ANIMAL CONNECTION

Archive for the ‘Ferrets, Rabbits, Guinea Pig, Etc.’ Category

Do some people have connections with animals that are stronger than the ones they have with other humans?

There was an interesting show on ABC’s 20/20 this past Friday.  It got me thinking about this issue.  I know of several people, personally, who feel they have a better connection, and get more love, from their animals than they do with other humans.  Is that because of their personality?  Is it because of the way they were raised?  Are the animals they have are more loyal and loving than people?  What is the answer?

In the world today we seem to be drifting farther and farther apart from the people in our lives, yet we need them more and more.  We have more natural disasters, higher unemployment, higher living expenses, etc.  Are we all becoming so stressed that the connection and unconditional love we get from animals, has become more soothing and needed than other people are?

I know when I am having a hard day, and feel overwhelmed, I put my head next to my sleeping ferret.  I seem to be able to breathe better, and deeper, when I listen to her breathe and heart beating.  It’s like a mini vacation for my inner self.  I can’t explain it other than two spirits connecting somehow.  It has become my stress reliever.  Whenever something happens to her I’m not sure what I will do.  It’s not like I can buy another Bessie (that’s her name).  It’s like being in that “special” relationship.  Physically you can be with someone, but do you really feel deep “love”…the same as when you are really “in love” with someone?    From the outside it looks the same but in your core you know the difference.

Here are a few examples of the women on 20/20.

1. Margot.  She has 3 cats.  These cats are her entire world.  She does admit that she is very lonely and in need of friends.  The relationship with her animals might be to the detriment of finding people to share her life with.

Margot was an adopted child in an overachieving family.  She felt she could never keep up or be good enough.  She works as a receptionist but has longed for more.  She feels she has not achieved what she should have at this time in her life.  The cats love her for who she is and don’t judge her.  These cats are what keep her going, yet she admits, she craves human closeness.  She says people who know her have no idea how lonely she is.  Since the show her three cats died.  One died of feline leukemia.  Another one was killed by a dog that was visiting the apartment — a tragedy which Margot is still reeling from. The third one died of old age.   Now she has two new, energetic cats that she says she’s ecstatic about.

2. Jenny is 36 and a successful, fiercely independent sales agent.  She has her own home and shares it with her family of 16 cats.   She says she had a difficult childhood and it’s been a challenge to have a “normal” relationship so she turned to cats for the comfort and love she needed.  She says she has always wanted to get married and have children.  She still has hope but she is afraid she will end up with more cats and still nobody to share her life with.  She says the best place to meet someone is the dog park.  That won’t work for someone with cats.

3. Diane is 65 and spent most of her career as a high-powered banker. She was forced into an early retirement so she began spending more time on her passion, cats.  Believe it or not Diane has been sharing her home for the pas year with 123 cats.  She wants to save all of the cats that are on the street.  She feeds them, nurses them back to heath and continues to trap more feral cats.  She knows she is getting in over her head but can’t stop.  She knows it’s a risk legally and health wise because she now lives in squalid conditions.  She knows it’s taking a toll on her in many ways.  She wants to stop and go back to the way her life was before saving these cats.  She can’t even see her family that lives out of town because the cats need her.

How do you feel about the connection between humans and animals?  Is there a point when the good feelings from being with animals are a hazard to your life?  Do you think that certain people can live a life with only animals and others can’t?  What about Jane Goodall, she lived with the chimps for all those years.

Last month the Humane Society Legislative Fund had a contest.  They wanted people to submit ideas for new legislation that involves animals.  They had more than 3,500 entries.  The winner was Cheryl Woodcock.  Her idea was for people to get a tax credit for spaying and neutering their animals.  She felt this would encourage owners to do their part to help with the overpopulation of animals.  The HSLF is working with members of Congress to introduce a new federal bill to promote the spaying and neutering of pets.   If you would like to help here is the link.

What is the impact of spaying or neutering your animal?

Spay/neuter is the only permanent, 100-percent effective method of birth control for dogs and cats.

Overpopulation is everywhere

There are so many homeless animals all across the country.  In the U.S. there are an estimated 6-8 million homeless animals entering animal shelters every year. About half of these animals are adopted but the rest have to be euthanized. These are healthy, sweet pets and would have made great companions but there were no homes.

These are not the offspring of homeless “street” animals—these are the puppies and kittens of cherished family pets and even purebreds.

Your own pet could be a shelter animal

Many people believe that their pet’s puppies or kittens would never become homeless shelter animals. But the reality is that every time the dog finds his way under the fence to visit the neighbor’s female dog, or the indoor/outdoor cat comes back home pregnant again, the result is a litter of dogs or cats. Even if they are placed into homes, it is still possible for them to end up in shelters once they become “hard to handle,” or for them to reproduce further and for the next generation of puppies or kittens to wind up homeless.

Not just for dogs and cats

When being conscientious about the pet overpopulation, don’t forget to spay or neuter your rabbit. Rabbits reproduce faster than dogs or cats and often end up in shelters where they must be euthanized. Spaying or neutering rabbits can reduce hormone-driven behavior such as lunging, mounting, spraying and boxing. Spaying females can prevent ovarian, mammary and uterine cancers, which can be prevalent in mature females.

Millions of pet deaths each year are a needless tragedy. By spaying and neutering your pet, you can be an important part of the solution.

What can you do?

Contact your veterinarian or local shelter to see about getting your pet spayed or neutered.  There is also a service called MASU (Mobile Animal Sterilization Unit).  They will come to you.

No matter how you sugar coat it, there is abuse and neglect all around us.  Whether it’s towards an adult, child or animal…abuse is abuse, neglect is neglect.  A couple of days ago a 5 month old girl died in Florida because her parents would not feed her.  She was starved to death.

Awareness of your surroundings, and what you see, is key to stopping abuse and neglect.  There are authorities in your community you can call who will investigate.  It is better to be safe, and maybe save a life, than be sorry.

Here are some facts that I hope will educate people to become more aware of what is going on around them.  You might save a life, human or animal.

1. 98% of Americans consider pets to be companions or members of the family.   For many battered women, pets are sources of comfort providing strong emotional support.

2. Animal abuse and neglect is linked to domestic violence.  Animal cruelty problems are people problems.  When animals are abused, people are at risk. There is a strong link between harming pets, or livestock, and some men’s perpetration of domestic violence. Some men threaten to harm animals, or actually harm them, or kill them as a means of coercion, control and intimidation.  This form of power and control is more likely to occur when women or children have close emotional bonds with their animals.

3. Several studies were conducted on woman in domestic violence shelters.  They show 24% to 80% of the women reported that their male partner had threatened to harm, actually harmed, or killed their animals.  Most of the studies have been conducted in USA and Canada.  In the UK a study reported that nine family pets a week are reported as abused by perpetrators of domestic violence

4. Also, it’s been shown that men who abused their pets were more dangerous and more controlling than men who did not.  These men demonstrated more tactics of power and control including sexual violence, marital rape, emotional violence and stalking compared with men who did not abuse their pets.

Some statistics from different sources:

1. 71% of pet-owning women in shelters reported their abuser injured, maimed, killed or threatened family pets.  32% reported their children had hurt or killed animals.

2. 68% of battered women reported violence towards their animals. 87% of these incidents occurred in the presence of the women, and 75% in the presence of the children.

3. 13% of intentional animal abuse cases involve domestic violence.

4. Between 25% and 40% of battered women are unable to escape abusive situations because they worry about what will happen to their pets or livestock should they leave.

5. Abusers kill, harm, or threaten children’s pets to coerce them into sexual abuse or to force them to remain silent about abuse.   A lot of these kids turn around and do the same thing to someone else. They do what they are taught and many hope it will keep their own pet safe.

6. It’s been documented that 70% of animal abusers also had records for other crimes.

7. Investigation of animal abuse is often the first point of social services intervention for a family in trouble.

Trivia:

1. More American households have pets than have children.

2. We spend more money on pet food than on baby food.

3. There are more dogs in the U.S. than people in most countries in Europe – and more cats than dogs.

4. A child growing up in the U.S. is more likely to have a pet than a live-at-home father.

5. Pets live most frequently in homes with children: 64.1% of homes with children under age 6, and 74.8% of homes with children over age 6, have pets.

6. The woman is the primary caregiver in 72.8% of pet-owning households.

7. Battered women have been known to live in their cars with their pets for as long as four months until an opening was available at a pet-friendly safe house. [

If You Need Help

Contact your local humane society, SPCA, animal control agency, or veterinarian to see if they have temporary foster care facilities for pets belonging to battered women.

What You Can Do

1. Have your pets vaccinated against rabies, and license your pets with your town or county: make sure these registrations are in your name to help prove your ownership.

2. Consider and plan for the safety and welfare of your animals. Do not leave pets with your abuser. Be prepared to take your pets with you: many women’s shelters have established “safe haven” foster care programs for the animal victims of domestic violence.

3. Alternatively, arrange temporary shelter for your pets with a veterinarian, family member, trusted friend, or local animal shelter.

If you have suggestions, feedback or information that can help, and you want to share, PLEASE DO!

As the winter season settles in, the chill of the cold air often make us more aware of our joint health problems- the same goes for your pet.  Though commonly bothersome in the winter, joint discomfort can be a year round-pain that affects your pet’s quality of life.

Many of us will take aspirin, ibuprofen or Tylenol but you should NEVER GIVE THESE TO YOUR PETS.  Over-the-counter pain remedies are hard on animals stomach and intestines and can be fatal to cats and ferrets.  If you think the problem is serious enough for you to consider a pain reliever, it is serious enough to take your pet to your veterinarian.

Joints are areas where bones come together. They are a combination of bone, ligaments, cartilage, and the joint capsule and fluid. If anything damages the cartilage or another structure in the joint then arthritis or deterioration results.

There is no cure for arthritis. Symptoms can be treated, but arthritis is often progressive and gets worse with time.  There are ways to prevent or postpone the onset of your pet’s joint problems, as well as your own.

With weight control and proper diet you can possibly prevent or reduce joint issues.  It is very important that you consider the ingredients in the food you are giving to your animals because the food affects your pets’ joint growth and health.  Keeping your pet slim and trim is important in maintaining your pet’s health. Muscle mass can be controlled by moderate, low –impact exercise like swimming and walking.

Large dog breeds such as German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers and Irish setters are especially susceptible to joint health problems, like hip dysplasia.

Dietary supplements that you take, such as glucosamine and Omega 3 fatty acids, can also help ease your pet’s joint pain.  There is research to show that the dietary supplement glucosamine, which is an important dietary adjunct that supports joint health, increases mobility and decreases pain.  It is not a cure but seems to slow down progression of joint health problems.  Omega 3 fatty acids can also help ease joint pain by reducing inflammation, which happens when joints rub together.  Your veterinarian should be consulted to be sure you are giving the correct dose.

If your pet has more severe joint problems, and more drastic medical attention is needed, there are a variety of treatment options available.

Hip joints that have arthritis can be replaced surgically, like in humans.  There is also pain management with medications such as nonsteroidal inflammatory drugs, joint supplements, and physical rehabilitation.

Always consult your veterinarian regarding food, exercise, supplements and drugs.

Here are a few conditions you might see in your animal…..

Hip & Elbow Dysplasia:

Dysplasia is basically another word for arthritis.  It is a genetically inherited issue that affects mid to large breeds. There can be arthritis symptoms, bone chips and malformed joints.  Most dogs will limp.  Many cats get this as well, especially Maine Coon, Persians, and Chartreux.

Pain in pets that is associated with their elbows tends to be serious.  This is mostly seen in young dogs where there are fragments of bone in the elbow joint.  These are serious conditions that will become worse if they are left untreated.  They can be treated medically with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines for a number of years or immediate attempts can be made to repair the joints surgically. Surgery offers the only hope of slowing or stopping the slow destruction of the joint

These are not conditions that pet owners can diagnose or treat themselves. Specialized x-rays and knowledge are required to detect them.

Arthritis:

Nearly all pets, like nearly all people, develop some degree of arthritis as they age. It is common to see arthritis in dogs over 8, cats over 12 and ferrets over 7. Pets that are unusually large, and those that do not stand vertically on their legs (Bulldogs), are more at risk of developing problems earlier. Signs of arthritis are usually visible on x-rays long before you notice them in you pet. The severity of the damage your veterinarian sees on x-rays may not reflect the amount of pain your pet experiences. Some pets with horrible x-rays do not seem to be in pain and vice versa.

If your pet suffered an injury to a leg joint earlier in life, arthritis may develop in that limb years later. For example, in racing greyhounds, left legs suffer more than right because those legs take a lot of pounding as the dog runs counter-clockwise on the track.

There are things you can do to delay the onset off arthritic pain:

1. Do not allow your pet’s toenails to overgrow.

2. Do not over feed growing pets or allow them to get over weight – their body weight can increase faster than the strength of their bones. This can cause the bones to bow, placing the weight improperly on the joints and cause early arthritis.

3. A moderate amount of daily exercise, like taking walks with your pets will also delay arthritis.

4. Hot tubs, whirlpools and swimming are great for pets that already suffer from arthritis and all the suggestions that apply to people with arthritis, apply to pets as well.

Overgrown or overly short toenails:

These cause limping. Overly long nails are a particular problem in older, less active pets. When these nails break off, they expose the sensitive quick. They quickly become infected and very painful. These nails need to be cut off straight and cauterized in order for them to heal properly. This is a painful procedure. It should be done, professionally, under mild anesthesia.

Very active dogs and dogs housed on concrete will wear their toenails down to the quick. With time, the quick on these nails recede. Once the nails no longer bare weight, they will become pain free.

When your pet’s nails are allowed to overgrow, they twist the joints of the foot that lead to arthritis and pain. Severely overgrown nails need to be clipped off short and cauterized by your veterinarian under a mild anesthetic. Antibiotics are rarely required.

Pets with rear leg pain often carry those legs farther forward than normal. Pets with front leg pain are often reluctant to move. When pets favor a leg over time, the toenails on that limb tend to be longer than on the others.

Limping pets are some of the most frequent visitors to veterinary hospitals. Sometimes an initial physical examination by your veterinarian identifies the cause – but often the cause is not immediately evident.

As you can see, humans and animals have a lot of the same conditions.  If all of us ate better, took supplements and exercised regularly, we would live better, longer, healthier lives.

We look forward to your comments and stories.

Ferrets make wonderful pets. The most important thing you can do for your ferret is find a veterinarian who has extensive training in ferrets.  If yours does not, THEN FIND ONE!!!

My ferret, Bessie, currently has adrenal disease, so I wanted to write about that illness today.  This picture is my very first ferret, Punum, who had adrenal disease.  He was 7 in this picture, 19 years ago.

Unfortunately ferrets age more quickly than dogs or cats do. Most only live about 9 years. One reason is because of genetics. None of the ferrets, small wild relatives, live more than 7-10 years. But these pet’s lives are also shortened by a relatively small number of diseases that are very common in ferrets. One of the most common is adrenal gland tumors.

Both sexes get these tumors but it is slightly more common in females than males. Some of these pets are as young as 3 years old.

Why Do Ferrets Get Adrenal Gland Tumors?

Some people think that the problem is due to the small gene pool of American ferrets. Most American ferrets are derived from a small number of animals obtained by George Marshall in the 1950’s (Marshall Ferrets). It may be that the inbreeding they did that resulted in an increase the animal’s susceptibility to these tumors. Other people feel that the practice of neutering ferrets very young is the cause of this disease. It does not appear to be as common in Scandinavia where ferrets are often left un-neutered. Neutering ferrets removes the target organs (ovaries, testicles) for hormones (GnRH) produced by the pituitary gland within the brain.

Since this gland no longer has circulating blood products to keep it in check, it produces an excess of hormone, which is closely related to the hormone that naturally stimulates adrenal gland activity (ACTH). After years of stimulation, the adrenal glands may become cancerous or simply enlarged and hyperactive. In either case, it then produces abnormally high levels of female (estrogenic) and male (androgenic) hormones.

Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals

Today’s environment and food supply are packed with manmade compounds. Some of these, called endocrine disrupting chemicals, are suspected of causing endocrine glands to run amuck in many species. There is a lot of evidence that one group, PBDEs are involved in thyroid hormone overproduction in cats. Hyperthyroidism in cats and hyperadrenocorticism (overactive adrenal glands) in ferrets have many similarites. These chemicals are very similar to hormones that tell the body’s endocrine glands how much hormone to produce. When these glands over produce, the end result is often a tumor of the gland. Other chemicals that have been implicated in these types of problems are BPAs and others that are commonly found in plastics. They all eventually enter the water and food supply of humans and animals.

What Are The Signs Of Adrenal Gland Disease In My Ferret?

The first sign that something is amiss is a thinning of hair near the tip of your ferret’s tail. The pet’s adrenal gland has begun to produces abnormally large quantities of steroids that result in a thin hair coat and a thin skin among other things. Later, hair fails to grow over the ferret’s back and on its stomach. In females, the area surrounding the vagina (vulva) becomes swollen, due to too much estrogen in her system.

Approximately one in three ferrets with this problem will be itchy. This hair loss is always symmetrical, that is, the same on either side. It is not so much that the hair is falling out as it is that it is not being replaced and wears off at the points on the pets body that rub most.  There is no other condition that will result in these signs. These ferrets are also underweight; their skin is wrinkled and very thin.

They do not appear to be in pain, but some are less energetic than they ought to be. Many loose muscle mass – especially in their thighs and rear.  Some will become more aggressive.  Some male ferrets with this underlying problem will have trouble passing urine due to an enlarged prostate gland.  Some appear to drink and urinate more.

You can diagnose these cases by having an adrenal hormone urine test performed. Many times, the tumor(s) can be seen in an ultrasound examination. But very small tumors are not detectable by ultrasound. If your ferret shows the distinctive hair and skin changes of an adrenal gland tumor – it has the problem even if the ultrasound was negative.

When the diagnosis is confirmed, there are several ways the problem can be treated.  A non-surgical approach is to administer one of a number of “anti-hormones” to the ferret every 4-6 months. These anti-hormones are called GnRH inhibitors. Two that have been used successfully are luprolide acetate (Lupron, TAP Pharmaceuticals) and Goserelin (Zoladex, Zeneca Pharmaceuticals) implants. When these drugs are administered, hair coat re grows and blood levels of the problem hormones falls. However, the adrenal tumor remains and the shots must continue every 6 – 8 months indefinitely.

A less expensive – but not as effective – way to treat your ferret is with mitotane (Lysodren), which must be given orally every three or four days. This medication attacks the tissue of the adrenal gland. It is used primarily in pets to control over active adrenal glands in dogs (Cushing’s Disease) . Mitotane has a number of unwanted side effects. Many vets do not recommend that it be given.   Melatonin is another drug that has been given to ferrets with adrenal gland disease. This is the implant I put in my ferret yesterday and hope it relieves some of her symptoms. Melatonin is one of the chemicals that regulate pituitary cycles. It is safe and it is readily obtainable by ferret owners. However, it is very unlikely that it will cure the disease. When it is naturally produced in your pet, its level pulses in the blood stream quite differently than when it is given in an implant. It was once produced as an implant for mink.

I have also been using Poly MVA, which is an alternative shown to reduce cancer tumors in humans.  My vet has had really good results with it in ferrets.  I did not get a great result from it with Bessie and that is why I’m trying the implant.

The only curative treatment at this time is to surgically remove the tumors. They are generally quite visible within the body of the adrenal gland or glands and can be desiccated (zapped) with an electrocautery (electric knife) or lazer. This surgery is considerably easier when the left adrenal gland is only involved. The right adrenal gland is farther forward and much harder to approach without damaging the large blood vessels around it.  Vets usually check the ferrets’ pancreas during adrenal surgery. Sometimes vets will remove pancreatic tumors during the same procedure.

My veterinarian will remove the whole adrenal gland if there is any tumor at all. If they remove both glands completely, I’ve heard the ferret will need replacement hormones for the rest of its life. I did not need them for Bessie, but part of her gland was wrapped around a major artery so it was not completely removed.

What If I Do Not Treat The Problem?

Ferrets with this problem do not appear to be in pain. Some of them do appear weak. These are probably anemic. Without surgery, your ferret might live six month to two years.   Because the pituitary gland of your ferret is partially under the control of sunlight, some ferret owners give their ferrets lots of exposure to natural sunlight to try to keep the pets biological rhythms synchronized. Perhaps this might help. The effects of sunlight on hair growth and biological rhythms is complex. It operates through a compound called melatonin, produced in the pet’s pineal gland and retinas.

Anastrozole (Arimidex) used to treat breast tumors in postmenopausal women has also been tried in ferrets with adrenal tumors. It has not been very effective long term.

I hope that this information helps if you are a ferret owner.  The most important thing is to have a veterinarian who specializes, and has specific training, with ferrets.  If not, FIND ONE!!  My Veterinarian is Jack Landess and he is a wonderful resource if you need to contact him.  941-484-2485

As many of you know, ferrets have a very special place in my heart.  I got my first one 25 years ago because I was living in a very small place and wanted an animal.  I didn’t know what a ferret was but they were cute.  Over the years I have learned more than I ever wanted to about ferrets.  With each ferret I learn more about their needs and how to keep them healthy.

One thing I found out, after I feel in love with my first one,  is they have short life spans.  They live 8-9 years, if you are lucky.  Here are a few tips for people considering ferrets as pets.

1. Find a Veterinarian that has a lot of experience with ferrets.  Not one who does yearly shots, physicals, etc.  One that has done many adrenal gland surgeries and other procedures.  You can always contact me for recommendations.

2. Ferrets eat all day long so leave the food out 24/7.  Make sure the ingredients on the bag show 3 out of the first 5 ingredients as some type of meat or poultry.  Many ferrets like to drink from bowls because they like to play in the water.

3. They are very active so let them out of the cage to run around and play at least twice a day for an hour or so.

4. I prefer to have a 3 story cage regardless of the number of ferrets.  They need room to move.  They are not gerbils.

5. Don’t spent money on a lot of supplies. Use old towels as hammocks, use really long drier vents (4′ diameter) as a tunnel in the room. Use old key rings, ping pong balls, C.D. and DVD cases, etc. as toys.  Ferrets love to grab things and hid them.  Be sure they are hard objects so they can’t chew them then digest them.  BEWARE of shoes and rubber!!

6. Never feed them fruit or anything sweet. They love that kind of food but it is very bad for them.  The best treat is their kibble out of your hand.  It’s your attention that they crave.

7. Be sure your home is safe. I know of stories where ferrets died getting in the dishwasher when the owner was loading it, they were behind the washer/ dryer and the motor killed them, same with the refrigerator, they were crushed in an electric reclining chair, they got into chemicals in a closet or cabinet.  Also, they can sneak out of doors and other small holes very easily.  They are fast but worth the extra care needed.

8. They do best when they have a companion. If you don’t have a dog or a cat that they ferret gets along with, the best thing is to get another ferret.  I’ve learned that my ferrets are happiest when they have another ferret, like most humans.   We all like companionship.

Bottom line……ferrets are very loving and bring a lot of joy to their owners.  You can’t help but laugh when you see one, especially two, in action.  If you ever need any information about them, and more specifics like cleaning, etc. please contact me.  HAVE A WONDERFUL TIME WITH YOUR FUZZIES!

HERBIE WAS SPECIAL.  HE WAS VERY LOVING, CARING AND ENJOYED LICKING YOU TO SHOW HE CARED.  HIS FAVORITE THING, OTHER THAN HIS MATE BESSIE, WAS HIS MONKEY.  HE IS MISSED EVERYDAY.

Put ONLY 2 drops of Frontline in each ear.  Wipe off the excess residue so other animals won’t lick it.  Repeat in 1 week.  If they still scratch their ears get them to a vet who specializes in ferrets.