For many surgeries, we use absorbable sutures underneath the skin. These will dissolve on their own, and do not need to be removed later. Some surgeries, especially tumor removals and lacerations, do require skin stitches. If there are skin sutures, these will usually be removed 10 to 14 days after surgery. You will also need to limit your pet’s activity level for a time and no baths are allowed for the first 10 days after surgery.   With either type of sutures, you will need to keep an eye on the incision for swelling or discharge. Most dogs and cats WILL chew at the incision due to discomfort or an itchy scab, it is an instinctual response to injury. Chewing and licking will only increase pain, delay healing , and cause infection. Their mouth is their own worst enemy during this time of healing. There are many products to prevent licking including cone collars, donut collars, bodysuits, t-shirts, etc.  At Wags and Whiskers Veterinary Services, we have most of these available to send home with your pet after surgery, and will highly recommend that your pet use one for 10-14 days until sutures are healed. It is best to prepare beforehand if you would like to choose your own. Ask your veterinary staff what would be best for your pet’s recovery and look for options prior to surgery. A second surgical procedure to replace chewed out sutures is more painful for your pet, more expensive, and worst of all more time in a cone collar.

House soiling is the most common behavior problem reported by cat owners. The solution to your cat’s problem will depend on the underlying causes of their behavior.

Why do cats eliminate outside the litter box?   Your cat may have litter box trouble for any number of reasons, including medical problems, an aversion to the litter box, or a preference for urinating or defecating in places outside the box.

Medical Problems

Any medical condition that interferes with a cat’s normal urination or defecation behavior can cause litter box problems. Inflammation of the urinary tract, for instance, can make urinating painful and increase the frequency and urgency of urination. These experiences can cause a cat to urinate or defecate outside the litter box, particularly if he associates the litter box with pain. Kidney and thyroid diseases as well as diabetes mellitus are also possible culprits in a failure to use the litter box, as they often lead a cat to drink more and urinate more frequently. Similarly, digestive tract problems may make it painful for a cat to defecate, increase the frequency or urgency, and decrease a cat’s control over defecation. Finally, age-related diseases that interfere with a cat’s mobility or with his cognitive functions can influence his ability to get to the litter box in time.

Litter Box Aversions

An aversion to the litter box can also lead to house soiling. It could be the box, the litter, the location of the box, or all three that your cat finds unsavory.A cat with an aversion to her litter box will usually eliminate on a variety of surfaces. You may find puddles of urine or feces on soft surfaces like carpets, beds, or clothing, or on hard surfaces like tile floors or bathtubs. Depending on how much your cat wants to avoid the litter box, he may continue to use it, but only inconsistently.

Inappropriate Site Preferences

Your cat may dislike something about your litter box, but it’s also possible he or she just prefers eliminating in another spot. In this case, the cat may have a preference for a type of surface or for a location. Cats that prefer certain surfaces usually stick with that choice. For example, a cat that finds it pleasing to eliminate on soft surfaces like clothing or carpets would be unlikely to use tile floors. Cats that prefer an alternate location often have an aversion to the current litter box location.

As with aversions, cats that prefer certain surfaces or locations may continue to use the litter box inconsistently. One cause for house soiling may lead to another. For example, a cat with a urinary tract disorder that can’t make it to the litter box in time will urinate wherever she is. She may then develop a preference for the new site and continue to eliminate there.

Urine Spraying:   When your cat rubs against your leg with his face, or scratches his scratching post, he is also depositing his scent from the glands in his cheeks and paws. Another equally normal but less pleasant marking behavior is urine spraying – the deposition of small amounts of urine around a given area. By spraying small amounts of urine around an area, a cat announces his or her presence, establishes or maintains territorial boundaries, or advertises that he or she is ready to mate.

Cats usually spray on vertical surfaces, like the backs of chairs or walls. A spraying cat will stand, lift its tail and quiver, then spray small puddles of urine in several consistent locations (see Figure 1). Cats don’t squat to spray, as they do to urinate. Cats that spray are usually unneutered males and, to a lesser extent, unspayed females, but 10% of neutered males and 5% of neutered females also spray. In households with more than seven cats, it’s likely that one or more of the cats will spray.

Cats may spray when they perceive a threat to their territory, such as when a new cat enters the home or when outside cats are nearby. Alternatively, cats may spray out of frustration with their circumstances, including such conditions as restrictive diets or insufficient playtime (a reaction that owners often misperceive as revenge), or in response to the smell of new furniture and carpet.

What you can do to stop the litter box problems

First, address the problem promptly. The longer the behavior persists, the more likely it is to become a habit.

Second, if you have more than one cat, identify the culprit. You may need to separate them to find the responsible party. Alternatively, your veterinarian can provide you with a special non-toxic stain given by mouth that will show up in the urine. In cases of defecation outside the box, you can feed one cat small pieces (about twice the size of a sesame seed) of a brightly colored non-toxic child’s crayon that will show up in the feces.

Third, if you find urine puddles in the house, you’ll need to distinguish between spraying and other forms of house soiling. Watch your cat for signs of spraying or set up a video camera to keep an eye on the situation when you’re not around.

Once you have identified the house-soiling cat, it is wise to take him to your veterinarian for a thorough physical examination and appropriate diagnostic tests to check for underlying medical problems. Cats with medical conditions may not always act sick.

Identify the Cause

Once medical causes have been ruled out, your detective work begins. Here are some patterns that may point to a cause:

• Does she prefer a certain type of surface? If so, it may be possible to modify your litter to match it. If she likes soft surfaces like carpeting, buy a softer, finer litter, and put a carpet remnant in her box. If she has a penchant for smooth, shiny surfaces, consider putting tiles in her box, covered with only a small amount of litter. Over time more litter can be added.
• Is there a certain location she prefers? She may have developed a preference for a new area because something bothered her about the old area. Try placing a litter box in her “preferred” location. Once she reliably uses it, gradually move the box just a few inches a day back to the desired location. Stop moving the box if she stops using it; instead simply move it back to the spot where she last reliably used it, then gradually begin moving it again.
• If you have multiple pets, does another animal terrorize your cat while she’s in the litter box or as she exits? This may make your cat afraid to use the box. If you currently use a covered box, replace it with one that gives her a 360-degree view. This will give her more confidence while she’s in the box and make her less prone to ambush. Also, position the box so that she has more than one way out (i.e. don’t have the box surrounded on three sides). Finally, place multiple boxes in multiple locations to give your cat more options.
• When your cat uses the box, does he cry, refuse to bury his waste, perch on the edge of the box without touching the litter, or eliminate right near the box? If so, first be sure the box is clean. Some cats refuse to use a box containing any urine or feces whatsoever.
• Your cat may dislike the litter you use, especially if you’ve recently and suddenly changed brands. If you must switch brands, do so gradually, adding small amounts of new litter to the old. Most cats prefer unscented litter.
• The box itself may be the offender. Larger cats need bigger boxes, and kittens and elderly cats need boxes with low sides. Although humans like covered boxes for reducing odor and stray litter, from your cat’s point of view, covers hold odors in. You may need to purchase several types of boxes and several types of litter to determine which combination your cat likes best. Provide as many boxes as there are cats in the house, plus one. This decreases competition and gives each cat a box of his or her own.

Will medications stop my cat from house soiling?

Anti-anxiety drugs are more likely to prevent spraying behavior than other types of house soiling. Whenever it is used, medication can only be part of the solution, and must be used in conjunction with environmental changes. Also, medication can have potentially damaging side effects, and not all cats are good candidates. Cats placed on medication for long periods must be monitored closely by a veterinarian.

What can I use to clean my cat-soiled carpet, couch, and other household items?

Cats will re-soil and spray areas they have marked with their scent, so cleaning cat-soiled items is crucial for breaking the cycle of elimination. Cleaning is most effective when it’s done soon after an item was soiled, and odors must be neutralized, not just deodorized, to escape a cat’s keen sense of smell. Avoid cleaning products containing ammonia or vinegar as they smell like urine and can be irritating.

What other methods should I consider to stop litter box problems and spraying?

• Sheets of plastic, newspaper, or sandpaper, electronic mats that deliver harmless, mild shocks, or a carpet runner with the nubs facing up can be used to discourage your cat from entering a soil-prone area.
• Try changing the significance of a soiled area. Cats prefer to eat and eliminate in separate areas, so try placing food bowls and treats in previously soiled areas. Playing with your cat in that space and leaving toys there may also be helpful.
• Try denying your cat access to a given area by closing doors, or by covering the area with furniture or plants. Baby gates will not keep a cat out of a room.
• Catch him in the act. A bell on a breakaway collar tells you his whereabouts. If you can catch him within the first seconds of his elimination routine, startle him with a water gun or shake a jar of pennies, so that he associates being startled with those actions. It is important that you startle rather than scare him; fear will only worsen the problem. Moreover, if you catch him after he’s eliminated, your window of opportunity is gone—you must catch him just as he’s about to eliminate.
• Consulting with a veterinary behaviorist may provide important insight into the cause of inappropriate elimination and potential strategies to address this common problem.

How can I stop my cat from spraying?

Because spraying is different than other types of house soiling, different tactics are necessary to manage it.

• Consider spaying or neutering. If your cat is intact, consider having him or her neutered or spayed. Cats are often driven to spray by hormones, and neutering or spaying will reduce the influence of hormones on this behavior.
• Identify and remove stimuli. Identify stimuli that cause your cat to spray. If outside cats are responsible, motion detectors that trigger sprinklers can be used to deter them from coming onto your property. Additionally, you can discourage your cat from looking outside by closing blinds or shades, or by placing double-sided tape or electronic mats that deliver mild shocks onto your windowsills.
• Ease her frustrations. If you are introducing a new diet, for instance, do it gradually or discontinue it until the spraying is under control. If boredom may be a cause, increase your cat’s playtime.
• Separate feuding cats. Spraying can result from territorial disputes between cats in the same household. They may need to be separated and reintroduced slowly, using food treats to reward and encourage peaceful behavior.
• Clean sprayed areas. Applying odor neutralizers anywhere your cat has sprayed may prevent him from spraying there again. Another useful commercial product is Feliway, a synthetic pheromone that, when applied to household surfaces, mimics the scent of cat cheek gland secretions. Many cats will not spray on areas that have this scent.

“He’s doing it to punish me!”

It’s common for owners to think cats soil in inappropriate places as a way of taking revenge, but cats probably don’t have the kind of sophisticated cognitive abilities that they would need to make these tit-for-tat calculations. What’s more, although humans are disgusted by urine and feces, cats don’t see them as unpleasant, so they would be unlikely to use waste products as weapons against their humans. House soiling can be a frustrating problem, but you should never hit, kick, or scream at a cat. Punishments like these are not only ineffective, the anxiety they cause may actually worsen the house soiling problem. Similarly, rubbing a cat’s face in its excrement is ineffective because cats are not disgusted by their urine and feces, and they cannot make the connection between the treatment and the mess, even moments after they’ve done it.

Conclusions

A common and frustrating problem, inappropriate elimination can be difficult to control. A full resolution depends on early intervention, followed by detective work to determine the cause of the behavior, and time and effort on your part to solve the problem. In partnership with veterinarians, both cats and the people who love them can live in harmony and good health.

Pet insurance is meant to protect owners from paying exorbitant medical bills when their pet gets injured or falls ill. While convenient for your peace of mind, pet-care policies can also cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year. If you’re financially secure enough to pay a large sum out of pocket for emergency pet care, you can probably do without insurance. But if you wouldn’t be able to pay thousands for an unexpected treatment, you should consider taking out an insurance policy.

Should you get pet insurance?

When deciding whether to get pet insurance, there are two main factors to consider: How much you can pay if your pet has a serious emergency and how much tolerance you have for risk. While the cost to treat ear infections or an upset stomach likely won’t break the bank, serious health problems can cost several thousand dollars. You could be faced with a hard decision if you don’t have insurance and can’t afford emergency costs.

For example, the surgery for removing a foreign object from a dog’s stomach can cost as much as $5,000. Assuming a $500 deductible and 80% reimbursement level, you could spend just $1,400 on the surgery and come out financially ahead.

Some pet owners end up paying an insurance premium for years and never receive the benefit, but it’s better to think of insurance as an annual cost. If nothing happens to your pet during one policy year, then you’ve protected your pet and your wallet for the next year.

But keep in mind, insurance is only worthwhile for large, unexpected expenses. Most insurers do not cover preexisting conditions or routine check ups. For inexpensive treatments and annual wellness exams, you’ll pay out of pocket with or without insurance.

As such, the decision to purchase pet insurance comes down to risk: How financially and emotionally comfortable are you with the risk that the bill for saving your pet’s life is out of your price range?

What are the costs of pet insurance?

The cost of pet insurance varies depending on where you live, your pet’s age and breed, and the level of coverage you want. In most cases, you’ll end up paying between $25 and $70 a month to insure your dog and between $10 and $40 a month to insure your cat.  Cost of insurance premiums that cover wellness and dental care will be substantially higher.

These costs can be lower or higher depending on how much coverage you want. For example, you can increase your premium in exchange for a larger payout when your dog or cat gets an eligible treatment.

If you’re looking to purchase a policy, get a quote from an insurer’s website. You can also compare pet insurance plans to find the policy that best matches your budget and desired level of coverage. The table below shows quotes for two sample pet profiles: a 4-year-old male Labrador and a 4-year-old female Bengal cat. For older pets, the costs of pet insurance will likely be much higher and may not be worth the expense.

Pet insurance plans

Some pet health insurance may offer premiums to cover preventive wellness and dental care, which are very beneficial due to dental disease being the most common chronic disease in animals.  Average cost of wellness and dental care will run $1200-1500 annually.  Even though you easily could be paying $100 premium per month($1200 annual) for these types of wellness insurance plans you really aren’t receiving cost savings.  However, the benefits of these wellness insurance plans give you the resource and piece of mind you can afford the annual care for dental disease and not delay treatment of painful inflammatory dental disease that affects your pets well being on a daily basis.  The main real benefit of buying regular pet insurance coverage is for accident and illness protection — so make sure your policy covers both. Most policies are customizable and allow policyholders to choose their deductible, reimbursement level, and annual or incident maximum.

Your deductible — ranging from $0 to $1,000 for most plans — is what you must pay for treatment before insurance kicks in. Reimbursement options are usually available from 50% to 100%, meaning you can choose to be partially or fully reimbursed. The range for annual and incident maximums varies from as low as $1,000 to higher than $15,000, though you’ll pay substantially more for a higher max.

Finally, it’s important to note that pet insurance is different from human health insurance. Whereas companies that cover humans pay for medical fees upfront, pet insurance companies require owners to pay the veterinary office for medical bills at time of service and then apply for reimbursement. Some owners express frustration at the reimbursement process and are surprised to learn that certain conditions aren’t covered. If you’re unsure about what’s covered, read your contract and ask the company questions about your plan.

CBD Oils and Marijuana Exposure

With the more readily available access of recreational marijuana in homes due to recent legalization, veterinarians are seeing a rise in pets with marijuana intoxication.  Pets generally come into contact with it through eating leftover baked goods, dried leaf and bud ingestion, and eating butts of marijuana cigarettes.  Please take note that there is a lethal dose for pets, but most pets ingest a toxic dose.  Intoxication in pets causes a multitude of signs that do not mirror the THC high a person gets.  Your pet will experience many or some signs of intoxications or a rapid change between many of the signs making it hard to exactly pinpoint what is wrong with your  animal.  Marijuana/ THC signs include muscle tremors, bizarre/erratic behaviors, disorientation, vomiting, salivation, seizures, darting eyes, dilated  pupils, stumbling, depression, low heart rate, hypothermia, and or rapidly changing sign between  all of the above.  Many of these signs will persist for 24-48 hours.  If your pet is showing any of these signs please seek veterinary care for decontamination if possible, supportive care, and symptomatic treatment until the animal is deemed safe from  permanent  damage or death.  Generally the prognosis is  good for your animal to return back to normal  health after appropriate treatments are administered.  Please be responsible and keep all  marijuana containing items out of pet’s reach and disposed of in a garbage they will not get into.

CBC oils for animals: what pet owners should know. 

Let me first start by saying that the CBC oil industry is a multibillion dollar industry which has been driven in the market place as safe and all natural cure-all for just about anything. Taking that into mind, consumers must note that it is illegal for any supplement products to make claims of therapy for conditions that  have not been  studied, licensed by the FDA, and are not subject to rigorous quality control protocols that assure these products meet label claims.  As with any other supplement,  there is an 80% chance the  CBD oil in the products you purchase do not contain therapeutic amounts of the CBD oil.  Do your homework and consult animal medical care teams at you family veterinarian so you know the following key factors: that you are using it for a condition veterinarians know it helps;  that you are seeking out a quality source; that your pet is being dose appropriately for its medical condition; and that doses can be modified if you are not happy with the response to therapy you hoped for.

In simple terms, CBD oil is a product  that  comes from either a hemp or cannabis ( cannabis contains THC).  Hemp derived CBD oil should have < 0% THC and Marijuana/cannabis  CBD oil should contain < 0.3% THC.

In veterinary studies, CBD oil has been found to help with chronic pain and seizures at specific doses. We are really hoping for positive results on anxiety, but that is still in the works.  We also  know  what CBD dosing forms are effective, for example treat vs. oil vs. capsules, bases on the CBD oil’s ability to  withstand different processing mechanisms.   Take home message here is that not all CDB products are effective.  Quality supplements will include a NASC(National Animal Supplement Council) or NSF seal.  Look  for this on your product label of any supplement you consider using.  You can have  much more confidence you will be getting a quality product, and not throwing you money away for a non viable supplement.

 If you are considering using CBD oil for your pets  chronic conditions such as arthritis, chronic pain, or seizures. Please consult your veterinarian for  dosing and what products to consider.  Pain management is a huge topic in human medicine and it is getting a lot of attention in animal life quality in the last decade.  Acute pain is another subject all together, if your animal suddenly develops pain or is acutely injured this is not the time nor place to go searching for CBD oil pain relief.  Delayed medical care  could debilitate the animals condition even further.

Animal CBD product lines are being developed, however state and federal laws may prohibit a veterinary facility from selling the products due to grey areas in licensing and distributing controlled substances by the DEA and State Pharmacy Boards. Currently, veterinarians are prohibited from prescribing marijuana or any other class 1 controlled substance.  This is most unfortunate as most people are getting there information from word of mouth, internet claims, product advertisements, store employees, or dispensary employees.  The goal of a veterinarian is to get you accurate unbiased, medically supported information per the ethics that guide our profession.