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The Doctors Book of Home Remedies: Pet Problems

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Pet Problems

33 Treatments for Cats and Dogs

Debbie's lovely, mischievous, black-and-white Old English sheepdog, Tobi, has been out chasing bunnies from the lettuce patch again. Those funny bunnies led her into Foxtail Field, through Tick Towne, and right to the doorstep of their dear friend, Sally Skunk, the local cosmetics rep. "Dingdong!" Sally chimes over her shoulder. "Try this new fragrance, Tobi. It's called Gotcha! Like it?" Tobi doesn't, but she takes a sample home to Debbie—just in case.

Meanwhile, Debbie, home from a hard day's work at the butcher shop, has collapsed on the couch. That's the signal for the Charge of the Flea Brigade, which gained access to Debbie's castle on that Trojan Cat named Marmalade. As Debbie scratches her ankles, a reeking, sticker-covered, matted Tobi bursts in and bounds into her lap. Marmalade flees. Debbie faints.

THE SKUNK WORKS

With a dog like Tobi, it's hard to know where to start, so let's begin with the most obvious.

Do the doggy douche. A commercial vinegar-and-water douche comes in handy at the oddest moments. The vinegar is helpful for covering up skunk odor, says veterinary technician Mary Ann Scalaro of Hollis Veterinary Hospital in Hollis, New Hampshire. Be sure to apply it externally, though. Pour it over your pet and rub it in. Sponge it on the face. Use rubber gloves to protect yourself from the skunk odor. Don't let the animal get wet again, because water will wash out the vinegar and the smell will return.

You will probably need several bottles, Scalaro says, and you'll have to repeat the treatment at least once.

MEDICAL ALERT

Problems That Need Help FAST!

The trouble with dogs and cats is that they can't speak a language, other than the body type. They can't tell you, "I'm throwing up today, but I'll be okay tomorrow. It must have been the garbage I ate." Many symptoms are common to both serious diseases as well as innocuous passing ailments.

This medical alert guide, with advice from Amy Marder, V.M.D., a clinical assistant professor of medicine at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine, tells you when a symptom is serious enough to warrant a doctor's emergency care. These symptoms could mean your pet's life is literally on the line. Call your veterinarian immediately for advice.

Blood in the stool, bleeding from mouth and rectum, or vomiting and bloody diarrhea can be signs of many things, including internal hemorrhage from poisoning.
Copious diarrhea that comes on every half hour or hour, with no eating or drinking in between, can cause shock.
Difficulty in breathing, especially with blue gums, can be a sign of heart failure.
Abdominal swelling with attempts to vomit, especially in the deep-chested dog breeds, is a symptom of bloat, "a serious emergency," Dr. Marder says, often requiring immediate surgery.
Frequent drinking and urination, accompanied by depression, vomiting, diarrhea, and discharge of reddish mucus, six to eight weeks after heat in an unspayed, intact (virgin) female dog or cat are signs of pyometra, which is very common and very deadly. It comes on slowly over months or years, and is also marked by irregular heat periods.
Difficulty in giving birth is an emergency. Some strain is involved in a normal birth, but if there's continuous labor without results, it could be life threatening.
Seizures should be reported to a vet immediately. The cause could be poisoning. Don't try to restrain the animal during convulsions.

Get your pet juiced. Tomato juice works about the same as vinegar because of its high acidity, Scalaro says. Use it the same way you would vinegar. Its drawbacks are that it's red (meaning Tobi would be black and white and red all over). And it's messy and sticky. Also, you will need a lot of it. Still, it's better than skunk odor.

Use "made-to-odor" products. Capitalism comes to your rescue again. There are at least two enzyme odor-eaters on the market: Skunk-Off and Odor Mute. Each has its own odor. They work by combining with pure skunk to create a whole new smell that's not nearly as wretched. "Skunk-Off works surprisingly well," says Deborah Patt, V.M.D., who practices in the town of Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania, "and it won't hurt clothing or furniture."

A nonenzyme product is Skunk-Kleen. It has no odor of its own, doesn't create one when it meets up with skunk smell, and it is safe to use, say its manufacturers. Still another product is Elimin-Odor. These products should work immediately, although they often require repeat applications. They are available at pet stores.

FREEDOM FROM FLEAS

We challenge you to come up with one really good reason for fleas to exist in a just world. In nine months, two fleas can generate 222 trillion descendants. They can live two years, they're built to survive the most frigid winters, and they can go months without eating. They can cause anemia and transmit disease and parasites. To defeat the Charge of the Flea Brigade, Debbie has to create a flea-cological disaster area.

Go for a dip. In Texas, the fleas are so big they have dogs. Marvin Samuelson, D.V.M., director of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at Texas A&M University, says traditional insecticide dips are the most powerful weapons against fleas. "They have better penetration than sprays or powders," he says. "And they dry as a powder to keep working."

These dips, however, can be toxic, he warns, and "misuse is common. Follow the instructions carefully. And don't use a dog dip on cats." What's good for Tobi can kill Marmalade.

Proceed prudently with powders. "Powders can be helpful but are frequently misused," Dr. Samuelson says. "The problem is in the labeling, which says to sprinkle or dust the animal. Well, 'sprinkle' means a pinch to one person and half the can to another."

Spook 'em with sprays. "It's pretty hard to overdo sprays because they're the least toxic, but that's why they're not good for heavy infestations," Dr. Samuelson says. "But they can help prevent new infestations."

Use caution with collars. Collars also can't handle heavy infestations, he says, "and they can be toxic to the pet because the exposure accumulates over a long period of time." But they work like sprays against new invasions. They can also help keep a flea-free dog free of future fleas.

Cool 'em with linalool. It's understandable if you're leery of heavy-duty chemicals. You can thank Ohio State University professor of entomology Fred Hink, Ph.D., for finding deadly (to fleas) poisons in orange peels. He discovered the newest proven flea killers on the market. D-limonene and linalool. They are probably the only insecticides available that will kill adults, larvae, and eggs, he says. Linalool is more deadly to adults and eggs than it is to larvae, but it's more deadly to larvae than D-limonene.

Linalool, however, has its limits. Neither linalool nor D-limonene works as well against adults as traditional insecticides, and neither has a residual effect. "That makes coverage of large areas difficult," Dr. Hink says. You may feel the positives—low toxicity to pets and high toxicity to eggs and larvae—outweigh the negatives, though.

Linalool and D-limonene are available together in a pump spray (brand name: Flea Stop) at pet supply stores.

Catch them in bed. sprays, dips, powders. It doesn't matter what you use. Treating the animal isn't enough. "You also have to treat the pet's bedding," Dr. Hink says, "and the immediate area where the pet hangs out—including your bed and furniture. It's best used in a small space where you can get thorough coverage."

"It's important to treat the environment and vehicles as well as the animal," Dr. Samuelson agrees.

Forget electronic warfare. Those high-tech, expensive flea collars that house an ultrasound monitor and look like a goiter around your pet's neck are getting a lot of attention, but "they don't work." Dr. Hink says. "They have no effect on adult fleas. Fleas and other insects, as far as we know, simply have no receptors for those wavelengths."

Protect your home against invasion. The least toxic ecological method is to use an insect growth regulator. It contains methaprene, which has the brand name Precor. "This inhibits development of the flea larvae by blocking the pupa stage," Dr. Samuelson says. "It doesn't kill existing fleas, but it stops their reproduction. It's not toxic to warm-blooded animals." Methaprene is deactivated by sunlight, so it's only good in the house, where most fleas live anyway, and in the car, where you and your pet have surely deposited them. Treat your home, especially your pet's bedding, twice a year.

Get them while they're young. Many products with methaprene also contain a pesticide to kill existing fleas, Dr. Samuelson says. These products are marked with a II—like Precor II. They are more toxic but also act more quickly. They can be used inside a doghouse or kennel not exposed to sunlight. But remember that if your animal comes indoors, indoors is where most fleas will live and breed.

Treat cats differently. Because cats groom themselves, they eat fleas and are more subject to tapeworms, which fleas carry. Because cats hate water and are not fond of hissing sounds, you can guess that cats don't like dips or sprays. Dr. Samuelson recommends you use a flea-killing dry bath foam made especially for cats. A dog preparation is too potent.

Call on Avon. Avon's bath oil, Skin-So-Soft, has been shown to be an effective flea repellent. University of Florida researchers sponge-dipped flea-ridden dogs with a solution of 1.5 ounces of Skin-So-Soft to 1 gallon of water. A day later, flea counts had dropped 40 percent. "Fleas have a keen sense of smell," the researchers reported, speculating they don't like Skin-So-Soft's woodland fragrance. Although it clearly isn't as effective as standard flea dip, they said, adding the bath oil to an insecticide dip helps mask the insecticide odor and gives the animal's coat a glossy sheen.

GETTING OUT OF A HOT SPOT

You might call them hot spots, or summer eczema, but when your pet is literally mutilating himself trying to relieve itching, you want to do something about it.

"There is no such disease as summer eczema in dogs," says Donna Angarano, D.V.M., an associate professor of dermatology at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University. Most of the time in dogs, you're seeing flea allergy at work. It's not the flea bite but the flea saliva that's driving your pet mad, and just one flea is enough. This should be diagnosed by a vet because other allergies, parasites, and illnesses can also cause "summer eczema."

Kill the fleas. If you know it's flea allergy, you know what to do, having read this far. You have to go after the fleas. The allergy often worsens with age, Dr. Angarano says. "You can't cure the allergy," adds Dr. Samuelson, "but you can remove the cause. Some studies link flea allergy to a boom-or-bust cycle. Owners let fleas get out of control, then kill them all, then lose control again." So don't let fleas run rampant in the first place.

The Alternate Route

Natural Flea Control

If chemical warfare is not for you, there are natural methods to control fleas. They may take some extra time and effort, but to many animal lovers it's the only way to go. Here are natural remedies for flea control, recommended by Richard Pitcairn, D.V.M., Ph.D.

Groom daily. This may be a big task if you have a big dog, but it's important if you want to control the flea population, says Dr. Pitcairn. Use a fine-toothed flea comb, if the coat is short enough for this technique.

Give an herb bath. At the first sign of a flea, bathe your pet with a natural pet shampoo that contains flea-repellent herbs. Pennyroyal or eucalyptus oil boost the bathwater's flea-killing power. A badly flea-infested dog needs a bath about every two weeks; a cat, about once a month.

Be clean, clean, clean. "In summer, wash the pet's bedding in hot, soapy water once a week, and dry it in a hot dryer," Dr. Pitcairn says, "Also, vacuum your rugs every two to three days. Ninety percent of fleas are found where the animal sleeps."

Use natural powders. They contain such herbs as rosemary, rue, wormwood, pennyroyal, eucalyptus, or citronella, and sometimes tobacco powder. You can also dust the powder, or just diatomaceous earth, in all the nooks and crannies you can't reach by vacuuming.

Diatomaceous earth removes the fleas' waxy coating and dries them out, which kills them. Cautions: Wear a dust mask to avoid the easily inhaled, finely ground diatomaceous earth used in swimming pool filters; and pennyroyal and tobacco powder in large quantities can be toxic to you and pets.

Attack internally. Finally, add garlic and brewer's yeast to your pet's daily diet. Even try rubbing the yeast into your pet's fur. Both ingredients are said to make a flea's taste buds curl in disgust. There's no scientific proof, but some pet owners swear by it.

Treat the wound. Clip the hair off around the hot spot, clean it with warm water, and apply an astringent to dry it out. Dr. Angarano recommends Domeboro powder available over-the-counter. Alcohol works, too, but it stings, so it should be diluted. Sulfadene is also effective, but it contains alcohol.

Ease the sting. A product containing aloe vera may help soothe and dry. "Powders and ointments often make it worse," Dr. Angarano says.

Keep it clean. An open wound like a hot spot is a natural for a bacterial infection, so the wound must be monitored and kept clean.

IT'S A MAT, MAT, MAT, MAT WORLD

Laura Martin knows mats. She raises Old English sheepdogs just like Tobi at her Jen-Kris Kennels in North Barrington, Illinois. She's got some tips for Debbie.

Cut vertically. "Most people cut mats horizontally, parallel to the skin," Martin says. "Of course, that leaves a big hole. You should cut a mat vertically, moving out away from the skin from the base of the mat. That way you cut the matted hair lying horizontally, but leave the hair that's still vertical. You'll be breaking big mats into smaller and smaller ones, and you'll have nowhere near as big a hole when you're done." Use sharp-edged but blunt-tipped scissors.

Let your fingers do dematting. When you get down to the smaller mats, pull them apart with your fingers, Martin says, and then comb or brush them out with a metal-toothed comb or a wire pin brush.

Spray 'em away. Well, not exactly. But if you use a protein-lanolin spray, let it sit 10 minutes, and then cut, Martin says, "It will cut the procedure in half time-wise."

Toe the line. "Cut them horizontally and remove the whole clump," Martin says of mats between the toes.

TICK TALK

Ticks are another form of life for which it's hard to discover a truly useful purpose. They suck blood, spread Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease, and are ugly to boot. But at least they're easier to control than fleas.

Groom them away. After your dog comes in from the fields or woods, go over him with a fine-toothed flea comb, says Richard Pitcairn, D.V.M., Ph.D., of the Animal Natural Health Center in Eugene, Oregon. This will help to catch ticks that haven't attached themselves yet. Concentrate around the neck and head and under the ears.

Pull them out. Use your fingers. Get a good grimace on your face, grab the tick as close to your pet's skin as possible, then twist and pull gradually. Then say, "ooh yecch! Grrrosss!" and wash your hands immediately. If you pull slowly, you will get the head out, too. But if you don't, it's not a major concern. Leaving the head embedded may cause a minor inflammation, but it clears up rapidly, Dr. Pitcairn says.

Do a double dip. Most flea dips will also kill ticks, he says. Be sure, also, to treat tick infestation as you would flea infestation—ecologically.

STICKER STRATEGY

Tobi picks up stickers like Velcro. Most of the time, stickers are just a hassle to remove, and if you leave them in, they can mat fur. But sometimes they're more dangerous. Foxtails, for instance, can literally burrow their way into ears and through skin and body openings, causing severe infections, Dr. Pitcairn says. Removal of stickers is essential.

Comb or brush them out. Use a stainless steel comb with wide teeth to pull stickers out of fur before matting begins, Dr. Pitcairn advises. Hold the comb against the skin to make the grooming easier.

Use your fingers. If there are only a few stickers, or if they're in the ears or between the toes, use your fingers to pull them out (at least they're not ticks). If the sticker is too deep in the ear for you to see, however, don't try to remove it. You may push it right through the eardrum, Dr. Pitcairn warns. Instead, put some vegetable or mineral oil in the ear to soften the sticker and take your pet to the doctor as soon as possible.

MASSACRE EAR MITES

Ear mites are pesky little critters that can drive your cat or dog nuts. Once cursed, pets seem to have the problem for life. Ears that seem very itchy and have dark debris, like coffee grounds, down in the ear, are the telltale signs that your pet's ears have visitors.

Although prescription medication is the normal method of attack, Dr. Pitcairn recommends this natural remedy.

The herb mite helper. Mix 1/2 ounce of almond oil and 400 international units of vitamin E in a dropper bottle, Dr. Pitcairn says. Once a day for three days put a dropperful or two in each ear and massage the ear well. Let your pet shake its head and then clean out the opening with cotton swabs. The oily mixture smothers the mites and helps healing. Between uses refrigerate the mixture, and warm it up before each use.

Let the pet's ears rest for three days while you brew up a new medicine. Add 1 pint of boiling water to 1 slightly rounded teaspoon of yellow dock. Cover tightly and steep 30 minutes. Strain and let cool. Put the mixture in a clear bottle and keep it in the refrigerator.

Begin another three-day treatment as outlined above, stop for ten days, and repeat for another three days. Warm the yellow dock solution before putting it in your pet's ears; he will be more accepting of the treatment if the solution is not ice cold. Make sure it is warm and not hot.

"If your pet's ears seem irritated, either from mite infection or the herbs, use only the almond oil and vitamin E until the irritation fades," Dr. Pitcairn says. "If the ears are inflamed or very sensitive, use bottled aloe vera gel instead of the oil until the inflammation subsides."

PANEL OF ADVISERS

Donna Angarano, D.V.M., is an associate professor of dermatology at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University in Alabama.

Fred Hink, Ph.D., is a professor of entomology at Ohio State University in Columbus.

Amy Marder, V.M.D., is a clinical assistant professor of medicine at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine in Medford, Massachusetts. She is also president of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior and a columnist for Prevention magazine.

Laura Martin is a breeder of Old English sheepdogs in North Barrington, Illinois. She has been breeding and showing dogs for 20 years.

Deborah Patt, V.M.D., helps run a small animal clinic, the Patt Veterinary Hospital, with her father in Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania.

Richard Pitcairn, D.V.M., Ph.D., of the Animal Natural Health Center in Eugene, Oregon, is the author of Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats.

Marvin Samuelson, D.V.M., is director of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at Texas A&M University in College Station.

Mary Ann Scalaro is a veterinary technician at the Hollis Veterinary Hospital in Hollis, New Hampshire.

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