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 have a very sweet and obedient Labrador, except when we play ball. She grabs the ball out of my hand, dashes after it when I throw it and refuses to let me have it back, keeping just out of reach and sometimes growling.

We often unwittingly teach dogs not to give balls back, by either chasing them or giving them lots of attention by shouting.

In order to retrain your dog, put her on a long line or flexible leash when you throw the ball. When she gets the ball, reel her in with it, make her sit and tell her to drop the ball at your feet. If she doesn't drop it on command, offer her a treat so she has to spit out the ball to get the food. Repeat this several times.

Being a Labrador, a breed that's notoriously greedy, the food method usually works well. The other way to get her to bring the ball back to you is simply to ignore her when she fails to give you the ball. Walk away from her. She will soon learn that the game ends if she does not return and drop the ball.

n n n

I have been treating my 14-year-old collie for mange for more than a year. Because she is a collie my vet won't prescribe Ivermectin because it is known to cause fits in collies. Is this correct? Do you know of anything I can treat her with? Also, I think I may have caught mange from her on my arm. My doctor said he did not know anything about mange and said to ask my vet.

Your veterinarian is correct: There have been several documented cases of the drug Ivermectin being linked to seizures in certain dog breeds, including collies. Ivermectin is used to treat mange mites and some internal parasites and also as a heartworm prevention.

Before the appearance of Ivermectin, a drug called benzyl benzoate was used as a 29 percent solution in a lotion or spray to treat sarcoptic mange in dogs. This drug works well, although it requires several applications at weekly intervals to ensure a complete cure. The only down side is that has a very strong and penetrating odor that tends to linger. It may be available in your local pet store or online at Web sites such as happyjackinc.com.

Sarcoptic mange in humans is called scabies and can be cleared up with the same benzyl benzoate solution, but check with your doctor first, as the similar human preparation may be less offensive.

It is not uncommon to catch scabies from your dog, especially if she sits in your lap. Many veterinarians have caught it as an occupational hazard. Do not use benzyl benzoate on cats because it is toxic to them.

n n n

How do I break up a catfight? We have a 4-year-old outside cat, and recently a family moved in up the street with another outdoor cat and these two are now fighting. Can I do anything to stop this warfare?

There is no way to stop the fighting because they are busy deciding who is the dominant cat. Leave them alone. Do not intervene when cats are caterwauling and having a ritual face-off.

By trying to rescue your cat you could precipitate the very situation you are trying to avoid. If left alone they usually will make peace and go their separate ways or even sit together. If you try to rescue your cat with your bare hands you are likely to get bitten and scratched.

If you do decide to break up a serious catfight, one where the dominant cat will not back down after the face-off and let the losing cat slink away, throw a blanket or coat over the cats to surprise them. Usually the fighting stops and both cats run away. Or squirt them with the garden hose, which is drastic but effective.