How veterinary medicine is changing in the wake of COVID-19

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

The way our pets receive veterinary care changed dramatically two months ago. One day we were in the exam room with them; the next, we were all driving to the clinic, calling from our cars to announce our arrival, and staying in them while masked vet techs came and took pets inside for exams. Intercoms at clinic entrances enable germ-free communication with the front desk. Telehealth is trending.

High-tech accommodations that veterinarians and pet owners have made to deal with the COVID-19 virus will likely remain in the future. Phone calls, video and social media may all play a role in the way pets receive care -- and the way we witness it.

For instance, if you can’t go in with your pet, can you still see the exam and communicate with the veterinarian?

“Absolutely,” says Peter Weinstein, DVM, executive director of the Southern California Veterinary Medical Association. Once the pet is in the exam room, he says, it’s easy to initiate a Zoom, Skype or FaceTime call with the client so they can see what’s going on.

Veterinarian Julie Reck, who practices in South Carolina, foresees utilizing video and social media more frequently to let owners see what’s going on if a pet has to “go to the back” for a procedure or is recovering from surgery.

“We do a lot on our social media for our veterinary page,” she says. “We get video content of our patients all the time, whether that’s while we’re in the exam room or if they’re in the back treatment area. If we’re going to change that dynamic and separate the pet parent and the pet, we need to up the ante with that a little bit.”

Anxious about letting your pet go into the veterinary clinic without you? It’s not surprising that he might be weirded out by that masked and gowned technician and veterinarian. Separating pets and their people isn’t ideal, but veterinary staff can ease pet anxiety by using low-stress or Fear Free handling techniques, food rewards, stress relievers such as pheromone diffusers or soft music, and non-skid surfaces on exam tables to help them remain calm and comfortable.

Remote health care, or telehealth, may become more common for what were once routine in-clinic visits. Beyond a pandemic situation, it can benefit people who are sick but have a pet who needs to be seen or who don’t have access to transportation. It’s also useful in remote areas where specialist care or even general practice care isn’t available.

Maybe your dog has a lump on his chin. If you have an already-established doctor-patient relationship, you can take a photo of the lump and email or text it to your veterinarian for advice on whether it can wait, or if needs to be treated immediately.

In some instances, you may not need an already-established relationship for your pet to receive treatment. Last month, the United States Food and Drug Administration temporarily relaxed some requirements regarding physical examinations to make it easier for veterinarians to prescribe drugs in certain situations without directly examining the pet. State veterinary medical association requirements may still be in effect in some areas, though.

Whenever the pandemic is over, lingering fear will likely affect the way veterinary medicine is delivered. We may see hybrid models combining traditional delivery of veterinary medicine with new drive-up, drop-off or telehealth services.

Dr. Weinstein counsels patience to pet owners and veterinarians who are navigating new territory and are concerned about their own health as well as that of their families and pets.

“If we can all respect one another’s needs, we’ll all come out of this just fine,” he says.

Q&A

What’s in a

pet name?

Q: We have a new dog, and our family can’t agree on a name. Do you have any tips on choosing a great dog name?

A: I love coming up with pet names and hearing the names people come up with for their animals. Some choose one name and stick with it for each succeeding pet, such as Bingos I through IV. Themes are popular. Think chocolate Labs named Godiva, Chip, Fudge or Mocha.

Lots of pets are named after comic strip or cartoon animals, actors and pop stars, or movie characters. Snoopy is a classic; lots of dogs are named Elvis after the hip-swiveling rocker; and Taylor Swift named one of her pets Benjamin Button.

One trend I love is giving “people” names to pets. I can’t tell you how many dogs and cats I know named Max, Jack, Bella, Chloe, Zoe, Charlie, Sam, Maggie and so on. I think that’s a good thing: It marks our animals’ roles as full-fledged members of the family.

Choose a name with positive associations. Names define animals to others. Think about it: The pet named Outlaw or Trouble comes loaded with baggage, even if he is sweet and snuggly.

Choose a name that’s easy to say. Usually that’s a one- or two-syllable name, often ending with an “a” or “e” sound. Think Stella, Buddy, Sophie.

Avoid choosing a name that rhymes with no. Names like Beau, Joe, Coco and Cosmo are cute and popular, but it can be easy for a dog to mishear them as “no” and come to dislike his name.

In the end, though, after being a veterinarian for 40 years and a pet lover my entire life, I can tell you this: Pets don't really care what you call them, as long as you call them for dinner. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Pets don’t need

COVID-19 testing

-- Does your pet need to be tested for COVID-19? No. Two dogs and two domestic cats tested positive for the virus. Those animals were living with people who had the virus and likely transmitted it to their pets. A test for pets is available to veterinarians, but it is administered only if the animal is living with a person who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 or the animal is showing signs of COVID-19 and other more common infections have been ruled out. Your veterinarian would also consult the public health department before deciding if your pet needs to be tested. The majority of pets are not at risk for the disease.

-- Most of us are familiar with destructive chewing in dogs, but some cats chew destructively as well. The habit is called “wool-sucking” because cats who engage in it seem to prefer items such as wool sweaters and blankets. (Some cats prefer plastic items such as grocery bags.) Wool-sucking cats -- who tend to be members of the Siamese family -- typically lick and chew at the same spot on an item and return to it again and again. The behavior most likely has a hereditary component, since it is most common in the so-called Oriental breeds. If your cat is a wool-sucker, put away items you don’t want her to chew on and offer interactive play instead.

-- There’s lots to celebrate and be aware of regarding pets this month. May is not only National Pet Month, it’s also Lyme Disease Prevention Month, Pet Cancer Awareness Month and Chip Your Pet Month. Coming up are International Chihuahua Appreciation Day on May 14; National Rescue Dog Day on May 20; and International Hug Your Cat Day on May 30. (Cats don’t really like to be hugged. Give a nice head scratch instead.)

ABOUT PET CONNECTION

Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet care experts headed by “The Dr. Oz Show” veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker, founder of the Fear Free organization and author of many best-selling pet care books, and award-winning journalist Kim Campbell Thornton. Joining them is behavior consultant and lead animal trainer for Fear Free Pets 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.

Are your pets tired of having you at home? Maybe. Here’s how to help keep them happy with unexpected togetherness

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

A popular meme shows a scowling gray cat and the words, “Get a human, they said. Hardly ever at home, they said.” And then there’s the one of a dog on top of the kitchen cabinets, with the words, “No. We’ve already been on 20 walks today.”

Are our pets ready for us to get back to our normal routines, or are shelter-in-place orders a dream come true for them? As with everything, it depends on individual animals and how much their normal routine has changed. My own dogs likely haven’t noticed any difference -- except for the lack of their weekly nosework classes and trips to dog-friendly restaurants -- but other animals may be wondering why their people are disturbing their daily naptime.

“I had a client tell me that since she’s been working from home, every time she jumps on a conference call, her dog gets up and leaves the room,” says San Francisco SPCA behavior specialist Wailani Sung, DVM. “He goes and finds a quiet spot in the rest of the house because she’s disturbing him.”

Dr. Sung’s own dogs are following her around because it’s unusual for her to be at home during the day. Some pets may find the new togetherness stressful, while others simply roll with the interesting new routine. Cats leap on keyboards to “help,” and dogs barge in on Zoom meetings or nudge the hand moving the mouse.

Other animals may yearn for the good old days when they had the house to themselves for a specific part of the day. Pets who live in condos or apartments with thin walls may startle at unexpected noises made by neighbors who are now home during the day, too. Dogs used to one or two walks daily at specific times might not be on board with the same walk three, four or five times a day. After a while, sniffing the same route multiple times a day might get a little boring.

You can introduce new odors for your dog to sniff. Sung suggests that clients go online and purchase unusual scents such as coyote urine, boar bait or deer musk.

“Randomly sprinkle them on your walks,” she says. “Your dog is like, ‘What is this new thing I haven’t smelled before?’ New synapses are firing, and that helps with mental enrichment.”

Change it up. Take the opportunity to explore different streets that you don’t normally take. Walk around the block in the reverse direction. My dogs and I have been going to a park that’s just far enough off the beaten path that it was unusual for us to go there.

At the same time, it’s smart to keep pets on a schedule similar to what they’re used to. Doing so will help them adjust when you eventually resume your normal work schedule. Take some walks without them so they remember it’s normal for you to come and go.

One of the many reasons we love our dogs, cats and other pets is because they are stress relievers, but it’s important to recognize that their own stress levels are affected by this major change in their routine and their expectations of certain levels of interactions from us.

“We need to respect what they think is enough,” says behavior specialist Debbie Horwitz, DVM. “Not every dog and not every cat wants to be right by your side, wants to be smooshed and hugged and played with continuously.”

Take the time to really study and learn to read their facial expressions and body language. You’ll get the message loud and clear whether they’re really eager for that fifth walk or ninth play session with the feather toy -- or if they’d rather just relax on the sofa with you and binge-watch “Planet Earth.”

“I think we have to realize that how to meet their needs may be different than how we want to meet their needs,” Dr. Horwitz says.

Q&A

Appetite loss

cause for concern

Q: My 17-year-old indoor cat is eating less than she used to, and she doesn’t come downstairs as often. Is this just a normal part of aging for cats?

A: Your cat isn’t just a senior; she’s in the geriatric stage of life. Cats at this age -- and younger -- are likely experiencing chronic kidney disease, diagnosed in nearly a third of cats 15 years and older. Cats with CKD tend to lose their appetite and are often dehydrated. Cats this age also typically have arthritis. That can make it painful for them to walk around, jump up, or go up and down the stairs.

Your cat needs a veterinary exam and blood work to see if she is actually experiencing CKD, arthritis or some other common disease of aging cats. If she has CKD, your veterinarian will recommend a special diet to help manage the disease and may recommend giving intravenous fluids. You can learn to give fluids at home; most cats accept it well when they’re handled appropriately and rewarded when fluids are administered.

One way to encourage your cat to eat is to gently warm her food. Cats may have a reduced sense of smell as they age, and warming food enhances the aroma and makes it easier to recognize as food. You can also add a little chicken broth or tuna juice to whet her appetite. If necessary, your veterinarian may prescribe an appetite stimulant.

Dental disease may be another reason your cat is reluctant to eat. If her teeth hurt, she may not want to pick up and chew pieces of dry food. Try offering canned food instead.

Finally, for cats with arthritis, good pain medications are available to help them move more comfortably. Minimizing arthritis pain can dramatically improve your cat’s quality of life. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Celebrate kindness

toward animals

-- It’s Be Kind to Animals Week. Celebrate your love for animals and promote kindness toward them by making sure your dog or cat has up-to-date identification tags or a registered microchip with current contact information; helping shelter pets by volunteering, fostering, adopting or sharing their stories on social media; doing something that your pet enjoys, like letting her sniff for a long time on a walk or playing with her favorite toy; making homemade treats; scheduling a wellness checkup if it’s time for one; and sharing the Earth with wildlife neighbors.

-- In some parts of the country, fenced yards are uncommon, so some people keep their dogs on chains -- but dogs should not be tied out, or tethered, for long periods. Dogs who spend their lives on chains become isolated and frustrated. They are more likely to become dangerous, biting anyone who comes onto their turf. Chaining can be dangerous for the dog, too: There are countless cases where a dog tried to jump a fence, didn't have enough chain to clear it and ended up hanging himself from his collar on the other side. If you don't have a fenced yard, walking your dog or buying a kennel run where he can hang out is better than chaining him outside.

-- Bunnies need lots of space to live comfortably. Their quarters should have room for a litter box, food and water bowls, a digging area, toys, and hay for resting and nesting. A bunny condo can be long or have multiple “stories,” but it should always have enough space for your rabbit to be able to stand on his hind legs and stretch up. An exercise pen or other play area is important, too. Choose one with plenty of head room, plus a “roof” to keep escape-artist bunnies safely inside. -- 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, founder of the Fear Free organization and author of many best-selling pet care books, and award-winning journalist Kim Campbell Thornton. Joining them is behavior consultant and lead animal trainer for Fear Free Pets 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.

Pariah, primitive and landrace dogs found around the world

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

One of the things I enjoy about travel is seeing different dogs around the world. Last year, I went to Ethiopia in search of wild dogs -- rare and endangered Ethiopian wolves (Canis simensis) -- but I also saw many domestic dogs in forested villages and high-altitude plains, sometimes with flocks or humans, but more often trotting along on their own business.

No matter where you go in the world, you are likely to see some canine representative who looks much the same as the earliest-known dogs, based on rock art or remains of dogs discovered by archaeologists. Whether they are called aboriginal, landrace, pariah, primitive or village dogs, and whether they are found on islands or mountains or in dense forests, they tend to have a similar form: medium size, prick ears, wedge-shaped head, curved tail and short coat.

Color and coat vary. In the Seychelles, an archipelago off the east coast of Africa, and in the Cayman Islands in the Caribbean, I saw mostly tan or brown dogs. In Ethiopia, I saw many black-and-tan and black-and-white dogs as well as ones dressed in basic brown. Sometimes they have feathering -- or furnishings -- on legs, ears and tail, or longer fur, depending on where they evolved. Sometimes these dogs have maintained a particular look over centuries simply because geographic isolation ensured that they did not interbreed with dogs from other areas.

Pariah-type dogs who live on the streets and forage for themselves, as well as those who live in homes as companions, can be found from India to Taiwan to Thailand and everywhere in between. You may have a dog who looks like this in your own home, mixed or purebred.

Some purebreds who live in our homes and sleep on our beds still maintain primitive behavior characteristics, such as reproducing only once a year. The Federation Cynologique Internationale -- Europe’s answer to the American Kennel Club -- has a “primitive” category of dogs that includes the basenji, Canaan dog, cirneco dell’Etna, pharaoh hound, Xoloitzcuintli, Portuguese podengo and Thai ridgeback. In the same FCI group as primitive dogs are the spitz breeds, including the Akita, Alaskan malamute, chow chow, Finnish spitz, Icelandic sheepdog, Jindo, Karelian bear dog, Norwegian elkhound, shiba and Siberian husky. While in their current forms, most of these breeds are not much more than a century old (no matter what their breed standards say), the types of dogs that were their progenitors have been around for millennia.

The United Kennel Club describes pariah dogs as having short, smooth coats and large, erect ears, saying they are believed to be the ancestors of sighthounds -- those tall, skinny, fast dogs such as Afghan hounds, Azawakhs, greyhounds, salukis and sloughis.

Some dogs are considered not purebreds but landraces: domestic dogs adapted to a particular locale or culture. Their characteristics developed more in response to survival in a particular environment than to human design. One such dog I saw on a visit to Mongolia in 2016 is the bankhar, kept by nomadic herders to guard flocks, and able to survive, thrive and work in harsh conditions. That’s more important to their human partners than whether they meet specific criteria regarding appearance or size. Bankhars have greater genetic diversity than their purebred cousins who come from a closed gene pool and are selectively bred by humans for specific physical or behavioral characteristics.

Landraces sometimes become breeds through human intervention. In the United States, for instance, the Carolina dog began as a landrace but is now considered to be a standardized breed, registered by the American Rare Breed Association and the UKC.

Some primitive dogs retain more wild behaviors than others, among them Australia’s dingo and New Guinea’s singing dog. A few live as companions, but more often they live a wild life, fending for themselves.

Q&A

Is shy cat good

adoption choice?

Q: I’ve found a cat at the shelter I’d like to adopt, but she seems very shy. Should I look for one who’s friendlier?

A: Bashful cats appeal to our nurturing instincts. We want to care for them and help bring them out of their shell.

Some cats are born with a reserved nature, and some are that way because they lacked socialization during the critical period of their kittenhood, while others may retreat from people because they’ve had previous bad experiences with them. The cat you adopt may or may not be able or willing to change how she reacts around humans. Building a relationship with her will take time and patience.

Some things to consider before deciding to take her home: Shy cats can take months or even years to adjust to new people, places and experiences. They often seek safety beneath the bed or in the closet when visitors come over. Will that bother you? Would you prefer a cat who greets guests happily?

Even more so than typical cats, shy cats like a routine. Do you leave and return home on a regular schedule? Are you able to provide regular feeding and playtimes?

Is your home environment calm and quiet, or filled with noisy, active kids or dogs? A shy cat will prefer the former.

Can you devote time to interacting with your cat to help build her confidence? Ways to do that include teaching tricks and giving her choices regarding toys, food, litter and other aspects of her environment. You can learn more about trick training and giving cats choices at fearfreehappyhomes.com.

If your shy kitty never becomes more outgoing or much of a lap cat, can you accept that? It’s important to be able to place the cat’s needs above your own. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

How to set up

pet emergency kit

-- A pandemic isn’t the only reason you should have an emergency kit and care plan ready to go for pets; it can also be useful if you are injured in a car accident or face some other emergency that would require someone else to care for your animals. Pet emergency kit essentials are daily care instructions, vaccination records, veterinarian contact information, a two-week supply of food and medication, a collar with identification tags, a leash, a crate or carrier, and toys and treats. Identify a friend, neighbor or family member who is willing to serve as your pet’s caretaker in an emergency, and make sure they know where the kit is located.

-- Cats may be susceptible to infection from COVID-19, transmitted to them by humans carrying the virus. Reuters reports that World Health Organization epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove said at a news conference, “We don’t believe that they are playing a role in transmission, but we think that they may be able to be infected from an infected person.” If you have been exposed to the virus or are ill from it, ask a friend or family member to care for cats and other pets in the home -- social distancing is just as important to protect them as it is to protect humans.

-- The term “bird’s-eye view,” meaning a large overall view, or panorama, first entered the English language in about 1600. When humans were finally able to take to the air, they developed other bird-related terms to describe people who flew and the machines they piloted. Aviators were nicknamed “birdman.” Helicopters are referred to as “whirlybirds.” Aircraft carriers are known as “bird farms.” Shipments combining the use of airplanes and trucks are said to be sent “birdieback.” -- 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, founder of the Fear Free organization and author of many best-selling pet care books, and award-winning journalist Kim Campbell Thornton. Joining them is behavior consultant and lead animal trainer for Fear Free Pets 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.