Question:

There''s been a rat problem a mile from my home in a very nice neighborhood for two years. If they allowed cats to roam free it would be taken care of. I don''t mind neighbors'' cats in my yard -- I don''t have rats.

G.B., Madison Heights, MI Aug 29, 2004

Answer:

Since not all cats are good "ratters," I see no reason to justify allowing cats to roam free as a kind of public-health service to help control rats in human-populated areas. Those cats who do kill rats will also kill other wildlife, can contract diseases and may even put their human families at risk.Rat control is best done by keeping all garbage containers secure and by making all homes, restaurants and grocery stores rat-proof, paying special attention to foundation cement- and brickwork. Spreading poison bait everywhere puts cats and other animals at risk and is no solution, either.

Question:

I recently took my 10-year-old dog to the vet for his annual heartworm and stool-worm test and booster shot. The vet explained to me that a new procedure called the "Vaccine Titer Profile" might benefit my older dog by eliminating the need for a booster shot if his blood was tested first and determined that his blood levels do not necessitate the booster protection.Although the titer profile was more expensive than the shot, I figured if the vaccination wasn''t needed, why give it?As it turned out, the titer test showed my dog''s immune system did not require the booster. Are you familiar with this blood testing, and how widespread is its acceptance in the veterinarian community?.

D.R., Livonia, MI Aug 29, 2004

Answer:

Thank you for emphasizing what more and more veterinarians are doing (just as I have long advocated in this column) in order to help reduce the risk of adverse vaccination reactions.As I have also advocated, much more caution is called for in giving dogs and cats regular flea- and tick-killing chemicals. I would only use such products after fleas and ticks are found on an animal and after all alternative methods of prevention have been tried and failed -- in other words, for emergency rather than routine "preventive" use.

Question:

My neighbor has a large birdhouse specifically for purple martins. Unfortunately, she believes that all English house sparrows must be exterminated in order for the purple martins to thrive.She has three live traps that very effectively catch birds, which suffer for hours in the trap until they finally die of exhaustion and/or dehydration. This situation distresses me to the point that I cannot enjoy being in my own yard, and I wonder if I should remove all of my bird-feeding stations just to discourage the birds from coming to this deadly neighborhood.I have tried to dissuade my neighbor by stressing that she might inadvertently kill other sparrow varieties that closely resemble the house sparrow. I have also informed her that I have witnessed the entrapment of other birds, such as goldfinches and orioles, when she is not at home. She continues, however, to trap birds. What can be done?.

C.P., Fargo, ND Aug 29, 2004

Answer:

I am glad when people like you send me letters about wild animal concerns. Such animals are as much a community responsibility as companion animals in peoples'' homes and in biomedical research labs, as well as the wild animals who also, in many communities, are kept at the local zoo.Finding and documenting animal cruelty takes vigilance, commitment and often courage, but the difficult task is knowing who to contact about it.In your case, since your neighbor won''t listen to reason, you should call your animal control authority and department of natural resources. What this woman is doing is an inhumane violation of anticruelty laws, and it may be illegal for her to keep wildlife.File a complaint and, if this senseless bird killing does not stop, call the media. Many local TV stations cover animal and environmental issues in the community, as do local newspaper reporters.

Question:

We have two neutered male cats. We live in a second floor condo. The only outdoor exposure these boys get is on our screened back porch or occasionally out for a little while on our open front porch (never unsupervised).My question is, should they receive flea and tick protection monthly during spring and summer? I read in your column recently that indoor cats don''t need this protection, but I just want to be sure that being out on either of our porches does not pose a danger to them.

B.B. & E. B., Hendersonville, NC Aug 29, 2004

Answer:

The simple answer is no. And for those people in your condo complex whose cats and dogs do go outdoors, leashed or not, please be sure that the condo is not using herbicides and pesticides on the grounds or in the building. Frequent application of lawn fertilizer, weed killer and pesticide and fungicide chemical cocktails has been linked to lymphatic cancer in dogs, and are likely to make exposed cats -- and humans -- ill, too.

Question:

We have two 4-year-old blue tick beagles, male and female littermates. Within the last three or four months the male has developed aggressiveness toward my husband.At times the dog seems to forget that he''s supposed to be angry at my husband and can be very loving, but these times are infrequent. When he''s looking forward to something (such as going for a walk) the aggression disappears. I''ve talked to three different veterinarians who all say that having him neutered at his age would not help his aggression and think that if this were linked to testosterone levels he would have started it much younger.Nothing has changed in his lifestyle, environment, food or habits that could have triggered this. He is not aggressive toward me. He has previously been a very loving dog, but this behavior is disturbing us and taking the joy out of having a pet.

D.D., Sparta, Mo Aug 29, 2004

Answer:

Neutering may still help reduce your dog''s dominance aggression, so I would have him neutered. He is at the age where he is out to be "top dog" in your family pack, and part of this motivation is testosterone-driven.The psychological component also needs to be addressed, and the best way to help your husband become the top dog is to have him take the male to a canine obedience school where proper training naturally sets up a dominant-submissive relationship. Your husband will also learn how to better communicate with and control this canine delinquent. Being over-indulged as a pup with no boundaries being set often results in this kind of dominance-aggression later in life.

Question:

With regard to home remedies for dogs: Several years ago, I had a beautiful (and expensive) female Shetland sheepdog puppy, for which I paid a handsome price. To my amazement, I noticed she was developing red mange around her mouth and on her paws.A trip to the local veterinarian was in order. He gave me medication for the mange, but it only irritated the infected areas. He then suggested I take her to the Texas A&M veterinary school. There, they recommended that I put her to sleep! I went back to my local vet and told him to come up with another solution -- I was not going to destroy my dog. He suggested aloe vera.I called a fellow kennel club member who had aloe vera plants in her yard. She cut off a stalk, and I brought it home, wrapped it in damp paper and placed it in the refrigerator. That evening, I cut off a slice and rubbed my dog''s affected areas with the center and held her still for 15 minutes. I repeated the treatment the next morning and for several days afterward. On the fifth day I noticed ma

J.J.W., Houston, TX Aug 22, 2004

Answer:

I want to note that this experience occurred "several years ago," because Texas A&M Veterinary College vets would not suggest that you have your dog euthanized today. Even so, her condition must have been severe for them to have made such a suggestion then.I have heard of some remarkable results from treating animals for various skin problems using aloe vera extract, a purified form of which can also be taken internally for intestinal disorders. It evidently has soothing, anti-inflammatory properties and, hopefully, more clinical trials will be done and reported in veterinary literature to determine the effectiveness of aloe juice for treating skin conditions.

Question:

Recently, owls have built a nest and had a baby in the trees next door. Several people have told me that owls (these are great horned owls) will kill cats. My cat has the run of the house and yard, using the doggie-door installed for our small dogs. We have kept her inside since learning this bit of news, and she is terribly unhappy and screaming all the time to go outside. I call this tough love, but it is driving us and the dogs crazy, and we feel bad for her.Will the owls take my cat for food? Is there a way to have the owls relocated? Also, is there a possibility that the owls will mistake my longhaired Chihuahua for a rabbit and take it for food? My dogs are in at night, but the cat sometimes comes in really late. The owls do fly low over our house during the daytime on their way to the tree next door.

A.W., Granbury, TX Aug 22, 2004

Answer:

The owls most likely won''t harm your cat, although there is a chance that a large, hungry bird of prey could take a small domestic animal for food, so a nighttime curfew is called for. If nothing else, the owls may swoop down and spook your cat.Keep your animals indoors at night so that these birds can hunt in peace and feed their offspring. They should not be relocated. This species is becoming endangered due to loss of habitat and lack of prey, especially when homeowners put out rodenticides to control mice, moles and other rodents, some of which may poison owls who eat the rodents soon after they''ve consumed the poison. Also, housecats kill and eat the natural prey of owls and other wild predators. So live and let live.

Question:

I have a 7-year-old dusky conure parrot who has suddenly taken to biting me. The biting is constant. It''s like he''s attacking me. He has bitten me so much lately that my fingers look like they went through a meat grinder. I am unable to go into his cage to change his food and water -- he starts attacking as soon as I go in. I have spoken to various people at pet shops and tried everything they told me, but nothing worked. I don''t want to be afraid of my bird!This all started when I came home from the hospital in May 2003. I was in and out from November 2002 until May. At first, I thought he was just angry with me and that this would stop. As of today, it''s only gotten worse.I used to take him out most of the day and play with him. I don''t do this anymore because he attacks and it hurts a lot. I''m diabetic so each bite is a severe cut that gets infected immediately. I''m at my wit''s end and just don''t know what to do. I would appreciate whatever you can tell me that will stop this biting. I love this parrot an

R.N., Staten Island, NY Aug 22, 2004

Answer:

Consider the life of a bird forced to live in a cage most of the time, with no contact with his own kind, and then not having his only source of social contact (you) absent for periods of time, presumably being cared for by a stranger whom he did not know or trust.You have to win him over, and your fear of him isn''t going to help. So buy a pair of work gloves from your hardware store and allow him to bite away. The more time he spends out of his cage the better. Handling him more often (gently but firmly) so that he submits and learns to trust you, with the protection of the gloves, should bring him around. Coax him with a gentle voice and offer him his favorite treats in the palm of you gloved hand. Adopt another dusky conure from a parrot rescue and rehab shelter, and gradually socialize him so he can enjoy contact with his own kind.

Question:

You have repeatedly said in your great column that mixed breeds have fewer inherited diseases than purebreds because of "hybrid vigor." I have spent close to $3,000 on my border collie/Australian sheepdog mix''s hip dysplasia. So much for hybrid vigor!.

S.L., Chevy Chase, Md Aug 22, 2004

Answer:

Hybrid vigor is for real, but you get less vigor and more genetic defects in cross-breeds that come from breeds that share one or more inherited disorders. This is the case with the two breeds who created your dysplastic, expensive, but I am sure most wonderful and lovable canine companion.

Question:

At age 13, my Burmese cat developed problems 10 days after his annual vaccination. The next year, at age 14, the same thing happened -- the area between his ear and eye opened, wept and would not heal. Of course, his veterinarian blamed it on many things, especially allergies. This was a pampered indoor cat. After $5,000 in traditional medical care (including biopsies, steroids, etc.), I conducted research and determined that my cat suffered from "vaccinosis."I found a holistic vet, and under this type of treatment it took two years to turn my cat around. The poor thing even survived a saddle thrombosis (brought on by the use of steroids) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. I brought him through having a paralyzed leg, and he lived to be a grand 21 years old. Along the way, I improved his diet using such products as Wysong, red meat, vegetables and herbs.I think I recall you writing about having a titer test done on animals to establish their immunity and, that way, you know if any vaccination is necessary. The

N.O., Kingwood, TX Aug 22, 2004

Answer:

Thanks for your letter, which I want to share with other readers. There is probably no need to give any "booster" vaccinations to indoor cats once they have received a full set of core vaccinations. It is worth the expense of having a titer test done in order to avoid the risk of adverse vaccination reactions.Veterinarians'' cavalier attitude toward giving vaccinations to companion animals is changing now that there is more evidence of vaccinosis (adverse vaccine reactions) and long-term immunity provided by most vaccines. This means that annual boosters are unnecessary.