In This Month's Edition:

The following come from Elizabeth Wyld, Skokie, IL . . .

FIGHTING FELINE LEUKEMIA
by Steve Dale, from THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE, July, 1999

Q. What can you tell me about feline leukemia? My cat was diagnosed with this disease. What are the symptoms? Is it contagious? What's the prognosis? What are the odds of beating the disease?

A. Feline leukemia is a retrovirus transmitted from cat to cat, according to Dr. Al Legendre of the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, Knoxville. At first, symptoms may be as subtle as a loud cat acting demure, or a loss of appetite. Many of these cats are more susceptible to anemia and/or bacterial infections because feline leukemia lowers their immunity. The symptoms of feline leukemia can be treated, but Legendre, board certified in oncology and internal medicine and also noted for his expertise in infectious diseases, says there is no cure.

The good news is, if you keep your cat indoors, he can't be exposed to infections from other felines. Your cat also needs to be indoors because outside he could pass this disease to other cats. In fact, any other non-vaccinated cats in your household are now at risk. Sharing food dishes and mutual grooming spread this disease.

Depending on the overall health of your cat, and potential exposure to infections, not to mention good luck, your cat may live several years without any need for medical care. However, eventually your kitty will likely be straddled with anemia and infections, Legendre explains. Your cat is also 100 times more likely to ultimately get cancer -- particularly lymphosarcoma -- than a cat without feline leukemia. What's more if diagnosed with cancer you cat's prognosis won't be as optimistic as that of a cat without feline leukemia.

Q. We have three cats, 5 to 8 years old. The middle one has the peculiar habit of dipping water from the bowl with her paws, rather than lowering her head to drink like most cats. What causes this behavior?

A. Dr. Bonnie Beaver, veterinary behaviorist at Texas A&M University says, "Dippers seem to be genetically predisposed." Dr. Solveig Pflueger, director of medical genetics in the department of pathology at Bay State Medical Center, Springfield, Mass., agrees.

Q. Why does my cat lick me whenever I hold him or he lies beside me? Could something be missing from his diet? Maybe he was weaned too early. He's neutered and stays indoors.

A. Your cat loves you and apparently perceives you as another cat. Veterinary behaviorist Dr. Deborah Horwitz of St. Louis points out that domestic cats have the potential to be far more social than research has previously given them credit for. Mutual grooming isn't unusual among feline friends.

As long as you're feeding your kitty a high quality diet, chances are remote that he's missing nutrients. This behavior has nothing to do with how early or late your cat was weaned. Just enjoy the compliment.

The following are from Hylma Halley, New Cumberland, WV . . .

LENDING A PAW: FURRY FRIENDS CAN SAVE LIVES BY GIVING BLOOD
by Rachel Sams, YOUNGSTOWN, OH VINDICATOR

Morgan reclines on his side on a table, watching the tube in Dr. Ann Schneider's hand. He flinches a little when Dr. Schneider slips a needle into a vein in his heck, then growls half-heartedly.

Technician Cindy Brucksch lies next to Morgan on the table, allowing him to feel the protective warmth of her body, and rubs his ear. Dr. Schneider pats his tummy with her free hand. Both croon words of approval, telling him he's a good, brave patient., And when it's over, he gets all the cookies he can eat.

If you think Morgan's getting more attention than the average blood donor, you're right. But Morgan, a 2-year old clumber spaniel, isn't your average blood donor -- unless, that is, you're talking about the Eastern Veterinary Blood Bank in Annapolis.

EVBB, which has been in existence since 1993 and currently has nine employees, is one of only four large scale veterinary blood banks in the United States.

Seeing a need: Dr. Schneider, EVBB's director, recognized the need for an animal blood bank when she was doing internal veterinary medicine referral work in Catonsville, MD.

"I needed blood a lot, and I had to draw it myself or order it from a blood bank in California," she said. "It was pretty clear to every vet in the country that we need more blood banks."

EVBB also sells whole blood, blood components and the necessary equipment for drawing blood to veterinarians across the country and in several foreign countries.

EVBB's price for a unit of blood ranges from about $27 to $180, depending on whether it is whole blood or components, according to Chief Operating Officer Patrick Lee Jr. The equipment the blood bank seems ranges in price rom $4 to $14.

Making the rounds: The blood bank's staff frequently travels to sites such as kennels to draw blood from groups of dogs. Lee estimates that about 80 percent of the bank's blood supply is draw off-site. EVBB staff members have traveled as far as 120 miles to draw blood, a significant expense for the company.

"We've been in business for six years, and we are just now starting to get a break-even point," said Lee.

Constant demand: The veterinary community always needs blood for animals who are anemic or have lost blood through surgery or trauma, Dr. Schneider says. At EVBB, donations are separated into red blood cells and plasma, so that a dog's donation can save two lives instead of one.

Breeders Christine Saint and Kathy Worley of Hereford have been bringing their dogs to EVBB for several years, Ms. Saint, who works at Mount Carmel Animal Hospital, says she sees EVBB's work as an important supplement to traditional veterinary practices.

"Sometimes in the middle of the night, you don't have a donor dog. To be able to have blood that you can get to is just a real good thing," said Ms. Saint.

FLEA PRODUCTS MAY BE FATAL FOR CATS
author unknown, from WEIRTON DAILY TIMES

Perhaps someone should warn the White House: Flea powder used on Buddy could kill Socks.

Cats can become extremely sick and even die if their owners treat them with flea products intended for dogs only, said veterinarian E. Kathryn Meyer.

"It is critical for owners to be aware of the severe consequence of using flea products incorrectly -- particularly when cats are involved -- because cats can be very sensitive to certain chemicals," said Meyer, who coordinates the U.S. Pharmacopeia Veterinary Practitioners' Reporting Program.

The organization, which identified quality problems with products, medication and chemicals used in veterinary medicine, published a report on the topic in . . . an issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

While flea products often are packaged similarly, the active ingredients can vary greatly, especially among popular "spot on" products in which a small amount of liquid is applied directly to the animal's skin.

A common chemical in such products is permethrin, which can be toxic to cats. In products made for dogs, permethrin is usually concentrated at levels of 45 percent to 65 percent. Flea sprays intended for cats contain much lower - and safer - concentrations, often about 2 percent.

SOOTHING ANXIOUS ANIMALS
by Caille Millner, YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO VINDICATOR, date unknown

Pebbles, Bam-Bam, Pookie and Maggie may soon be in for a serenade.

The four domestic shorthair cats are owned by Trish Blake. The Yardley's Pa., resident is worried about her pets' anxiety when she leaves home for long periods.

Pet separation anxiety -- characterized by excessive barking, hyper salivation and destruction of property -- is a problem all pet owners can relate to. A giant pharmaceutical company has even begun selling mediation to treat it.

An alterative: But Ms. Blake, an office manager a the Animal Healing Center in Yardley, is considering another solution -- "Pet Music." "Pet Music" is a set of three compact disks designed to reduce pet separation anxiety through soothing music. The set was produced by Incentive Media, a year old Ambler, Pa., company. Released two months ago, "Pet Music" appears to be developing a following among retailers and animal advocates. The company has already sole 5,000 sets and hopes to sell more than 150,000 by next spring.

"It's upsetting to leave your pets and know that they're going to miss you," said Ms. Blake. "If it helps my pets, I think it's definitely worth a try."

Ms. Blake had tried leaving a radio on while she was away, but her cats continued to hide and whine. Leaving a nature video on TV didn't help, either.

Incentive Media chairman Andrew Borislow describes "Pet Music" as a simple solution to a real problem.

"We know that people's immediate reaction to 'Pet Music' is an audible giggle or a snicker, followed by the recognition that it makes a lot of sense," he said. "Pet separation anxiety is not a joke, and we've got something to help."

How to get: The three-CD set costs $19.99 at retailers such as Amazon.com and Pet Diner, a chain of stores in suburban Philadelphia. They also are available on the web (http://www.petmusic.com/) and in selected Petco stores nationally.

"We're launching it as a test project in 74 stores, and it's doing extremely well," said Don Cowan, Petco's director of communications.

Approval: The CDs were endorsed by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. David Plaskow, manager of licensing for the ASPCA, said the society gave its approval after its scientists played the CDs to animals in the adoption area of the ASPCA shelter in New York.

The CDs also are making a stir with pet owners and experts.

"The tone of the music has an effect on the mind of people and animals alike," said Deva Khalsa, a veterinarian at the Animal Healing Center. "Animals pick up stress the same way humans do, and they can be relaxed through the same mediums, such as music."

Amazon.com's customer reviews for "Pet Music" all rate the disks at four or five stars, and they include such praise as "A winner," "I was thrilled," and "Great job."

There are three CDs in the package: "Natural Rhythms," "Peaceful Playground" and "Sunday in the Park."

What makes this music for pets so special?

The key: Rather than using the radio or classical music, which Borislow describes as "filled with staccato beats that are too harsh," Pet Music" uses soft, environmental melodies that were mixed by the Music Factory in London.

Borislow and his business partner, Daniel Rappoport, came up with the idea for "Pet Music" after reading about the growing problem of pet separation anxiety. "About forty percent of pets brought to the veterinarian are diagnosed with pet separation anxiety," said Borislow. "And the pet market keeps growing."

How to tell: Symptoms of pet separation anxiety include excessive barking, hyper salivation and destruction, said Guy Tebbit, vice president of research and development for Novartis Animal Health U.S. Inc. An animal can be diagnosed with pet separation anxiety when those symptoms appear only in the owner's absence.

Novartis began selling a medication for pet separation anxiety, Clomicalm, in February. It was the first such medicine to receive regulatory approval.

"Pet separation anxiety has been around as long as animals have been with humans, said Tebbit. "The treatment of pet separation anxiety, however and the recognition of it, is new."

The following are submitted by Marlene Wyld, Palos Heights, IL

I just realized that while children are dogs - loyal and affectionate - teenagers are cats. It's so easy to be a dog owner. You feed it, train it, boss it around. It puts it's head on your knee and gazes at you as if you were a Rembrandt painting. It bounds indoors with enthusiasm when you call it. Then around age 13, your adoring little puppy turns into a big old cat. When you tell it to come inside, it looks amazed, as if wondering who died and made you emperor. Instead of dogging your doorsteps, it disappears. You won't see it again until it gets hungry -- then it pauses on its sprint through the kitchen long enough to turn its nose up at whatever you're serving. When you reach out to ruffle its head, in that old affectionate gesture, it twists away from you, then gives you a blank stare, as if trying to remember where it has seen you before. You, not realizing that the dog is now a cat, think something must be desperately wrong with it. It seems so antisocial, so distant, sort of depressed. It won't go on family outings. Since you're the one who raised it, taught it to fetch and stay and sit on command, you assume that you did something wrong. Flooded with guilt and fear, you redouble your efforts to make your pet behave.

Only now you're dealing with a cat, so everything that worked before now produces the opposite of the desired result. Call it, and it runs away. Tell it to sit, and it jumps on the counter. The more you go toward it, wringing your hands, the more it moves away. Instead of continuing to act like a dog owner, you can learn to behave like a cat owner. Put a dish of food near the door, and let it come to you. But remember that a cat needs your help and your affection too. Sit still, and it will come, seeking that warm, comforting lap it has not entirely forgotten. Be there to open the door for it. One day your grown-up child will walk into the kitchen, give you a big kiss and say, "You've been on your feet all day. Let me get those dishes for you." Then you'll realize your cat is a dog again. (Author Unknown)