My Pet World: New tactics could make taking pills fun for your pet

Q: I read your recent column on pilling cats. What I need to know is how to give pills to my stubborn dog, who spits them out. I've tried rolling a pill inside peanut butter and lunch meat, to no avail. Is there a secret trick? -- D.N., Anchorage, AK

A: Cats often seem like magicians, able to determine if there's a pill within a mile of their food bowl, and dogs can be pretty adept, too.

First, stop hiding pills inside peanut butter or lunchmeat. The problem is, your dog is on to you. She's figured out that where there's peanut butter or lunch meat, there's likely to be a bitter-tasting pill. Substitute another treat. You have lots of options, including liverwurst, baby food, cheese, or tasty Pill Pockets. Check with your vet on the best choice.

If you want to try liverwurst, for example, start on a day when you have some time. Early in the morning, roll the liverwurst into three little balls. Make a big deal of this, then as you hand each ball to your dog, say something like, "Here's your special treat!"

Now, repeat the same process two more times. The final time around, roll FOUR little liverwurst balls. Inside the third ball, hide the dog's pill. By now, your dog will be conditioned to know that liverwurst balls are wonderful.

Start again by saying, "Here's your special treat!" so your dog is excited about what's about to happen. Confidently, pop her the first three balls and hold the fourth at her nose, ready to go. For dogs, smell overtakes taste. Be smooth, confident, upbeat and quick - and this "secret" trick will work.

(By the way, if you do use lunchmeat or peanut butter to entice your dog, low salt is preferred.)

Another solution might be to simply buy moist dog food and hide your dog's pills in that. "Hoover dogs" who inhale their food may never realize there's a nasty pill there.

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Q: I saw a TV segment recently about over-vaccinating pets. This may be a genuine problem, according to my veterinarian. She wasn't sure if my dog really needed the vaccine for leptospirosis. Living in Chicago, my pet hangs out at dog parks and I take her for walks. Based on that TV segment, it may make sense not to vaccinate. Do you think I should skip the leptospirosis vaccine? -- C.L., Chicago, IL

A: "No, don't skip the vaccine," implores Dr. Natalie Marks, a Chicago veterinarian. Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease spread primarily through urine of rodents and other infected animals. Unprotected dogs can get quite sick by drinking infected water, or licking their paws after they've stepped in infected water.

Leptospirosis can make people sick, too. The disease is zoonotic, meaning people can potentially get lepto from dogs.

"Protecting our pets protects us, as well," Marks notes.

Lepto prevalence does seem to be on the rise, particularly in well-populated areas. City rats are among primary carriers.

Marks says veterinary vaccine experts now consider the vaccine for leptospirosis a core vaccine. It's that important. Talk with your veterinarian and weigh the benefit of vaccinating compared vs. the risk of leaving your dog unprotected.

"Certainly, any vaccine (can trigger) a reaction, and the most common seen in the leptospirosis vaccines are itching or swelling at the vaccine site, (although) those are rare. Even more rare are more serious reactions to the vaccine, which range from vomiting to severe allergic response," Marks says.

"The recent measles outbreak occurred because of a concern (among some people) regarding the safety of vaccination - and look what happened. Vaccines protect our pets, and in this instance protect us, as well."

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Q: Can the feline herpes virus be treated successfully? You said in a column that "once treated, the symptoms disappear over time." However, you didn't explain the actual treatment. Jack, my 16-year-old cat, has feline herpes, which has caused significant damage to his right eye. What can we do? -- K.R., Bethlehem, PA

A: "For ocular herpes, there are anti-viral eye drops," says Dr. Susan Little, president of the American Association of Feline Practitioners. "Also, there's an anti-viral oral medication called famciclovir, which has demonstrated safety for cats. See your veterinarian to determine the best approach."

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Q: I adopted my cat, Jesse, as a stray in 2008, and he's not declawed. Jesse has done a number on my furniture. I'm currently unemployed and can't afford to do much about this problem, although I did buy a nice scratching post. As a renter, I might be kicked out for the damage Jesse has done. Finding another apartment wouldn't be easy. What can I do? -- L.R., via cyberspace

A: Yes, you can teach an adult cat new tricks. Take these two steps to redirect Jesse's scratching where you want.

1. Make the places where Jesse is currently scratching uncomfortable, or remove the furniture all together. For instance, you could lay car mats (nubby side up) or plastic mats used under office chairs (nubby side up) over your furniture, focusing on the places where Jesse is scratching most.

2. Offer Jesse preferable places to scratch, such as a sturdy vertical post or two, and a cardboard horizontal post. Place these near the furniture he previously scratched. Rub catnip on the posts. Play with Jesse around the post(s) using an interactive toy, such as a fishing pole-type toy. When he bats at the toy, he'll touch the post and deposit his scent on it. When he does this often enough, he's identifying the post as his own.

Some cats can even observe a person pretending to scratch at a post and learn to do the same.

Horizontal cardboard scratchers usually come with a starter kit of catnip to deposit into open slits. Many cats don't even require enticement.

Whenever Jesse scratches in the "right" place, instantly reward him with a special treat and praise.

After 4-6 weeks of Jesse scratching where you want, gradually remove the mats from the furniture. At first, take them away only when you're around to supervise in the same room. Eventually, you'll be able to leave the mats off when you're not home.

If Jesse is only scratching furniture you own, I'm not sure what the landlord is upset about, unless the cat is also scratching the carpet. In any case, many apartments do accept, and even welcome feline tenants.

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