Tracie Hotchner’s Blog

Hi Tracie,

Thank you for being such an advocate for the four legged loves of our lives.

I was listening to your informative program regarding avoiding re-vaccinations for dogs. I have a one year old Shih Tzu and am concerned about her being over vaccinated. We also take her on airplanes with us and have to get a health certificate prior to the trip to show the airline, along with her shot record. Will there be an issue taking her on the plane with us if she does not have her shots or can the Vet simply note that vaccinations are not needed?

Thank you for your input and your love of dogs and cats!

Michelle

So I told her:

The answer depends on the airline if you’re staying within the U.S. - a letter from your vet stating that she has done blood titre levels which show your dog’s immunity would be acceptable to some airlines. You need to be very clear about airline policy ahead of time and even have a letter from someone at the airline since rules can be bent or interpreted differently by a dozen different representatives.

If you’re traveling out of the country it’s tough because foreign countries each have their requirements and concerns Do your homework and get everything in writing beforehand - you don’t want a crisis in the airport on departure!

Tracie

I got this plaintive email from a pregnant lady who really has done everything she could think of to correct a cat who pees willy-nilly all over the place:

We have three cats and the oldest REFUSES to use the litter box to pee in.  We’ve tried EVERY litter on the market over the past few years from harsh chemical stuff to feline pine, husks and Cat Attract. We’ve had him checked over and over for any physiological problems and he always gets a clean bill of health. All three of our cats are fed Wellness Chicken and Herring (no grains) and have free access to water and are in excellent health and weight. The litter boxes are cleaned daily OR MORE and washed completely at least once a week and we have FOUR of them. Two are giant Rubbermaid boxes, one is a extra large regular one and one is a very large square plastic tub that is used to mix cement! The other two are litter box angels and have perfect behavior. The oldest one (about 6 years) hates the other two and we can’t get him to use the box no matter what. We’ve also tried Feliway (useless) and isolating him with his own TWO litter boxes (also useless). We just moved into a new 2400 sq ft home with loads of space and the problem hasn’t gotten any better. The other two also leave him alone and don’t ambush him while he’s pooping or peeing so I can’t see that as a problem. My only two options left seem to be give him away where who knows what might happen or put him to sleep which also seems beyond cruel. I am totally desperate for a solution with even greater urgency now that I am pregnant. As I sit here typing this, I can smell the cat urine wafting over the house.  What do I do?

My first thought was that this cat needs to be a solo cat, that he just isn’t suited to living with other felines. My second comment is WAIT A MINUTE HERE: these cats are all eating kitty crack! The poor lady thinks that because it is a name brand- and “grain free” (still loaded with carbs, often in the form of highly glycemic potatoes) that somehow it’s an acceptable diet. But it isn’t! It’s still a highly processed carb food that can be contributing to this cat just not feeling great. And my gut instinct is that she needs to give him away to someone who wants a solo cat and all will sort itself out. – but I asked CAT CHAT’S® own behavior consultant  Dear Sally if she  had any thoughts ad she did:

“That kitty is just not a happy camper in that household. He probably knows now that the bond with his humans is tentative. My gut instinct tells me he might be better off as a single kitty. I hate to suggest rehoming, but she does seem to have done “all the right things.” And I don’t see the situation improving since she is pregnant. Having a baby will surely aggravate things. However, some basic questions: What is she using to clean — is she cleaning thoroughly? Where are the boxes? One thing I’ve tried that works well (but takes time and observation): Cats pee 2, maybe 3 times a day, almost always in the morning and evening. When she suspects the cat needs to pee, put him in the box, even a couple of times, so he gets the idea. Pully, our Orange Tabby, is a bit of a Dufus. I swear he just forgets, plus he hates any poop or pee in the box. I’ve been ushering him to the box when I know he hasn’t “gone” in a while. Works like a charm. Plus I praise him big time when he goes. The ushering reinforces that’s where he needs to go.”

I just got this email from my wonderful follower Debs (Ginger’s Mommy, for those who hear her call in) and she is always lending a hand with other peoples’ cat problems. This was her question – which I threw over to Dear Sally (Bahner) the Official Behavior Consultant of Cat Chat® because she edited The Whole Cat Journal and knows ALL about products:

Here’s a bit of a stumper, Tracie: my girlfriend’s boyfriend - Kevin adopted a momma cat. No problem with her she’s an adult. But he also adopted her kitty that is still hardly a few months old. He is out perhaps 12 -15 hours a day. How can he feed the baby properly without using dry food? I gave him The Cat Bible and he loves it and totally agrees with the wet food vs. dry. But we have a problem. We can’t work around the fact that baby cats need to eat more frequently and he doesn’t have anyone around that can go to his home and do it for him. He just moved to a new neighborhood and doesn’t really know anybody yet. Grrr….what do you suggest?

So Dear Sally popped right up with the solution:

Piece o’cake: a timed feeder with ice packs to keep the canned food fresh.

Then Debs wrote back with the following concern – which Dear Sally says is pretty normal, for momma cats to reject their kittens after a while. Keeping them separated is a good idea, so his instincts were good – I would be uncomfortable with that unfriendliness, too! And yes, after spaying the Momma cat may very well mellow out and they can be re-introduced after some time apart.

Thanks.  I’ll forward the product details to him. The kitty is quite young actually. It’s actually not even three months old yet. Kevin is actually freaking out because being a first time cat slave he is very nervous about the Mother’s behavior towards the kitten. He said that she is being overly aggressive with it. She is stalking it and batting at it a lot. The kitty tries to hide and she goes after it in not such a playful way… no blood or serious injury. But he’s afraid and is keeping them separated. He said that according to The Cat Bible it’s too aggressive! So I suggested he give you a call. Hopefully he’ll call today at 1 when you have a bit more time.

She hasn’t been spayed yet and told that once she’s fixed that she’ll most likely calm down. Was that correct? He’s really loves them both and I think HE needs to calm down a little bit. Fortunately Kevin is very open to your guidance and loves The Cat Bible so I’ll call into the show and get your advice.

From a nice listener who wrote about her dog who won’t drink and has urinary issues (probably because he is dehydrated):

Hi Tracie,

I absolutely love listening to you. I have confidence in you and have referred so many people to your show and website.

Now I have an issue, and I hope you can help. We have a 2 yr .old schnauzer, and  what looks to be a doxie mix (I understand that’s a schnoxie!) Very adorable and playful. Problem is he urinates maybe twice a day (very big ones). He currently has a urinary tract infection and gastritis. He usually eats dry food (I know its a big no-no).  He has been on wet food since this episode. He never seems to be thirsty. He drinks almost no water as his general habit even when he is feeling well, he rarely goes to the water bowl (we  have one they share , and one in his crate (we leave the door open so he can get to it when he is out). We have a 13 yr old bovie as well, who is in remarkable health. Other than being a cranky old lady at times and peeing a zillion times a day. She plays with the little one and even though he much smarter lets her be the boss. How can I entice  him to drink more ?

Eagerly awaiting your response. Thank you and keep up all your good work.
Rhona

My response: You need to get The Dog Bible to understand urinary issues. My own dog Scooby Doo has the exact same problem and I have a Q&A on my Website which also has advice. You need to put lots and lots of water in his meals which forces him to drink - and offer diluted chicken broth instead of plain water in his bowl.

Tracie

[Here’s a recent email from Jennifer about a delicate situation with an old dog –with my comment at the end]

I have an English Pointer who will turn 14 this November. Since the age of 5 he’s had benign lipomas in various parts of his body and I opted not to have them removed as they have never interfered with his mobility in any way. But there has been one that we’ve watched during the past year that is deep under his right shoulder and has grown significantly in the past three-five months. It is causing a slight limp and I notice that, while his spirit is barely affected, he has less interest in going for walks. When we do go on walks, that lipoma really starts to get in the way of his range of motion.

At this point in his life, I don’t know if surgery is the right or feasible option, given the effects of anesthesia on his body/mind. But in your experience, are there any homeopathic remedies that we can use on Wallace to minimize or even reduce this growth? It is not painful to the touch. He lets me massage it and do range of motion therapy on him. He is definitely a tired guy, but I want to give him the opportunity to live out the rest of his days comfortably and not tangled up by this lipoma on his shoulder. Any advice or guidance you can give, we would be greatly indebted.

Dear Jennifer,

I think you’re right to be concerned about anesthesia at his age - but I wonder what your vet’s opinion was about this?? One way to help with the inflammation and the range of motion would be to get some platinum performance supplement for him right away – there is a link on my Website and you can call up and have a conversation to figure out which of the formulas might most assist him. Additionally, I cannot say enough about the health benefits of omega-3 oil, and Nordic Naturals has the purest ones on the market. I also have them linked on my website - I invited both companies to become sponsors of my website because I believe in the importance of the products.

Please let me know what results you get - it should not take more than 10 days to 2 weeks to see a real improvement.

Tracie

I got this wonderful letter about a senior citizen cat whose Mom just listened to Cat Chat® and got him off kitty crack in enough time to seem him blossom on the right food - proving that it is never too late to make that life-saving change!

My cat Seamus was diagnosed with CRF last September.  His entire life he was fed on kitty crack (dry food) because I didn’t know any better.  I was actually under the misconception that the dry food was BETTER for him because it was supposedly cleaning his teeth, so he hadn’t had any wet food since he was about 12 weeks old.

When he was diagnosed with CRF the vet prescribed K/D but I didn’t like the food quality.  I just couldn’t see feeding a cat that had just been diagnosed with kidney problems on a food where the primary ingredients were corn and other grains.  It just didn’t seem right.

I immediately began doing extensive food research and switched him to a food that I considered an acceptable food.  It was a low-sodium low-phosphorous food, but was also high protein with no artificial preservatives or ingredients, and with relatively less carbs.  (It also happens to be one of the brands you recommend, although at the time I had never heard of you so I guess that was just luck.)  And thankfully I began feeding Seamus wet food (which I combine with additional filtered water).  I admit that I was also continuing to feed the dry food, but the switch had started.  And it seems that Seamus is smarter than me because as soon as I gave him canned food that was all he wanted to eat!  He now has!

I now feed him exclusively on the canned food, and his CRF is completely under control (BUN and Creatinine values are unchanged for a year).  He’s 16 1/2 years old, still loves to play, chases our dog without hesitation, and is constantly demanding more of his canned cat food.  I recently ordered both The Cat Bible and The Dog Bible and can’t wait to learn even more.

Thank you so much for your incredible advice.  I truly believe that the dietary change was literally life-saving for Seamus.

If you want to meet Seamus check him out here: http://www.catster.com/cats/414077

Thanks again,
- Monica

I think this lady has great instincts and a generous attitude to her cat – so I wanted to share it with you and tell you that a cat will naturally shed her own nails if you give her a great scratching post to do it on.

My cat, Crosley, is a very spirited boy who doesn’t like having his claws trimmed. He became very difficult and the vet gave us tranquilizers for the next time he had to be clipped, which was this past Saturday. Well, I had never tranquilized an animal before and I never, ever want to do it again. He was very difficult to deal with even with the tranquilizer and he hissed and growled and didn’t look like himself at all. It just broke my heart.

My question is: is it necessary to clip these claws at all. I don’t mind if he scratches my rugs or furniture. He uses his scratching post. He gets me sometimes with his claws, but never intentionally. Is it absolutely necessary to do this? And, if he must be tranquilized, is it safe to do this regularly? Should I try a groomer or another person. This cat gets very stressed.

I’d appreciate any advice. I don’t want to harm my cat.

Thanks,
Donna H. from Edison, NJ

I got this suggestion from Valerie in Anaheim California and her three cats who were the July CAT CHAT® CATS of the month.  Hope others will feel free to ask for any guests or topics that come to mind.

Hello, Auntie Tracie,

Wonderful show yesterday. I can’t figure out why every vet I have seen and PetCo rant and rave about Science Diet. They try to get me to feed that garbage to my babies. I asked the Vet to show the ingredients of a can then pointed out what I knew from you. They spend a fortune on advertising when they could spend that money on a nutritious food for our family (Cats and Dogs). This sh–t amazes me.

We the people demanded better nutrition in our food and got organic, Trader Joes, Whole Foods etc and we need the same for the rest of the family. I would be happy and find a way to buy better food.

Whew thanks for letting me vent on this.

I was wondering when you might tackle another topic that I cannot find a vet to support and that is Titter testing??? Every Vet I talk to says “No”. I say “YES” (mostly because of you) xoxo…

Vets go to school and that is hard which is why I am not a vet but they seem to get too much into the “business” and maybe forget the love they have and had more of and that is the health of animals.

Have a great week. You are the amazing one to have the show to wake us up.

One step at a time,
Valerie, Anaheim Ca
P.S. No earthquake damage,  Itchy slept in her outside house the whole time.

This is from one of the heart-warming small rescues across this country whose members make small miracles every day, putting themselves out for the breeds they love. This gorgeous Chocolate Lab Lilly was unlucky to be born with a deformed leg but very lucky to be swept up in the kindness of the Lake Erie Lab Rescue’s loving arms. The least I could do was send them an autographed copy of THE DOG BIBLE to help refill their coffers a little bit!

Tracie,

Thanks you so much for the book!

We will be using it during an event this fall, we can’t use it during the upcoming dog show (their rules don’t allow fund raising) but our next event after this does.

I wanted to send you a pix of Lilly, now that she is home.

She is doing very well, her leg is looking good.  We have x-rays taken next week to check on her progress.

Thank you again for your support for Lilly.

Ed N.

Here’s a worrisome letter I got from Michelle in Goodrich, Michigan:

Dear Tracie,

You are convincing me on CAT CHAT to look at my cat’s dietary needs and I understand the importance of not feeding my cats dry food. I have a question concerning wet food and a cat that has had a perineal urethrostomy (I like to say that my cat has a “mangina”). Let me back up- I have two male cats that are 4 years old- a black cat named Friday and an orange tabby named Jake. Both were rescued from the Humane Society. In 2006, the month of March of traumatically spent saving Jake’s life. Long story short- he was brought back from the brink of death and had a perineal urethrostomy. He has been symptom free since. My vet also put both my cats on a urinary food by Purina that you can only get at the vet. I have always questioned this to myself, because it is again a dry food but I just did what my vet said. Maybe I missed it, but is there a dietary solution for my cat?

So I wrote her: Thanks for writing in – because you are about to saved your kitty’s life for the second time! I am assuming that poor Jake’s life-threatening obstruction was caused by dry food - please see the website and my book for more on this relationship between dry cat food and stones, crystals and urinary obstructions. Your instincts are GREAT - that food is precisely the wrong one for any cat, especially one who already has urinary tract issues since it is commonly the main cause of these problems. NO MORE KITTY CRACK! Wet food only! I can’t wait to hear what a great change it makes in both your sweet kitties.

Tracie