Facts and Fiction about Fluffy &
Fido
Examining common myths
about pets
By Lisa Zhito
Does Fido Eat Grass to settle an upset stomach?
Is Fluffy really untrainable?
American Profile asked animal experts
about these and other popular beliefs about pets.
Here is what they had to say:
Myth: A warm nose means your pet is sick.
Fact: Not always, according to our
experts.
Cats and dogs have higher body temperatures
than humans and may feel warmer in general. Sometimes a pet’s nose will be warm
because the animal has been exercising or snoozing.
“Warm, dry noses can be a sign of
illness when they occur in association with other symptoms” says Marie Suthers,
a human-animal interaction expert in Helene, Mont. If your pet has a warm nose
accompanied by changes in nose texture, loss of appetite, vomiting or diarrhea,
a trip to the veterinarian is in order.
Myth: Cats by nature are untrainable.
Fact: “Cats are very trainable.
The problem is we use the wrong
methods”, says feline behaviorist and author Pam Johnson-Bennett, of Nashville,
Tenn. Don’t train a cat like you would a dog, she says. Instead, try to
understand a cat’s conduct. “Animals don’t repeat behaviors unless it serves a
function. If they are misbehaving, we haven’t provided what they need as an
alternative,” such as a scratching post to use in place of the sofa, she says.
Myth: You can’t teach an old dog new Tricks.
Fact: “That’s like saying you can’t teach
an adult to read. Of course you can!” Suthers says. “Any dog of any age can
learn new tricks, or basic manners, too. It just takes a little patience, time
and consistency.”
Myth: Animals eat grass to settle an
upset stomach.
Fact: This is true, Suthers says. “They
also do it because it tastes good, or they are hungry.” She adds. “My dog will
sit or do tricks for blades of grass.”
Myth: It’s healthy for a pet to have one
litter before spaying.
Fact: “That’s wrong,” says Staten Island,
NY.-based animal behaviorist Stephen Zaawistowski, science advisor for the
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. “If you spay a
female before her first heat, you almost entirely eliminate the potential for
mammary cancer,” he says. “Females who are never spayed go through continuous
heat cycles and risk getting infection of the uterus.”
Another spraying-related myth is that
spraying or neutering makes your pet fat. Not so, say the experts. It’s not
spaying or neutering, but too little exercise and too much food that cause pets
to become overweight.
Myth: It’s OK to give cats a saucer of milk.
Fact: “Cats may like milk, but most adult
cats are lactose intolerant,” Bennett says. “Once a cat is weaned from its
mother, they don’t need milk anymore.” In fact, Bennett adds, cats lack the
lactase enzyme, which means they are unable to digest milk. “Cats are lactose
intolerant and will end up with diarrhea,” she says. For young kittens not
fully weaned, a milk-product specially formulated for cats is available from
veterinarians.
Myth: A dogs mouth is cleaner than a
human’s.
Fact: Perhaps not cleaner, but certainly
no dirtier. Human and animal mouths contain different kinds of bacteria,
Suthers says. Gum disease and plaque are concerns for both. “It’s important to
brush your teeth and your dog’s teeth…for everyone’s health and for sweet
breath,” she says.
Myth: “People” food is bad for pets.
Fact: Not necessarily, Zawistowski says.
Just watch their overall caloric intake to prevent weight gain. “Certain foods
are absolutely not appropriate … chocolate, raisins, onions, even bread dough,”
Zawistowski says. “But there are a number of things that are perfrctly fine for
pets. My dog loves apples, and usually at night we’ll share an apple together.”
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