What your pet’s lab tests can tell the veterinarian

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

Over the years, I’ve become all too familiar with the ABCs of lab work. I’ve had dogs with cancer, dogs with heart disease, dogs with skin infections and allergies, a cat with diabetes and one with a lump on her leg. All required various lab tests to decipher what was going on with them, plan treatment and check for underlying health problems that might be affected by anesthesia.

Pets undergo lab tests throughout their lives. Blood tests, urinalysis, fecal exams and other diagnostics are necessary before anesthesia is administered for surgery, to determine the presence of parasites, to check for illnesses such as diabetes or kidney disease, or when a diagnosis isn’t obvious from the animal’s medical history and a physical exam, to name just a few.

Routine screening tests, such as complete blood counts, chemistry panels and urinalysis, provide clues to overall health status or help lead to a diagnosis. More specialized tests include biopsies of tissue samples or examination of bone marrow, spinal fluid or synovial fluid from joints. Tests don’t always provide a complete answer, but results can point veterinarians in the direction of the most likely cause of the problem. Following are some of the types of tests your pet may need, what they tell the veterinarian and what some of those abbreviations stand for.

-- Screening test panel: Includes a complete blood count (CBC), which measures the number of red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs) and platelets circulating in the bloodstream as well as the amount of hemoglobin -- which transports oxygen -- contained in RBCs. The numbers tell a story. For instance, a decrease in red blood cells suggests anemia. Low or high numbers of neutrophils, the body’s “first responders” against infection, may indicate inflammation or infection.

When reading test results, veterinarians must be familiar with variances in different breeds or species. In most dogs, for instance, a low platelet count can indicate a significant problem. But in my dogs’ breed, it usually means the dog has inherited a harmless giant platelet disorder that affects approximately half of all cavalier King Charles spaniels.

-- Chemistry panel: Measures levels of certain proteins, enzymes, minerals and other substances and is useful in evaluating organ function. Among them are albumin, a liver protein; bilirubin, a waste product eliminated in urine and feces; blood urea nitrogen (BUN), a measure of waste products circulating in the blood; and creatinine, another waste product eliminated by the kidneys. Decreased levels of albumin may signal liver, intestine or kidney damage. Elevated BUN and creatinine levels can indicate kidney disease or other problems affecting kidney function.

-- Urinalysis: Aids in evaluating urinary system or kidney function and identification of urinary tract infections. Your veterinarian might suggest a urinalysis if your pet is drinking more water than normal, urinating more frequently or producing a greater volume of urine, or is straining to urinate. A urinalysis can also indicate the presence of sugar, protein or blood in urine and whether urine contains bacteria, white blood cells or other evidence of infection.

-- Cytology: Microscopic study of cells removed by scraping, aspiration or biopsy. Cytologic exams can indicate inflammation, bacterial or fungal infection, or parasites. Biopsies confirm whether a lump is cancerous. Histopathology, the study of thin sections of tissue or organs, can help to determine the degree or pattern of an infection or tumor. This type of exam also includes sampling and analyzing fluids for excess amounts, abnormal consistency or color, or changes in certain chemical components such as protein or glucose.

-- Fecal exam: Microscopic exam to check for the presence of intestinal parasites.

-- Serologic tests: Detects certain viruses, protozoa and fungi as well as indicates antibodies, signaling an immune response to disease. Conditions that require serologic tests include parvovirus and heartworm disease.

Lab test results now are faster than in the past, sometimes with same-day turnaround, speeding diagnosis and making care more effective.

Q&A

Help! My dog

makes me sneeze

Q: I have asthma, and my allergy to my dog is making it worse. Do you have any suggestions?

A: So many of us who love dogs suffer from allergies, but we put up with sneezing, sniffling, itchy eyes, wheezing and more because we don’t want to live without them. There’s no cure, but there are things you can try to relieve your symptoms. Here are some that have helped me and others.

For nasal allergy symptoms, ask your doctor about prescription or over-the-counter antihistamines; corticosteroid nasal sprays; decongestants; or leukotriene modifiers, which block the action of certain immune system chemicals. You may want to consider immunotherapy, or allergy shots, to help reduce your immune system’s sensitivity to an allergen. An allergist can suggest a treatment plan for your particular symptoms.

Bathe your dog weekly to keep down dander. Have a family member or groomer do it to reduce your exposure. Putting him in a onesie or doggie T-shirt can also help to keep dander on the dog, not floating around in the air.

Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter. Vacuum frequently, including furniture and curtains. If possible, replace wall-to-wall carpet with hard flooring and use area rugs that can be machine-washed and dried.

Don’t let your dog share your bed or bedroom. If that’s not possible, wash bedding often, and put allergen-blocking covers on the mattress and box spring. Consider getting an air purifier for the room, and change the filter often. Cover bedding with a clean sheet for your dog to lie on, and change it daily.

Put a washable cover on furniture that you share with your dog.

Sweep, vacuum and mop floors often, including baseboards. Hair and dander hide out there.

Avoid touching your dog and then touching your face without first washing your hands. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Some dogs learn

new words rapidly

-- Some dogs can rapidly learn the names of objects, according to a study published last month in the journal Scientific Reports. Family Dog Project researchers at Hungary’s Eotvos Lorand University tested the learning ability of two dogs, a 4-year-old female border collie named Whisky and a 9-year-old female Yorkshire terrier named Vicky Nina, who each knew the names of multiple toys. In a social context -- playing with their people -- the two dogs were able to learn the names of objects after hearing them only four times. To test whether most dogs could learn words this way, 20 other dogs were tested under the same conditions, but none showed evidence of learning the toy names. That confirmed that the ability to learn words rapidly in the absence of formal training is rare, present in only a few gifted dogs. Whether the mechanisms behind this rapid learning ability are the same for dogs and human toddlers is a subject for another study, but it appears to be similar.

-- Healthy pet birds are adept at keeping their feathers in shape by preening -- pulling them through their beak to straighten them and distribute oils -- but they need help with nail trimming. An assortment of perches in different sizes and textures helps to keep nail tips blunt, but at some point you’ll need to trim them. Your avian veterinarian or a bird-savvy groomer can help you learn the knack. Record the lesson so you can refer to it at home.

-- How much do cats sleep? A lot! It’s perfectly normal for them to get in up to 18 hours of shut-eye a day, preferably in a nice, sunny area. Kittens and old cats sleep the most, but any cat will settle in for a catnap after a meal or a few minutes of play. -- 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.

Genetics, environment and early socialization all play a role in how your kitten responds to people

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

You have a new kitten, and you want her to grow up to be a friendly cat. You can take some steps to help that occur, but early environment and socialization experiences play a major role in how kittens respond to humans. Personality is also baked into their genes.

The primary kitten socialization period takes place between the ages of 2 weeks and 9 weeks. Those aren’t finite boundaries, says behavior specialist Debra F. Horwitz, DVM, one of the editors of the book “Decoding Your Cat,” but the more positive experiences kittens have with humans and their environment during those seven weeks can make a difference in how they interact with people as adults.

Genetics is another factor. Some kittens are just naturally more easygoing or more people-oriented, even if they didn’t have an ideal socialization experience.

“That’s why when you have feral kittens and you find them at 3 or 4 months, some of them are genetically easygoing and will learn to be with some people, and some of them are not,” Dr. Horwitz says. “They will never be cuddle kitties. They may live around the house and eat (indoors) and use the litter box, but they’re not particularly friendly.”

Horwitz herself has two Devon rex cats from the same litter. She brought home one at 8 weeks and one at 11 weeks. They are both friendly, but because they had different environments and experiences between the ages of 8 and 11 weeks, they respond differently to certain things. Both are relaxed about being picked up or held by Horwitz’s seven grandchildren, but one is more likely than the other to run away from strange things. And while Nikki, the first kitten, doesn’t mind being petted or picked up, she doesn’t seek it out the way Isabella does.

“Isabella’s philosophy is, ‘Any human body is a warm place to nap, and I’m getting on it,’” Horwitz says. It’s like people, she adds. “Some people like to be hugged, and some people don’t.”

Depending on a kitten’s birth environment, bringing one home at an earlier age can be beneficial as far as acclimating little cats to human handling and normal household sights and sounds, especially if they haven’t encountered those things from the first. That can be true for the kitten from the frazzled next-door neighbor who is raising a litter in the garage, or one from a shelter without a foster-care program (bit.ly/3pq0XCb) that gives kittens an early in-home experience with plenty of handling.

“You’ll get individual variation, but the older they are when you take them into the house, on average, the more difficult it will be to get them used to people,” Horwitz says.

But breeders may prefer to keep kittens longer -- until they are 12 to 16 weeks old, or even a little older. That can have health-related advantages. Norwegian forest cat breeder Lorraine Shelton says her queens (mother cats) often nurse their kittens up to and beyond 16 weeks of age.

“I understand how much their new families want to experience those adorable baby antics, but making sure my kittens have completed the most critical period of their immunological development -- the point at which maternally derived antibodies decline and their own immune systems start to function -- is important before I send them off into the world.”

No matter at what age you bring your kitten home, continuing to provide positive experiences, even after they’re 9 weeks old, can only increase your chances of having a cat who is friendly and relaxed in many different situations, including car travel and veterinary visits. Look for a veterinarian or practice certified as Cat Friendly or Fear Free or that uses low-stress handling techniques. Some practices offer “kitten parties” (bit.ly/3cfUWUZ), which can be a fun way to help kittens gain confidence and learn new things.

Q&A

Dogs lag for

many reasons

Q: My dog doesn’t enjoy going for walks. What can I do to get him up and at ‘em?

A: One of the classic reasons for getting a dog is to have a walking buddy, so it can be worrisome or frustrating when yours doesn’t want to participate. Let’s look at some of the reasons your dog might be reluctant to shake a leg when you want to go around the block.

If he’s young, or simply out of shape, your walk might be too much for him. Depending on the breed, young dogs don’t complete their musculoskeletal growth until they’re 14 to 24 months old. Too much running, jumping or walking on hard surfaces can leave them feeling tired or sore. Adult dogs who aren’t conditioned might feel the same way if they aren’t used to the distance, speed or amount of time you’re walking. Maybe you’re working on a New Year’s resolution to walk every day or faster or longer. Both you and your dog need to build up to that.

Overweight dogs might also have trouble with walks. The surplus pounds they’re carrying put painful pressure on their joints.

If your dog is limping, check him over to make sure there’s not a sticker or grass awn in his paw. He might have a broken nail or an injury from jumping on or off the sofa. If he’s still limping after a day of rest, your veterinarian should see him to check for orthopedic conditions or injuries. Certain tick-borne diseases can cause limping as well.

Finally, dogs who are reluctant to walk for no apparent reason, especially if they stop frequently or insistently, may have a condition such as congestive heart failure or bone cancer.

Any time your dog doesn’t want to walk, there’s a reason. Work with your veterinarian to find it. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Border collies

set world record

-- Two border collies named Wish and Halo, trained by owner Emily Larlham of El Cajon, California, performed 28 tricks in a minute to earn a Guinness World Records title. Wish, Halo and Larlham, who uses positive reinforcement techniques, completed the feat on Dec. 22 and submitted it to Guinness for the win. Tricks included look left and look right, twirl, crawl (during which Wish broke the record for fastest five-meter crawl by a dog), sit, wave, sit pretty, side step, catch, heel, circle left, circle right and high five, to name just a few. Cats, don’t feel left out. A cat named Alexis, trained by owner Anika Moritz of Austria, performed 26 tricks in a minute last June to earn the world record for cats.

-- A smart collar for dogs was one of the more intriguing gadgets at the all-digital 2021 Consumer Electronics Show last month. The colorful Petpuls collar has a device that uses artificial intelligence and voice recognition technology to detect, track and analyze five emotional states in dogs: happiness, anxiety, anger, sadness and relaxation. An accelerometer measures activity throughout the day as well as sleep time. The device pairs to an iOS or Android app through Wi-Fi, providing a readout of how your dog feels. An algorithm uses accumulated voice data from your dog to learn his mood and become more accurate in predicting emotions. Can you ever really know how accurate it is? Not yet, but it’s fun to compare the data to what you already know of your dog’s behavior and body language and come to your own conclusions.

-- Young puppies and kittens can have “innocent” heart murmurs that don’t indicate structural malformations of the heart. Most innocent murmurs disappear by the time the animal is 6 months old, although some persist into adulthood. -- 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.

Sleep, behavior and pain are often entwined. Here are some ways to recognize how sleep can affect dogs and signal underlying problems

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

William Shakespeare wrote of “sleep that knits up the raveled sleave of care.” While our pets might not have cares such as paying the mortgage or staying safe during a pandemic, sleep is as important to their mental and physical well-being as it is to us. Amount and quality of sleep affect memory, learning and activity level.

Dog trainer Denise Nord in Rogers, Minnesota, sees it in her puppy classes, including an increase in behavior problems in the past year. With people spending more time at home, puppies aren’t getting enough sleep.

“People are home, so puppies are awake,” she says. “Or they just crash wherever and aren’t getting quality sleep. When I convince people to get their puppy quality sleep for 16 to 18 hours out of every 24, so many behavior issues ‘magically’ disappear.”

Like toddlers, puppies need a lot of sleep to fuel their growth. Nord says teaching puppies to be quiet and comfortable in crates and exercise pens is a skill they will benefit from throughout their lives. “Without exception, everyone who has taken the suggestion of more sleep for their puppy has had great improvement in behavior issues and are much happier with their puppies,” she says.

Our dogs seem to recognize a need for sleep as well -- or at least for a regular sleep schedule. Most dogs have a regular bedtime and ritual that they either come to on their own or adopt depending on their owner’s schedule.

Sharon Hawkins’ cavalier King Charles spaniel Daisy has set times that she sleeps and plays, and she uses different dog beds at different times of the day. Adam Conn’s Bernese mountain dog, Digit, who gets a biscuit at bedtime, usually starts to remind Conn about the treat an hour or so before his normal bedtime. “He really wants that cookie!” Conn says.

Besides napping beneath my desk throughout the day, my dog Harper has set 10 p.m. as her desired bedtime. Her predecessor, Bella, put herself to bed even earlier. But Harper nags me for her bedtime treat first.

Sleep is also a balm to pets in pain.

“In acute pain, there are many studies showing that rest can improve rates of healing,” says Michael Petty, DVM, an expert in pet pain management and owner of Arbor Pointe Veterinary Hospital and Animal Pain Center in Canton, Michigan.

When pets don’t seem to be sleeping well, veterinarians and owners should ask themselves whether pain may be at the root of disruptions in sleep patterns, he says. Other issues can cause sleep disruptions, but pain should always be ruled out as a potential cause.

Pain and sleep are related in other ways. For instance, pain may be more noticeable upon waking. Many of us have experienced how the body stiffens during the night after lying in one position for several hours. It’s another way that pain can affect a pet’s sleep pattern. They have to get up and move to find a more comfortable position.

Circling before lying down and going to sleep is a common and normal behavior in dogs and cats, but it looks different in pets who are in pain. For instance, you may see the circling behavior with several false starts before the pet lies down. And arthritic dogs often just fall into a down position because it hurts too much to ease themselves down, Dr. Petty says.

Finally, you may notice the mental effects of chronic pain on sleep behavior. Pain can affect cognition and make pets in pain seem befuddled.

“I see this as an additional problem as night approaches,” Dr. Petty says. “These patients often seem confused and want to wander the house. Pain can exacerbate this ‘sundown’ syndrome, and treating pain can help improve the severity of signs.”

As the Bard wrote, sleep is the “chief nourisher in life’s feast.” Make sure your pet gets enough.

Q&A

How to cue

dogs to turn

Q: Sometimes when walking my dog, I see things ahead that I want to avoid, like a chatty neighbor or a kid on a skateboard. It’s not always easy to get my dog on board with the change in direction, though. Do you have any tips?

A: One practical trick I like to teach dogs is to turn on cue, for just such situations. To teach your dog to turn, use a favorite treat or toy as a lure. Whether he’s walking on the left or right, hold it near your dog’s nose. (For small dogs, smear peanut butter or squeeze cheese on the end of a long wooden spoon or bird perch so you don’t have to crouch.)

Say “turn,” and as you do so, move the lure in the direction you want to go. At the same time, move into the turn yourself so the dog stays at your side.

At first, reward your dog for each small movement of the turn. As he starts to understand what you’re asking, increase the amount of time between rewards. Eventually, you’ll reward him only when he completes the turn.

Practice left, right and 180-degree turns separately, because they’re each different logistically. For instance, if you’re turning left with a dog who heels on the left, use the lure to guide your dog to pivot in place as you move around him to make the turn. If you’re turning right with a dog who heels left, reverse this process: As you pivot in place, use the lure to lead your dog through the turn.

Gradually fade the lure until your dog responds only to the word “turn.” Practice indoors first, then outdoors with distractions until he’s reliable. Reinforce with treats occasionally so that he’ll always be working for that reward. -- Mikkel Becker

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

THE BUZZ

“Indoguration”

raises $200,000

-- More than 7,400 virtual attendees helped raise more than $200,000 for the Delaware Humane Association during the “Indoguration” celebration featuring first shelter dog Major Biden, who went from being housed at the Delaware Humane Association to being a resident of the White House, along with German shepherd sibling Champ. Entertainment included performance of an original dog-themed song by Grammy-, Tony- and Emmy-nominated singer, songwriter, actor and dog lover Josh Groban. The funds will go to aid financially struggling pet parents as well as help more shelter animals find homes.

-- If you adopted a pet last year and are now struggling with behavior or training issues, don’t feel as if returning your pet to the shelter is the only option. Many shelters have trainers on staff or intervention programs that can help. You can also ask your veterinarian to recommend a reputable trainer or behaviorist who can provide guidance. And FearFreeHappyHomes.com has articles and videos as well as a search option for veterinarians, trainers and other pet professionals who are trained to manage pets who are fearful, anxious or stressed.

-- Birds use their beaks in myriad ways, including biting, yawning, and jousting -- playing with other birds by slapping or grabbing beaks. Among the sounds they make with their beaks are clicking, sneezing and grinding, the latter characterized by side-to-side sliding of one jaw over the other. Birds who make grinding noises are indicating satisfaction and security. You may hear it after your bird has had a delicious meal or when he’s in the cozy state of still being half-asleep. And then there’s beaking, the habit of young birds putting things in their mouths to test them out. If your baby bird gently does this with your finger, don’t pull away; he’s not biting, but getting to know you. -- 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.