Q: It looks like the recent rain has started a bumper crop of weeds in our back yard. Is it safe to use any spray to kill these weeds? We have a 2-year-old lab, Barney, who likes to eat the grass in the yard. Can he get sick from eating weeds that have been sprayed?
A: None of the herbicide sprays are safe if their liquid is ingested directly. In fact, any herbicide should be considered toxic until after it has dried on the plant. Even then, I don’t think that Barney should be allowed to ingest any of the greenery in the yard.
In the first place, grass and other foliage are not good food for a dog. They can cause a gastritis, resulting in a severely upset stomach. Add a chemical covering, and there’s even more chance for a problem. Even though the common herbicides are relatively safe after they’ve dried, there’s always a chance that Barney could become ill after eating something with spray on it.
So play it safe. Keep him out of trouble and don’t let him eat the grass and plants in the yard.
Q: I know that snail bait can be toxic to dogs and cats. Is there a safe way to kill these garden pests without poisoning our dog?
A: There is. But there are still a number of products out there that are extremely toxic to dogs. And it’s important that pet owners realize the danger of some of these pesticides. Perhaps the most commonly used snail bait contains metaldehyde. This bait looks and tastes good to most dogs, so they readily eat it. The results are devastating: tremors, seizures and hyperthermia. And it only takes a small amount of this stuff to cause dramatic seizures and a fatal increase in body temperature.
A newer product contains a different active ingredient, iron phosphate. This is safe if dogs ingest it, so this product is truly the best way to rid your garden of those slimy creatures. Above all, check the label for anything you use in the garden. Dogs are inquisitive and you can bet your pooch will snoop around and possibly get into whatever you lay out on the ground.
Q: How often should we cut our dog’s toenails. I have a friend that does this every week with her dog. I’m not sure if we’ve ever done it to Smokey, but our friend says we should trim his nails regularly. Is this true?
A: Some dogs need to have their nails trimmed on a regular basis and others don’t. A lot depends on how active Smokey is. If he runs and plays a lot, especially on a hard surface like concrete, he’ll probably keep his nails at a proper length without your help. But if he’s a less active pooch, his nails might grow too long without a regular pedicure.
All pet owners should check their pet’s feet on a regular basis to determine if there are any problems. Older dogs tend to be more sedentary and as a rule, geriatrics require more regular nail trims.
If you’re not sure how to cut nails properly, ask Smokey’s vet if they can show you how. Otherwise, you can have it done by a professional groomer.
Q: We hear a lot about how dogs can get foxtails in their nose. Do cats ever have this problem? If not, how come?
A: Every year, veterinarians warn pet owners to get rid of all the foxtails in their yard. Dogs are great for getting these weed awns in their ears, their feet and yes, up in their nasal passage. In our practice, we see at least two or three dogs with a nasal foxtail each week during the warm months of spring, summer and fall.
Interestingly, we hardly ever see these pesky weeds in the nose or ears of cats. It’s probably because kitties are so sensitive to anything near these orifices so they shake the weed away before it can penetrate.
I’ve seen only five or six cats with a nasal foxtail in more than 25 years of practice. It just doesn’t happen very often … except for one special kitty. This poor cat has had plant material in her nose three times in her lifetime. The most recent was a blade of grass about two inches long! Needless to say, she was miserable with it.
We all wonder why she has had so many repeated episodes. No one will ever know. But it’s clear that she would probably be a lot happier and healthier if she stayed indoors more.
Q: Can cats get skin cancer from too much sun? Our cousins told us that their cat has cancer and that he needs to stay indoors out of the sun from now on. People can get this kind of cancer. Can cats?
A: Squamous cell carcinoma, a form of skin cancer, is seen in a lot of cats that have white ears or a white nose. Kitty-cats are susceptible to sunburn anywhere on their head or face where there is no skin pigment. White ears are the most susceptible and pink, irritated ears can be an unhealthy sign that these cats have had too much sun.
Repeated sunburn leads to skin cancer in many of these kitties. The only effective prevention is protection from sunlight. Sun blockers aren’t very effective because cats will clean themselves and remove the product from their skin. The best remedy is to keep these cats indoors during the peak sun hours of the day.
Treatment for skin cancer is tough. If this cancer becomes too serious, surgical excision of the cancerous part of the ear or nose is the only answer. It’s painful for the cat and expensive for the owner. So anyone with a white-eared or white-nosed cat should consider keeping that cat indoors.
Pete Keesling is a veterinarian at San Martin Veterinary Hospital. He writes a bi-weekly column for South Valley Newspapers. If you have questions about pet care, e-mail them to sm****@***oo.com or mail them to Lifestyles, 6400 Monterey Road, Gilroy CA 95020.
