debbie's blog

I believe that traditional and integrative veterinary medicine play equally important roles in an animal's well-being, and that both modalities can and do complement each other. I bring Opal and Dixie to their traditional, "family" vet annually for their check-ups. Although neither of them has ever had a serious illness, were either of them to fall ill, I would first bring them to their regular vet. After a diagnosis were made and treatment prescribed, if I felt their situation warranted it, I would then bring them to a holistic vet for a second opinion. I care for them no differently than I care for myselfl. While I am currently undergoing traditional medical treatment for breast cancer, I also visit my acupuncturist weekly at UCSF's Osher Center for Integrative Medicine and take various supplements, herbs and mushrooms.

Holistic, or integrative veterinary medicine examines an animal considering all aspects of the animal's life and employing all of the practitioner's senses. The holistic vet typically uses a combination of both conventional and alternative methods of treatment. When a holistic veterinarian sees a pet, besides giving it a comprehensive physical examination, he/she wants to find out all about its behaviors, distant medical and dietary history, and its environment including diet, emotional stresses, and other factors. Holistic medicine focuses on resolving the cause and the problem, not just on alleviating symptoms. Overall improvement of the health and quality of life is the goal. In addition to western approaches such as antibiotics (drugs) and surgery, holistic approaches include acupuncture, homeopathy, chiropractic, herbs and nutritional therapy.

One thing that astounds me is when a "human" practitioner presumes that similar care is appropriate for our animal friends. In some cases, yes, what works for us, will work for an animal. However, people medicine is not animal medicine, and no physician or veterinarian would condone acupuncturists, homeopaths and chiropractors prescribing care for animals unless trained in veterinary medicine. My friend, Holly Tse, recently posted a terrific blog on the topic of traditional vs. alternative medicine on her site, GreenLittleCat.com. For this piece, she interviewed Dr. Sara Skiwski of The Western Dragon.

We had to put our beloved Nini to sleep Friday morning. I've thought of so many things to write for this blog, but having written long, endless emails to friends and family all weekend, I'm afraid that I am all talked out. You can only imagine how heartbroken we are to have lost our little girl. She was such a huge part of our lives for so many years. We'd had her since we'd found her at 5 weeks old, trapped within the hood of a car. She was only a tiny, squeaking, purring, grey and white cotton puff then. She was almost 15 when the time came for her to leave us, and our only consolation is that although she struggled for a few days, she was never in pain, and we ended her life as soon as we realized that there was no hope left for her? or us. It's hard coming to terms with how quickly she deteriorated and how unexpectedly she left us. It's hard to believe that we will never, ever see our little house-mouse again. Rest soundly and peacefully, little one.

Why do people not think twice about leaving their pets tied up outside as they shop or run into Starbucks to grab a cup of coffee? Don't they realize that leaving a dog outside unattended is no different than leaving a baby in a carriage outside unattended? Whether a tiny Yorkie or a large Akita, dogs are helpless out there; they're sitting targets for a dognapper looking to heist a dog to sell for research or for use as bait for dog-fighting training. Within moments of leaving your dog outside, he can be grabbed, thrown in a car, and wind up out-of-state before you can blink your eyes and mutter, "where'd he go?" Folks sitting around outside or walking by have no way of knowing whether or not your dog belongs to the person who takes him, and unless you know the person you've asked to keep an eye on him, you can't really trust them to be as attentive as you'd like. Even the person you've asked to keep an eye on your dog can be the evil culprit. I admit, I have an overly-paranoid mother (she sends me articles about never leaving your knives right-side-up in a dishwasher because you could accidentally fall on one, stab yourself in the heart and die; and an old boyfriend just reminded me of the time he barbecued at my parents' house and burned everything, and about my mom freaking out about us not eating anything because it might be poisonous.) In this case, however, I think I'm being realistic. This is just plain common sense.

Not too long ago, a guy in our neighborhood left his 11-year-old beagle, Mollie, tied up right by the entrance of Whole Foods. He came out, and Mollie was gone. Missing Dog signs were posted all over our neighborhood and throughout our dog park. Over a week later, I noticed a beagle that looked much like Mollie, jogging through the park with some guy. Being the yenta that I am, I ran up to him and asked if the dog was Mollie. Sure enough, it was. He told me that a woman had called him and told him that she'd seen the signs. She explained that when she saw Mollie tied up outside she thought she'd been abandoned, so she untied Mollie and took her home. Of course, in this case, Mollie had no collar or tags -- unbelievable for a city dog. Nevertheless, this shows you how easy it is to scoop up a pup and take off. When the guy went to the woman's house to pick Mollie up, he told me that there was a dog bed on the floor alongside a small pile of toys. He told me that the woman appeared to be slightly wacko, and he didn't know whether or not she'd lost her own dog and saw Mollie as an opportunity, or whether she truly thought Mollie had been abandoned. At least this story has a happy ending.

A shocking and not-so-happy ending is this one: When we first adopted Opal and began bringing her to the dog park, one day I noticed Missing Dog signs everywhere with a photo of a cop and a German Shepherd. The sign, posted by a police officer, said that he'd been parked right at the corner of Sacramento and Gough, here in Pacific Heights. You couldn't pick a more seemingly-safe neighborhood; in other words, Pac. Hts. is no slum, if you catch my drift. WELL... he'd left is K9 cop dog tethered on the back of his truck in the whatever-you-call it-place-where-you-put-things. He'd only left his K9 there for a few minutes, but when he came out, his dog was gone. In his postings he mentioned how much his dog meant to him, how devasted he was, and that the department was offering a large reward for the safe return of his dog. Again, yenta that I am (and worrier, be reminded), I regularly asked our park off-leash-dog-park buster cops if the dog had ever been recovered. "Nope," was the answer. Have you ever watched Beverly Hills Chihuahua? (Yeah, yeah, say what you will. I found it cute, funny and very uplifting.) I never stopped thinking that his K9 may have wound up like Delgado. And we're talking about a POLICE DOG here. I rest my case.

Please, PLEASE pass the word on. People are oblivious. It's not about, "what are they thinking?" It's more about, "they're NOT thinking."

Ok. Off my soapbox.

As the author of Make Your Own Cat Toys: Saving the Planet One Cat Toy at a Time, I?m a big proponent of homemade cat toys. The book shows you how to make eco-friendly cat toys that are fast, fun and super-easy to create.

Since writing the book, I have not purchased a new toy for Furball. I find there?s more than enough ?make your own? cat toy ideas in the book (52 in all) to keep him busy. As well, I just can?t help myself. I keep inventing new homemade cat toys all the time.

However, I appreciate that making your own cat toys is not everyone?s cup of tea. So, here are some simple guidelines for making more eco-friendly cat toy choices if you?re not into making homemade cat toys.

1. Only buy toys that you know your cat will love. Observe his or her preferences and stick with them. If he/she loves one type of toy, keep buying more of the same. This will help reduce the number of discarded toys.
2. Buy quality over quantity. Before you make your purchase, examine the toy to see how well it is made. Does it look sturdy or does it look cheaply made? A quality toy will last longer.
3. Buy locally made toys. You?ll help support the local economy and also reduce the resources required to ship the toy to your store. Ideally, the toys should be made from locally sourced materials as well.
4. Choose organic and natural. With the growth in environmental awareness, there are now many options for toys made with organic catnip and natural materials. Bear in mind that from a human attractiveness scale, these toys may be somewhat aesthetically-challenged compared to the brightly coloured plastics from overseas. Remember that your cat cares more about the smell, texture, sound and feel of the toy and you?re the one who cares if it looks cute.
5. Stay away from battery operated toys. There is no substitute for the real thing, which is you. Your cat will always find human companions infinitely more entertaining than a repetitive battery operated toy.
6. Invent your own toys and games. You and your cat are a fountain of creativity. There are no limits. Just remember to play safely.

This blogpost was written by Holly Tse, author of Make Your Own Cat Toys [www.MakeYourOwnCatToys.com] and writer for GreenLittleCat.com, the only blog dedicated exclusively to greener living ideas for cats and cat lovers.

Among the most tragic victims of this wretched economy are pets. As I was driving home yesterday I heard a gut-wrenching news report on the radio that had me so teary-eyed that I nearly rear-ended the guy in front of me.  In these tough financial times, pets are being surrendered to pounds, shelters and rescue organizations in record numbers as people can no longer afford to take care of them. As the number of dogs and cats being surrendered rapidly increases, and the number of people who can adopt them rapidly decreases, these organizations can no longer afford to care for them for as long as they have in the past. They fear that soon, unable to house so many animals, they will be forced to euthanize them sooner than ever before. This concept had never crossed my mind. I've been unable to stop thinking about it ever since, and have decided that one way we can all help is to spread the word to others who may not be aware of this dire predicament. Sadly, the reporter stated that pit bulls are the first to be euthanized because so many people are afraid of "taking a risk." A risk? With a pit? My god, I'd sooner roll around on the floor with a pit bull than I would with most human beings. (Check out Bad Rap, by the way -- I'd roll around with any of those cuties in a heartbeat!)

I've been emailing all my friends who have at one time or another said to me, "I've been thinking about adopting another cat?" or, "I want a dog so badly." I have one friend whose cat passed away a year ago. He's recently been talking about wanting to adopt another companion for his dog, so I sent him an email with links to more than a few rescue organizations here in the Bay Area. The subject line of my email said, quite simply, "Now is the Time."

I?ve always heard that clay litter wasn?t good for the environment, but never really knew why, I decided to investigate and learn more. The more I learned, the more I?m glad that my cat, Furball, has never used clay litter. If you?ve been sitting on the fence about switching to an environmentally friendly cat litter, here are some good reasons to switch litters.

Health Concerns

Have you ever wondered what makes the cat litter clump together after your cat has urinated in it? I?ll be quite honest that this question had never crossed my mind before either. Well, today I learned that sodium bentonite is the key ingredient. It?s described benignly as a ?natural clay? by many litter manufacturers.

A quick search on wikipedia reveals that sodium bentonite is a type of bentonite or clay that expands to several times its size when wet. It?s commonly used when drilling mud for oil and gas wells and for sealing things such as buried nuclear waste.

The health issues concern the ingestion and inhalation of sodium bentonite by your cat. When cats dig around in the litter, very fine particles may be inhaled. When they lick their paws, they may also ingest the clay.

There are claims that the litter causes asthma and lung issues and can block intestinal tracts. However, a visit to the Scoop Away® litter site reveals this: ?Scoop Away® litter is not known to cause harm to animals, including kittens, when ingested in small quantities. However, if a pet eats a large amount of any litter (i.e. a bowlful), we recommend that you contact your vet.? I?m sure this statement is 100% true in that there is no known study that proves that this particular litter causes harm to animals when ingested in small quantities.

It?s up to you to decide whether this reassurance is good enough for you and your cat. Myself, I just think that sodium bentonite expands when wet. If the litter is dry outside of the cat, it will most certainly be wet once inside Kitty.

About.com has a very balanced article on the clumping clay controversy at http://cats.about.com/cs/litterbox/a/clumpingclay.htm.

Environmental Concerns

Sodium bentonite is mined. The Wyoming Mining Association (not singling anyone out, they just came up first in the Yahoo search) mined 5.2 million tons and milled 4.6 million tons of bentonite in 2005. In their own words, ?Currently, Bentonite deposits in Wyoming make up 70 percent of the world?s known supply. It is economical to mine Bentonite as deep as 50 feet.?

It would not be a stretch to say that mining 50 feet deep has an impact on the environment. The US Bureau of Mines estimated that in 1994, approximately 1.5 million metric tons of clay were mined to make absorbent cat litter.

Worldwise, a company that makes sustainable pet products writes that, ?Each year over 2 million tons of cat litter, or approximately 100,000 truckloads, ends up in landfills in the U. S. alone.?

So based on what I learned about the health concerns of clay litter and the environmental impact of mining cat litter, it seems like the better choice for the planet to switch to an environmentally friendly cat litter.

This blogpost was written by Holly Tse, author of Make Your Own Cat Toys [www.MakeYourOwnCatToys.com] and writer for GreenLittleCat.com, the only blog dedicated exclusively to greener living ideas for cats and cat lovers.

There is so much controversy over the dangers of over-vaccination these days. What I've learned is this: there are two essential vaccines for cats, and two for dogs. Most others, you?ll just need to use your and your vet?s judgment on.

The rabies vaccination is a must-must-MUST for both dogs and cats. It is typically administered once every 3 years. Rabies is a viral, neuroinvasive disease that causes acute inflammation of the brain in warm-blooded animals. Because it tends to enter through periferal nerves and the central nervous system, it manages to avoid the bloodstream, bypassing the fighting spirit of the immune system. In the beginning stages of rabies the symptoms include malaise and fever. The next stage is typically acute pain, violent movements, uncontrolled excitement, depression, and the inability to swallow water. The final stage inflicts mania, lethargy, coma, and sometimes, death, which is caused by respiratory problems. Rabies is most commonly transmitted by a bite from an infected animal, and is fatal if left untreated.

Thank goodness for FVRCP shots for cats. This vaccine is an effective preventive agent against the very worst contagious diseases. Outdoor, shelter and kenneled cats are most at risk for these diseases; so are kittens, older cats and cats with weakened immune systems.  "FVR" stands for Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, an upper respiratory infection caused by a feline herpes virus. Cats with this chronic infection exhibit signs of lethargy, and incessant coughing and sneezing. They often have a high temperature and a discharge from the nostrils and the eyes. They stop eating and drinking because their nostrils are plugged and their throats sore, bringing on dehydration and unhealthy weight loss.  "C" stands for strains of Calcivirus, also harbingers of upper respiratory infections. Early signs are loss of appetite, elevated temperature and lethargy. Later, sneezing, oral ulcers and discharge from the eyes are seen. The more violent strains can cause rapid death.  "P" is for Panleukopenia (also known as feline distemper and infectious feline enteritis), a highly contagious disease characterized by a short course and high mortality rate. The disease is caused by a parvovirus similar to the parvovirus seen in dogs. Early signs are vomiting, diarrhea and a low white blood cell count. This disease can be deadly.

For dogs, DHPP vaccines should be kept current. The "D" is for Distemper, which is an often fatal viral disease that causes respiratory, gastrointestinal and neurologic problems. "H" is for Hepatitis, a virus that can wreak havoc on your pet?s liver. One "P" is for Parainfluenza, which is contagious and leads to respiratory infections, and the last "P" is for Parvovirus, the most common infectious disorder in dogs in the U.S. Parvo causes severe gastrointestinal problems, fever, and, in serious cases, death.  

Some circumstances may call for extra protection. For instance, kennel-cough vaccine is a good precaution for dogs who spend a good amount of time in close quarters with other dogs; for instance, dogs that are kenneled, in doggie daycare or attend dog shows. Unless you live in an area where heartworm and lyme disease run rampant, vaccines for these can probably be skipped. My vet is not keen on unnecessarily vaccinating, and neither am I. What both of us are keen on is bringing them in for annual checkups, making sure to have blood work done, and monitoring them for any liver, kidney and metabolic issues that might be lurking.

We hear it again and again? owning a pet keeps us healthier and happier in myriad ways. A wealth of studies have proven that companion pets can lower our blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels, they can help us live stronger and longer after a heart attack, boost our spirits and moods, and provide invaluable service and comfort to disabled individuals. I'm not quite sure which I enjoy more, their love and loyalty to me, or mine to them.  The latter, I think. Let's keep spreading the word:  "ADOPT A PET TODAY!"