www.newrivervalley.com

Paws & Claws

Jill Bowen has practiced veterinary medicine in England and Texas. She lives in Blacksburg now, and answers local pet owners' questions every week in The Roanoke Times and roanoke.com.

Recent columns

• High school biology can explain calico coloring
• Vaccinating your cat comes with small cancer risk
• Although rare, cat scratch fever can occur after bite, scratch
• Halloween is not a treat for most pets

I am confused about garlic and onions in my dog's food. It appears that not everyone is taking the same stance and I was hoping you could clarify this for me. What problems could these ingredients have for my dog?

Plants of the allium family of which onions, garlic, chives, scallions and leeks are all members contain a wide variety of organosulfoxide compounds. Once eaten, these organosulfur compounds are readily absorbed through the gut and are changed into highly reactive oxidants. These compounds destroy the red blood cells in the blood, which contain the hemoglobin responsible for the transport of oxygen around the body to the tissues, resulting in an anemia. Cooking or dehydrating onions, garlic and similar plants does not destroy the toxic effects of these plants. The red blood cells of dogs and cats appear to be more sensitive to the toxic effects of allium species than the blood of other animals.

In dogs and cats clinical signs of poisoning may appear within a day if large amounts have been eaten; however, it is more usual for the symptoms to develop over the course of several days.

Clinical signs include depression, blood in the urine, jaundice, increased heart rate and shortness of breath as the heart and lungs try to compensate for the lack of available oxygen. Loss of appetite, weakness and exercise intolerance are also symptoms of toxicity. Abdominal pain and diarrhea may also be present, particularly in cats and Japanese dog breeds, which are especially susceptible to allium toxicity. Onion poisoning is consistently found where animals have eaten more than 0.5 percent of their body weight at one time. This means a small, 10-pound dog could not tolerate more that half an ounce of onion or garlic.

There is no specific antidote available for this problem. Veterinarians supply supportive treatment; this may include a blood transfusion. Pain killers, particularly acetaminophen, are likely to increase susceptibility to the toxic effects of all allium species.

My cat's breath smells really bad. She likes to lie by my head on my pillow and it is really unpleasant. She is a lovely cat and I hate to ban her from my bedroom, but the smell wakes me up! What can I do?

Usually bad breath (halitosis) comes from the mouth, but there maybe other underlying causes. A trip to your veterinarian is indicated so that your cat can be checked for a number of causes of the obnoxious smell. The most common is gingivitis (gum inflammation), often in association with a buildup of tartar on the teeth; sometimes the teeth and underlying jaw bone may be infected. Occasionally a piece of bone or hair may become stuck in the mouth causing ulceration, and other foreign bodies in the mouth such as grass stalks or grass awns are not uncommon and cause a rotten smell as they disintegrate.

Tumors in the mouth do occur, while lung problems such as cancer, although rare, do occur. Both chronic and acute kidney disease can cause quite severe halitosis.

Symptoms of a problem in the mouth include drooling; this may be blood stained or even contain pus. Difficulty in eating and/or swallowing, obvious mouth pain and objections to having the mouth examined.

All cats should have periodic dental checkups, usually done at the same time of as the veterinary visit for booster vaccinations. As cats get older it is common for there to be a buildup of tartar on the teeth causing inflammation and receding gums. Periodic dental cleaning helps to keep the mouth in good order. A cat's teeth can be cleaned using a special toothpaste and brush. This is fine if the cat will tolerate it, but many will not.