It’s been more than eight years, now, since I wrote my first
column answering questions about pets.
I always wanted to do this, ever since I was a kid.
It’s been more than eight years, now, since I wrote my first column answering questions about pets.
I always wanted to do this, ever since I was a kid.
I read Dr. Frank Miller’s daily column in a San Francisco paper. He was a vet with a question/answer forum discussing animal health.
People love to talk about their pets, so he always had something to write.
And for eight years, I have never had a shortage of good ideas!
Besides getting cards and letters, I’ve been asked questions in the grocery store, at the park or a restaurant, even at the theater as Peg and I waited to get in.
We never know when we might meet somebody with a question or a story about their furry friend.
Once in a while, someone asks a really unique question. Something unusual.
This happened last weekend while I was walking with my friend, Bill, through the Morgan Hill Flea Market.
We go there every week, partly to search for bargains, but mainly just to see Jim and Bob and all of our friends.
While we search for some old tool or knick-knack, we talk about anything and everything, including animals.
This past week, the conversation somehow turned to chickens.
A friend’s chicken had stopped eating after this fellow brought home a bag of feed from the pet shop.
The hen wasn’t sick …. she just wouldn’t accept the new food.
So here’s this week’s Q&A, beginning with an intriguing question about chickens, asked last weekend at the local flea market.
Q: Our neighbor’s chicken won’t eat the food he recently bought at the feed store. Why not? Do chickens have taste buds? Do they have any sense of taste?
A: Actually, chickens have a pretty good sense of taste … or at least some people think so. But not all avian experts agree on this one.
The sense of taste and smell go hand-in-hand. And there is a lot of variability in birds when it comes to smell.
Some birds have a tremendous ability to detect odors.
Others rely on their eyes and ears to survive.
Turkey vultures are tops when it comes to olfactory ability.
They can detect the odor of a dead carcass even if it’s buried several inches below dirt and leaves.
And some sea birds can smell dead or dying shrimp in water as they fly over it.
This allows these birds to find a fast meal when they’re hungry.
But how well can a chicken detect smells? Just how good are a chicken’s tastebuds?
We really don’t know for sure, but my chickens used to pick through a mixed bag of feed to eat their favorite seeds.
We know chickens don’t have lips, but I think they have good taste. And its probably right there on the tip of their tongue.
Q: My cat, Wiseguy, was chasing a bee that stung him last night. Now his paw is very swollen. I looked for the stinger but couldn’t find it.
This morning he seems to be acting normal and eating, but his foot is still pretty big. Should I take him to the vet’s office or will the swelling go down on it’s own?
A: Once in a while a sting can lead to other problems so I think you should have your kitty’s foot examined.
It’s normal for swelling to come up after a bee sting or bug bite, but the puffiness usually subsides after eight hours or less.
All animals react differently to stings and bites, and Wiseguy may be perfectly all right.
But prolonged swelling, especially to the degree you describe, could indicate a secondary infection or other problem in his foot.
Swelling actually puts pressure on small blood vessels, partially blocking their ability to pump blood to the area.
Poor circulation could create an environment for bacteria to start growing.
Even minor secondary infections can become serious problems.
So just to be on the safe side, take your kitty in for a quick check-over.
If he has signs of a developing infection, such as swollen lymph nodes or fever, early treatment will stop it before it gets out of hand.
Now for the important question: Do you think Wiseguy learned from his lesson?
If he lives up to his name, my bet is he’ll never get near a bee again.
On the other hand, he sounds as though he is quite a hunter.
Very few cats can resist the temptation to pounce on something like a bug. I hope he doesn’t get hurt again. Good luck!
