Parthenium-induced allergies in Animals

In a tropical Indian summer, its not just the scorching sun that the animals have to beat. If you have this beautiful shrub (photograph below) growing around, it might be giving your animal (and yourself) a tough time.

(Click on image to enlarge)



Behold Parthenium hysterophorus, commonly known as Gaajar Ghaans (Carrot Grass), Congress Grass or simply as Parthenium. Parthenium, as a genus, abounds many species but the notoriety of P. hysterophorus has transcended its identity as a species. Introduced accidentally in India with wheat imported from Americas in mid-1950s, this extremely invasive weed now grows abundantly in most parts of India. To my personal surprise, I have seen it growing in difficult areas like Aadi-Badri and Gopeshwar, and also in presumably well-managed landscapes like the IIM-Bangalore campus. The shrub, growing up to a height of about 3 feet in conspicuous bushes, bears small (less than half centimeter in diameter), relatively scent-less, white flowers; flowering begins after the rainy season. The stem appears to have faint white stripes along its length.

The plant is moderately toxic and the pollen is strongly allergenic. Pets exposed to even low quantities of the pollen may suffer from generalised itchiness, rashes, running nose, swollen and watery eyes, and breathing difficulties. Similar symptoms are seen in human beings; children are especially sensitive. In goats, cows and buffaloes, that may feed on Parthenium, the milk becomes distastefully bitter and the animals may develop strong photosensitivity, manifested as redness of the skin, hair-loss in patches and sometimes the skin may start peeling off.

It is best to prevent exposure to the plant. The shrub, if attended early, can be easily uprooted manually and should preferably be burnt off. In areas where the pollen load is high in the air, it is advisable to avoid taking pets outside during the evening, when pollen has not yet settled. An occassionally extra-sensitive subject may require air conditioning and dust-precipitators within the house. In the event of an allergic condition, it is best to refer to a veterinarian. The veterinarian will generally treat the animal with anti-histaminics and supporting alleviative therapy. Severe respiratory distress may prove life-threatening, especially in the small and brachycephalic (flat faced) breeds such as pugs. Milk from animals that have fed upon the plant must not be consumed for a period of up to seven days of last intake depending on the quantum of Parthenium ingested; such milk must be disposed off and should neither be offered to humans nor to animals. The affected animals should not be turned out of the barn and their treatment precludes antihistaminics and hepato-protectants alongwith adjunct supportive therapy.

I hope this helps. Forget not to send in your queries, comments and suggestions. You can write to vetchums@gmail.com.

Caring for the Coat

In this blog, I'll discuss about care of the coat in dogs and cats. Your pet may have a long, medium or short hair coat. The shorter type is easier to care for. An unhealthy hair coat is bad anyways but more so in the medium and long-haired breeds. Other than specific diseases of the skin and hair, poor management is a big reason for a bad coat. Leave the specific diseases to the vet, ensure proper care of the skin and hair, and your pet will have a shiny satin coat that will humble a grizzly. Here is what you need to know.

Dogs and cats are not frequent bath-taking species. How many times have you seen wild dogs, wolves, foxes, jackals, the big cats (the Bengal Tiger is a genuine exception) or any of their kin bathing on Discovery Channel, National Geographic or Animal Planet? Mostly, you only see elephants, buffaloes, hippos and the likes of them. Why don't you see the afore-mentioned species bathing? Well, it is so because they do not bathe frequently! The same is true for domesticated dogs and cats. These animals, especially dogs, do not sweat (much) and their skin is not as productive as ours. Hence, if you are used to giving a bath to your pet at free will, then you must hold back. Except when indicated for veterinary reasons (during some skin diseases, it might be required to bathe the animal frequently to go with the topical medication), dogs and cats must not be bathed more than twice a week during (tropical) summers and twice a month during winters; for other periods of the year, you can bathe your pet once a week. The costliest shampoo or soap from the market is not the only thing that you can do for your pet's coat. Make up for the reduced bathing by increased frequency of brushing and combing. You can safely brush and comb your pet as much as thrice a day (maybe even more frequently). At least one of the brushing must be against the direction of the hair followed by brushing in the direction of hair. This will remove most of the loose hair and dirt. However, you must avoid combing against the direction of hair. Try to spend at least 5 minutes in every brushing/ combing session. Brushing and combing are also great ways to bond with your pet; they love it. Also, during these brushing and combing sessions, try to inspect the skin underneath for any early signs of skin diseases. Again, this is especially important in the medium and long-haired breeds.

Nutrition is just as important. I'll share a tip here. Mix two teaspoonful of soybean or sunflower oil in your pet's daily quantum of milk and see your pet dazzling in the most awesome hair coat ever. Another tip, if you are feeding your pet anything sticky (or something that may turn sticky later), make sure that your pet gets enough water immediately afterwards to gulp it down completely. Food sticking to your dog's tongue will eventually get smeared over his coat through licking; foul odor and flies will follow.

Thats all for now. Send in your feedbacks and queries below (as comments). You can also mail me at vetchums@gmail.com. Bubye.

Obesity in Pets



 (Images from the internet)

More than 70% of pets in India are obese. The reasons can be many. We love to pamper our pets, and pampering them with their choicest food comes easy. I've personally encountered cases where pet dogs have become 'addicted' to potato chips and cola drinks, and then I've also seen some pet dogs succumb to obesity. I'm reminded of a bull-mastiff named Max. True to his name, Max was huge and fat. As he grew fatter, he turned lethargic and inactive. He was under four years of age when he died. Not just chips and cola drinks, there is an entire arsenal of 'carb-bombs' viz. ice-creams, sherbets, chocolates, sweet-meats, candies and what not that pets might be given to. If pets are being offered home-made meals, it's very important to keep a track of the energy content of the diet. Commercial pet-foods make this job way more easier but weigh more on the pocket. From a rather biased point-of-view, there is absolutely no reason why commercial pet-foods should be preferred over home-made diets. I'll discuss the merits and de-merits of commercial versus home-made pet-foods at some other point of time.

Whether it is an ill-planned diet or a flurry of 'carb-bombs', proper exercise will almost always keep your pet fit. Exercise is important. Exercise is crucial!

If you have a dog or cat, 80% chances are that it belongs to a medium- or large-sized breed. That is because, most breeds fall in these size categories. A medium sized breed requires not less than 30 minutes of good exercise per day. For a large breed, add another 10 minutes.

Good exercise means 'good exercise'. Taking your dog out for a slow stroll to the market (not to forget the 'carb-bombs' at the market) does not count whatever the distance may be. Dogs and cats were not meant to stroll -- they are flying species sans wings. Make the 30 (or 40) minutes count. Most importantly, there is no substitute for exercise. Cutting upon the diet seems an easy way out but that also means cutting upon essential micro-nutrients, inevitably leading to other complications.

We, veterinarians, express body condition of pets on a scale of 1-5. I have a nice anime (.swf file format) that helps one to assess the body condition of an animal. Using it, you could yourself determine the body condition score (BCS) of your pet and tell if it is obese. Sadly, this site would not let me upload it here. However, if you are interested, you can send me a mail (vetchums@gmail.com) and I'll send it to you for free.

To conclude, obesity is common in pets. As a pet-owner, it is one's responsibility to be aware and responsive to such problems. Good nutrition and proper exercise go hand in hand to address obesity.

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