Veterinarians Set Record Straight

Most pet owners have become very educated about their pet and the health of their pet. Still, there are many others who tend to believe in the old wives tales and myths that have been passed around for some time now. I'm sure most of you have heard at least one, and probably more, of the following myths. Veterinarians at the American Animal Hospital Association(AAHA) have since enlightened us to many of those tales and to the facts concerning some of the most commonly heard myths.

Fact: There is still no scientific proof that yeast prevents fleas, though it is a good source of B vitamins.

Fact: This is no more true for your pets than it is for you! Pets do lose their tolerance for milk early, however, around the age of 6 -8 weeks of age due to their loss of lactose(an enzyme essential for the digestion of milk products). Young animals may have diarrhea if they drink milk due to the above factors. Still, most puppies are infected with worms through maternal milk or during pregnancy which is why treating both mother and litters for worms is so important.

Myth: If a purebred bitch inadvertently becomes pregnant by a mix breed dog, this disallows her ability to have purebred puppies in future litters.

Fact: The only puppies that will be mixed breed are the ones resulting from this breeding. If bred with a purebred mate in the future, those puppies will also be purebred.

Myth:Dogs and cats should be allowed one heat cycle, or one litter of pups, before being spayed.

Fact: A major benefit of being spayed may be lost if this is allowed to happen! Research shows that animals spayed before their first heat have a significantly smaller chance of developing future health problems such as breast cancer.

Fact: Sometimes dogs having tapeworms may exhibit this behavior, though the overwhelming majority of animals doing this have inflamed or overly full anal sacs.

The anal sacs are structures located on either side of the anus which when closed up cause an itching or burning sensation in your pets anal area. As a result the animal scoots its rear on the ground to try and relieve this situation.

Fact: Though some purebred dogs have a blackened color inside their mouth, this is no indication of any other animal being a purebred. Pigmentation is the only reason for this color, caused by a substance called melanin. Indeed, this substance called melanin is responsible for birthmarks in humans and also the lack of, or availability of, such skin tones as a tan. This color alone is not indicative of a purebred dog.

Fact: If you are feeding your animals a diet that is nutritionally complete, then no further supplements are needed. Too much calcium, in fact, can be harmful to your dog.