Questions and cats and dogs
Dear Dr. Forsythe: I have two cats, one very young and the other who is middle aged. I feed them both canned cat food of the tuna variety that I get from the grocery store. They are both in good health but they seem to have been acting a little strange lately. I was wondering if it could be due to the mercury levels in the tuna they eat. Are there really dangerous enough levels of that in tuna flavored cat food that I should be concerned or switch their diets? Please let me know. – Stephanie, Sonoma
Dear Stephanie: As long as your cats are in good general health and eat a national brand of canned and dry cat food, I usually tell clients that they should be fine as far as nutrients are concerned. With a healthy young cat and healthy middle aged cat that have normal functioning kidneys, brands such as Iams or Purina from the grocery store should not pose any real threat to your pet’s health in terms of mercury levels. The ingredient that concerns me for some cats is protein levels. If a middle aged cat – above seven to eight years of age – has kidneys which are not functioning in top shape, nitrogen toxins can build up in the bloodstream and lead to poor health. Often cats with this problem will drink excessively or pee like a racehorse on steroids. It may be wise to just have your regular vet check your older kitty’s blood sometime over the next year to make sure the kidney values are in the normal range. If everything is within the normal range, I say you can continue feeding their favorite flavor of food as long as you monitor them annually to see that they appear to be doing well. And I’d stick to a high-quality premium brand of dry and wet cat food rather than serve people food to the cat. Who really knows how high the mercury’s rising in some of the Star-Kist we eat these days? – Dr. F.
Dear Dr. Forsythe: I have a problem with my daughter’s two-year-old Border collie that I’m now taking care of ever since she moved into an apartment to attend college. Although I love “Annie” very much, she hardly ever wants to leave my side. When I make breakfast, she is under my feet. When I go to dress, she is touching my knee with her nose. If I forget something and turn around to go back out to the kitchen from the dining room, she tries to direct me back to the dining room table. Thank the Lord when my daughter comes home for a weekend, things calm down a bit as Annie hangs out with her most of the time. But then, during the week, I don’t have a moment to myself again. Is there something I could give Annie to calm her down? – Mom on her toes
Dear Mom: Yes, I suggest agility lessons. It sounds like this Border collie needs to direct traffic, albeit human or animal traffic. Unless you plan to go out and buy her a small herd of sheep, why not look into signing up for agility lessons with her? I suggest this because they are a fun way to get great exercise for both of you as well as a wonderful bonding experience. Plus, watching this amazing breed zoom around through the course is truly astonishing. No doubt she already sounds like she is herding you around the house according to her basic instincts. Why not turn both you and this doggie into obstacle course champions? If this sounds like fun, you can contact my office at 938.4546 and we can recommend a couple places that will get you started. There are people in town who can teach you, first with theory and then with training. If that sounds too ambitious, perhaps just a daily Frisbee session would help her recreate and release her doggie energy. And I also suggest you spend time watching engaging news with her, too. In my opinion, this breed of dog understands language, so try turning on Keith Olberman’s show so she can watch stimulating talking points. Thanks for rearing that magnificent pooch. Sonoma is just a little more beautiful and a lot smarter with your pet within our town limits! – Dr. F
