Animal Airwaves

Have you ever wondered why cats’ claws retract and dogs’ claws don’t? It all has to do with function dictating form.

Cats are solitary hunters that surprise their prey. Retracting claws let their footpads support them in silence. They also use their claws to kill their prey, so they must keep them sharp. If a cat’s claws were always extended, surface contact would wear them down.

Dogs are another story — they’re pack hunters that chase their prey to exhaust them before the kill. They use their claws to gain traction and make quick turns.

So, what about cheetahs that run at high speeds? They also need their claws for traction. Despite being cats, their claws function more like dogs’.

What is it about cats and closed doors? Why do so many of our feline friends swipe, scratch and paw to get under or through them?

There are likely several reasons. Feline FOMO is one of them — their fear of missing out. Cats are very curious by nature, and they want to keep tabs on everything happening in their ’hood. In the wild, they’re both prey and predator, so they must be super vigilant to stay alive and be successful hunters.

Cats also like to have control and make their own choices, and that doesn’t happen when their human closes them out. Closing a door also changes their environment, and they can’t stand that, either.

Many cats also love the attention they get from their human family members — the ones who are often behind those closed doors.

The bird flu doesn’t only affect birds — cats are vulnerable to it as well. Since 2022, over 80 cases of bird flu have been reported in domestic cats.

Most of those cats were from dairy farms, but some were indoor cats with no known exposure to animals shedding the virus. It is surmised that they may have consumed virus-contaminated raw diets or unpasteurized milk. Some commercial raw food brands were recalled recently after testing positive for the virus and being linked to illness and death in cats.

Nearly 70% of cats infected with bird flu will die, so it’s not worth taking a chance on a raw food diet. Even freezing temperatures won’t destroy viruses, so stick with commercial pet foods that are heat-treated to get the job done.

Mexico is on the verge of joining other regions in eliminating dog-transmitted rabies. These include the U.S., Western Europe, Canada, Japan, and some Latin American countries. Other places, like Australia and many Pacific islands, have never had the problem.

But make no mistake. Nearly 60,000 people around the world still die from rabies every year. Some countries still have high rates of canine-transmitted rabies. And just about everywhere, rabies is spread by wildlife, like bats, raccoons, skunks, and other mammals.

So, it remains crucial to vaccinate pets and livestock while also raising public awareness about how rabies is spread. That’s best done with a One Health approach, which recognizes that environmental, animal, and human health are intertwined.

If you’re a pooch parent, your ears likely prick up at the mention of canine kennel cough. But what is it, and how can you best protect your dog?

Kennel cough isn’t just one disease, it’s a group of viral and bacterial diseases collectively known as canine infectious respiratory disease complex.

The classic sign of kennel cough is a persistent honking cough. But depending on the infection involved and the strength of your dog’s immune system, signs can range from lethargy and loss of appetite to pneumonia and other severe illnesses.

Because kennel cough is highly contagious, vaccination can lower the risk of infection and reduce the severity of illness. During outbreaks, it’s also important to limit your pooch’s contact with other dogs.

One new example of a designer pet is the so-called bully cat. They’re meant to be feline versions of American bully XL dogs, like pit bulls but stockier and with shorter coats.

Bully cats are produced by mutant breeding, which combines specific genetic mutations to achieve a certain look. Here, a mutation causing hairlessness in sphinx cats is crossed with another that causes short legs in munchkin cats.

But the bully cat’s quality of life takes a real hit. Hairless cats are more susceptible to respiratory infections, skin cancer — even impaired navigation due to their lack of whiskers. What’s more, their short legs limit jumping and can be painful.

Remember, money talks — and we can withhold support from breeders who create cats with extreme traits.

If you have backyard chickens and are confused about the bird flu, you’re not alone.

The bird flu in the news these days refers to highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI. It’s spread by the H5N1 virus that you’ve been hearing about.

Waterfowl can spread H5N1 in their saliva and droppings even if they don’t look sick. But the bird flu is rapidly fatal in chickens, so limiting the spread of disease is crucial. That includes preventing flock contact with wild birds, keeping their living area clean and not sharing materials or birds with other folks. New chickens should be quarantined at least 30 days before introducing them to your flock.

Also, make sure to contact your veterinarian immediately if you notice any of your birds looking “off.”

During Colorado’s Marshall Fire in 2021, about 1,000 pets died, including many that were home alone. That prompted the development of an app to help other pets avoid similar fates.

Now that free app, Pet Help & Rescue, is available in iPhone and Android app stores. It’s a messaging app that allows trusted neighbors to enter your home and evacuate your pets when you’re away.

Once you download the app, you enter contact information for yourself and info about your pets — for example, their names and descriptions, photos, favorite hiding spots, and the location of any meds and Go bags. Next, you invite chosen neighbors to enter their contact data.

Then if you’re away during an emergency, the app can send an urgent message out to all your contacts. They’ll know what to do next.

When most people think of farm animals, they conjure traditional farm species, such as ruminants, poultry, swine and horses. But veterinarians also play an important role in the farming of fish and other aquatic species for food, ornamental trade and research. On this show, Dr. Ruth Francis-Floyd, a professor and extension veterinarian, will discuss why practicing veterinarians as well as student trainees are becoming more interested in the specialty of aquaculture, and its benefits to the veterinary profession as well as to the public.

Veterinarians in the military play a vital role in rebuilding and improving animal care systems in underdeveloped and war-torn countries. They also provide valuable public health capabilities through veterinary medical and surgical care, food safety and defense, and biomedical research and development. On this show, Dr. Chris Lanier, a veterinary clinical pathology specialist who served for 20 years as an Army Veterinary Corps officer, will share his insights about the range of experience military service can provide to veterinarians, how the public benefits and why future veterinarians might consider a role in the military as a potential career.