Amy Shojai's Blog, page 117
May 24, 2013
How To Bathe Cats
Bathing a cat, are you INSANE?! Well…not really. Besides, I found that picture and just had to share. But just because the cat says, “No way!” doesn’t mean it’s not possible.
Why risk life and limb bathing your cat? Does it really matter that she’s gray instead of snowy white? Well, if the kitty gets into something, you may need to suds her up. A bath stimulates the skin and removes excess oil, dander, and shed hair. But bathing too often can dry the skin. As a good rule of “paw” bathe shorthaired cats no oftener than every six weeks; two to three times a year during shedding season should suffice unless Kitty gets really grubby, or is a show cat. Longhaired cats benefit from more frequent baths, and felines appearing in shows learn as kittens to accept baths.
Kittens should not be bathed until they are at least four weeks old–learn more about kitten care in my book. Elderly cats or extremely ill cats may be stressed by bathing so follow your veterinarian’s recommendation in these instances. These days Seren plays the “age” card to keep her fur dry.
How To Bathe Cats–Plan Ahead
Should you decide to take the plunge–pun intended–your cat should be thoroughly brushed and/or combed ahead of time. All mats must be removed before bathing, because water will just cement mats in place.
The bath area should be warm and draft free. The bathtub will do, but your knees will thank you for using a waist-high sink. Move all breakables out of reach, and push drapes or shower curtains out of the way or they may spook your cat and end up shredded.
For routine cleaning, you only need a simple grooming shampoo labeled specifically for cats. Human baby shampoo or dog products can be too harsh and dry the skin or in some cases prove toxic.
Assemble your shampoo, several towels, and washcloth near the sink or tub, and run warm water (about 102 degrees, or cat body temperature) before you bring in the cat.
Wear old clothes. Expect to get wet. Seren clutches my shirt, pressing her face to me as I wet and soap the rest of her.
Also, close the door to the bathing area, or you risk having a soapy cat escape and leave suds and a wet cat print trail throughout your spanking-clean house.
Cats hate the insecure footing of the slippery surfaces so place a towel or rubber mat in the bottom of your tub or sink. That does wonders for cat confidence and often reduces yowls and struggles by half.
The Bucket Method
For small kitties the bucket method of bathing often works best. Use the double sink in the kitchen, two or more large roasting pans, or a couple of buckets or wastebaskets set in the bathtub. Fill each with warm water.
Gently lower your cat into the first container to get her wet. Let your kitty stand on her hind legs and clutch the edge of the container as you thoroughly wet the fur.
Then lift her out onto one of your towels, and apply the shampoo to her body.
After lathering, dip the cat back into the first container to rinse. Get as much soap off as possible before removing and sluice off excess water before rinsing in subsequent containers of clean water or use a low-level spray closed to the body with the sink attachment.
If the cat acts scared of being dunked or the spray attachment, use a cup or ladle to dip water. Use the washcloth to wet, soap and rinse the face area. Keep one hand on the cat at all times to prevent escapes.
Rinse beginning at the neck and down Sheba’s back; don’t neglect beneath the tail or tummy. When the water finally runs clear and you know she’s clean, rinse once more just to be sure.
Wrap the squeaky-clean cat in a dry towel. Shorthaired cats dry quickly, but longhaired felines may need two or more towels to blot away most of the water. Seren prefers to dry herself. If your cat tolerates or enjoys the blow dryer, use only the lowest setting to avoid burning the cat. Combing long fur as you blow dry will give “oomph” to the longhaired coat.
Have you ever bathed your cat? What would cause you to dare the impossible? My colleague Tim Link had to bathe a feral cat, yikes! I used to bathe Seren at least once a year just to prove to us both it could be done. She’s only 6 pounds so I figure that I’m the biggest “cat” in the house…but I think this year she may win the contest.
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered–post in the comments. Do you have a new kitten and need answers? Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my THRILLERS WITH BITE!
May 23, 2013
The Reinvented Writer Webinar
I met social media maven Kristen Lamb about three year’s ago and she changed my writing world at a time when “blogging” wasn’t really on my writerly radar. Now I’ve come back from the awesome BlogPaws blogger conference for pet peeps, and recognize just how visionary she is. I’m pleased to have been invited to teach at Kristen’s “virtual writer’s college” WANA International, and share with other writers some of the hard-knock lessons I’ve learned.
I made these head-banging mistakes so you don’t have to!
Kristen asked me to guest post about this Saturday’s class (details below). I presented THE REINVENTED WRITER as a lunch workshop at the OWFI Conference earlier this month and wanted to make it available to a wider audience who maybe couldn’t afford the hotel room or time away from home. So you’ll be able to attend from the comfort of your sofa with a laptop and headphones…or telephone…and can wear bunny slippers if you like! (Shhh, nobody will know!). There’s also a deep discount if you put in the code.
Here’s the guest post about this Saturday’s class and details, below, about the webinar. Hope to see you there! (I may even SING!)
THE REINVENTED WRITER WORKSHOP Saturday May 25, 2:00-4:00 pm Eastern Time
The Reinvented Writer workshop helps newer writers avoid mistakes, and established authors (especially those “traditionally” published) to reevaluate, re-energize and re-emerge stronger than ever in the always-changing “new world” of publishing.
Today authors must be masochists in order to endure both the real and imagined slings and arrows of writer-icity bullying. The time for head-banging frustration and gnashing of teeth is over. In this class you’ll learn how to put on your big-boy (or girl)-panties, suck it up–and succeed!
This live two-hour fun Power Point presentation offers easy to use tips on how to “brand” yourself; the benefits of collaboration; ways to build “tribes” and why you should; how to leverage nonfiction to transition into fiction; ways to create diverse revenue streams; and how to use multiple platforms (blogs, YouTube, kindle, POD, audiobooks and more) to build your audience and career. Oh, and you’ll see some cute puppy and kitty pictures, too. (Use the code “OWFI” for $25 off!)
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered? Do you have a new kitten and need answers? Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my THRILLERS WITH BITE!
May 22, 2013
HELP OKLAHOMA TORNADO VICTIMS!
They need our help…
Last week I flew out of Texas and just missed the Texas tornadoes to the south. Over the long weekend at BlogPaws we had a ball (check the recap here), but kept an eye on the weather back home. Sure enough, homecoming brought a rash of more Texas and Oklahoma tornadoes.
I live in TORNADO ALLEY…that is, North Texas. And I have many friends who live in Oklahoma. Tornadoes are a way of life and we respect and don’t take weather for granted. We do know all the risks and emergency prep stuff. Because the land shifts so much, our home can’t have a basement (few in this area do), so the “safe spot” is in the pantry under the stairs…center of the house, and large enough for the two humans, Magical-Dawg and Seren-Kitty. Yes, I spent some time there over the past couple of days with flashlight and other emergency gear.
But when a “monster” visits the area, no amount of prep helps.
We were blessed and missed the storms. Friends in Moore, OK were not so fortunate. Some lost property or were injured. Sadly, more than 20 lost their lives. Countless animal companions have been displaced.
The folks who live with that cloud over their heads have a special kind of resilience, though. Neighbor helps neighbor, relations grow stronger even when the wind blows a hole in your hopes and dreams. Moore, OK will survive and rise stronger than before–but those of us who dodged the danger THIS time can speed up the recovery.
Blogger Disaster Response Network
I’ve been flooded the past couple of days with AWESOME pet products companies announcing donations to help with pet food and funds. I would love to list them all but am sure to miss someone. I’m a member of the Blogger Disaster Response Network, to help spread the news via caring individuals throughout the world whenever disaster strikes. After the wonderful celebration this last weekend it’s not surprising that BlogPaws, Pets360 and World Vets have teamed up to offer aid.
My special passion is for the animals–and believe me, having a pet survive and stand alongside you during recovery helps the emotional healing more than anything else. Right now, what’s needed most of all are funds to help administer what needs doin’ and World Vets knows better than many exactly what’s involved based on their past disaster help.
Donations will be collected by World Vets here through 11:59 PM Tuesday, May 28th. The collective donation will be announced when the money is ready for delivery. Just click the button, below, if you can help.
Also TODAY, Freekibble is donating 100% of the Halo kibble raised today to homeless dogs & cats impacted by the tornado in Oklahoma. IT COSTS YOU NOTHING BUT A VISIT AND CLICK! Visit www.freekibblekat.com to answer the trivia question and that’s all you need to do to add to the tally.
Here’s a list of more resources how you can help–what donations are needed–and where to look to be reunited with lost/found pets.
Sometimes terrible, awful, suck-icity schtuff happens to good people and their pets. But miracles also happen–as in the video, below. Maybe we can be part of someone else’s miracle.
BlogPaws 2013: PAW-SOME Video, Pix & More
Some pets had better hair than the rest of us!
I wasn’t sure what to expect at BlogPaws 2013. You see, I’ve attended and spoken at several dozen “writer” conferences over the years such as the awesome OWFI event and Thrillerfest in New York. I’ve also gone to many veterinary conferences that included hands-on-the-fur sessions. Pet-centric behavior conferences such as the APDT (Association of Pet Dog Trainers) conference allowed dogs to attend–bliss! And even a few of the IAABC (International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants) and the Cat Writers’ Association (my fav!) often include our animal companions.
After attending, I wanted to share a newbie’s-eye-view of the event…so check out photos, and the fun VIDEOS below for a taste!
Lap dogs were welcome, too.
All of these other conferences offer outstanding information to their target audience. A small number are what I’d call “newbie friendly” and embrace pro and beginner alike (ain’t that as it should be?) while some tend to clique-icity and can be daunting to a newcomer. So as a relative newcomer to the world of blogging (although I’ve been a writing pro far longer than I care to admit), I wasn’t sure what BlogPaws had to offer me–or if I’d be more on the outside-looking-in.
I finally got to meet Carol Bryant! (Next year, I’m bringing my Seren-kitty and Magical-Dawg stand-ins.
What a marvelous surprise to discover the atmosphere and “culture” similar to my beloved CWA conference, in which helping one another, mentoring and celebrating each others’ success are founding principles. PAW-some!
Remember the “lion” that terrorized the neighborhood profiled on CNN last year? Charles the Monarch attended…and soon after this pix, he slipped his leash and made a mad dash away to find his ‘dad.’ (He was easily corralled *s*)
Mee-WOW and oh-my-doG, this was a fun event! It had the best of all furry (and feather-y…perhaps even scaley) worlds! More than 500 bloggers attended, each dedicated to providing pet-specific information for, about, or even BY animal companions (yes, in the ferret’s voice, for instance). Not only were the speakers outstanding, those just a wee bit shy could calm themselves by schmoozing with one of the many critters in attendance.
Some pets took notes during the sessions on their “paw-top” computers.
Pet products companies provided information and samples, plus a priceless opportunity to speak one-on-one with folks as passionate about our animals as we are. The food was terrific–and yep, we got to take meals alongside the dogs and cats and bunnies–pets were well behaved, and the high fashion couture was to-die-for (and I’m talking about the pets!).
Proof that Deborah Barnes (Chronicles of Zee & Zoey) likes dogs, too!
Those who know me are aware that I enjoy a bit of bling-icity, so I felt right at home during my Ebook Publishing For Bloggers talk (although there wasn’t nearly enough time to get in all the info I wanted). It was also an opportunity to finally meet face-to-face some of the bloggers I’ve loved reading.
Debbie Glovatsky, (GloGirl), Kimberly Gauthier (KeepTheTailWagging) and me…
BlogPaws Conference 2014 will be just outside Las Vegas May 8-11, 2014 and I’ve already registered because…well, this year was terrific. But I happen to have some EXTREE-SECRET-SPASHUL-AWESOME-SAUCE info that means it’ll be even MORE outrageously good!
Need more convincing? Check out the three short videos, below. Magical-Dawg and Seren-Kitty are vying for who gets to go next year!
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered? Do you have a new kitten and need answers? Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my THRILLERS WITH BITE!
May 20, 2013
Monday Mentions: Blogpaws, Cat Font Fun & Writer-icity
I’m still recovering from the wonderful experience at BLOGPAWS! It may take a while to get caught up, but I plan to post some more pictures/video and recap on Wednesday’s blog so stay tuned. Suffice it to say–it was lots of furry
(SEE MORE Cat Font Fun!) Thanks to Romeo-the-Cat.
Monday Mentions is the mash-up-day of all the neato-torpedo writer links and videos, pet schtuff and bling and writer-icity crappiocca collected over the past week. Check out the SQUEEE! cute pet-astic videos at the bottom, too. For new followers to the blog, welcome! and you can expect more cat and dog specific schtuff later in the week on Wednesday and Friday.
WRITER-ICITY SCHTUFF
Amazon Kindle Singles Submissions
What’s Your Novel Worth? figure it out here!
Twitter Self-Serve Ads oh really? one more place spend $$
Microsoft offers $1 Billion for Nook Media!and there’s more info about it here.
Screenwriting Consultants taking out all the creativity? Hmnnn
Author Exploitation it just gets better and better NOT! and from the same author (he’s great!) a new book for writers, Let’s Get Visible!
Get Shortlink for Amazon Ebooks for ALL Territories great for those with a book listed in many countries
Literary Pets! wasn’t sure where to post this one, but fun stuff!
PET-CENTRIC SCHTUFF
“Kiss Me, I’m Rescued” Photo Contest benefits your fav nonprofit pet organization…like Winn Feline Foundation
Which is Healthier–Purebred or Mix (you may be surprised!)
People & Dogs & Nutrition, Oh My! Evolution and digestion, pretty darned interesting
5 Ways to Include Cats in Emergency Plans from the great folks at Catalyst Council
Hedgehogs & Salmonella how can something so cute be so dangerous? Great post and cautions (hmmn, plot for a thriller?)
Lyme Disease Education from PetCareRx important info for pet parents!
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered? Do you have a new kitten and need answers? Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my THRILLERS WITH BITE!
May 17, 2013
Rainbow Pets and Strays The Musical
Today I’m at BLOGPAWS and having a paw-some time meeting friends and making new ones. Next week I’ll post pictures and a recap of the experience. But today, I wanted to share a new recording of a song close to my heart, that is featured in STRAYS, THE MUSICAL (currently in revisions) with my co-author Frank Steele. The actors portray…you guessed it!…cats and dogs. Everything is from the pet’s point of view.
As songs are finalized I’ll post samples here on the blog. We will premiere some songs from the show at the Cat Writers Association 20th Anniversary Conference, in Dallas, and hope the completed script will be a positive edu-tainment/fund-raising vehicle for a wide range of pet-centric groups.
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered? Do you have a new kitten and need answers? Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my THRILLERS WITH BITE!
May 15, 2013
Beware Critters and Pets
Wildlife can pose risks to your pets!
Tomorrow I’m getting on a plane to attend BlogPaws and I can’t wait! This is a convention specifically for bloggers who write for, about, and AS their animal companions. That’s not just dogs and cats, oh no…BlogPaws members include folks with affection for fish, ferrets and other furred, finned and fantastic critters.
Of course our cats and dogs are flexible and when introduced properly, often welcome other species into their family. Some great affectionate relationships can develop between cats and bunnies (predator and prey in other settings) or between horses and dogs, birds and ferrets, tarantulas and…well, you get the picture!
But these are PET critters. They’ve been vetted and have also been handled properly by folks who know their needs. Our family cats and dogs that encounter wildlife may not be as forgiving of a trespassing skunk. And the curious puppy could be severely injured by a face full of porcupine quills. In my neck of the woods, coyotes routinely hunt in our back yard and have been known to come onto the patio, yikes!
What sorts of wildlife have your pets encountered? How did you handle the possibility while keeping your fur-kids safe? You can check out some of my articles, with first aid tips when needed, here. What else would you recommend to folks to prevent, avoid, or deal with these wild encounters?
Stinky Skunk Encounters and What to Do And yes, the Magical-Dawg had yet ANOTHER skunk encounter last week (a brief blog about that here).
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered–post in the comments. Do you have a new kitten and need answers? Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my THRILLERS WITH BITE!
May 13, 2013
Monday Mentions: BlogPaws, Webinars and Elephant Games
This is a busy week for me, because I leave to attend BlogPaws this Thursday, YAY! This is THE place to be if you write about (or as) your pets, or are interested in learning more about pet-centric social media. I’ve been a fan of bunches of these bloggers for a long time, so it’ll be great fun to meet them face to face…as well as some of the pets who will also be in attendance.
On Friday, I present a seminar on Ebooks & Promo for Bloggers at 2:00 with Sandra Beckwith. At 4:15 or so, I’ll also be PAW-tographing the latest pet books. So if you’re at the conference I hope you’ll introduce yourself.
If you can’t attend but really want to learn more about the topic, perhaps the attend-in-your-jammies-barefoot-with-no-makeup DIY Ebooks Webinar on June 1st would be an option.
For those who missed my OWFI talk, you can catch the Reinvented Writer Webinar on May 25. (drop me a line, and I’ll send a discount code…) And I’ve several more sessions scheduled throughout the summer on media training, nonfiction book proposals and niche writing, so stay tuned!
Monday Mentions is the mash-up-day of all the neato-torpedo writer links and videos, pet schtuff and bling and writer-icity crappiocca collected over the past week. Check out the SQUEEE! cute pet-astic videos at the bottom, too. For new followers to the blog, welcome! and you can expect more cat and dog specific schtuff later in the week on Wednesday and Friday.
WRITER-ICITY SCHTUFF
Got A Picture Book or Graphic Novel? Kindle Format 8 has ya covered and is ready for download. NOTE: the “regular” kindle devices currently won’t support this, it’s designed for Kindle Fire (and future devices).
Author Solutions Being Sued a recap from Writer Beware
Data Wars–What’s Important for Book Sales
How to Format Internal Dialogue a great post from Marcy Kennedy
Hachette Opens Ebook Catalogue to Libraries
Warner Brothers TV Writing Workshop Accepting Applications
DRM-Free Ebooks No Discernible Piracy Difference according to TOR
A Great How-To for Elevator Pitches (with some video…)
6 Awesome Facebook Fan Page Features and how to use them
Witness Impulse New Ebook Imprint an original suspense/mystery/thriller line from William Morrow
When Self-Pub’d Authors Dominate Best Seller Lists what will publishers do?
Migrating WordPress Sites some plugins that work
Video Idiot How-To’s not just for book trailers anymore
PET-CENTRIC SCHTUFF
Funding Research Proposals in Human-Animal Bond check it out–great opportunities here for researchers, pets and people
Buyer Beware Boarding/Grooming Facilities a tragic story in Texas…but happens everywhere
Grain Free Diets for Cats? The scoop from Cat Stanley at Catalyst
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered? Do you have a new kitten and need answers? Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my THRILLERS WITH BITE!
May 10, 2013
Personalized Pet Bowls Review
A couple of weeks ago, I received a surprising email from L.G. Potter, offering me the opportunity to review a personalized custom-made ceramic pet bowl. Yeah, right, I thought. I get a LOT of solicitations and for the most part, I don’t have the time or interest to review them. After all, I’ve only got two pets (AWESOME fur-kids, but hardly a statistical population…).
But I couldn’t resist checking out the website–and what I saw looked danged impressive. In another life, I created ceramic pieces and attempted to throw pots on the wheel, though I wasn’t very good at it. But I can recognize skill and know what artistry is required to make such things. So…I sent a reply to let Lewis Barnes III (aka LG Potter) know that I’d love to review a pet bowl.
Mr. Barnes offered to donate a bowl, personalized, and I gave him a choice of either a small kitty-size bowl for Seren (priced at $40) or a jumbo-size dog bowl for Magic ($60). I didn’t want to be the one to tell one or the other that they drew the short straw and didn’t get a bowl. 
I could have gotten one plain (a bit less expensive) but what’s the fun in that? But Mr. Barnes, as generous as he is talented, offered to donate one for EACH of the fur-kids, wow! In exchange I offered to publish an honest review…or rather, the pets would. After all, I’d already written about how cats eat as well as how dogs eat, so they need something stylin’ to put the munchies.
Along the way, he sent me several photos of the in-process work and I’ve shared them here. Be sure to page down to the bottom of the blog for a video review straight from the kitty/doggy mouth. I’ll be posting a more formal review (since Magic and Seren don’t type very well on their paw-top computers) on the puppies.about.com site and will link here when it goes live. Check out this awesome process that goes into making LG Potter Personalized Pet Bowls.
Magic’s bowl is formed (“thrown”) first on the wheel.
…And so is Seren’s, a slightly smaller size.
Another portion of the bowl, a cylinder, is formed for the dish to set down inside, and compressed together. A template for the cut out handles is placed (2 for big bowls, 1 for smalls), with the pet’s name — limited to 7 characters.
The finished bowl, still wet, is allowed to dry completely.
Seren’s bowl is identical to Magic’s but smaller–and only a single cut out handle is created.
Once the pottery cures to greenware stage it’s incredibly fragile–and then fired in a kiln to basically “bake” it and fuse the clay into a single ceramic piece.
After the bowls are fired, the color (glaze) is applied and the bowls are fired again. Half a dozen colors/glazes are available.
The process to make the bowls from raw claw to finished bowl delivered to your door takes about three to four weeks. I chose the “Model L” design–there are two others, including one with a raised spot in the middle to help slow down gulping eaters.
Holidays may take up to six weeks. Now I wish that I’d been able to post this review in time for you to order bowls as gifts for Mother’s Day…because I suspect lots of “pet parents” out there will love this design. The bowls are dishwasher (top rack) safe as well as food safe.
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered? Do you have a new kitten and need answers? Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, listen to the weekly radio show, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my THRILLERS WITH BITE!
May 8, 2013
May is Pet Cancer Awareness Month
Sadly, Golden Retrievers seem to have a higher incidence of cancer, but don’t tell that to this gorgeous fellow Austin with his pup Slowpoke…Image copr. Saphire Dream.
Cancer. We whisper the word, fear the consequences, and our hearts break when cancer touches loved ones, including furry family members. But according to veterinary specialists, cancer is the most treatable—and curable!—of any chronic pet disease. The amazing folks at Morris Animal Foundation are committed to curing canine cancer and have funded numerous studies and even trained researchers to continue the search for the cure.
According to Dr. David Haworth, president and CEO of Morris, “One in 2 dogs will develop cancer and 1 in 4 dogs will die of the disease. The Foundation leverages the best minds in veterinary medicine and science to work on understanding the cause (funding over 40 studies on cancer in dogs at any given time…).” Morris Animal Foundation has partnered with Blue Buffalo to end cancer in pets. In honor of Pet Cancer Awareness Month in May, Blue Buffalo will donate $1 to Morris Animal Foundation for every person who pledges and watches this video—up to $25,000.
WHAT PETS ARE AFFECTED?
Cancer strikes cats and dogs at any age, but is the #1 cause of disease and death in old pets. Dogs suffer from more kinds of cancer than any other domestic animal. One of my dear friends recently had her 13-year-old Border Collie/Lab dog diagnosed with brain cancer when Beauty developed neurological signs and trouble making her rear legs work properly. My childhood Sheltie, Lady–the dog that helped me learn about dog training–died of bladder cancer.
Cats have their own share of cancers. When I still worked as a vet tech, we treated a number of feline patients suffering from breast tumors. The chance for breast cancer in cats can be drastically reduced or even eliminated by spaying prior to sexual maturity. Protecting cats from contracting FeLV (feline leukemia virus) also can prevent certain kinds of cancers.
COMMON CANINE AND KITTY CANCERS
Skin cancer is the most common canine tumor, followed by breast cancer, lymphoma, mouth tumors and bone cancers.The most common feline cancers include lymph gland cancer, skin cancer, and fibrosarcoma. While an estimated 50 percent of all pets die from this disease, the causes are rarely known.
It’s very common for older dogs to develop harmless cysts and warts (yes, I’m watching Magic since he’ll soon turn 7), but 80 percent of lumps and bumps found in cats are malignant. That’s a great reason to pet-pet-pet your cat (and dog) from head to tail on a daily basis to find anything new that needs attention. Seren loves getting this kitty massage and at age 16 and with her Siamese heritage, she’s at increased risk. The key to cure and successful treatment is early, accurate diagnosis. Have a veterinarian check any new wart, lump or slow-to-heal sore you find.
DIAGNOSIS & TREATING PET CANCER
An ultrasound, X-ray or other imaging technique can find tumors on the inside of the body. Different treatments work best on specific kinds of cancer. Surgery can disrupt protective barriers that keep the cancer from spreading, says Dr. Nichole Ehrhart, a cancer specialist at University of Illinois. “What could have been a perfectly curable cancer can be compromised,” she says. Rather than removing and sending the whole lump off for diagnosis, she recommends a needle biopsy be done first. That removes cells from the growth for screening to see what type of cancer it may be.
Your regular veterinarian can easily treat some cancers with surgery. However, a veterinary oncologist offers advanced options and provides the best chance of successful treatment. Surgery, radiation, and the same kinds of chemotherapy drugs used in people are also effective in pets. There’s a major difference—cats and dogs don’t lose their hair, and rarely feel sick during treatment.
Every single pet is different, so the treatments are designed to suit specific individuals and the type of cancer involved. For instance, radiation therapy cures up to 80 percent of some types of tumors. When diagnosed early, chemotherapy shrinks and eliminates some tumors. Because most pets are much smaller than people, cancer drug doses tend to be much smaller and can be inexpensive. Cancer drugs are typically developed and approved for use in humans. Pets also tolerate surgeries more readily than humans. For example, bone cancers are so very painful that just removing the diseased area can make your dog feel happy and playful again.
Besides the standard three treatments, some cancers respond better to therapies like cryosurgery (freezing the tumor). That’s effective for skin cancers on the face, which can be caused by sun exposure in white-faced pets. Other innovative treatments include heat therapy (hyperthermia) that “cooks” the cancer to kill it, using sound waves. Gene therapy is promising. For example, genetically engineered tumor vaccines are designed to target mouth cancers in dogs.
There are therapeutic “cancer” diets for dogs that prove helpful. A number of complementary therapies including herbs and other supplements can help cats and dogs better deal with the stress of cancer. To help with research to find more effective treatments and cures, please consider making a donation to the Morris Animal Foundation cancer initiative, perhaps in the name of a beloved pet or to honor a special animal lover in your life. Find out more about donation options here.
QUALITY OF LIVE, NOT “QUANTITY” OF LIFE
Sometimes cure isn’t possible. But a remission that gives you more time to spend with your pet is a gift beyond measure. After all, pet lovers agree that quality of life is more important than a prolonged life that’s painful. You may need to decide whether to treat his illness—and/or when to help him leave this world for the next.
It was hard learning the news about my friend’s dog Beauty. I remember when they got Beauty as a puppy for their 7-year-old (now-20) daughter….and she’s taking it the hardest of all, of course. I gave her a copy of my aging dog book to answer some questions about options and what to expect, including contact info about some of the moves and shakers in cancer research. And I shared this biggest, most important point:
Pets don’t know they have cancer. They don’t anticipate and so have no fear of what’s to come. All Beauty knows is how she feels this moment. As long as she feels good, and is with you, she’s happy. Any decision you make, with love in your heart, cannot be wrong.
Have you ever lost a beloved dog or cat to cancer? What type was it and how old were they? How did you know–my folks took Lady to the vet when she urinated blood on the fresh snow. What treatment did you choose (or decline) and why? What is your best advice and tips for pet parents facing the cancer challenge with their pets? Thanks for sharing!
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