Smoke Concerns and Ensuring Proper Use of Flea Medication

Q:
 The recent wildfires have turned the skies brown with smoke. I
know that people are warned to be careful with exercise in these
conditions. Do we need to worry about our pets breathing this
smokey air?
Q: The recent wildfires have turned the skies brown with smoke. I know that people are warned to be careful with exercise in these conditions. Do we need to worry about our pets breathing this smokey air?

A: This is a great question and appropriate for everyone living throughout Northern California. Fires in Plumas and Sacramento counties, and the huge fire in Coe Park (the Lick fire) have made our air look very unhealthy. The only good news is that most of the smoke particles are high enough in the air that they don’t cause too many serious problems for most of us. In fact, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District didn’t even issue a “Spare the Air” alert during most of last week. Their assessment of air quality late last week during the height of the fire fight was listed officially as “moderate to good.”

However, the Air Quality District takes its readings in San Jose, and acknowledged that air quality in Gilroy could indeed be worse.

Physicians and veterinarians, alike, are warning clients with respiratory conditions to stay indoors as much as possible. Even though this smoke doesn’t contain some of the dangerous chemicals that usually pollute our air in the warm summer months, it does carry large particulate matter that can irritate the lungs and shouldn’t be ignored. So be safe. Don’t allow your pet to do any strenuous outdoor activity. And let’s all hope that these wildfires can be extinguished soon.

Q: Our cat, Harold, has a sore on the side of his face that seems to keep opening up. He’s had a lot of abscesses in the past, but they all healed with treatment. This one was opened by the vet and treated with antibiotics. But it’s opened again and is, if anything, a little larger than before. Ideas?

A: Wounds that won’t heal always make us worry. And three possible conditions immediately come to mind.

First, this sore could be the result of a tumor. Most tumors are easily identified, so Harold’s vet would have probably seen it when he treated him. It usually looks like a raised lesion or bump. But if the mass is below the surface of the skin, it might be tough to visualize.

Dental problems also can cause recurring cheek abscesses. An abscessed tooth on the upper jaw can cause a persistent draining tract that may dry up during antibiotic treatment. But the lesion always comes back and won’t completely heal unless the tooth is treated.

Finally, it’s possible that Harold has something stuck under his skin. Any foreign object can cause persistent drainage until it’s removed. Over the years, I’ve found broken toenails, foxtails, and even a broken tooth inside lesions like this one. (The tooth was from the mouth of another kitty-cat. It had broken off when that cat bit my patient in a fight!)

Bottom line? Harold needs to make another trip to the vet for a thorough examination under a light anesthesia. The vet will be able to diagnose and treat the problem quickly, and Harold will grow his fur back and be beautiful again.

Q: We’ve been using Advantage flea control on our cat and dog for a few years. Recently, I’ve found a few fleas on the cat, and I wonder if the fleas are starting to become resistant to this stuff. Is that possible?

A: First, you should make sure you’re using the product properly. It’s important to apply these once-a-month products directly to the skin (not on the fur!) in at least 3 or 4 spots. Anything on the fur will be less effective. In addition, you shouldn’t bathe these pets any more often than every 2 weeks. More frequent baths will rinse the product off the skin and make it less effective.

Resistance is possible, and you might want to try something different if you suspect this is the problem. There’s a new product for kitty-cats that kills fleas and tapeworms simultaneously. In the past, these worms were treated only with a pill. Now they can be eliminated along with fleas with this new topical medication. Ask your vet about this if you want to try something a little different.