Well, I just got word that Las Vegas has passed an ordinance mandating spaying and neutering in that city.  This follows the North Las Vegas law that was passed last year and, of course, the big dog on the block, Los Angeles, who started mandating sterilization in 2008.

I do agree that there are issues that need to be addressed with the number of animals euthanized in the US every year, I don't agree that mandatory spay neuter (MSN) legislation is the answer, especially when that is the only avenue cities offer.  And, major animal welfare groups, such as the ASPCA, major veterinary groups (AVMA and AAHA) and many Americans do not agree with this type of legislation.

Let's look at what happened in LA this past year (Facts from KCDogBlog):

Los Angeles had been on a downward spiral of euthanasias and intakes at their local shelter from 2001 until 2007.  In 2001, more than 40,000 dogs were received at the shelter and a whopping 22,675 were euthanized.  That's sad!   The numbers continued to decrease on both sides until 2007 when only 25,000 dogs were received and 6,000 euthanized.  That's impressive work by anyone's definition!

But, in 2008, when the mandatory spay neuter law went into effect, more than 30,000 dogs were received and 7500 were euthanized.   LA shelters took in more dogs in 2008 than they had since 2002.  

The reason:  the mandating of spaying and neutering your pet.   This type of statistic can be seen in most locales where uninformed government officials THINK that they are doing the right thing only to forget about the unintended consequences.  People don't like to be told that they MUST sterilize their pet.   Some object because they want to breed the pet, others object because they want the pet to remain "whole" and still others simply don't like the government interference.

So, people relinquish their pets because they don't want to or can't afford to spay/neuter the pet.  Others simply avoid getting care for their pet because they believe that the veterinarians will turn them into city officials and they will get a fine.  Those are some serious unintended consequences.

Purists will argue that the down economy and housing crisis likely played into the higher numbers and I believe that is probably true, but the fact still holds that this type of rebound is seen in every locality that attempts to mandate spay and neuter laws, even those enacted during "good" times.

It's time that we realize that MSN does not work and move onto things that DO work...like finding new ways to avoid euthanizing animals in shelters, finding funding for low cost spay and neuter programs that help people truly in need (and aren't abused by people who are well off enough to afford the surgery), and education that starts in schools and continues through to adult pet owners.

Believe it or not, there will come a day when most cities have MSN laws in place, pet owners will be called guardians and some crazy animal rights person will insist on suing a veterinarian because their pet was neutered and deprived of the opportunity to reproduce and/or the joy of mating.  That may sound far-fetched but I can assure you that people studying animal law are already looking at that very possibility.

I realize that not everyone will agree with this posting and I fully expect some severe pushback...so, as we say in radio, the lines are open....

Yesterday, the Iowa Department of Public Health released a statement about a 13 year old cat who tested positive for H1N1.

The cat lived in a family in which 2 of the 3 human family members had flu-like symptoms in the previous week before the cat got sick.  After significant testing by the USDA, the Iowa Department of Public Health and Iowa State University’s Veterinary school, the cat was determined to have H1N1.

This follows on the news that a ferret in Oregon tested positive for the virus and a second ferret in Nebraska died after contracting H1N1.

So…should you be worried about your pets?

As many of you are aware, viruses tend not to move from their host species without significant mutations.   The H3N8 virus (canine influenza) is a good example of how an equine virus mutated and began to affect dogs.  But, some of our companion animals, like ferrets, are more susceptible to the Type A influenza viruses.  So, it was no surprise to most veterinarians when the ferrets mentioned above tested positive.  The same fact is true of birds, but we have only seen H1N1 show up in turkeys to date.

Of course, we are all well aware that the virus can be transmitted to hogs.

But, this cat brings a whole new focus on the virus and our relationship with pets.  For many of us, we love to sleep with our pets and cuddle up close to them when we are feeling poorly.  We often say that our pets “know” when we are sick and will come close to be our quiet support.  It’s probably this type of behavior that made it possible for the virus to infect the cat.  

So far, we don’t have a lot of details.   The cat was older (13) so there is always a possibility that he was immunosurpressed in some way.  The story states that he was an indoor only cat, but that does not preclude an early life of wandering outdoors and potentially contracting Feline Leukemia or FIV, which would also make it easier for another virus to infect him.

BUT…the biggest point I want to make is that this appears to be an isolated incident at this time and probably not a big concern for most pet owners.  If our pets were truly susceptible to this bug, we would likely have seen a higher number of cases to date…cases that mirrored human infection patterns.   And, we just haven’t seen it yet.

Still, it’s always good to play it safe.   Wash your hands often.   If you are sick, consider NOT snuggling with your furry friends until you are better.   And, if your pets appear sick, trust your veterinarian.  Your local animal hospital is equipped to handle this type of illness and can answer your questions.

Keep checking back to this blog and the journals of the veterinarians of PetDocsOnCall.com.   We will keep you posted about breaking news or any changes in our pets status with respect to H1N1

This past week in Indiana has been one of crisp temperatures and definite fall like weather.  The full moon last night reminded me that we need to spend some time keeping your pet safe during the upcoming Halloween holiday.

Lots of people (me included!) love the spirit and fun of Halloween.  We decorate our homes with spooky ornament and creepy pictures.   And, most of the fun is finding that perfect Halloween costume!  We even try to get our pets involved in the fun and that’s what I want to discuss today.

You have all seen pictures of the dachshunds dressed up in hot dog bun costumes, or the pug with eight spider legs or even the Great Dane dressed up like a bumblebee.  These dogs seem to get excited about the holiday just like their owners.  Unfortunately, not all of our pets like being dressed up.   IF you are lucky and your pet tolerates a costume, be sure that it doesn’t use rubber bands or other constrictive devices that might cut off breathing or circulation.   Also, don’t use costumes with toxic dyes or paints and make sure that its inedible as well.

If your pet struggles or seems uncomfortable in any way, just let him dress up in his “birthday suit” for the day!

When you are trying on your costume, remember that this is probably something new that your pet has never seen before.   Our pets can be confused by big hats, masks, and other costume accessories.   Territorial instincts are even triggered in some pets and that can cause a pet to act fearful or even aggressive.

Even when our pets are normally super social with people, costumes can baffle them.  And, since you are responsible for your pet’s behavior, you want to be doubly sure that normally kid friendly Spot doesn’t go out and bite the little ghouls and ghosts flitting around the neighborhood.

With constant knocking or doorbells, this holiday is a bit too much excitement for some pets.  Halloween is a big day for pets to escape and run off.  Even fenced in yards are not ideal for this scary night.   Consider letting your pet stay inside in a special quiet place, with his own treats.   He will be safe and secure from the goblins there!

Even those decorations we spend so much time on can be a problem for pets.   The fake spider webs and string like material are very tempting for our feline friends.  When cats ingest things like these, there is a good chance that it will cause an obstruction and a trip to the Animal ER!

Likewise, candles in pumpkins can be easily knocked over, potentially burning a pet or even starting a fire.  Be sure to extinguish all candles if you leave for your Halloween party.

Finally, as everyone is already aware, many of the “treats” we pick out for this holiday are dangerous to our pets.   Chocolate is a definite problem, although the milk chocolate in most candy bars is less of a problem than semi-sweet or baker’s chocolate.  In any case, if you pet ingests some of the candy, call your veterinarian with the amount your pet ate along with the weight of your pet.   Some veterinarians might have you make your dog vomit, others will have you go to the ER.  In some cases, just watching  your pet is ok, but you definitely want to check with your veterinarian before making that assumption.

Candies with sticks or foil wrappers also have the potential to cause a digestive tract obstruction.  And, don’t forget to keep candies sweetened with Xylitol out of the reach of dogs.   This sweetener can cause extremely low blood sugar levels and possibly cause liver damage in our dogs.

All in all, this is a great holiday to have fun and let your “inner child” come out.   Just remember that you as the adult still needs to be mindful of the needs of your “four legged children”.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Seeing the California wildfires in the news over these past two weeks has really got me thinking about things that I can do to help.  In any disaster, man-made or natural, people and their pets are affected in a number of ways.

Thankfully, the severe storm season of 2005, when Hurricanes Rita and Katrina came ashore, taught us some needed lessons about handling animals during disasters.   A direct result of those storms was a piece of legislation known as the Pet Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act, or PETS Act.   This bill, which was signed into law in October of 2006, directs states to have contingency plans in place to handle both people AND their pets in the event of a disaster.  Failure to do so could mean a loss of federal monies.

Also, the plight of our pets during catastrophes was highlighted.   Merial, a prominent veterinary pharmaceutical company, began a program to put a spotlight on pets’ needs.   This program is called Paws To Save Pets and their purpose is three-fold.  First, they provide funding for disaster preparedness training.   Next, in the event of a disaster, they are prepared to provide needed monies for medications and shelters.   Finally, this program helps animal shelters and veterinarians rebuild and restock after disaster strikes.   They partner with the American Veterinary Medical Foundation and the PetFinder.com Foundation to raise the money needed.  In just four years, they have raised more than $3 million!!

But, it’s really up to you, the individual pet owner, to be prepared for any kind of emergency.   You can start by having a “pet disaster and evacuation kit” ready in your home.  Things to include in this kit might be:

1-2 weeks supply of food for all pets
Supply of clean drinking water
1-2 weeks supply of any needed medications
Vaccination records
Pictures of your pet
Leashes (also a muzzle)
List of contact numbers (veterinarians, friends, local shelters)
Towels
Trash bags
Letter authorizing treatment of your pets in your absence.

In the event of a mandatory evacuation, don’t leave your pets behind.  You may think that you will only be gone for 1-2 days and your pets will be fine, but a short evacuation could turn into a weeklong affair.  It’s always best to take your friends with you!

All of this talk about the upcoming hurricane season along with the impending wildfire season out West has piqued my “volunteer spirit”.  During Katrina, I was anxious to head south and go help with the animal rescues, but, working in a veterinary hospital 50 hours per week made that difficult.   Now that I work from home, I am excited to see if I can join a Disaster Response team, like American Humane’s Red Star Animal Emergency Services or even one of the AVMA’s Veterinary Medical Assistance Teams (VMATs).

So, I am proud to announce that I have started with online courses offered by FEMA on how to understand our national emergency plans and Incident Command Systems.  As I complete those courses, I am looking forward to disaster training with the American Humane Association.  

I certainly hope that we, as humans, can learn to avoid many of the disasters that we create (oil spills, explosions, fires), but in the event that someone makes a mistake, I want to be ready to be on the front lines!