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Issue #9 Volume #2

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Coverpage


Holiday Pet Hazards

"Deck the halls with boughs of holly..." but don't let Fluffy or Spot eat it! Holiday time presents some unique situations which can be hazardous to your pet's health, according to the American Animal Hospital Association. A little planning will make the holidays a happy time for everyone.

Some of the more common "holiday hazards" include:

  • Bones: The holiday turkey or ham will leave a lot of tantalizing bones, but don't feed them to your dog. Smaller bones or bone chips can lodge in the throat, stomach and intestinal tract. Fats, gravies, and poultry skin can cause severe gastrointestinal upset as well.
  • Holiday plants: Holly, mistletoe, and poinsettias are extremely poisonous when eaten. Keep them out of pets' reach.
  • Electrical cords: Sparkling holiday lights mean more electrical cords for kittens and puppies to chew. Be sure you have the cords secured and out of the way.
  • Sweets: Too much holiday candy is as bad for your pet as it is for you. A stomach ache is a mild side effect while an over-indulgence in chocolate can actually be fatal. Chocolate poisoning is caused by theobromine, a caffeine-like chemical substance found naturally in chocolate. Keep those one pound chocolate kisses well away from curious pets--don't leave them wrapped under the tree!
  • Christmas tree: Make sure your Christmas or Chanukah tree is well-secured. If you have a tree-climbing cat or large dog, anchor the top of the tree to a wall, using strong cord or rope. Preservatives used in the water at the base can also cause intestinal problems, so be sure this is inaccessible.
  • Pine needles: Check around holiday trees and decorative boughs frequently. Ingested pine needles can puncture your pet's intestines.
  • Ornaments: Sharp or breakable tree ornaments, yarns and ribbons, angel hair and, most especially, tinsel and string should be kept out of Fido's and Fluffy's reach. Hang them high on the tree and make sure your packages are securely wrapped.
The American Animal Hospital Association is an international organization of more than 12,000 veterinarians who treat companion animals. Established in 1933, the association is well known among veterinarians for its quality standards for hospitals and pet health care.

How to Control Feather Plucking

R. Gregory Burkett, DVM, addresses this frustrating problem

QUESTION: Is there anything I can do to keep my Congo African Grey from pulling all his down out? He is fed fruits and vegetables daily plus seed

ANSWER: I have a protocol that I follow when treating this problem. There are two general categories of causes for self mutilation. Within each category are countless causes. the categories are Medical reasons and Behavioral reasons. The approach I take is to determine if there is an underlying medical reason for the mutilation. The reason(s) may be infection (bacterial, viral, fungal, chlamydial), nutritional abnormalities (poor diet), allergies, environmental pollutants (e.g. mite protector, cigarette smoke), thyroid disease, liver disease........ I do a complete work up including physical exam, CBC (Complete Blood Count), Chemistry Panel, PBFD test, Polyomavirus test, fecal float for parasites, cloacal bacterial culture, Chlamydia screen, skin biopsy, and empirical treatment for tapeworms. Once these tests are determined to be normal and we have decided that there is no apparent medical cause for the mutilation, we assume the mutilation is self-inflicted because of a behavior abnormality.

If you thought there were a lot of medical reasons, wait until you try to list all of the behavior reasons. My client and I have lengthy discussions concerning the bird's environment, lifestyle, and daily routine to try to determine the probable cause of the self mutilation. In most cases the cause is not determined. Possibilities for causes include but are not limited to cage size and outfit (perches, toys, etc.), sleep/wake patterns, changes in the household, changes in routine........ In fact there is never only one thing that can be changed to stop the problem.

Additionally, once the self mutilation begins, many times the cause goes away and the habit remains. there are some treatment options for the behavior problems. The most important step is to determine the cause. If the cause cannot be pinpointed, then empirical treatment for behavior problems is hit and miss but mostly miss. You try to offer the most perfect environment you can give. This is not hard if you speak to a professional bird keeper or even better an knowledgeable avian veterinarian. Be careful there is a lot of bogus information out there, get many opinions. If you first give your bird the best environment, then provide proper socialization time, and proper mental stimulation, you have done the best you can do. However, birds have been known to mutilate even in the best of these conditions. If this is the case, there is a couple of other options. these being antipsychosis drug therapy and collars. I go to these as a last resort but I always go there.


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