's the first thing you do when you're feeling sick or your pet has diarrhea? Is it to ask your doctor or the veterinarian to prescribe antibiotics to knock down whatever it is quickly?

That's a common request in human and veterinary medicine, but it's not necessarily the right one. From urinary tract infections to dental disease, antibiotics seem to be the easy answer, but their overuse in animals and humans is creating resistant bacteria. Instead of being killed off by the drugs, bacteria continue to multiply, becoming stronger than ever. That makes them ever more difficult to treat. And oftentimes, they're not even necessary.

"Lots of ailments that we see are caused by viruses, which antibiotics won't do anything for," says Tony Johnson, DVM, an emergency and critical-care specialist. "Lots of ailments that we see are going to go away on their own without antibiotics. We prescribe antibiotics for things that there's absolutely no need for. If a dog gets hit by a car and doesn't have a mark on it, he doesn't need antibiotics. If a dog has a cut less than the size of a dime, it'll heal on its own; he doesn't need antibiotics. Veterinarians are as guilty of this as the general public."

A review of antibiotic use in dogs, published in June 2011 in the Journal of Small Animal Practice, found that there was a confirmed infection in only 17 percent of the prescriptions. In 45 percent, infection was suspected; for instance, the patient had an open wound or discharge from the eyes or nose. In 38 percent, there was no documented evidence of infection. In those cases, the antibiotics were often given for "preventive" reasons, such as after surgery.

A better practice is to culture the skin, blood, urine or other tissue to confirm an infection and pinpoint the type of bacteria causing it. That allows the most appropriate antibiotic to be prescribed.

"If we see a big, infected wound or if we have a dog with pneumonia, we can culture that, find out what the bug is and what antibiotic will specifically target it, as opposed to using an overly broad-spectrum antibiotic that isn't needed," Dr. Johnson says.

But cultures can be expensive. While the cost of a culture is often worth it, not everyone is willing or able to pay for it.

That leaves veterinarians guessing at the best way to proceed. If they guess incorrectly, the dog or cat is in discomfort longer than necessary, and they are potentially contributing to the problem of bacterial resistance to antibiotics.

What's the answer? The World Health Organization and other institutions are calling for antibiotic stewardship: using the drugs only in cases with a definite diagnosis, ruling out viral and fungal infections, parasites and other conditions that don't respond to antimicrobial therapies.

For instance, antimicrobials aren't indicated for viral upper respiratory infections such as feline herpesvirus or canine influenza unless they are accompanied by secondary bacterial infections. Most cases of feline lower urinary tract disease don't involve bacterial infection. Treatments such as a change in diet or stress relief techniques are more effective. And some wounds may simply require cleaning with a topical antiseptic solution.

"If your dog or cat or child is not in pain and it's not life-threatening, let their body deal with it, whatever it is," Dr. Johnson says. "Antibiotics are a very powerful tool, and they save lives, so you don't want to not use them when necessary, but the main thing to understand is that they are not a cure-all."

Q&A

Lyme disease affects

dogs and humans

Q: Do dogs get Lyme disease? I have always heard that they don't, so why is there a canine vaccine for it? -- via email

A: That's an interesting question with a complex answer. The short version is that yes, dogs can get Lyme disease from the bite of an infected tick. We see clinical signs in approximately 10 percent of infected cases, according to my colleague, Richard E. Goldstein, an internal medicine specialist at New York City's Animal Medical Center. He spoke on Lyme disease in dogs recently at the North American Veterinary Conference in Orlando, Florida.

Now, 10 percent might not seem like much, but if you look at the numbers, Lyme disease is pretty common. Even if most dogs don't show signs, the infection rate is 50 percent to 75 percent in some areas of the Northeast. Clinical signs in 10 percent of those dogs is a lot of dogs.

It can take two to five months after infection for a dog to show signs, such as lameness, lethargy and fever. They may last for approximately three days, and the arthritis and fever are usually treatable.

In more serious -- but fortunately, less common -- cases, dogs can develop a type of kidney disease called Lyme nephritis, which is often fatal, even in young, healthy dogs, as well as myocarditis -- inflammation of the heart muscle -- and neurological disease. And in many, if not most, dogs, the bacteria are the unwanted guests who never leave, even in the face of antibiotic treatment.

Good tick control is the first line of defense against Lyme disease in dogs. Vaccination alone isn't enough. If you live in an area where the disease is endemic, talk to your veterinarian about your dog's risk level, the prevalence of the disease and whether vaccination is appropriate for your dog. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

First White House pets

were dogs and horses

-- Pets have made themselves at home in the White House since the very beginning. The nation's second president, John Adams, was the first to take up residence there, and of course the family dogs accompanied him and his wife, Abigail, to their new digs. The Adams family had several mixed-breed dogs, including two named Satan and Juno, according to the Presidential Pet Museum. Of Juno, the First Lady wrote to her granddaughter: "You will be glad to learn that Juno yet lives, although like her mistress she is gray with age."

-- Since 2008, it has been a federal felony to sponsor, exhibit, buy, sell, deliver, possess, train or transport an animal for participation in animal fighting, a crime punishable by a five-year prison term and a $250,000 fine. But until recently, spectators at dogfights got off lightly. In 24 states, the act of attending a dogfight is only a misdemeanor, carrying penalties of a small fine and no jail time. With passage of the Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act, included in the 2014 Farm Bill, it is now a federal misdemeanor to knowingly attend a fight as a spectator and a federal felony to bring a minor under the age of 16 to a dogfight or cockfight.

-- Do you think his friends call him "metal mouth"? Wesley, a golden retriever puppy, is sporting braces after his owner, Molly Moore, noticed that he was having trouble eating and was losing weight. She brought the problem to the attention of her father, Jim Moore, an associate professor of oral surgery at Michigan State University's College of Veterinary Medicine. Moore realized Wesley's mouth didn't close properly and was causing pain. The braces will alleviate the problem in plenty of time for Molly's wedding next year. Maybe she'll have a canine ring bearer. -- Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton and Mikkel Becker

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.

Spring blooms can be beautiful but deadly to pets. Here's what you should know

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Lilies have been associated with rebirth and renewal for millennia. Ancient Romans believed that lilies sprang up when the goddess Juno spilled milk while she was nursing the baby Hercules. Lilies also represent the renewal symbolized by Easter. For cat lovers, though, lilies mean just the opposite. Every part of them -- pollen, flowers, leaves, stems, even the water in which they're placed -- is deadly to felines.

What is it about lilies that make them so toxic to cats?

"That is the million-dollar question," says Tina Wismer, DVM, a veterinary toxicology specialist who is medical director of the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center. "There was a researcher at Michigan State who was looking into the toxic component. He was able to find that it is throughout the plant, but couldn't quite characterize it."

When it comes to toxicity, cats are special -- in a bad way. They are uniquely susceptible to certain plants, medications and other substances. Dogs, for instance, may simply get a little stomach upset if they eat lily flowers, but cats can develop kidney failure if not treated within the first 18 hours after ingestion. They need intravenous fluids for 48 hours to help flush the toxins from the body. Cats treated after the 18-hour time frame don't do as well and may even die.

"The toxin kills off some of the cells that line the urine tubules in the kidneys, so that debris from the dead cells plugs up the kidneys," Dr. Wismer says. "As long as you keep the fluids going and keep that debris from building up, then we have a good prognosis."

How does lily toxicity occur? A typical call that APCC receives at this time of year involves a man sending flowers to a woman.

"In the bouquet many times are gorgeous stargazer lilies, and these are highly toxic to cats," Wismer says. "The owner gets home, finds that the cat has chewed on the bouquet and for a couple of days the cat gets to spend time in the hospital."

If you have lilies in your home or yard -- which we don't recommend -- signs of trouble you may notice include pollen on your cat's face, vomiting and pieces of the plant in the vomit. The kidneys start shutting down after the first 12 to 24 hours. At first, that causes increased thirst and urination, but within two to three days, cats stop making urine.

Dogs have their own issues with different plants. While cats usually prefer to nibble on foliage and flowers, dogs may go all the way to the other end of the plant. Bulbs such as daffodils, hyacinths and tulips are toxic to them. If your dog likes to "help" you garden, he can be at risk if he digs up and eats the bulbs of those flowers. The petals cause only mild stomach upset in dogs and cats, but the bulb itself can cause bloody vomiting, bloody diarrhea and low blood pressure.

Certain dog breeds can be more at risk. No one who is familiar with them will be surprised to learn that one breed in particular gets into trouble from eating bulbs.

"Labradors keep us in business here at poison control," Wismer says.

Dogs who dig up bulbs may be attracted by the bone meal that some gardeners place beneath the bulb to help nourish it. Dogs eat the bulb on their way to the bone meal.

"If you're going to plant bulbs in areas that your dogs have access to, don't use bone meal," Wismer says.

Want to send a cat-loving friend a bouquet? Ask the florist to send one that's pet-safe. That way you don't end up in the, er, dog house.

Q&A

Why do dogs

eat grass?

Q: My dog loves to eat grass. She grazes so frequently that we have taken to calling her our little cow dog. Luckily, she doesn't vomit it up. Why do dogs do this, and can it be harmful? -- via email

A: Your dog isn't alone. I've met many dogs who enjoy nibbling on the green stuff with no ill effect. In most cases, eating small amounts of grass is a perfectly normal and acceptable behavior for dogs.

Dogs who frequently eat a lot of grass and then throw it up may benefit from a veterinary visit. A physical exam may bring to light the cause of an upset stomach, but sometimes we need further diagnostics. Blood work, a urinalysis and a stool sample to check for parasites can turn up problems that might relate to grass-eating.

Some dogs may eat grass because their body is seeking some nutrient that's not available in their diet. Dogs are individuals, so some may have nutritional needs that are met with a little serving of grass.

Can grass be harmful? Well, pets can ingest parasite eggs when they eat it, but as long as you give your dog parasite preventive regularly, that shouldn't be a problem. And, naturally, your dog should never nibble on grass that has been treated with herbicides, pesticides or other chemicals. Ingesting those substances isn't good for any dog, of course, but certain breeds -- Scottish terriers, Shetland sheepdogs, beagles, West Highland white terriers and wirehaired fox terriers -- have a higher incidence of invasive transitional cell carcinoma, the most common cancer of the urinary bladder in dogs. That type of cancer has been linked to exposure to lawns treated with pesticides, insecticides and herbicides.

Dogs eat grass for lots of reasons, and the truth is, we don't always know why. In your dog's case, she may simply enjoy a nice salad once in a while. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

More support for health

benefits of dog ownership

-- Many people refer to special canine companions as "heart dogs," and new research has found that the description might refer to more than just a tight emotional bond. Oregon State University students presented research last fall to the Gerontological Society of America showing that older dog owners have significantly lower levels of systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading) than people who don't own dogs. The research, which hasn't been published yet, looked at a nationwide group of 1,570 participants who were at least 60 years old. That's a larger representative sample than most such studies.

-- If you don't see enough pictures of cats on the Internet, be sure not to miss Cat Art Show LA 2 from March 24 to 27 at Think Tank Gallery in downtown Los Angeles. The exhibit drew thousands of visitors when it debuted in 2014 and will feature the works of more than 70 artists. Curator Susan Michals asked artists to depict what cats meant to them: "ally, domestic partner, enemy, frenemy, allergic reaction or guru." All of the artwork will be available for sale, and a portion of the proceeds will go to Kitten Rescue Los Angeles. Admission is free.

-- A cat who apparently had enough of the Wisconsin winter escaped from her home and was found two months later -- thanks to her microchip -- in sunny Naples, Florida. No one knows how Nadia made the 1,484-mile journey, but owner Cheri Stocker speculates that the gray cat may have hitched a ride on a semi at a nearby business. A Naples woman found Nadia and asked a friend to take her to Collier County Domestic Animal Services, where she was scanned for a microchip. Two women volunteered to fly the cat home from her vacation. No word on whether she got a tan. -- Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton and Mikkel Becker

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.

Shelter workers often misidentify dogs as "pit bulls," study finds

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Could you pick out a pit bull from a lineup? You might think so, but there's a good chance you'd be wrong. Even experts have problems when it comes to labeling a particular breed or mix. That's bad news for dogs who are misidentified, especially if they are in communities with breed-specific legislation -- laws that ban certain types of dogs.

To test the accuracy of shelter dog identification, University of Florida researchers went to four shelters and asked a total of 16 shelter staff members with at least three years of experience, including four veterinarians, to look at 120 dogs (30 at each shelter). Their task? To identify the dogs' breed or mix based solely on appearance. The researchers then took blood samples from the dogs, developed DNA profiles for each animal and compared the DNA findings against the staff's initial assessments.

The results, published in the November 2015 issue of The Veterinary Journal, found that dogs with DNA of breeds often considered to be pit bulls (such as American Staffordshire terriers and Staffordshire bull terriers) were identified only 33 to 75 percent of the time. Dogs with no genetic evidence linking them to pit bull-type dogs were labeled as pit bulls from 0 to 48 percent of the time. Veterinarians were no better at identifying a dog's breed than other shelter staff.

Misidentification can seriously affect a dog's chances at adoption, or even end his life. That's because more than 700 communities, including Denver and Miami, have passed breed-specific legislation (BSL) aimed at restricting ownership of certain breeds.

The restrictions are based on assumptions that those breeds are inherently dangerous, that such dogs can be reliably identified and that the restrictions will improve public safety, the study states. In most instances, the laws target "pit bulls," a term that can refer to several breeds -- usually American pit bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers, bull terriers and Staffordshire bull terriers -- as well as mixed breeds that have a particular appearance: blocky head and stocky body.

"Identification of dogs as pit bulls can trigger an array of negative consequences, from the loss of housing to being seized by animal control to the taking of the dog's life," says Julie Levy, DVM, Ph.D., the study's lead author and a professor of shelter medicine at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in Gainesville. "In the high-stakes world of animal shelters, a dog's life might depend on a potential adopter's momentary glimpse and assumptions about its suitability as a pet. If the shelter staff has labeled the dog as a pit bull, its chances for adoption automatically go down in many shelters."

Niko's case is a good example of what can go wrong. He was seized in 2007 by animal control officers in Kansas City, Kansas, who declared he was a pit bull, in violation of the city's ban. Niko spent eight months in a kennel before a DNA test showed what owners Mike and Amy Johnson had claimed all along: He was a Boxer mix.

More than 15 years ago, the Centers for Disease Control recognized the problem with visual identification of dogs. In its study published in the Sept. 15, 2000, issue of the Journal of the AVMA, the authors noted the difficulty of determining the breed of a particular dog, saying that descriptions are often vague and rely on subjective visual observations.

"CDC continues to have concerns over the ability to accurately identify breeds of dogs and to effectively reduce dog bites through the use of breed-specific legislation," says CDC health communications specialist Courtney N. Lenard.

The conclusion? Public safety would be better served by reducing risk factors for dog bites by supervising children, recognizing canine body language, avoiding unfamiliar dogs in their territory, neutering dogs and socializing puppies, Levy says.

Q&A

Dogs' motto:

Lick it good

Q: One of my dogs goes around licking the other dogs' empty bowls for several minutes after eating. He also likes to lick one of our area rugs and sometimes the sofa upholstery. My other dog has a foot fetish: She loves to lick my feet. What's going on with them? -- via email

A: Compulsive licking sounds like it should be an underlying behavioral problem, doesn't it? That's certainly a possibility, but it can also be a sign of a physical problem. My colleague Gary Landsberg, a veterinary behaviorist, says a large proportion of these environmental licking behaviors are due to underlying health issues that cause gastrointestinal upset.

Among the conditions that might be causing a dog to feel nauseated are adrenal disorders, inflammatory bowel disease, intestinal lymphosarcoma and liver disease. Some dogs lick because they have dental or other mouth pain. Excessive licking can also be a sign of hunger -- it's called an appetitive behavior. On the behavior side of things, excessive licking might signal anxiety or some type of conflict.

Obviously, a veterinary exam can be a good idea. Consider filming the behavior so your veterinarian can see what's going on.

"A colleague did a study a couple of years ago and found that many dogs were improved when gastrointestinal signs were treated," Dr. Landsberg says. "However, licking can arise in situations of anxiety and conflict, can be a reinforced behavior and can be a compulsive disorder. Therefore, look for behavioral, but rule out gastrointestinal or medical first."

And if it turns out that there's nothing physically or mentally wrong with your dogs, well, maybe one just likes to make sure he's getting every last molecule of food from his dish and the other simply loves the taste of your feet. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Lab holds top dog

spot for 25 years

-- America's most popular dog breed is the Labrador retriever for the 25th year in a row. His medium size, easygoing nature, versatility, athleticism and trainability have made him a family favorite. Labs are successful in most dog sports as well as search and rescue, service dog jobs, therapy visits and, of course, hunting. Only three other breeds have occupied the top spot in the past century -- the poodle, the beagle and the cocker spaniel -- but none for as long as the Lab. The current Top 10 list also includes the German shepherd, golden retriever, bulldog, beagle, French bulldog, Yorkshire terrier, poodle, Rottweiler and boxer.

-- Conventional wisdom says you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but a recent study from the Clever Dog Lab at the University of Vienna finds that dogs are capable of learning well into their senior years. The three-year study tested learning, memory and problem-solving in 95 pet border collies ranging in age from 5 months to 13 years. All of the dogs were capable of learning, although older dogs took longer to reach the same level of proficiency as younger dogs. Older dogs performed better than younger ones in reasoning ability, and once they learned something, they remembered it over the long term. So train away: It will help your old dog's brain stay flexible.

-- Blue and gold macaw Gigi can eat on her own now, thanks to a Brazilian veterinary team that fitted her with the world's first 3-D-printed titanium beak. Gigi, who was the victim of illegal exotic animal trafficking, had a stunted beak that made it difficult for her to eat. The prosthetic beak is lightweight, strong and rust-resistant, perfect for cracking and smashing seeds and nuts. Other animals who have benefited from 3-D technology include a couple of toucans, whose prosthetic beaks were made from durable resin materials, as well as tortoises Fred and Cleopatra, who received new shells. -- Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton and Mikkel Becker

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.