Animal Tales

by Dr. Howard A. Mintzer

Q. Frank Q. of Pleasant Valley writes:

My eight months old kitten has recently begun trying to bolt out of the house whenever I open the door. Even though I wanted her to be an inside cat, I'm beginning to reconsider my decision since it's become such a struggle each time I open the door . Would it be so bad to let her go out?

A. Many indoor cats develop a desire to go outside in the springtime. I'm not sure why this is so. Perhaps it's the increasing length of the day, the sounds and smells of cats outside who are in heat, the chirping of nesting birds or the squeaks of little furry things running around in the fresh new grass. Whatever the reason I notice that even our to hospital cats, Tigger and Kramer try to sneak out of the door now and then.

First of all, I hope that your little girl is spayed! We are in the middle of cat mating season right now. If your cat is not spayed she's probably in heat or will go into heat some time soon. If you let her out while she's in heat you can be sure that in about 8 ½ weeks you'll have more to worry about than whether she goes outside or not; you'll have a new litter of kittens to help take care of and find homes for.

Cats do much better from a health point of view when they remain inside. When I look through my medical records and compare an indoor cat with an outdoor cat, here's what I see. Indoor cat: vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, treat cold, vaccine, treat diarrhea, vaccine. Outdoor cat: vaccine, suture cat bite wound, vaccine, hit by car-repair broken leg, suture cat bite wound, scratched eye, vaccine, fell out of tree-treat sprain, flea dip, etc. Not only is this bad for the cat, but it isn't really healthy for your pocketbook either! About the only benefit I see when a cat goes outside is that outdoor cats get more exercise and don't suffer from obesity like many indoor cats do.

If you feel that you must let your kitty out make sure you've done the following: Have her spayed. Always keep all vaccines up to date- as important as distemper, leukemia and rabies vaccinations are for indoor cats they are imperative for outdoor cats. Start her on flea and tick control in the spring and don't stop until winter. Be sure to give her heartworm preventative. Finally, make sure she can be identified if she gets lost. A collar with a tag, a HomeAgain microchip or a tattoo provide good means of identification so that if she does get lost you'll get her back again. Also remember that if you've declawed your cat it is not right to let her outside as she will not be able to defend herself.

Q. Timmy F. of Hyde Park writes:

I have a 2 year old green iguana. Recently his back legs have started to get very fat and he's been having trouble walking. Do you know what this is and what I can do about it?

A. The condition you are describing sounds like one of the most common problems I see with pet iguanas. Being a wild critter (as opposed to a domesticated animal such as dogs, cats and cows) your iguana is much less flexible in his nutritional needs. If iguanas eat a diet that is too low in calcium or too high in phosphorous they can get a condition called nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism (NSP). Untreated it can eventually lead to paralysis and death.

An iguana's body needs to have the two chemicals, calcium and phosphorus in a very precise balance of two parts calcium to one part phosphorus. The nerves and muscles need this ratio of calcium and phosphorus (Ca:P ratio) in order to work correctly. If the Ca:P ratio is incorrect, the heart beats erratically and the nerves do not work correctly. Both of these minerals come from the diet. Most cases of NSP occur either because sufficient calcium is lacking in the diet, the iguana doesn't get enough vitamin D3 to absorb calcium or both. Even though the diet lacks calcium the body still attempts to maintain the Ca:P ratio in the blood. It does this by removing calcium from the bones and moving the calcium into the blood. While the amount of calcium in the blood increases, the amount in bone decreases. Without calcium, the bones get weak and soft. Even the simple act of twisting suddenly can make one of these weakened bones break. It is not uncommon to x-ray an iguana with this condition and find multiple broken bones.

Fortunately, when treated early this condition can be cured. Your veterinarian will take a blood test to see how abnormal the Ca:P ratio is. Then he will prescribe calcium supplements to help return the calcium level to normal and enable the bones to absorb calcium and become strong again. He will also discuss with you the type of lightning your pet needs to have to make sure he gets enough vitamin D. Finally he may have to apply a splint to help one or more fractured bones knit.

The key to preventing this condition is to feed a proper diet to your iguana and making sure he gets enough vitamin D. Iguanas need a good variety of vegetables. Foods you might feed could be romaine lettuce, carrots, green and red peppers, strawberries, bananas, and canned dog or cat food. Experiment with different foods. The most important thing though, is to feed a good variety of foods. Avoid feeding only one or two types of food because they are your iguana's favorites. Also make sure that you are using full spectrum lights for your iguana. Full spectrum lighting will help your iguana make vitamin D and vitamin D is essential in the absorption of calcium from the intestines. Finally, don't forget to pick up a good quality calcium supplement (calcium alone, not calcium phosphate) at the pet store and sprinkle it over the food each day.

Enjoy your iguana. They make great pets. I have one in my house and I love to watch my three foot long "dinosaur" prowl around his "Jurassic Park." Just make sure you feed him correctly, keep his cage at the proper temperature (85^o days and 75^o nights) and you should have him for a long time.