Fun Pet Facts
When people perspire the moisture on the skin is evaporated by the atmosphere and cools the body in hot temperatures. Dogs and cats are incapable of this physiological response. The only way they can rid the body of heat is via the lungs. Fast breathing rates and heavy panting are the only ways that a dog or cat can try to stay cool. Our canine and feline friends only have sweat glands under the pad of each digit on each of its four forelimbs. This is hardly enough surface area for sweat to do any good. The only exception to this rule is the Chinese Crested dog. It has sweat glands all over its body and is capable of sweating. When they are handled in a medical facility their clammy skin is a prelude to not wanting to be in the clinic in the first place (nerves).
Ear mites are small insects that live in the ear canal of dogs, cats and rabbits. Their presence causes an intense itching and inflammation of the ear canal. They are passed from dog to cat and vice versa. It is not possible for people to pick up ear mites from their pets. They only cause pathological disease in companion animals.
This is the million dollar question and may someday help to extend the lives of many humans. It is clearly a genetic trait that is expressed that allows a Chihuahua to live a much longer life than a Great Dane. It may be genetic but a large dog has one big fight to conquer and that is gravity. Larger dogs have a greater predisposition to hip arthritis. That greater weight in a large dog is a disadvantage because gravity has to be countered by greater muscular exertion by the dog. The forces of gravity will cause a larger dog with arthritis to eventually become unable to stand. Mammals really can’t win. There has to be gravity. Without gravity our hip joints would be in great shape but our muscles would deteriorate at the same time due to disuse!
There are two types of photoreceptors that live in the retina. These photoreceptors gather light and send that light via the optic nerve to the brain where they are processed and sent back to the eyes as vision. Rods are important in night vision and discerning shades of grey. Cones are important when it comes to seeing colors. Dogs and cats have a high level of rod cells but not as many cone cells as humans possess. Cats can see colors but have problems dealing with the reds so they only see colors possible by combining blue and green. Dogs can see color but only the yellows and blues plus grey. The visual comparison between humans and cats is interesting.
Colors are made up of red, green and blue. Every color on the palette has a RGB value in web design. The RGB value of the font you are currently reading is (51,102,255). In hexadecimal language or “hex number”, the pale background you are looking at is #F8F1EC.
Veterinarians try to help any animal that walks in the front door every day but nothing can beat working on a Golden Retriever. Always happy to see us and greeting us with many slobbers and tail waggings, the Golden Retriever is loved by its owners as much as we love taking care of them.
It is obvious that we all have one life to live but it appears that cats have many more. This phrase started eons ago to describe cats. Cats are so nimble. They can twist and turn and do acrobatic acts that would hurt us all. This activity helps cats get away from treacherous car accidents and the like. The problem is, is that when cats do get injured, they get hurt big time. So, yes they only have one life but it appears that they have many more.
When I was in high school, in the early 1970’s, it was often my job to take our Miniature Schnauzer to the veterinarian for a visit. The doctor entered, gave the vaccines and left. Nothing else. People did not expect much else back than. Many times nothing could be done to save an animal. Fast forward to today. People often demand and expect the same medical care that they receive. In fact, most pets in this country receive better medical care than most people in the world!
All of this medical care is very expensive. Digital radiography is all over the place in most practices in the U.S. Going from a standard “old school” xray to digital is like going from an old black and white TV set to a 70 inch HD flat panel! The difference is THAT noticeable! Add new life saving pharmaceuticals, laser surgery, ultrasounds plus staff and veterinarian training and it is easy to see why things cost more today. Than again, compared to human medicine, veterinary medical care is still a bargain.
All humans dream. Sometimes we wish we never had certain dreams. They wake us up with hearts pounding! We all have nightmares that we wish we could forget. Many times we look at our pets and while they are sleeping we notice muscle twitching and moving eyes. Researchers have hooked up electroencephalograms (EEG’S) to dogs and found out that they have similar brain patterns to humans when they dream; particularly in REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep where most dreams occur. YES, they do dream! What does a Chihuahua dream about? Wishing it was a Great Dane? Do dogs dream about a prime rib banquet with all the trimmings? If only they could talk! Well, if they could talk back they might not be man’s best friend for long.
Over the course of my career, that was the number one question I got asked by most clients and or their children! All veterinarians love dogs and cats and other species of animals. Most of us have or had pets while practicing. Some veterinarians may not have pets in the home due to other obligations or family members that may be allergic to dog or cat dander. Asking most veterinarians if they have pets is akin to asking a physician if he or she has children. Most times they do, sometimes they don’t!
I feel the reason that the question always arises is that a lot of people might think that we get tired of seeing animals because we work on them basically every day of the year! The answer to that question is a definite NO! We all enjoy going home and playing with our own pets! Only if they knew how lucky they were that they get free medical care!
Tapeworms are a common intestinal parasite in dogs and cats. They can not be directly transmitted to people since there is a need of an intermediate host. This is usually any insect where a larval or immature developmental stage of a parasite will occur. In this case, fleas are that intermediate host. While scratching or grooming itself, the animal will swallow the flea releasing the larval stage in the intestinal tract. This grows to an adult worm. Small segments that look like grains of rice are passed. People often find these on their pillows or places where a pet has slept. A dog or human could swallow those segments and would be passed in a bowel movement. Without the intermediate host, there is no transmission to pets or people. The same logic works for canine heartworm disease. Without the mosquito, there would be no heartworm disease.
Most people think that a cat rubs up against your legs because it wants to be friendly and show affection to the lucky person. That may be the case but the main reason is scent. At the base of a cats whiskers are scent glands that are unique to that animal. When a cat rubs its head against your leg some of that scent is left behind. All it really means to the cat is that you belong to me and I know you!
It may seem that way but you have to understand feline body language to see that it just isn’t so! I have seen the t-shirts with 9 identical cat head shots and above the image is written a particular human emotion. The point trying to be made is that cats do not show emotions.
The cat gives off many visual cues when it is annoyed. The slanting of its eyes, the twitching of its tail and ears pointed back and close to the body are signs that the animal feels threatened. There are the clues of a growling cat that is muttering under its breath! A happy cat will purr, rub up against you, meow and want to be near you. It will chirp. Cats really are special and show their emotions in so many different ways. All cat owners know this!! Ever receive a back rub in the morning while a cat kneads your back?
Rabies is a dangerous virus that causes neurological signs and death in anyone infected with the virus. It is transmitted by the bite wound of an infected mammal. Rabies virus is kept alive in wild animals such as skunks, bats and raccoons. They are what is called reservoirs or “viral storage areas”. Cats are nocturnal animals. They sleep during the day but are active at night. Skunks and other mammals that carry the virus are nocturnal. Their paths cross making transmission of the virus much easier to the cat since they share the same nocturnal patterns. Dogs are usually sound asleep in the owner’s bed at those times!
Catnip is a perennial herb (Nepeta cataria) that grows around the world. In old human cultures it was used as a paste to heal wounds, help cranky babies suffering from colic and other uses as seen fit. The oil that is found in catnip is a stimulant that causes a marijuana like affect in about half of the feline population. Some cats will: drool, roll all over it, twist and turn and other gyrations. Other cats walk up to it, shrug their shoulders say “so what…” and walk away!
Catnip is harmless but the effect does wear off after a while. It is not dangerous but should be used only as a treat for our furry feline friends. And NO, it does not have a hallucinogenic effect in humans.
In the winter months in Ohio I rarely treated hit by car animals or those caught in nasty dog fights. Everybody was snug as a rug in their nice, warm houses. The summer is different. More animals spend their time outdoors. Add to that the aggression that accompanies hot, humid summer weather and we have a recipe for increased dog fighting. Dogs become more irritable, like people, in hot, humid conditions. Making matters worse is that this is often the time of year when females are in heat. This increases male aggression wanting to find females to mate with. All of this adds up to more aggression and dog fights during summer months.
Tylenol® is chemically known as acetaminophen. It is a commonly used pain reliever in people. It should never be given to cats. All cats lack a liver enzyme known as gluconyl transferase. In humans and dogs it breaks down drugs and other chemicals into harmless metabolites that are eventually eliminated in the urine as waste products. Not so in the cat. Ingestion of many drugs, including Tylenol®, will cause a buildup in toxic metabolites that will cause illness. In the case of Tylenol®, it causes a hepatotoxicity and methemoglobinemia that plays havoc with the oxygen carrying ability of hemoglobin. Mucomyst® (acetylcystine) is an antidote but play it safe by calling your veterinarian before giving any drug to a cat. That call may save your cats life!
The purr box, as it is often called, has been a mystery for some time. Most researchers agree that it has something to do with air moving over the larynx (voice box) and the laryngeal muscles associated with the organ. The domestic cat is not the only one that can purr. Wild cats in the wild also have the ability.
The feline purr is a fantastic mechanism that serves the cat well and its human owners. Kittens learn to purr early in life. This lets the mother know where her brood is. It is a way to stay in touch or contact. It prevents the young kitten from wondering too far away from mom. People interpret purring as a soothing mechanism. It calms both the cat and lowers the blood pressure of humans listening to it. It has the same effect of listening to ocean waves lapping the shores hour after hour.
Getting bit hurts a lot! It is something that all veterinarians do not enjoy. The goal is to prevent bite wounds in the first place. Animals have to be restrained in exam rooms and treatment rooms to prevent the staff and veterinarian from getting bit. We have to do our job. It is imperative that the owner also not get bit. I also know how to read an animal well. Signs of tail and ears down and hair standing up are signs that the dog or cat does not want to be there in the first place. Cats are even quicker. Their claws can rip you to shreds in seconds if the animal is not held correctly. With that said, I have been bitten about 3 times in a 33 year career. I am quick.
Cats are always on alert. In the body of that little domestic cat are the genes of their wild ancestors. Cats are predators and always on the alert for their prey. A domestic cat, at home, is always on guard for any sound or motion. Their ears are like an antenna. A cat that is lounging on its back is in the most relaxed position possible for a cat. It is totally defenseless. It is happy and content and all is right with the world!
Urinary tract obstructions can be life threatening if not resolved quickly. 99.99% of all urinary tract obstructions occur in male animals. The obstruction is caused usually by grit or a small stone plugging the urethra. The female animal has a much larger urethral opening than the male. The urethra is the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside during urination (micturition). This larger opening (lumen) allows females to pass most stones that would obstruct a male. Males also obstruct due to prostate enlargement; anatomy that is not present in females. In my 33 year career, I have never had an obstructed female. Well, almost! A female Bichon Frise passed a urethral stone WHILE SITTING ON THE EXAM ROOM TABLE; followed by a flow of urine. That was good.
All cats, domestic and wild, have sets of whiskers that protrude from the left and right side of the face; right behind the nose. These whiskers serve numerous functions but an important one is to help maintain balance. Cats love to walk on tops of doors and other trapeze type actions. They consider this fun. If the whiskers are cut, the animal will have balance problems which can get it into trouble. So do not cut your cat’s whiskers. If you did, they will grow back!
Dogs and cats are the ultimate carnivores. Just open up a dog or cats mouth and look at those long canines and large incisors that are used to tear and cut flesh! Domestic animals have been trained to eat grains and other fortified foods that taste good and that take care of all their nutritional needs. Diets are also available to help treat many medical conditions. Sure, dogs would prefer a T-bone steak at every meal but that would get quite expensive.
Allergies in mammals develop in response to proteins that are foreign to its body. There are many types of allergies but in this case, people think that it is the animal’s hair that is making them sneeze or rub their eyes. That is erroneous. When a cat or dog licks itself while grooming or scratching, saliva attaches to the hair fiber. This saliva contains proteins and it this protein found on hair dander that sensitizes the person to the pet. The response? Sneezing and runny eyes.
Cats are extremely intelligent. They can sense emotions of everyone in a room. They know the people that want to pet them and pick them up but to a cat, how could you not like me?! Horrors! A cat senses this antagonism and wants to break the ice or wants to be friendly and make up. This produces the response that the person dislikes but the cat sees as a friendly gesture.
Dogs are often found sleeping under coffee tables and we all know that cats love to hide under beds. A dog feels much more secure when you put a blanket or towel over a dog crate. Why is this so reassuring to the pet? In the wild, dens provide protection and support to a young, wild animal. It is those genes that are expressed in domestic animals today. Dogs and cats just feel safer and protected when something is over them.
Veterinarians all know that leaving a pet for surgery is a nerve wracking process for most pet owners. Owners want to have their pet near them for care after a surgical procedure. As with human beings, the first prescription for post surgical care in the dog or cat is cage rest. Being confined in a cage or other areas promotes wound healing by fibrin (a byproduct of the clotting mechanism) and it facilitates the healing of the abdominal musculature that is incised to view the abdominal contents. Allowing a pet to go home and run around dramatically increases the chances of wound dehiscence. This means a mechanical breakdown in the surgical site that can open the abdominal contents to the outside. That is life threatening. If you insist on taking a pet home the same day after abdominal surgery, be prepared to sign a waiver of liability.
It is not uncommon to see all little, tiny dogs shake or shiver. Chihuahuas are a classical example. Just looking at a Chihuahua will make it shiver. This is just a case of nerves. All mammals develop a shivering mechanism as a response to a subnormal body temperature. Exposure to extreme cold weather will cause hypothermia if the animal is not shielded from the cold. If the body temperature drops below normal (102.0 F), the dog or cat will shiver. Shivering is just involuntary contractions of the animals musculature. It is this contraction that generates heat. This heat elevates an animal’s lower body temperature back to normal. This mechanism only works for a while. If exposure to the elements continues and the body temperature drops to about 95.0 F the shivering reflex stops. At this point, hypothermia can be lethal.
It is not a good idea to let a non-breeding dog or cat go through its first estrous cycle. Doing so increases the chance of breast cancer by 8%!! That is a huge increase relative to the pets age. Each heat cycle in the future that a dog or cat goes through will increase the risk of developing mammary tumors or metastatic (spreading) issues. All female pets should be spayed before the animal enters estrous for the first time. This is usually between 5-6 months of age in dogs and cats.
