Sleepy cats, itchy dogs and more
Dear Dr. Forsythe: Our cat seems to be sleeping more than usual. He used to walk in and out of my legs in the morning, but now he chooses to sleep in. We don’t know if this is just normal aging or there could be something wrong. Would a vitamin help? Sign me – Sampson’s keeper
Dear Sampson’s keeper: It is not unusual for cats to sleep more as they age. Even though some cats are such creatures of habit that we can set our alarms by them, as they age, some of these habits – such as sleeping, roaming, and playing can change in terms of duration, style and frequency. Cats do like to sleep, and it is one of the skills they have mastered to perfection. As long as Sampson is acting normally after he does get up, there is probably nothing to worry about. Is he eating well, drinking normally, and eliminating as before? Does he still run the household? If the answers to these questions is yes, he is probably fine but aging like a great Cabernet. But if there are more signals such as hiding, drinking more, crying out, or just not acting “himself” in other ways, I’d have him checked out by your veterinarian. I rarely diagnose vitamin deficiency as a primary health problem in a cat, but I also do not discount the benefits of a good multivitamin either. Will a vitamin change the world? Probably not, but since it won’t hurt your Sampson and may even help pep him up a bit, I say go ahead and give it a try. – Dr. F.
Dear Dr. Forsythe: My poodle has a tendency to chew her feet almost all the time. I have tried telling her “ no” and even scolding her to keep her from doing this. Her pretty white feet are now pink and look so terrible, is there anything I can do to improve them? I’ve been told this is probably allergies, and I give her Benadryl already, but it really hasn’t helped much. I wanted a white dog, and she is turning brownish pink as the months roll by. – A.C., Glen Ellen
Dear A.C. The cause of the pink color in white curly dogs is from porphyrin pigments in the saliva that get onto the fur when a pet licks itself. The itchiness is so annoying to an allergic pet that they lick themselves to soothe and provide relief, and this can also lead to chewing. The redness and inflammation become chronic and the best way to fix the problem is to understand and combat the underlying problem: allergies. This can be done thru blood testing (if condition is severe) or you can try a food “trial” and place your pet on a special limited antigen protein to see if this eliminates the itchiness and clears the skin up. Many doctors choose to simply treat with antihistamines or light steroids to give immediate relief. A medication such as Temaril P contains antihistamine plus steroid in the tablet, and some doctors prescribe this at a tapering dose to alleviate licking and chewing so healing can begin. Remember though, come hell or high water, it is crucial to keep your poodle on a flea/tick preventative YEAR ROUND because ecto parasites are usually the leading cause of skin problems in pets. Good luck getting your poodle back to a stunning white color! – Dr. F.
Dear Dr. Forsythe: I just wanted to let you know I liked the advice you gave the person who had the Chihuahua but couldn’t spell the breed. I don’t come to your hospital and I don’t even know you, but I am a fan of your column and I think what you said was really good advice. I’m not really sure why you said “sic” at her, but I think it is wrong to do what she did. – A Fan
Dear Fan: Thanks for the vote of support. I did NOT want to be too hard, but then again I worship the ground all Chihuahuas walk on. And by the way, I placed “sic” after leaving the incorrect spelling of Chihuahua to show all my readers that it was done on purpose! (That is the correct way to leave an original spelling or other error in place for originality without having the reader think you made the error, a sort of English teacher’s CYA in action! I assure you, I was not calling anyone “sick”. Thanks for being a fan; I hope you keep reading the column. – Dr. Forsythe
