Animal Airwaves

For dogs with severe hip dysplasia that progresses in spite of conservative treatment, total hip replacement can restore their quality of life.

The hip joint is a classic ball-and-socket structure. The ball at the top of the thigh bone should fit smoothly into a cup-shaped part of the pelvis. In dogs with hip dysplasia, that fit is damaged. So, in a total hip replacement, both sites are removed and replaced with implants.

Postoperative pain management is critical, as is canine rehabilitation, which is a dog’s version of physical therapy. The animal’s activity must be strictly limited for at least three months, including crate confinement when the rest of the family is away.

If pet parents follow their veterinarian’s instructions to a T, their dogs will very likely regain excellent function.

A recently published case report from the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences described two dogs that suffered toxicity after accidentally ingesting a livestock feed additive.

Ractopamine is often used as a growth promoter in cattle, pigs and poultry. As a beta-agonist, it can severely damage the heart muscle — as in dogs with access to feed or storage areas.

Both dogs presented with muscle tremors and severe ventricular arrythmias. However, standard treatments for the abnormal cardiac rhythms were ineffective — but beta-blockers did the trick.

This report alerts veterinarians to a novel cause of unexplained ventricular arrhythmias in dogs and details effective treatment. The earlier these dogs are treated, the better their chances are for survival.

Just like their right-handed or left-handed parents, dogs may have a paw preference.

A newly developed test includes four tasks that help determine a dog’s laterality, or pawedness. In one test, a dog is given a KONG toy filled with food, and the technician notes which paw the dog uses to steady it. The paw used to reach for a snack under furniture is also recorded. The technician also notes the paw chosen to take the first step down a staircase, as well as the paw that’s extended when the dog steps off a curb.

Laterality isn’t just a matter of curiosity. Whether a dog is right-pawed or left-pawed may be related to their behavior, emotions and reasoning. For example, left-pawed dogs may be more pessimistic than their right-pawed brethren, while ambidextrous dogs may be more fearful or aggressive.

If you’re a pooch parent, blastomycosis should be on your radar — especially if your dog’s a digger.

Blastomycosis is a fungal infection that most often affects dogs along river valleys in the Midwest as well as in the Southeast. It’s not contagious. Instead, dogs can get infected when they inhale mold spores from the soil.

Signs of blastomycosis — including fever, depression, respiratory problems and weight loss — usually take weeks to months to appear. Infection can spread to other parts of the body, too, with signs referring to the site of infection.

Treatment with antifungal medications generally results in a 50 to 75 percent recovery rate — but only after a dog has been treated for months. As with any infection, the earlier treatment is started, the better.

Good nutrition is key to managing feline diabetes. It may even help cats achieve diabetic remission — that is, maintenance of normal glucose levels for over four months without treatment.

In a recent trial, 72 overweight, diabetic, insulin-treated cats were fed the same specialized diet, but one group received maintenance portions while the other was fed calorie-restricted meals. After three months, 50 percent of cats in the calorie-restricted group achieved diabetic remission compared to 30 percent in the maintenance group. Even in those not achieving remission, insulin doses were reduced in 36 percent of cats in the calorie-restricted group.

In overweight diabetic cats, feeding a calorie-restricted diet with low-digestible carbohydrate and an increased nutrient-to-calorie ratio is a robust treatment tool.

For some pet parents, boarding their furry friends may be the only option when they’re away from home. But don’t despair. There are ways to help ease the stress on all of you.

Beforehand — particularly if your pet is medically compromised, elderly or super anxious — ask your veterinarian if boarding is a good idea.

Then, plan ahead by touring the boarding facility to ensure it will meet your pet’s needs. High-octane dogs often thrive on outside access and planned playtime, while cats generally enjoy quieter areas where they don’t have to face each other. If a facility won’t give you a tour or is lax about vaccinations, beware. These could be red flags regarding safety.

Bringing familiar items from home can also help, provided that your pet won’t destroy them and create a safety issue.

At least 32 states have laws that prohibit leaving an animal in a vehicle in dangerous conditions, or they provide civil immunity to folks who break in to save them.

Some laws specify that conditions must be life-threatening, including extremely hot or cold temperatures, poor ventilation or inadequate food or water. Others merely state that conditions must pose a likely threat to the animal’s health and safety.

Good Samaritans are usually required to follow several rules, including noting that forced entry is the only way to save the animal, calling 911 or local law enforcement first and remaining on the scene until they arrive.

Remember, animals are at risk in milder conditions than you might think. In 70-degree weather, it takes only 20 minutes for the inside of a vehicle to reach 100 degrees.

When it comes to testing bear-resistant camping equipment, the bears have the last word.

To be labeled “bear-resistant,” products have to pass bear-assisted tests, and the grizzlies at Washington State University’s Bear Research, Education, and Conservation Center are happy to oblige — and have been since 2022.

To warrant a bear-resistant rating, a product must weather 60 minutes of bears’ active efforts to breach it. Bears are wily, and each has its preferences when it comes to breaking and entering.

The testing process has benefits all around. Bear-resistant products reduce bears’ habituation to humans, and testing provides enrichment and physical activity for resident bears. And if a product can survive all this and still work for humans, it’s likely market-ready.

The oddest of odd animals on earth has to be the platypus. It’s a duck-billed mammal with flippers and a beaver-like tail and is one of only five species of mammals that lay eggs. The females make milk but have no nipples, and the males have venomous spurs on their hind legs. They’re exquisitely sensitive to electrical fields and use special sensory organs in their bills to detect prey in mud and murky water. They also glow under ultraviolet light.

Now, researchers have found that platypuses have pigment-producing intracellular structures more like those in birds than mammals. These help give birds their bright iridescent colors, but the reason for their presence in platypuses — a first in mammals — remains unknown.

It’s just one more mystery to solve in the perplexing platypus.

While pet-proofing our homes, potential exposure to heavy metals often escapes our notice — but it can make our pets really sick.

Zinc intoxication usually results from swallowing pennies minted after 1982 when they became copper-coated zinc disks. Pets may also chew galvanized wire in their crates or lick zinc-containing diaper creams or sunscreens.

Lead poisoning often occurs when pets ingest paint chips in homes built before 1978, when lead paint was banned. Toys, fishing lures and ammunition may also contain lead.

Copper toxicity is generally due to inadvertent feeding of high-copper diets. Specific dog breeds may also have genetic problems metabolizing copper.

If you think your pet has ingested or encountered potentially toxic heavy metals, contact your veterinarian right away.