Short Takes

A common disease in cats, upper respiratory tract disease (URTD) can spread quickly among cats residing in animal shelters. These infections cause discomfort in the animals, consume vital personnel and financial resources and limit adoptions. In a large urban shelter in the northeast United States, 531 kittens, 701 litters and 2,203 adult cats were observed during their stays on a daily basis over a period of 50 weeks for signs of URTD ("Descriptive epidemiology of feline upper respiratory tract disease in an animal shelter" in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 2009).

Some involved with animal welfare are critical of free adoptions of adult cats, believing it devalues the cat in the adopters eyes, or it may attract adopters who are unable to fulfill the financial responsibilities of cat ownership. Advocates believe waiving the fee for adult cats will enhance rates of adoptions, and provide opportunities to educate owners who may otherwise adopt from neighbors or may respond to "free to good home" ads.

A study published in the Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association ("Characterization of animals with microchips entering animal shelters," July 2009) determined that 7,704 microchipped animals entered 53 animal shelters between August 2007 and March 2008. Of this number, strays made up more than half (53 percent), with the remainder considered as owner-relinquished animals (41.9 percent) and other (5.1 percent). The results showed that animal shelters were able to find the owners of three-fourths of stray dogs and cats with microchips. The sucess in finding owners was higher in dogs, animals that were purebred and animals that were spayed or neutered. Animal shelters had a much higher likelihood of finding an owner when the owner information was in the shelters own database or registered with a microchip registry. The results emphasize the importance of the registration process in successfully reuniting pets and owners.

House Resolution 3501 - more commonly referred to as the Humanity and Pets Partnered Through the Years, or HAPPY Act - would amend the Internal Revenue Code to allow an individual to deduct up to $3,500 for "qualified pet care expenses."These expenses are defined as "amounts paid in connection with providing care (including veterinary care) for a qualified pet other than any expense in connection with the acquisition of the qualified pet." "Qualified pet" is defined as "a legally owned, domesticated, live animal." It does not include animals used for research or owned or used in conjunction with a trade or business. Introduced on July 31, the measure was drafted in conjunction with data from the American Pet Products Associations National Pet Owners Survey. It has been referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means. The Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC) issued a Pet Alert on Aug. 5 supporting the proposal. "Providing pet owners the opportunity to deduct pet care expenses is an important step towards ensuring that pet owners provide adequate veterinary and other necessary pet care," PIJAC stated. "It encourages responsible pet ownership and will hopefully reduce the abandonment of pets by people struggling as a result of the economic downturn."

Governor Linda Lingle, accompanied by State Civil Defense Director, Major General Robert Lee, highlighted the importance of emergency preparedness by showcasing Hawaiis ongoing emergency shelter programs for people with special health needs and pet-friendly shelters. State Civil Defense, working with the State Department of Education, county civil defense agencies, American Red Cross, Department of Health, Hawaiian Humane Society and other public and private sector partners, has designated 158 facilities statewide that may serve as Special Health Needs shelters, and another 55 facilities that may be used as Pet-Friendly shelters. These shelters are located in separate rooms or buildings on public school campuses where general population emergency shelters are also located.

Baycom Diagnostics, Inc. has developed a cost effective diagnostic kit for monitoring and testing feline and canine diabetes. Currently, veterinarians use hand held glucose meters to test cats and dogs for the potential of diabetes. These meters are a critical part of human diabetes management, yet often do not work well with small animals, are expensive and must be used several times a day. The companys president says veterinarians could administer Baycoms product in a simple, easy test once every 90 days to get an accurate measurement.

Legislation in California that seeks to mandate spay and neuter surgery for most cats and dogs has been placed on the suspense file pending further review. Senate Bill 250, introduced in February by Sen. Dean Florez, requires that dogs be spayed or neutered unless their owner gets an unaltered dog license. It also requires that roaming cats be spayed and neutered. The Senate Appropriations Committee analysis on SB 250 states that the bill has costs associated with it in the short term. As a result, it was placed on a list with other bills which have a fiscal impact on state and local governments. All bills placed on the suspense file are scheduled to be taken up together at a later date. Staff and lawmakers review all bills that are projected to cost more than $150,000, and then decide which bills will be released to the committee and voted on.

Canaries and cats have another thing in common - besides an aversion or appetite, respectively, for one another. Like the legendary canaries in the coalmines, cats can be "Sentinels for Public Health," the title of an article in Veterinary Clinics of North America (Vol. 39, Issue 2). The journal says "companion animals have an especially valuable role as sentinels because of their unique place in peoples lives, with exposure to similar household and recreational risk factors as those for the people who own them." For example, cats suffering plumbism (lead poisoning) "have led to the discovery and successful treatment of lead toxicity in children living in the same household," according to the journal. When chemicals leaked from a Georgia plant in 2006, public-health workers went door to door, asking if cats and dogs were suffering respiratory effects. And of course, cats and dogs were the first to be affected in 2007 by melamine-contaminated wheat gluten from China. The subsequent investigation stopped chicken and pork that had been fed contaminated gluten from reaching the human food supply.

What once was termed "renal failure" is now called feline chronic kidney disease (CKD), in part because the word "failure" sounded too terminal: Many cats live on for years (with treatment) with chronic kidney disease. One such survivor was the first ShortTakes office manager, the late, great Gertie. That stalwart kitty was diagnosed with renal failure in "middle age," around 11 years old. She hung on to see her 20th birthday - a little shaky toward the end - but mostly thriving with good "quality of life" thanks to expert veterinary care, therapeutic renal diets, blood pressure medicine for her hypertension, and plenty of fresh water for the thirst that goes along with kidney disease.

A study in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (Vol. 234, No. 2) found that some dietary supplements don’t dissolve fast enough to be absorbed by cats and dogs. The report was titled "Composition, disintegrative properties, and labeling compliance of commercially available taurine and carnitine dietary products" and said that two out of three (labeling and composition) were adequate. Researchers concluded: "Taurine and carnitine products evaluated in this study closely adhered to manufacturer claims and labeling guidelines. However, disintegration testing suggested high variability in some products, possibly limiting uptake and use by animals that receive them."

Here at ShortTakes office, we are on a healthcare honeymoon with Frannie, the feline "office manager" who is barely three years old. We are saving our worries (and money) for feline old age (the last ShortTakes muse, Gertie, lived to 21) when maladies like feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) are likely to strike. Just in time to start to worry comes this report in Veterinary Clinics of North America (Vol. 39 Issue 1): "Changing Paradigms of Idiopathic Feline Cystitis." Cystitis is inflammation of the urinary bladder. Idiopathic means its cause is currently unknown. However, the stressors for cystitis have been identified. The report mentions "stressful events such as earthquakes, seasonal weather changes, moves to a new home, major holidays and diet changes." That settles it, Frannie. You cant move to California during the Santa Anna winds. Or Easter-Passover holidays, either.

When veterinarians ask, "How are things at home?" they probably dont want to hear about your mortgage, your migraines or Aunt Millie in the guestroom. They should be asking about "lifestyle" issues that might be affecting the health of your cat. Problem is, too few vets do, according to a report in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA Vol. 233, No. 10) about client-veterinarian communications. The study compared verbal interactions during well-pet visits - the once-a-year checkups (or twice-yearly visits for older cats) as opposed to vet appointments when a medical problem prompted a visit. Typically, as it turns out, well-pet visits include more verbal interaction with the pets, according to the report: Wellness appointments included "twice as much verbal interaction with the pet as did problem appointments, and the emotional atmosphere of wellness appointments was generally relaxed. There were more social talk, laughter, statements of reassurance and compliments directed toward the client and the pet." In contrast, during problem visits, 90 percent of the talk focused on what the report called "biomedical topics." And that is a problem, the JAVMA report concluded, because "veterinarians may neglect lifestyle and social concerns that could impact patient management and outcomes" when focusing on biomedical issues.