On Halloween Night, Keep Pets Safe, Happy and Well

Each year, we talk about the dangers pets face during the
holiday season. You already know that your favorite furry friend
should never get any candy treats. But have you ever thought about
other perils that Halloween brings?
Each year, we talk about the dangers pets face during the holiday season. You already know that your favorite furry friend should never get any candy treats. But have you ever thought about other perils that Halloween brings?

We’ll talk about those in a moment. But first I want to mention an interesting warning about an infectious skin disease that has recently surfaced.

The latest issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association contains an advisory about a skin infection possibly related to certain grooming practices. In a letter to the Journal, doctors Peter J. Irhke and Thelma L. Gross describe postgrooming furunculosis, a deep skin infection recently seen in a few dogs that had been hand-stripped, then shampooed.

The infection occurred 24-72 hours after bathing and appeared to be related to bacteria that was in contaminated shampoo or cream-rinse containers. In several cases, the infection went deeper than just the skin. These dogs became systemically ill (fever, malaise, etc.) from this infection. In Europe there’s a report that one dog may have died as a result of this infection.

Postgrooming furunculosis has been seen mainly in dogs with thick or coarse hair shafts, such as dogs with wired haircoats or large-breed dogs. It has not been seen in dogs with very fine or short haircoats (i.e. poodles, etc.). Speculation is that hand-stripping temporarily damages the hair follicles. The follicles then become more susceptible to bacterial penetration. Stripping is a common practice with breeders and groomers where loose or unwanted hair is removed with a stiff brush.

It’s important to note that postgrooming furunculosis is not a common problem at all. But it is a real syndrome that can affect certain dogs. Reported cases have been groomed both at public facilities and at home. It appears that it’s probably related to a bacterium that was found in contaminated shampoo or cream-rinse used on these animals. Exactly how this contamination occurred is not known. But a bacteria isolated in one case was pseudomonas aeruginosa, an aggressive skin pathogen.

There are no published scientific studies on this problem as yet. But we’re sure to hear more information as additional incidents are reported. Irhke and Gross are well-respected veterinarians specializing in skin diseases. Ihrke has been with the dermatology group at the UC Davis veterinary school since the 1970s, and is board-certified in dermatology and internal medicine.

So, what should you do to avoid this disease? Well, it might be worthwhile to postpone shampooing your pet for a few days after he or she is hand-stripped. Since stripping seems to temporarily traumatize the follicles, avoid using any soaps or rinses for a short time.

And if your dog has a history of skin problems, discuss them with a veterinarian before you have him hand-stripped and shampooed. If he has a susceptibility to infection or other skin problems, this type of grooming might not be too risky and ill-advised for him.

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Hey, it’s autumn and Halloween is just a few weeks away. This means it’s time to remind everyone of the dangers of candy, wrappers and costumes.

Candy, especially chocolate, should never be given to dogs or cats. “People treats” (like sweets) can cause severe gastroenteritis. And chocolates contain theobromides, a chemical that can lead to potentially fatal heart arrhythmias.

Candy wrappers represent a different kind of danger because they can cause intestinal blockage. If your dog or cat is a scavenger and likes to chew on paper or other goodies on the floor, take extra care and don’t leave any wrappers around for him to swallow.

And finally, a word about all those ghosts and goblins and other Halloween characters. All of them can easily frighten your pet. On Halloween night, there’ll likely be a few (or even many!) visitors to your door. Keep your dog and cat in another part of the house where they won’t be scared by all those trick-or-treaters. Every year, we hear about a few terrified animals that bolted out the door and into the darkness of a very scary night. Protect your pet.

Q: Masa, our old Schipperke dog, cross-developed a swollen red eye. He was in a lot of pain. The vet told us it was an infection and started him on antibiotics. She also wanted us to bring him in for a dental cleaning. She said that a bad tooth could be his problem. Is this possible?

A: Actually, yes. The root of one premolar tooth in dogs is located directly below the eye. If that tooth root becomes infected, there may be a considerable amount of inflammation and swelling. The pressure from this swelling can sometimes push on the eye and make it look red and inflamed. In severe cases, an abscess may develop behind the eye causing it to bulge out. This condition, called a retrobulbar abscess, is very painful and requires surgical drainage of the infected fluid as well as antibiotics for effective treatment.

If Masa has an infected tooth root, antibiotics alone won’t rid him of the problem. Extraction of the tooth, and aggressive treatment might be necessary. So, I’d recommend Masa have his teeth cleaned and his mouth thoroughly examined under anesthesia to clear his problem.