I got this appeal from Dee in North Carolina — the length shows how attentive she is to her pets’ symptoms and how aware she is of dangers and nutritional issues too — a really great owner!

One of our cats, a 2 year old neutered male named Pumpkin (picture attached), has not been eating well the past few days. He’s one of three cats (two boys and one girl, all siblings) who each eat a normal 5.5 oz can of wet cat food (Friskies) twice a day — totaling 6 cans/day– and the only one not eating the food. We have a variety of flavors so I thought it was a specific one and changed which one he was eating. Still not interested… Would try to take some bites but then walk away. His urine and fecal movements are okay and we do have water down for them, too. Out of frustration and desperation to get him to eat, I cooked up some ground beef and he’s had about 1 C worth over the past 24 hours. Also ate a vienna sausage (I use those to give my12 year old dog a daily pill — gave him one without a pill obviously), and some baked ham so I know he’s hungry. Turned up his nose to some turkey gravy (also opened up a can of this out of desperation), but I’ll try him on some chicken tomorrow — still frozen.

Fur feels kind of oily like it gets when they are sick but not overly oily — he’s normally a very soft (almost angora like his sister) and fluffy kitty. I had been adding in the oil of one fish oil capsule to the boys’ food as they were having a bad time with flea dermatitis (their sister doesn’t like the fish oil at all) so I’ve stopped that for the meantime. He’s really not changed behaviors, just a little sluggish at times. Just gave him some more hamburger and he’s happy — I’m just glad he’s eating! What else should I give him besides chicken? He’s the known butter thief in the family too — but I’ve had it locked up and he can’t get to it (room temperature butter for spreading on toast — locked it in the cabinet above the toaster).

I’ve also attached two pictures of plants I’ve recently brought into the house when these freezing temperatures descended upon us last week. Nearly killed my huge Aloe plant and HUGE Macho fern (forgot them on the front porch — we use the carport for going in and out), two bridal veil plants (dark green pots), and my jasmine plant which I had in the back yard in full sun. Not sure if he’s chewed any of those — though the aloe is suspect as it was weeping for a bit when it thawed out (and STUNK! I need to trim the bad leaves off now), and he did play a bit with the macho fern (likes to play hide and seek under it). I do know someone or all three of them have been munching on my artificial Christmas tree as I’ve seen urps with that stuff in it on the floor. Nothing like more cleaning of carpets…

We have recently changed (in Nov) all of their flea meds from Frontline to Advantage and I’ve seen such a DIFFERENCE in their skin. They’re not breaking out anymore! We’ve been vacuuming (which the vet’s tech — their daughter — said activates the hatching of the eggs with the vibrations) every other day and cleaning the carpets with HOT water every two weeks to keep on top of it. The cats are indoors only but we have the large dog (1/2 Boxer- 1/4 German Shepard 1/4 Labrador Retriever) and our daughter’s year old Australian Terrier who do go in and out. We do try to remember to spray the yard during the spring and summer but it’s been a very tough season here in the south for fleas.

I do wish we could afford the Weruva and Vectra for the cats and dogs but we also have a horse (5 year old American Quarter Horse, sorrel/chestnut, named Buster) so our pennies are stretched out very thin for animal upkeep, and my husband will be retiring from the Army this next year. I don’t work, do homeschool our youngest daughter, and we have a wedding for our eldest daughter next year to pay for in October. Her dog and horse will go with her too–so then I could possibly afford the Vectra. which I’d like to invest in as we live in a very sandy soil area (“sand hills” of North Carolina). I’ve also looked into the cost of making our own cat food and have found the supplements I’ll need online — just need to buy a meat grinder and find who has the best prices for the meat. That will be a gradual transition, too. Until then, bonuses of homemade meat balls once in a while are given to all of them (they like them raw and I don’t add anything to them).

There were a couple of things I told Dee when she called into CAT CHAT® that night (she doesn’t have SiriusXM satellite radio but I told her anyone can call the toll free number 866-675-6675 between 8-9 PM EST any Wednesday night!) First, I think something is definitely up with Pumpkin — his greasy fur and change in appetite is a big tip off so I think a vet visit is need for a physical exam and blood work. Secondly, while I understand financial constraints, the science behind Frontline is 17 years old so it is markedly less effective than Vectra, which has been formulated and newly developed with the newest technology and research. Also, Frontline is now sold over the counter and on websites and there is no quality control and no way of knowing you are getting a genuine product (there are a lot of websites selling fake product), even if it is less effective than Vectra! (many people find it stops working after about 2 weeks so they put on another application which is really unsafe and unhealthy since it is a 30-day product, even if it does not work effectively for that long). The really awesome Christmas Stocking Stuffer news is that Dee is going to get some complimentary Vectra for her kitties from Dr. Elizabeth Hodgkins (the Official vet of CAT CHAT® who is now the head of Vectra’s Veterinary Services — congratulations Elizabeth!) One reason why is that Dee knows about Vectra from me, would want to choose it over any other brand, and has budgetary concerns right now — we know she’ll one day be able to be a loyal and satisfied Vectra customer for her dog and kitty cats!

Lastly, if she wants to make food at home it needs to be chicken-based and the grinder she gets must be capable of grinding whole chickens, bones and all, with added organ meat. Beyond that, she is going to need to supplement with Platinum Performance for a fully balanced meal (taurine, etc.) and overall health benefits (Dr. Elizabeth and many vets I know suggest all their dogs and cats are on Platinum daily, as are my dogs and mini-donkey and my husband and I!) so there are monetary considerations in all this, too!

Here were Dr. Elizabeth’s comments on Pumpkin:

The Friskies is not a bad alternative to dry food if the owner can’t upgrade to whole chicken or similar. The Platinum only costs 5 cents/day/cat so that really shouldn’t be an issue. Unfortunately, I doubt that cold weather is affecting this cat’s appetite. Hot weather can, but generally cats will eat more during cold weather. She doesn’t say how old this kitty is but I suspect there is something medical going on and if it persists, she will have to take him to be examined as it may be serious and it will be cheaper and easier to deal with the earlier she acts. The change in the fur is also troublesome so I think unless he snaps out of this soon, a vet visit is in order.

Here is a comment about Pumpkin from Dr Donna Spector, DOG TALK® and CAT CHAT® Official Second Opinion Vet (www.SPECTORDVM.com):

While the decreased appetite does happen to some cats… I wouldn’t necessarily want to just chalk it up to that. I took a look at the picture and he is looking a little greasy/unkempt. Being a young cat… they can get into a lot of things… sometimes GI foreign bodies look like this, pancreatitis, dietary indiscretion, etc. These are the questions I would ask of a client: with the holidays… do they have tinsel up or other decorations that he might have nibbled on? Does he have access to the tree / tree water? I once had a 3 year old cat who ate so many pine needles from the Christmas tree he was impacted from the stomach up to his mid-espophagus. No vomiting… just didn’t want to eat. So this isn’t necessarily something like that… but this can be a digestively stressful time of year… any parties? People who fed fatty treats? New treats recently?

I don’t think trying a different brand of food is a bad idea and in the short term (one or two weeks) she can home cook for him… especially if he is sick (like with a pancreatitis, etc) the very best thing would be lean meats she cooks at home. Sounds like he liked the burger she gave him and he actually ate a decent amount. But I think she needs to get the vet sooner rather than later.

Thank you to my wonderful veterinary colleagues who are so swift and generous with their time and knowledge! And wishing good health to Pumpkin, of course.

UPDATE: Pumpkin Pulled Out of It!

I was so happy to get this message back from Dee in North Carolina — who was ready to take Pumpkin to the vet, but was very glad not to have to!

Last night Pumpkin came and slept with us, something he’s not done in a very long time. This morning he ate an entire can of food (gave half with the others at breakfast and then the other half about an hour later), and again this evening he just ate a full dinner without any problem. His fur is feeling and looking almost normal again. Whatever it was it has passed (of course I was praying for him, too . I’ll still continue to monitor him and will call in tonight as promised.

I am so thankful for this gift of Vectra! Honestly it is a true surprise as I was not expecting anything but a suggestion of what to feed Pumpkin, etc. I am truly thankful to both you and Dr. Elizabeth Hodgkins for this unexpected but very welcome gift.

We have two vets we use. One is the vet clinic on the Army base (Fort Bragg) where my husband is stationed and retiring from and they only carry Frontline for the cats. I take the cats there for their annual shots, but we can’t do much beyond regular check ups and minor things there. I can pretty much say it will be a no go for the military to add Vectra to their clinics — they’re extremely tough to get things changed there.

I will look into the Platinum Performance supplement Dr. Elizabeth mentioned, and the fish oil was normal human fish oil by Sundown Naturals (1000 mg). Obviously I have listened to you about fish oil but thought this would be as good as Nordic Naturals and even more obviously now I have a LOT MORE to learn! My cats have been off “kitty crack” since March and I will look more into what would be best for them at the level that I can afford. If it’s staying with Friskies then so be it unless there is something better out there which is better and pretty comparable in price. I can say our cost for cat, dog, and horse food/litter/meds is pretty expensive each month, but I love them all as I do my children. They are my furry children! I’ll be calling in tonight, I promise. Thank you, again, for all of your generosity and helping me get them on the right track.

I replied:

Dear Dee — It was terrific that you called into CAT CHAT® tonight – wonderful to get to know you in person! I have three things to straighten out for you which I didn’t have time for on the air.

1)   The vet on the base is WAY “OFF BASE”! No cats should be getting annual shots of any kind — holistic vets and health-conscious vets of any kind have known for years that yearly vaccinations are unnecessary and possibly harmful. The AVMA (which is the organization all vets belong to) has a stated policy that vaccines should only be given every 3 years (although many of the more educated vets would say that is often overkill for many pets). So you can save some money and definitely some potential harm to your kitties right there!

2)   WERUVA, my favorite cat food, is definitely costly because of the very high quality ingredients it contains, but they also make BFF (Best Feline Friend), a less costly yet high quality cat food. Both these foods and even the Friskies your other kitties eat and many brands both value-priced and premium can be found at my newest sponsor www.PETLFOW.com! With a minimum $60 order you will pay NO SHIPPING even for litter (all the Dr Elsey Precious Cat litters are there and imagine how nice to not have to lug them home but let the UPS man bring them without charge!) Simply put dogtalk (one word) in the code box at checkout and you will not be lugging stuff home from the market anymore! Also, Petflow.com carries the kibble I feed my own dogs — HALO — which I’d love you to try because you can feed less of it because of the high quality of the real meat they use to achieve the protein level. The brand you have been using was recently part of a pet food recall and instead, I’d love to see your dogs getting the highest quality nutrition from a company that does no advertising and instead uses that money for charitable contributions through www.Freekibble.com (you should sign up for their daily quick quizzes — it’s seriously fun and HALO food is donated even if you get the answer wrong!).

3) Other fish oils are definitely NOT like Nordic Naturals — for you, or your pets. There is no comparison between the seriousness with which the Norwegians treat their oceans and responsibly choose the fish they will use for their omega-3 oil — it is a country with a centuries old tradition of making fish oil in a safe, sustainable and healthy way. The oil is filtered with the highest level of care and is third-party tested for purity — one of the worst things you can put in your body or your pet’s body is oil that is tainted with pollutants or has become rancid, both of which would do more harm than good. So please get Nordic Naturals — you can puncture one capsule and squeeze a few drops on the cat’s paw each day to lick off — for the dogs, each pet capsule is dosed for 20 lbs of dog, so feed accordingly. If you are going to make the really good decision to include the anti-inflammatory and overall health benefits of omega-3 fish oil in your diet and that of your pets, an important use of your resources is to make sure you have a really fresh, pure product or it’s better not to do it at all (but I do definitely recommend doing it!)

–Tracie Hotchner

Hi Tracie,

You seem like a wonderful animal lover!  But I have got to tell you I was really disappointed by The Cat Bible’s lack of information about ticks.  I just discovered 2 ticks on my elderly neighbor’s cat — she was literally in tears. I pulled out my The Cat Bible and… nothing helpful at all. I hope you will give some concrete suggestions on this matter in your next edition.

Happy Holidays,
Heather and my kitties, Thorsten & Anaïs

I replied:

Thanks so much for getting touch — and for getting THE CAT BIBLE. First of all, if you send me your mailing address I can send you a bookplate to put in it inscribed to your kitties — with a coupon for $20 worth of Precious Cat litter!

I’m sorry you were disappointed to find no information about protecting cats from ticks but what I should have put in the book is:

There is no product that repels and kills ticks that can be used safely on cats.

Cats are sensitive (to the point of death!) to the chemical that works against ticks — I should have made that more clear although I have a great deal about it on my website.

The best advice I can give your neighbor or anyone with cats is that they belong indoors only, whether they like it or not! They are doomed to die outdoors, whether from cars, wild animals, other cats who are sick attacking them, and dogs (even leashed or fenced dogs will break loose and kill a cat in an instant). But fleas are a serious health problem for cats, too — whether indoors or out — and I have found that the single most effective and cat-safe anti-parasite product on the market is Vectra for Cats — my listeners have been really pleased with it. I hope you can ask your vet about it and if s/he doesn’t carry it, ask if they would do so. If they won’t, then every Banfield clinic in the country has the product. It is made for them by Vectra and has the name First Shield and they will dispense it even if you are not a client.

Thanks again for trusting in my advice and to turning to me for information.

Yours,
Tracie Hotchner

The Cat Bible

I got a note from a lady who has had good luck keeping flies away with a natural product — as my reply will show, I have very little confidence in using kitchen ingredients for pest and parasite control! I am going to stick with Vectra because flies are the very least to of it — mosquitoes and of course ticks carry such horrible diseases that I would never depend on garden items to protect my dogs — or my donkeys!

I was listening to you on Wednesday when you mentioned the fly problem on your mini donkey’s ears. Our Rotties suffered every summer, making me feel extremely guilty.

I found the Bug Off Garlic tabs and have been using them for two years — absolutely no ear problems and the dogs eagerly eat them. I am not affiliated with this product, simply a satisfied customer. Hope you will check it out.

PS: Our dogs and cats are avid listeners of yours. Cats are totally wet food for a year now since finding your program. Dogs are too big for total wet food ($$) but am adding fresh vegs and more protein to their dry food — good quality.

Ginger in Palmdale

So I replied:

Although I always say garlic is only useful for keeping witches away, if these folks have figured out a way to concentrate it and be effective I’ll be amazed. On your word I just might try it.

And congrats on those wet food kitties!! No more Kitty Crack! It also sounds like you have the pooches on the perfect personally created balanced diet.

But I did reach out to Dr. Elizabeth Hodgkins, the Official Vet of CAT CHAT® who now works for the company that makes Vectra, the anti-parasite product I use on my dogs (and now my donkeys!)

What Dr. Elizabeth had to say about using kitchen ingredients:

Garlic has been a home-remedy for repelling bugs touted by the natural crowd forever, but serious horse enthusiasts and dog owners who have problems with fly strike know it is either ineffective, or insufficiently effective for use when flies are really bad in the summer. It has been claimed to repel fleas too but if it worked, a billion dollar industry for topical flea/tick products would not exist. Some folks claim that garlic repels mosquitoes too but the WHO has never taken it up as an anti-malarial agent (like permethrin). I once read somewhere that you have to reek of the stuff for it to have ANY effect.

If garlic and oils etc really worked, they would have been commercialized, cheaply, by big business long ago. The EPA would never allow the use of pesticides if simple natural products actually worked as well. I wish they did, but it’s wishful thinking. As you know, I am all for natural-type products and when they really have promise, like the mushroom agaricus, I am all over them….

Dear Tracie,

I’m thrilled that the Weruva has resolved my cat Leo’s struvite crystal situation.  However, for the last 3-4 months he has been biting the tip of his tail and chewing on his paws.  The vet thinks he possibly has a food allergy to chicken, and offered steroid shots.  To give Leo some immediate relief the vet gave him one shot.  I do not plan to continue a course of steroids.

I also switched Leo to a limited ingredient diet on March 14th, feeding him Instinct’s rabbit, venison and lamb.  There is no chicken or chicken liver.  He did really well until last week when he started over-grooming and biting his tail and paws again.

I apply Advantage flea control every three to four weeks. I was hoping the change in diet would help, but he seems to have the same allergy symptoms. I would love your advice on what other things I can do to help him.

Laura

Here’s what I think is going on:

Leo needs omega-3 fatty acids in the form of fish oil. Nordic Naturals is my favorite because of its purity and freshness — it comes in pet capsules and you can puncture the capsule and squeeze a few drops on his paws every day for him to enjoy & lick off. These omega-3 oils are anti-inflammatory in general plus they nourish the skin at a cellular level.

You are so right to avoid the steroid shots — it creates a horrible cycle of dependence on them and it solves nothing — only deals with the symptoms and creates problems of its own

Food allergies are extremely rare and sorry to say I hear of vets who blame chicken all the time and then give shots — without any proof of why the animal is suffering — it’s ridiculous! I think you may still have fleas — one flea bite can create a terrible itchy reaction and the biting and scratching can cause more irritation.

The product you are using is based on older technology and cannot compare to Vectra for cats — which is far superior because it is the newest technology and kills off all 3 life cycles of the flea — which can live in your environment for years unless the life cycle is ended. Plus, it works efficiently for a full 30 days so there is no longer any reason to buy a product that you have to reapply too soon because it isn’t working anymore! Please go on my website and see the page about Vectra so you can figure out how to ask your vet to carry it. Otherwise, you can go to your nearest Banfield Vet Clinic — which has Vectra made for them under the name First Shield. This product is available only through vets, never online, to protect the quality and safety of the product.

P.S. About the crystals — to avoid them forming again you want Leo to drink as much water as possible — which cats are not inclined to do, especially if getting such good nourishment. So you have to make the water really tasty! In addition to giving my favorite canned cat food, Weruva, I urge you to buy a canister of ICE PUPS (just ignore the name!)  from the Honest Kitchen.  It’s finely ground chicken & herbs which dissolves in water after you stir it around and makes it really delicious. So you can put half a teaspoon in a shallow bowl of half a cup of water and see if you can get him to slurp up some of that, too! You can buy Ice Pups (and the new Honest Kitchen treats called Wishes, which are freeze dried little fishes!) from www.K9Cuisine.com, which despite the name carries Weruva and a whole lot of great cat treats. With a minimum order there is even free shipping.

Let me know how everything goes!

Dear Tracie,

You are so kind!  This is great information.  I Googled Banfield Vet Clinic and there is one near my house, so I’ll definitely check out Vectra flea medicine.  I’ve been wondering about Advantage since I noticed that it wasn’t particularly effective.  The kitties keep scratching and biting even after I apply it…. so I concluded their issue must be food allergies (thinking the product was killing the fleas).

I’m going to switch back to Weruva since they absolutely love it…. they eat rabbit and lamb, but they are not really crazy about it and they are still biting themselves.  So… sounds like nasty fleas.

I’ll pick up some Ice Pups…. I’m sure they’ll enjoy another treat.

And then I sent Laura a few more thoughts from me (since I cannot be stopped)!

I think you’re going to see a big improvement over time with the Nordic Naturals omega-3 fish oil, which is a natural anti-inflammatory that helps the skin and should also reduce their itchiness over time.

Goody gumdrops on getting Leo back on  the Weruva! The Vectra is a lifesaver AND MUST BE USED MONTHLY YEAR ROUND because fleas have a long life cycle (most of it invisible to us) and they are always looking for their next meal.

–TracieHotchner

Hi Tracie,

I’m thrilled that the Weruva has resolved Leo’s struvite crystal situation.  However, for the last 3-4 months he has been biting the tip of his tail and chewing on his paws.  The vet thinks he possibly has a food allergy to chicken, and offered steroid shots.  To give Leo some immediate relief the vet gave him one shot.  I do not plan to continue a course of steroids.

I  also switched Leo to a limited ingredient diet on March 14th, feeding him Instinct’s rabbit, venison and lamb.  There is no chicken or chicken liver.  He did really well until last week when he started over-grooming and biting his tail and paws again.

I apply Advantage flea control every three to four weeks. I was hoping the change in diet would help, but he seems to have the same allergy symptoms. I would love your advise on what other things I can do to help him.

Thanks!
Laura K.

Laura -

Here’s what is going on:

Leo needs omega-3 fatty acids in the form of fish oil — Nordic Naturals is my favorite because of its purity and freshness — it comes in pet capsules and you can puncture the capsule and squeeze a few drops on his paws every day for him to enjoy & lick off. These omega-3 oils are anti-inflammatory in general plus they nourish the skin at a cellular level.

You are so right to avoid the steroid shots — it creates a horrible cycle of dependence on them and it solves nothing — only deals with the symptoms and creates problems of its own

Food allergies are extremely rare and vets blame chicken all the time and then give shots — without any proof of why the animal is suffering – it’s ridiculous! I think you may still have fleas — one flea bite can create a terrible itchy reaction and the biting and scratching can cause more irritation.

The product you are using cannot compare to Vectra for cats — it is far superior because it is the newest technology and kills off all 3 life cycles of the flea — which can live in your environment for years unless the life cycle is ended. Plus, it works efficiently for a full 30 days so there is not reason to have a product that you have to reapply too soon because it isn’t working anymore! Please go on my website and see the page about Vectra so you can figure out how to ask your vet to carry it or you can go to your nearest Banfield Vet Clinic which has Vectra made for them under the name First Shield — this product is available only through vets — never online, to protect the quality and safety of the product.

About the crystals — to avoid them forming again you want him to drink as much water as possible — which cats are not inclined to do, especially if getting such good nourishment. So you have to make the water really tasty! In addition to giving my favorite canned cat food, Weruva, I urge you to buy a canister of Ice Pups (just ignore the name!)  from the Honest Kitchen — available online if you don’t have a premium pet store near you. It’s finely ground chicken & herbs which dissolves in water after you stir it around and makes it really delicious. So you can put half a teaspoon in a shallow bowl of half a cup of water and see if you can get him to slurp up some of that, too!

Let me know how everything goes!

–Tracie Hotchner

Email from a listener with a four-year-old Portuguese water dog who’s had problems with topical flea solutions:

Love your show!  My 4 year old portuguese water dog has always had an issue with topical flea solutions. We’ve tried Vectra, Frontline, Advantage etc. over the years. He gets very uncomfortable and itchy after the applications, bites his paws and has little red pustules that break out on his belly everywhere. Last year, we didn’t use any topical flea meds, had no skin issues!  Instead I applied one drop daily of youngs living palo santo oil on the skin near his rump.  Maybe I got lucky or maybe that oil worked!  He goes to doggy daycare three times a week so he’s around other dogs all year long. What do you recommend for dogs who don’t seem to tolerate the topical flea remedies?

Steve B.

Sorry for the delay in answering — I have been swamped. Topicals are the only reliable way to go for full flea control. And I use and highly recommend the newest formulation with a great applicator – Vectra – only sold by vets and super effective. If your own vet does not carry it, you can go to the nearest Banfield clinic where they all have Vectra but it is called First Shield. I got in touch with the doctors there and they said:

“Tell him to ask for Vectra Dog and Puppy, instead of Vectra 3D. He shouldn’t see a reaction. I suspect if he has tried Vectra, he used Vectra 3D which he doesn’t need if fleas are his primary concern. He can use just a small amount the first day, just to see, and then if no reaction, he can put the rest on the next day.”

Hope that helps!

–Tracie Hotchner

Recent feedback from readers/listeners:

Sheila Scores Vectra as “First Shield” at Banfield:

Thanks for saying hello to me on the WOR show last night. Interesting show. I wanted to tell you that I did find First Shield (Vectra) at Pet Smart. They have a Banfield Hospital. It was only 6 miles from my house. It is in a shopping mall that I go to all the time.  I just want to thank you again and it would be great if you could be on TV. You are that good. Sheila from Roosevelt, NJ.

I got this from Nancy in Napa CA — one of my CAT CHAT® listeners who also listens to the podcasts of my other two radio shows. It really is a small world!

I am anxious to listen to your Dog Talk® & Cat Chat® tonight, tomorrow for me, with Dr. Pierson. Reading Dr. Pierson’s “kitty crack” dissertation on the web last May is what me aware of its harmfulness to kitties — which eventually led to your website—and to you–amazing!

I received the bookplate packet of samples and brochures. What fun! Thank you so much! Can’t wait to read all the info. I feed one of my dogs The Honest Kitchen — Thrive and Force – but have wanted to try Preference and you sent me a sample of it! I give a small amount of Halo dry food with THK. I have been giving Nordic Naturals to both dogs; their coats are so shiny and soft. Pumpkin has hypothyroidism and he was scratching and biting himself pretty bad: he has practically stopped now. I am going to ask my vet about Vectra and will show him the pamphlet; I would like to try it. I also wanted to try Platinum Performance and I got that too! I had a question: is it ok to give Nordic Natural fish oil and Platinum Performance or should it be one or the other? Can’t wait to put the bookplate into the book. Thank you so much. It is really wonderful to have someone so informed and trustworthy to help me keep my furry friends healthy and happy.

With much appreciation, Christine.

You’re doing wonderfully! I myself feed The Honest Kitchen at every meal with a small serving of Halo kibble good choices! So glad the Nordic Naturals fish oil is a success — it makes me so happy when my advice really helps! Yes, you can give the Platinum Performance supplement along with the Nordic because one is a marine-based (Nordic is all fish body and liver oil) while Platinum Performance used plant-based omega-3 fatty acids, So all that remains is for you to get Pets Best insurance I sent you a brochure for (and believe me, if you think you cannot afford it, you certainly cannot afford the costly choices now available to diagnose and treat ailments. Oh! And the Vectra and Vectra 3-D for flea and tick control — if your vet does want to get the free samples, great. Give me the name and number and I’ll pass it along to Dr. Elizabeth. BUT if your vet decides not to carry Vectra, you only need to find a Banfield vet clinic (by going on the internet) and after just a question or two about your pets heath they will sell you First Shield, which is the name for Vectra at Banfield — it’s made especially for them.

Tracie

How nice to get an email from Rob, one of my new listeners who is ready to take my advice on the products and services I have personally invited to be part of DOG TALK® & CAT CHAT®. I am honored that I am already gaining your trust — over the years on my other radio shows I have earned my listeners belief in my recommendations, but it’s truly gratifying to already have made that connection to my WOR folks!

Hi Tracie — I enjoyed listening to your show tonight! Very informative and thanks! I just would like to know the name of the product that you mention about ticks and fleas? The once a month treatment you said repels and kills the parasites? And also the good insurance company for dogs you mentioned on the air. I rescued an 18-month male German Shepherd (Wilson) who was abused, and I am trying very hard to socialize him with other people and dogs, but it hasn’t been easy!! But I took him away from the previous owners for they were considering putting him to sleep! Thanks for your help, and keep up the good work on your show!

I wrote him back: Thanks for the very nice note. The show is brand new so I am thrilled that you found it and that it’s to your liking. I look forward to continuing to bring you new ideas and guests to share information every week. And I want to salute you for giving Wilson a new home — what a good soul you are! And what a gorgeous boy he is — I’ll put his photo up in my Dog Talk® gallery on my main website www.TracieHotchner.com. It is such a challenge to help socialize a dog who didn’t get the right upbringing but patience and perseverance will win the day eventually.  My book THE DOG BIBLE has a lot of information and advice about re-homed dogs since that is how my own pack of dogs developed. I know you’ll find great satisfaction in helping Wilson feel more at ease in the world.

In answer to your questions, the name of the truly fantastic topical application against fleas and ticks is Vectra 3-D.  My dogs have been on it for 8 months now without a tick being successful in latching onto them, even in the hills full of deer in Vermont!

You may need some help in encouraging your vet to carry it. If you ask and they do happen to carry it, you are “golden” — but if they do not have it and need to have more information in order to carry I, please let me know so Dr. Elizabeth Hodgkins can call from Vectra to introduce your vet to it. Please let me know either way.

And the pet insurance company I just switched to is Petplan. I think they have the best coverage and most efficient way to file claims.  To find out more, call 866-467-3875 and press EXT 2411 to talk to Fabrice for a quote (I am making a donation to the Humane Society of the United States for every listener who signs up — which the company itself does, too). The smartest time to get coverage is when your dog is young and healthy as Wilson is now — with no pre-existing conditions. That means that is anything does happen his vet bills will be covered. I recommend doing what I did and getting a policy with an 80% reimbursement (to keep your premiums more reasonable) but Fabrice at EXT 2411 will help you figure out what is best for you.

Again, your enthusiastic words meant a lot and I hope you’ll keep listening and get other pet-loving friends to listen to the show, too.

Tracie

The Dog Bible

I HAVE A WONDERFUL MEMBER OF TRACIE’S CLUB, Charlotte in Texas, who adores her two kitties and worries about their health, what to feed them and fusses over them with a bushel basket of love. She joined Tracie’s Club so she could feel free to write to me as often as she wants and get a fast, in-depth reply. Charlotte asked her vet about getting Vectra for cats, the first and only anti-flea product that kills all life cycles of the dreadful flea without risk to the cat. I was so sorry to discover that the vet she uses is both uninformed and closed-minded. Here was their interchange:

Hi Tracie – I just talked with my Vet and he said that he did not recommend the Vectra because it does not protect against heart worms carried by mosquitoes. I know that Vectra only protects against fleas and that concerns me as well. Here is what his office staff wrote me:

Hi Ms. Ward,

I got the information from you on the Vectra. Unfortunately we will not be able to sign the agreement from Summit Vetpharm. We would have to sign a contract with them in order to receive the product and this is something that the owners of the clinic are not willing to do. We will however approve any online pharmacy prescription for you. I am sorry we were not able to help you. Dr Doherty does feel that the best flea & heartworm medicine for your pets would be the Revolution or the Advantage Multi. Remember you are not getting the most protection for your pet by using the Vectra it is only for fleas. Please feel free to call me with any questions or concerns.

I was utterly depressed by the total ignorance this vet and staff showed in understanding how these products work — and what can be expected of them. All dogs and cats should be on heartworm medication like Heartgard — no other management tool can give assurance that your pet won’t get infested. Also, this vet did not spend any time educating himself about what Vectra does to the flex life cycle and how different it is to any other product out there. He wanted to protect his relationship with the products he knew — not learn what the newest technology has to offer. I can’t tell you how frustrating and maddening I find this — so I turned to Dr. Elizabeth Hodgkins, the Official vet of Cat Chat®, to get her feedback and here is what she wrote:

As it turns out, both the products this listener’s veterinarian uses do a poor job of controlling fleas in cats. Neither have any activity that deals with the 95% of the total flea burden that lives off the cat in the home environment. This means that pets (and owners) have no protection whatsoever against any life stage of the flea except the adult. Further, neither of her chosen products have anywhere near the speed of kill for adult fleas (2-6 hours for Vectra) that Vectra has, so they are both inferior flea products for achieving integrated flea control for cats. Owners should understand that the efficacy of all currently prescribed heartworm preventives is under review by veterinary experts at the present time because many if not all have shown troubling product failures in the recent past. No owner should feel securely safe from heartworm infestation in their pets merely by the use of any of the currently available products labeled for heartworm prevention.

The claim that any monthly parasiticide is good for ear mites is irrelevant because ear mites are not an ongoing problem for dogs or cats the way fleas are so treating a cat EVERY month for ear mites is tremendous overdosing in terms of the need for insecticide for the problem. There are several very effective products for ear mites that do NOT involve monthly medication unnecessarily administered. This can also be said about using any product that deworms pets on a monthly basis. From a “best medicine” standpoint, such an approach is unnecessary and unwise. No cat needs deworming every month (after kittenhood, indoor cats consuming quality diets seldom become reinfested with worms, and certainly not monthly). To administer monthly drugs for a problem that does not require this amount of treatment, while totally ignoring the immature life stages of the flea is medically unjustifiable.

Today, veterinarians must abandon the search for any one product or drug that is “one size fits all and treats all.” Medicine simply does not work that way. Products that attempt to do everything seldom do anything in the best possible way, but rather represent a set of “half-way” measures that do not address the pet’s needs in the best way and may well overmedicate the pet.

Hopefully in the future, this caller’s veterinarian will have an opportunity to hear more about Vectra and to see that many of her present perceptions about parasite control are, in fact, misperceptions.

Elizabeth Hodgkins DVM, Esq., Veterinary Services Manager, Western Region, Summit VetPharm