Tag: Thoroughly Vetted

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The vision thing: What do cats and dogs actually see?

Cats’ sleek and gorgeous eyes seem built for precision, but the precious pets are close to legally blind, with vision somewhere around 20/150! Photo: Getty Images

Centuries of domestic breeding have resulted in cats and dogs that come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. If you have a favorite breed, there’s a good chance that you like it to some degree because of the way it looks. But what do our pets see when they look back at us? In truth, they see better than us using multifocal contact lenses.

Let’s clear up the most common misconception first. Dogs do not see in black and white. They do, however, see a different color spectrum. This is because their retinas—the light-detecting membranes at the back of the eyes—are built differently. Human retinas have three types of light-sensitive cells called cones, each of which is tuned to a single color: red, blue, or green. Dogs have only red and blue cones, which makes their vision similar to that of a person with red-green color blindness.

Like humans, cats have three types of cones, but they still don’t see color all that well. This is because cats and dogs have another problem with color vision: Regardless of which cones they have, they don’t have very many of them. Instead, their retinas are packed with a different kind of light-sensing cells, called rods, that don’t detect color at all. Rods are better suited to seeing in dim light than they are to parsing the hues of rainbow. People have fewer rods than cones, so while we get to see the daytime world in bright color, we are fated to stub our toes searching for the toilet at night.

But all those rods aren’t the only reason why cats and dogs can see so well in the dark. You’ve likely noticed your pets’ eyes glow bright green at night. This is courtesy of the tapetum lucidum, a reflective layer behind the retina. Any light that slips through the retina bounces off this secondary layer for another pass through the animal’s retina, effectively doubling its sensitivity.

There’s more to vision than color and brightness, however. Compared to people, dogs and cats have limited visual acuity. Dogs have roughly the equivalent of 20/75 vision, meaning they need to be 20 feet away from something to see it as well as a normal person could at 75 feet. And you may be surprised to hear that cats fare even worse! Those sleek and gorgeous eyes seem built for precision, but cats are close to legally blind with vision somewhere around 20/150!

Making matters worse, dogs and cats have trouble adjusting their vision to different distances. This is because their lenses can’t adjust shape as readily as ours can. If you’re over 40, you’re familiar with what happens when your lenses start to become inflexible. It gets harder and harder to focus on anything close to your face. Welcome to life as a dog.

The short of it is that cats and dogs see better at night than we do, but those adaptations come at the cost of clarity. But poor vision doesn’t slow them down any. They don’t need to drive cars or read the fine print. And what they lack in eyesight, they make up with magnificently superior senses of smell and hearing. Even animals that lose their vision due to degenerative diseases do incredible job of navigating their homes, because their vision was never that great to begin with.

Dr. Mike Fietz is a small animal veterinarian at Georgetown Veterinary Hospital. He moved to Charlottesville in 2003, the same year he received his veterinary degree from Cornell University.

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Nailed it: Managing your pet’s claw injuries

In many cases, it’s so loose that it can be pulled off. This sounds much worse than it really is. One quick motion and it’s gone, leaving the dog much more comfortable without it rankling. Robin Felder will go to market next year with three types of “varietal gin” and brandies made with apples, blood peaches, and Burford pears. He says the pears are difficult to grow because they’re susceptible to disease and pest damage, so he’s been fine-tuning planting and maintenance: “If you don’t get the farming right, you’re not going to get the brandy right.”

The poor dog hobbles in with her front paw dangling off the ground, swaddled in a sock drenched in blood. It was all the owner could do to contain the mess before jumping in the car. I’m not completely sure what I’ll find under there, but I’m relieved when it turns out to be a broken claw.

It’s astonishing how much blood can pour out of these things, but it does eventually stop. If the dog is lucky, the claw is completely gone. Perhaps it got stuck between planks on a deck or wedged between rocks on a hike. Wherever it is, it’s not part of the dog anymore. The injury was painful, for sure, but it won’t need much more than a bandage to keep any bleeding at bay and some time to let it heal. In almost every case, the claw grows back normally in a few weeks.

A decision needs to be made, however, if the claw is still hanging around. Often, it’s twisted in an odd direction, causing pain as it gets bumped and jostled with every step. In many cases, it’s so loose that it can be pulled off. This sounds much worse than it really is. One quick motion and it’s gone, leaving the dog much more comfortable without it rankling.

Other times, however, it’s just too firmly attached to do such a thing humanely. This often happens when the claw splits lengthwise. In these instances, the best we can do is trim the nail as far back as possible without causing additional injury. The goal is to cut away the damaged part of the nail and leave only what’s still intact. But if the nail is fully split, we have to wait until it grows out enough that a new, healthy part of the claw has emerged. (Sometimes waiting allows the problem to solve itself, because the broken nail falls off naturally to make way for fresh growth.) Whether we do the trimming right away or later, our hope is that it can be done with little or no pain for the patient. But in some cases—thankfully, a small percentage—anesthesia might be warranted to allow us to really get in there and clean it up.

Most broken nails are chance happenings and don’t indicate a larger problem. But

if a dog seems unusually prone, then preventive measures are in order. Many times, it’s simply a matter of keeping the nails trimmed shorter to prevent them from snagging on anything. Brittle nails may result from a conditions that can be treated with dietary supplements, such as zinc and omega-3 fatty acids. Less commonly, chronic medical problems like infections or auto-immune diseases can leave nails weak and brittle. If this is the case, long-term treatments may be necessary; they’re too varied to address briefly, so be sure to talk through options with your veterinarian.

While most broken nails are simple enough, it’s worth checking with your veterinarian when one happens. Apart from ruling out these kinds of underlying problems, most dogs benefit from at least some pain medication for a few days while the inflammation calms down. But it’s likely to be a simple visit, and your dog should have all four feet—I mean, paws—back in service soon enough.

Dr. Mike Fietz is a small animal veterinarian at Georgetown Veterinary Hospital. He has lived and practiced in Charlottesville since 2003, the same year received his veterinary degree from Cornell University.

 

Bucky, Buddy Boy, Ringo Star, and Luke (clockwise from top left), and many more furry friends await at the CASPCA.

Take me home!

Visit the CASPCA to meet your new best friend

My name’s Bucky, and these are a few of my favorite things: the great outdoors, all the smells, other dogs, and best of all, people (as long as they scratch my ears).

Buddy Boy here. On weekdays we can hang out, eat pizza (pepperoni’s my fave), and watch TV. And come the weekend, let’s hit the park, because “energy” is my middle name.

Hey there, I’m Ringo Star. And here’s everything you need to know about me: I’m sweet, a great cuddler, love my toys, and am quiet, well-mannered, and good on a leash.

I’m Luke, and I may be shy, but I’m very friendly and excellent on a leash. I also adore other dogs, so I’d prefer a home with a brother or sister—or two!

Charlottesville Albemarle SPCA, noon-6pm daily, 3355 Berkmar Dr., 973-5959, caspca.org

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Thoroughly Vetted: The strange journey of the roundworm

Word to the wise pet owner: Do not kiss your dog.

It’s a rare week that I don’t see at least one dog or cat with Toxocara, commonly referred to as roundworm. It’s especially common in puppies and kittens who have multiple chances to be infected before adoption. They can catch roundworm from their mother while still in the womb, and then again through her milk. But if they dodge those chances, they can still pick it up the old fashioned way—by eating it.

Since roundworm makes its home in the intestine, it makes sense that pets might contract it by swallowing it. Eggs can be found in contaminated soil, deposited there by the stool of other cats and dogs, where it takes about a month to become infectious. Pets with a penchant for hunting can also catch roundworm directly from eating an infected prey animal, such as a mouse. Either way, you’d think that once those little critters are down the hatch, they could just grow up and get on with it.

But roundworms are all about the path of most resistance. Once they find themselves inside a suitable host, those young larvae are like tourists: They want to see the sights. The worms tunnel right through the wall of the intestine and wander pretty much anywhere they like, but they most often set up camp in the liver. They can hang out there for quite a while, but eventually they burrow all the way up into the lungs where they cause enough irritation to trigger coughing. The worms are hacked up and swallowed again, landing right back in the intestine where they started.

They took the long way around, but only now is it possible for them to grow into full-sized worms. And they really are impressive specimens. They can be several inches long, and are most often described as looking like spaghetti when pet owners find them vomited on the kitchen floor. If this happens, owners are likely to be both grossed out and distraught, but at least the diagnosis is obvious. Otherwise, veterinarians find roundworm by using a microscope to identify eggs in the patient’s poop.

Dogs and cats are each infected by their own species of Toxocara, both of which can be hazardous to humans. Once inside a person, the larvae try a similar trick of wandering through the body. But since they are programmed for non-human innards, they don’t really know how to get around. They can cause all sorts of problems as they roam, but blindness is perhaps the most gruesome. For some reason, the little creeps gravitate toward human eyeballs.

If that doesn’t underscore the importance of controlling parasites in household pets, I don’t know what would. Thankfully, roundworm is easy to treat and prevent. A variety of dewormers are safe and effective in managing the infection once identified, and monthly heartworm preventive medications also keep the parasite in check. If you’ve recently adopted a puppy or kitten, it’s especially important to get a stool sample evaluated and to complete a regular course of dewormer.

Intestinal parasites aren’t the most glamorous part of owning pets, but it’s not enough for some worms to merely be disgusting. Roundworms go out of their way to be weird, too. It’s best not to give them the chance.

Dr. Mike Fietz is a small animal veterinarian at Georgetown Veterinary Hospital.  He received his veterinary degree from Cornell University in 2003 and has lived in Charlottesville since.

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The tangled reality of hairballs

While they are generally a nasty bit of business, excessive hairballs may indicate an underlying problem like anxiety or inflammatory bowel disease. Getty Images

I’ve always been a sound sleeper. Garbage trucks? Thunderstorms? Please. But the low, glugging sound of my cat depositing a hairball three rooms away can wrest me from the deepest slumber in an instant. It’s as if that noise is wired directly to the sleep center of my brain.

Most cat owners are somewhat familiar with these grudging bouts of nocturnal carpet-cleaning. Sometimes you just find a few wisps of hair wet with bile. Other times, you recover a big furry slug, technically known as a trichobezoar (hideous regardless of what you call it). But is it true that hairballs are just a normal part of being a cat? But how much is too much? The answer is, so to speak, fuzzy.

Hairballs may be common, but that doesn’t mean they are normal. While hair is ingested as part of regular grooming, it is meant to pass straight through like everything else. If too much hair accumulates in the stomach at once, it may come back up as a hairball. But in a healthy cat, these instances should be infrequent. Serial offenders likely have a broader underlying problem.

It stands to reason that cats who consume more hair are more likely to produce hairballs, so the first thing we look for is evidence of excessive grooming. Cats may ingest too much hair while tending to fleas, allergies, or other skin conditions. And others may overgroom as a response to psychological stress or anxiety.

If a cat isn’t swallowing too much fur, the next worry is that the gastrointestinal system is doing a poor job of handling it. Inflammatory bowel disease is a common underlying problem in cats, and frequently comes with liver or pancreatic disease in tow, requiring varying degrees of medical and dietary intervention.

Confusing things further is that unrelated conditions can be misinterpreted as hairballs. People frequently describe “coughing” and “hacking” when they suspect their cat might have a hairball, but these verbs can be ambiguous and misleading. Hairballs are vomited, not coughed. A coughing cat is more likely to have a respiratory condition like asthma than a hairball problem. In these cases, video of an episode can be invaluable in making sure that diagnostic efforts get started on the right track.

None of this is to say that every cat who pukes up a hairball, or even several, needs a massive medical investigation. Hairballs may be abnormal, but so long as they are infrequent, they may represent minor, transient upsets. We all have our bad days. But if a pattern starts to emerge, or if those hairballs are seen alongside other symptoms like weight loss, it may be time to consider underlying causes before they get out of hand.

The management of hairballs is not one-size-fits-all. Commercial hairball diets and supplements are intended to grease up hairballs and allow them to pass normally, but their efficacy is dubious. Brushing your cat regularly may help by reducing the amount of hair ingested during grooming, especially in long-haired cats. But when it comes down to it, the best way to manage hairballs is to discover and address the root cause.

Dr. Mike Fietz is a small animal veterinarian at Georgetown Veterinary Hospital. He received his veterinary degree from Cornell University in 2003 and has lived in Charlottesville since.

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Scooby deux: The problem with canine cloning

Cloning your beloved canine does not mean you’ll have the same pet. Clones are much like twins with their own unique physical characteristics and personalities. Photo by Bill LeSueur

It was a trivial bit of celebrity news, but it evoked conversations I’ve had with clients in the past, and probably meant I’d be having them more often in the future. Barbra Streisand cloned her dog. I have never had someone approach me with the serious intention of cloning a pet, but the idea is frequently sprinkled into wistful conversation after a loss. “She was such a great dog. I wish we’d cloned her.”

Anybody who has lost a dog can sympathize with this wish. It is such a deep and fulfilling bond that we share with our dogs, and it is precious in its brevity. Wouldn’t it be something if cloning could circumvent biological reality and let that bond persist indefinitely?

To answer that question, it’s important to be clear about what a clone is. Science fiction often depicts cloning as a kind of biological photocopier. Short on time, but need a vast army of perfectly identical Stormtroopers? Bring in the clones! This vision of cloning presumes that genes work like blueprints—that they contain an encoded description of the final product. This misconception is common not only in fiction, but in classrooms. There is a good chance you once learned that DNA is the “blueprint of life.” If you did, it is best to unlearn that lesson.

Genes do not function as blueprints. They do not describe the end result. Instead, they provide a set of conditional instructions to be carried out in time. Variations in exactly how those instructions are performed can—and will—result in significant differences. This means that identical genes will never be expressed the same way twice. This phenomenon is so complex that it has spawned an entire field of study called epigenetics, but it won’t surprise anybody who knows identical twins. They are similar, to be sure. If you don’t know them well, you might even have trouble telling them apart. But on closer inspection, the differences become clear. They look different. They act different. They are genetically identical, but unique individuals.

Stripped of all the science, a clone is just an identical twin born at a different time. While natural identical twins occur when a single embryo splits in two, a clone is produced when the DNA from a living animal is transplanted into a new egg. But the result is effectively the same. If you were able to clone your dog, you wouldn’t be getting your dog back. You wouldn’t even be getting a copy. You’d be getting a virtual twin, with all the differences that implies.

Right now, dog cloning is far too rare and expensive to be accessible to anybody but the ultra-wealthy. But as these services become more available, it is important that people understand what they really offer. And, more to the point, what they don’t. It’s not the ethics of cloning that concerns me so much as the ethics of marketing it for this purpose. I worry that the promise of commercial cloning preys upon a fundamental misunderstanding, exploiting a heartfelt desire to preserve one relationship by covertly replacing it with another.

It is sad that we need to part ways with our pets, but I’m afraid that cloning offers no way around it. The best and only way to get more time with your dog is the old-fashioned way—spending it with them to begin with.

Dr. Mike Fietz is a small-animal veterinarian at Georgetown Veterinary Hospital. He received his veterinary degree from Cornell University in 2003 and has lived in Charlottesville since.

Ready to be adopted!

Hello! My name might be Beauty, but I’m not all about my looks. In fact, I’m pretty adventurous—
I’m up for long walks and playing chase, and interested in taking agility or nose-work classes. Let’s explore together.

What’s up? I’m Brooklyn, a medium- hair, muted tortie with a love of the outdoors. Once inside, I’ll sit and let you brush my fluffy coat for hours (how fun!), as long as there are no other cats or dogs around.

Hey, I’m Chloe. Folks at the shelter describe me as “spritely” and “friendly.” And I guess that’s true—I love playing, eating treats, receiving pets and generally hanging on your every word. Let’s be pals! 

You may call me Watson (that’s my name, indubitably). I can be a bit of a wallflower, so my new family will need to help me socialize, with both humans and other canines. Perhaps an obedience class is the ticket.

Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA, 3355 Berkmar Dr. 973-5959, caspca.org, noon-6pm, daily

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Thoroughly Vetted: Tips for managing a teething puppy

A puppy’s need to gnaw can lead to punctures on shoes, furniture and fingers during the first few months. Most dogs have their adult teeth by 16 weeks.

So you’ve got a happy new puppy scampering around the house, and all the joy that goes with him. Your days are suddenly full of impromptu playtimes and snuggly naps, and your fingers are completely lacerated and bleeding—it can’t all be joyous. Why must these delightful little creatures come with a face full of sewing needles?

The good news is that these painful days will pass. Just like people, dogs and cats get a starter set of baby teeth. And for some reason, they are much sharper than the adult teeth that will eventually replace them. There’s some variation depending on size and breed, but you can expect those nasty little things to start falling out around 16 weeks of age. You might find a few lying around for the Tooth Fairy, but they’re just as likely to be swallowed up first, and I’ve never had a patient suffer indigestion from it.

Unfortunately, teething isn’t going to happen overnight. It takes about two months, and in the meantime, his insufferable chewing is likely to worsen. It is important to keep valuable items well out of reach, and to bar any access to dangerous things like electrical wires. Assume that if your puppy can reach it, he will chew it. Topical deterrents like Bitter Apple can be spritzed in trouble areas for additional peace of mind, but they aren’t foolproof by any means, so proper physical barriers are ideal.

As for the problem of chewing on people, the goal is to focus on positive reinforcement of good behavior rather than punishment of bad behavior. Try to distract him with a loud “ouch!,” offer up a proper chew toy instead of your thumb and praise him for munching on that instead. Don’t be disheartened if it doesn’t turn things around right away. The teething impulse is strong, and you’ll likely be fighting this battle until the process finally ends. But consistent enforcement now can lay the groundwork for proper behavior later, and it will prevent this from becoming a problem into adulthood.

Blood and destruction aside, teething usually goes smoothly. The roots of the baby teeth dissolve as the adult teeth push in behind them, and the crowns simply fall away. But in some dogs, especially smaller breeds, this process fails. Some baby teeth may keep their roots and persist alongside their own replacements. It’s important that these stubborn holdouts be extracted promptly by a veterinarian to avoid permanent damage to the adult tooth.

Apart from evolutionary whim, it can be hard to imagine why dogs and cats really need baby teeth. It hardly seems worth growing a whole set of pearly whites just to have them replaced a few short months later. And I’m even less certain of why they seem custom designed to snag on sweaters and puncture human skin. Teething can be a frustrating phase, but with some patience, a bit of training and a few boxes of Band-Aids, it’ll be over soon enough.

Dr. Mike Fietz is a small-animal veterinarian at Georgetown Veterinary Hospital. He received his veterinary degree from Cornell University in 2003 and has lived in Charlottesville since.

We’re available to adopt!

Call me Cooley (that’s my name). I’m a big teddy bear who is looking for a gentle friend to help me transition to an indoor/outdoor lifestyle. Let’s be adventure buddies.

My name is Arabella and everyone says I’m the sweetest. I’d like to find a loving, affectionate home where I can flourish, purr and lounge around all day.

I’m Phoenix (aka Doug) and, though I got a rough start in life, I love to be playful and silly. I need an active guardian to take me on adventures and help me with training.

Hi! I’m Lullaby and, like my name, I’m quiet and shy and can be easily startled. But I love being around people. Give me soft pets and I’m yours forever.

Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA, 3355 Berkmar Dr. 973-5959, caspca.org, noon-6pm, daily

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Thoroughly Vetted: When old dogs get dizzy

If your aging dog loses his footing, don’t fret, but do get him to a vet. A dog with idiopathic vestibular syndrome usually recovers in a few days.

My client is in tears as she carries her standard poodle into the lobby. There was no appointment because the problem came out of nowhere. “It’s like he had a stroke,” she suggests as we hurry to an exam room.

And that’s certainly how it looks. The poor dog can’t keep his bearings. His head is cocked sharply to the right, and he stumbles in the same direction as if trying to brace himself on the deck of a storm-tossed ship. He scrambles to his feet just to pitch starboard again. I steady his head, and see what I’m looking for in his eyes. His pupils drift slowly to the right before darting back to the left, over and over in dizzy rhythm.

Despite the unsettling turbulence of it all, my response is surprisingly passive. Odds are good that he’ll be fine in a few days and will never suffer anything like it again. He’s almost certainly dealing with a peculiar disorder called idiopathic vestibular syndrome—a sudden disturbance in the balance center of the inner ear.

As far as these dogs are concerned, the world is spinning. If you’ve ever made yourself dizzy by twirling in circles as a child or, as an adult (you do you!), you’ve experienced the exact same symptoms. But unlike this poodle, you only had to put up with them for a few seconds.

Nobody really knows what causes this (which is what idiopathic means), but it tends to happen in older dogs. The symptoms appear instantly and without warning, and are frightening if you’ve never experienced them before. The first few days are the roughest, but most dogs are back to their normal selves within a week or so without any treatment at all. Care revolves around keeping them safe from injury and as comfortable as possible, and some dogs need a bit of encouragement to get them eating and drinking again.

It’s important to note that there are other diseases that can cause similar symptoms, and affected dogs should always be taken to see a veterinarian. Vestibular patients are examined for evidence of things like inner ear infections or other neurologic abnormalities that could suggest deeper disease in the brain. But unless there’s a compelling cause for alarm, it’s usually premature to begin talking about brain scans when the vast majority of these dogs go home and recover.

We may not know what causes idiopathic vestibular syndrome, but it’s common enough that I see a case every month or two. We can’t do anything to make it happen less often, but hopefully if more people know about it, they’ll be spared some anguish when it happens to their own pet.

Dr. Mike Fietz is a small-animal veterinarian at Georgetown Veterinary Hospital. He received his veterinary degree from Cornell University in 2003 and has lived in Charlottesville since.

Blondes really do have more fun. At least, that’s what I say. I’m Seabiscuit, and my best qualities include confidence, enthusiasm and energy. Let’s have a great time together!

I’m Desi, and if there’s one thing I love, it’s belly rubs. But I also like the park. And snuggling. And treats. Let’s meet up to see if we’re a match.

Maggie Moo here. I’m quiet (shy, some might say), but it doesn’t take me long to warm up to your everlasting affections. Still, I’d prefer a calm, peaceful home.

The name’s Zane, and I’m looking for a hiking buddy who can keep pace with me while exercising and relaxing. I’d prefer a home with only adults, please.

Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA, 3355 Berkmar Dr. 973-5959, caspca.org, noon-6pm, daily

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Thoroughly Vetted: The ins and outs of the common tapeworm

Tapeworms depend on fleas to spread, so being vigilant can help to avoid a host of pests. File photo

From hookworm to heartworm, our pets can shelter no shortage of creepy crawly horrors. But few are as renowned as the tapeworm. The mere mention conjures images of people wasting away as the parasite secretly steals their lunch. Indeed, some have even tried harnessing tapeworm in a desperate (and dangerous!) bid to lose weight.

There are a variety of species of tapeworm. The most common to infect dogs and cats is a critter called Dipylidium caninum. Contrary to its reputation, this particular tapeworm usually causes no symptoms at all. Pets can harbor these slithering stowaways for months or years, and you’d never know it. Not, at least, until the day you happen to see something crawling around your pet’s rear end. It’s not a tapeworm. But it’s part of one.

The head of an adult tapeworm is adorned with grappling hooks and suction cups which it uses to latch onto the wall of the intestine. Trailing from the head is a long chain of tiny segments. Each of these segments contains a complete digestive and reproductive system, allowing it to siphon nutrition from intestinal contents and generate tapeworm eggs. As the head produces new segments, the older ones move toward the tail like a kind of vile conveyor belt. And by the time those segments reach the end of the line, they are basically bags full of eggs. They then detach from the parent worm and drift toward the exit.

This is what owners ultimately notice. When fresh, these segments pulse and writhe like little grubs. You might spot them in an animal’s poop, or stuck to the fur under their tail. Eventually they dry out, appearing like grains of rice in your pet’s bed. Observing these segments is pretty much the only way to diagnose tapeworm, and it’s a matter of chance.

Gross as they are, these segments pose no hazard on their own. If an animal (say another pet in the house) were to consume them, absolutely nothing would happen. They aren’t infectious. Tapeworm can’t spread without an accomplice. Unfortunately, it finds a convenient one in another common pest—the flea.

When flea larvae encounter these tapeworm eggs, they happily dig in. Inside the flea—and only inside the flea—the tapeworm hatches and develops into its infectious form. Some time later, a dog or cat finds itself infested with that flea, and licks it off its own fur. The flea doesn’t survive getting swallowed and digested, but the tapeworm inside it does. And it was delivered straight to a cozy new intestine to call home.

This can’t be emphasized enough. The common tapeworm depends on fleas to infect new hosts. While it is easy enough to cure tapeworm with a single dose of deworming medication, it will keep coming back until fleas are completely eradicated from that pet’s home.

On the bright side, this means that tapeworm is easy to both treat and prevent. Sure, it’s not the worst parasite out there. Its primary symptom is usually disgust. But, for most pet owners, that’s more than enough.

Dr. Mike Fietz is a small-animal veterinarian at Georgetown Veterinary Hospital. He received his veterinary degree from Cornell University in 2003 and has lived in Charlottesville since.

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Using DNA to test your dog’s breed

Testing your dog’s DNA may sound intriguing, but there’s little to be gained in terms of medical treatment with these kits.

She’s such a delightful dog, and you were lucky to find her at the shelter that day. But what exactly is she? Her cheese-curl tail evokes a shiba inu. Those droopy ears are all spaniel. And only a schnauzer could have gifted her those magnificent eyebrows. Everyone who meets her spots another breed in the hodgepodge.

Thanks to the miracle of DNA testing, you don’t need to guess anymore. Or, at least, that’s the pitch. You can just buy these kits online. You swab around your dog’s mouth, drop it in the post and you’re sent a precise numerical breakdown of everything she is and isn’t. But is it true?

It may surprise you to hear that, yes, it is actually true. Or at least the basic science of it is. These tests work by screening for thousands of subtle genetic mutations (properly called single-nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs) that are statistically prevalent in particular breeds. I should emphasize that these SNPs aren’t otherwise important. They are not genes, and they are not directly responsible for any of the traits that define a breed. They are merely markers—unique chance errors that popped up long ago when these breeds were forged by human selection, and they have persisted in those lines to this day. They don’t do a whole lot, but if you find one, you can say with confidence that one dog is descended from another.

The question isn’t whether the theory is sound, but whether it works in practice. And I’m afraid this is where things get murky. In my own experience, the results are inconsistent, ranging from “well that makes perfect sense” to “seriously?” And that renders it a bit pointless. If the results fit our expectations, we pat ourselves on the back for being as clever as geneticists. If they don’t, we exchange skeptical glances and ponder the wasted money.

It’s not that the tests are nonsense. They’re legitimate, but the technology is still young. As databases swell with discoveries of new SNPs, and as statistical models are accordingly updated, we’ll certainly see accuracy improve.

If we imagine a day in the future where these tests are more reliable, would there finally be a use for them? It’s still unclear. Does it really help to know that your dog is 6 percent shih tzu and 17 percent saluki? The manufacturers say yes, contending that every breed has its list of common problems, and that forewarned is forearmed. But remember that these tests aren’t looking for functioning genes, which limits their predictive value regarding specific genetic abnormalities. I’m simply not convinced that they yield information that couldn’t be gleaned from an old-fashioned eyeballing. If it kind of looks like a boxer, it’s probably part boxer.

That’s not to say that other kinds of genetic testing don’t have their place. For example, collies frequently carry a mutation in a gene called MDR1 that alters the way their bodies process certain drugs. This information may affect my choices in caring for that patient. But I can easily test for that specific mutation, so there’s no need to agonize over what percent collie the dog is.

For the time being, DNA breed testing is more of a novelty than a useful medical diagnostic. And that’s completely fine. There’s nothing wrong with having some fun with science, so long as people know what they’re buying. These kits can be interesting gifts for the mutt-lover in your life. But as a veterinarian, I expect it’ll be a long time before I start adding any of that information to my patients’ charts.

Dr. Mike Fietz is a small-animal veterinarian at Georgetown Veterinary Hospital. He received his veterinary degree from Cornell University in 2003 and has lived in Charlottesville since.

You can meet us at the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA, where we’re all available for adoption. 3355 Berkmar Dr. 973-5959, caspca.org, noon-6pm, daily  COURTESY Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA

Hi! I’m Callie and, first off, you should know that I can get along with anyone. In my former home, there was another cat, two dogs and a 5-year-old, so I’m very adaptable. I like eating and staying inside, but I’ll venture out on occasion.

I’m Diana Prince (aka Wonder Woman). Much like my namesake, I’m a whiz with a whip, er, leash and my intelligence and poise are my greatest assets. But I know how to have fun—fetch is my favorite—and be kind and gentle.

I’m Citrine. It’s not that I’m selfish (though I would prefer to be the only kitty in your home), it’s just that I don’t like sharing affection. I also suffer from FOMO, so I might temporarily have a hard time when you leave the house.

Hey, I’m Levi. I’m an 8-and-a-half-year-old Treeing Walker Coonhound who loves walks, runs and protecting my person. I’m housebroken, can get along with cats and am okay when left home alone. But, really, I just want someone I can snuggle up to (don’t you?).

Categories
Living

Generation gap: Introducing puppies to older dogs

Older dogs need extra attention when a puppy joins the family. Taking time alone and being sensitive to physical activities can buffer the introduction of a high-energy companion.

My patient, a 12-year-old Labrador, is showing his age. Arthritis has settled into those old bones, and he’s not as active as he used to be. But he’s still a happy dog, living out his golden years in peace with a family that loves him. We’re just finishing up, but his owners have one more thing they want to discuss. For just a moment, I can swear I see the dog’s eyes widen in alarm. “We’re thinking of getting a puppy.”

Let’s face it. Puppies may be adorable, but they can also be incredibly annoying. Their default setting is a kind of joyful insanity. If you’re an old dog trying to steal a few minutes of quiet in a convenient sunbeam, the last thing you want is some deranged little furball gnawing on your ears and sitting on your head.

To be fair, some older dogs really thrive with the addition of a puppy. I’ve seen plenty that discover a renewed zeal for life, seeming to borrow surplus youth from a puppy blessed with more than it needs. And others seem to relish the chance to be a big sibling, providing the puppy with an older (and hopefully better-trained) role model.

But even the most patient dog will eventually crave a break from his protégé, and it’s important to respect that. Old dogs need the ability to walk away and be alone for a bit. Make sure there are dedicated puppy-free areas where they can go recharge in their own bed without worrying about interruption.

It’s not just about having some room of his own. Your old dog is going to need some of your time as well. It’s normal to want to spend every waking minute with a brand new puppy, but that’s hardly fair. If your dog is used to getting all the attention, this new ankle-biter can be a frustrating intrusion on a familiar schedule. Be sure to reserve some time to let your old dog know that some things haven’t changed, and he hasn’t been replaced.

When it is time to bring the two generations together, keep in mind that older dogs don’t have the same physical capabilities as puppies do. Younger pups may think nothing of a three-mile hike, but that might leave senior dogs dragging their feet before the halfway mark. Be creative with walking routes to ensure that each dog is getting the right amount of exercise for their age, setting up shorter loops at the start, and then dropping off the old man before the second leg of the journey.

Age also comes with a variety of aches and pains, which can add a challenging dynamic to an elderly dog’s relationship with a puppy. Even the most amiable dogs will get a bit grumpy if something hurts, and if the pup is pushing him beyond his physical limits, it could invite trouble. Keep a close eye on play sessions, and don’t hesitate to intervene if you see any snipping or growling. And make sure to talk to your veterinarian about steps you can take to reduce that kind of physical discomfort to begin with.

It is rewarding to see older dogs accept a new puppy into the family, but it’s important to take a moment to see things from their perspective, and to give them the time and space they need to continue enjoying the happy life you’ve given them so far.

Dr. Mike Fietz is a small-animal veterinarian at Georgetown Veterinary Hospital. He received his veterinary degree from Cornell University in 2003 and has lived in Charlottesville since.

SPCA

You can meet us at the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA, where we’re all available for adoption. 3355 Berkmar Dr. 973-5959, caspca.org, noon-6pm, daily  COURTESY Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA

Hi! I’m Amala, and while I came to the shelter as a wild cat, now I’m looking for a calm and understanding family to take me to my forever home. Because of my checkered past, I’m pretty shy around strangers, but I’m learning to love.

What’s up? I’m Riley, and I’d describe myself as a pretty laid-back dude. See, I had a few health problems when I first got to the shelter, but it’s given me perspective—I don’t sweat the small stuff. I’m cool with other dogs, too. Let’s hang out!

I’m Jody. I showed up in pretty rough shape, but I’m ready for a peaceful, quiet forever home where my new family will give me frequent brushings and feed me canned food (it’s the simple things). Let’s cuddle on the couch. Whaddya say?

My name might be Cher, but I’m nothing like my Clueless namesake. I love yummy treats (movie Cher frets about five peanut butter M&Ms); I love being outdoors (Cher prefers AC). There is one similarity: I love hanging out with my best (canine) friend, Tai.