Summer Pet Safety: Essential Advice from ER Veterinarian Dr. Carly Fox

Summer means more time outdoors, beach trips, barbecues, and adventures with our pets. It can also be one of the busiest times of year in the veterinary emergency room.

In this episode of Ask the Vet, Dr. Ann Hohenhaus is joined by Dr. Carly Fox, Senior Veterinarian in AMC's Emergency and Critical Care Service, to discuss the most common summer emergencies and what owners need to know to help protect their pets.

Topics include:

• Which pets are most vulnerable to heat-related illness
• The warning signs that a pet may be overheating
• What to do in a heat emergency — and one common mistake that can make the situation worse
• Why a day at the beach can sometimes end in the ER
• Summer travel risks many pet owners overlook
• Picnic and barbecue hazards that can lead to an emergency vet visit
• What ER veterinarians wish every pet owner knew

Also on this month's show:

• Trending animal story about a Great Horned Owl rescued after becoming trapped inside a concrete mixer
• Animal news, including new research suggesting beluga whales may recognize themselves in mirrors, a study exploring how zebra finches learn complex skills, and fascinating findings about what pet hair may reveal about the indoor environments pets and people share
• Pet Health Listener Q&A: Addressing breathing concerns in a Yorkie with pancreatitis; whether Golden Retrievers should be shaved during the summer; and ongoing diarrhea and excessive thirst in a cat being treated for thyroid disease

Do you have a pet health question for Dr. Hohenhaus? Email AskTheVet@amcny.org to have your question answered on Ask the Vet!

Transcript

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We want to remind our listeners that this program is for informational and educational purposes only, and not intended substitute for professional veterinary medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The Animal Medical Center does not recommend or endorse any products or services advertised for series XM. Welcome to Ask the Vet with Dr. Ann Hohenhaus This is the place to talk about your pets and get advice for the top veterinarian from the Animal Medical Center in NYC here from the leading authorities on animals and ask your questions. Now here's your host, Dr. Ann Hohenhaus. Hello, everyone, and welcome to this Is the podcast for people who love their pets and want the latest in pet health and animal news. I'm your host. I'm Doctor, an in-house and a senior veterinarian and director of pet health information here at the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center on the Upper East Side of New York City. Today we're talking about summer safety for pets. It's a beautiful day here in New York. And I was talking to a friend in California and they said, it's beautiful there, too. But all this beautiful warm weather can mean more time outdoors, more travel, more barbecues, more beach days, and more fun with our pets and some real summertime risks. I'm going to be joined today by my colleague, Doctor Carly Fox, who's a senior veterinarian in AMC's Emergency and Critical Care Service. Doctor Fox gets to see firsthand the kinds of summer emergencies that bring pets into the E.R., and she'll share practical advice to help you as a pet owner. Keep your animals safe while still having a wonderful summer season. I'm really looking forward to our conversation today. The Schwarzman Animal Medical Center is the only level one trauma center in New York City, and we have 115 years of being the very best place for your pet. Now, don't forget, if you're seeking advice on maintaining your pet's health, I'm here to help. Just send me your questions to an email, which is ask the Vet All one word at amcny.org and I'll answer your questions on the next month's show. It's time for the internet's most talked about animal, a young great horned owl in Utah is flying free after a very unusual rescue last fall, this little owl was found stuck inside a truck mounted concrete mixer at a construction site in southwestern Utah. Workers hosed him down, wrapped him in a towel, and took him to the wildlife caregivers at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah. It took days for the workers there to carefully remove the dried concrete from his face, chest and right wing. He survived, but his feathers were badly damaged. And for a great horned owl, that's a major problem. These birds rely on quiet flight to hunt, but the concrete had frayed his feathers, causing his wing beats to make a wooshing sound. And of course, that would alert any pray that he was trying to hunt to escape his claws. So when the owl did not molt and grow new feathers as the caretakers expected him to do, they used the technique called, which is a feather repair method long used by falconers. While the owl was innocents. They attached donor feathers to the damaged feather shafts, giving him ten new primary feathers and one secondary feather on his right wing. Then came the final test. Could he fly quietly? Would the prey that he was hunting be able to hear him coming? After he woke up, the owl was released into a large aviary, where the staff monitored the sound of his wing beats using a decibel meter, and fortunately he passed. So when the aviary roof was opened, he lifted off and flew back into the wild. This is a remarkable reminder that wildlife rehabilitation is just not about saving an animal's life. It's also restoring the skills and animal needs to survive. And now I'm very happy to welcome my colleague, Doctor Carly Fox, for an important conversation about summer safety in pets. As a senior veterinarian in AMCs Emergency and Critical Care Service, Doctor Fox sees many of the seasonal emergencies pets face this time of year. So Doctor Fox, welcome to Ask the Vet again. You've been on with me before and I thank you so much for joining me today. No problem. Thanks for having me. So I always like to start by asking my guests about the animals in their lives. Your one guess that I actually know what's at your house. Can you tell our listeners what little kitty powers you have at home? Yes. So I love this question, because then I get to talk about him more than I already talk about him, which is a lot. But I have a French bulldog now I know what vet has this French bulldog? It's me and I do love them, although they come with a lot of issues. So if you ever are thinking about getting one, think again. But his name is Leonard. He is a recent addition to my family. I had a previous French bulldog who passed away and then actually Doctor Langlois, who's a critical here, told me that there was a French bulldog at a shelter in new Jersey that I should just maybe take a look at. And I took a look and then took him home. And now he's been with us for two years, and he's the sweetest, best animal I've ever had. He really is a major people person. Like, loves people. Rolls on his back for you to pet him. He can't walk by a doorman without doing that. Like he's the best dog I've ever had. Really. So oh, what a good story about little Leonard. And has he been hospitalized? Have we had to hospitals of. Please. Of course. No. I mean, what kind of a Frenchie would he be? He's already had his, you know, palate and nose repaired by our surgery service. And I just finished working him up for some urinary incontinence with doctor. I mean, please, he's already making his rounds. Excellent, excellent. We could expect nothing less of a Frenchie, but for listeners who are not from New York City, the French Bulldog is the most popular purebred dog in New York City by a huge margin. And so you see Frenchies everywhere in New York City. I saw the cutest one the other day. It was kind of like a dapple gray horse. It was kind of blotchy gray and black and charcoal. It was it was exceptionally cute. I think it lives in the neighborhood because I've seen it more than once. Have you seen this one when you've been out? I mean, I stop every single one of them, so I'm sure I have. I love them, I really do. This one was exceptionally cute. All right, so back to the topic at hand because we probably could talk about pets all day. And that is as the weather warms up the type of emergencies in the air shift. So what cases do you start to see be more common this time of year that you wouldn't see, say, in January? Yeah. So we definitely see a bunch of like seasonal emergencies that increase in frequency during this time. So one of those things is high rise syndrome, when typically a cat falls out of of a window because people are opening their windows. When it gets nicer out. We definitely see a lot of like traumas related to dogs, especially hit by cars. Since they are outside, a lot more people release them in. You know, obviously we're in New York City, so people have them outside off leash in Central Park and they can escape and unfortunately get hit by a car. So we've been seeing a lot more of those heat related injury like heatstroke, which I think we'll touch on later, is something that we also see at this time, especially when we've been having these heat spikes recently, like over 90 degrees in New York, your pets can get very hot and that can cause major problem bite wounds from dog parks. And just again, a lot of dogs are just more socializing more and then obviously increases the risk of of fights and bite wounds. Sand impaction from being at the beach, gastroenteritis from eating things that they shouldn't have because they're outside and socializing at parties and barbecues with their owners. Things like that definitely spiked during this time of year. So heat injury is is one of the really big concerns because most of the time we can fix a pet with sand impaction and we can put a dog back together after gets hit by a car. But heatstroke is a really tough one. And last week I don't know. Recently there was a really warm day out and I saw these people with their black Frenchie on the sitting on a bench on the sunny side of the street. Now, I understand it was like the first sunny day and I wanted to be in the sun too. But the black coated Frenchie in the sun, whose tongue was like all the way to the sidewalk. It was so hot. So I wanted to say, people, what are you doing? Go to the others, you know, sit in the shady part of the bench. So what things can people do to try and make their pets less at risk of a heat related injury? So there are a bunch of things that you can do to prevent heat related injury, especially in pets that are prone to it. Like you mentioned, one of the biggest things to do is to walk your pet early in the morning and later in the evening, and I do this myself with my own patent. I'm obviously very aware of this. But before the sun rises, or as the sun is rising, walk your pet not in the middle of the day when it's the sun is highest in the sky. So be very mindful of of timing because this really makes a huge difference. I notice a difference in my own dog, that he can walk much farther without taking breaks and becoming exhausted in the morning and at night. And that's when we take our longest walks. We also take a walk in the middle of the day, but it's very short tos the bathroom and come back inside. So that's a big thing that you can do, just a little bit of a change in schedule. Obviously, make sure your pet has water at all times. If you have a dog that's prone to heat related injury, you want to keep them in a cool place with air conditioning. Just because you know you're not hot, that doesn't mean they aren't. And just keep the AC on. You can get cooling mats as well, something that you can purchase on Amazon to have at home. Anything that just helps them cool down after going outside is important to have on hand at all times, and I think it's really also just knowing your pet. So keep an eye on them. Make sure that if you notice any signs of heat related injury which you know, panting, wanting to have water, stopping, laying down, just be mindful of this and listen to your pet take them home. Don't you know? Overstress them and be very just mindful of the way that they're acting. Don't ignore them. So, Leonard, you're already taking precautions with Leonard because being a dog with a short snout, he's at risk for heat related injury. Who else is that risk for heat related injury? Besides the 8 million French bulldogs that live in New York City? Yes, all of them are at risk. But also other dogs, especially dogs with underlying respiratory disease like lower airway disease or collapsing trachea, or a dog with laryngeal paralysis. All of them are at increased risk and don't tolerate heat well. Dogs that are overweight also major risk. These dogs that you know can't really walk a full block. The dogs that are you know, your vet has probably told you that they need to lose weight. Those dogs are at increased risk to just like in people. Dogs with the care quotes are also at increased risk, although they do have a lot of them have their own mechanisms for cooling. But I really any dog with airway disease, any dog that is overweight really you need to be extra careful. It doesn't necessarily need to be a dog. So how can a pet owner who's worry their pet is overheating determine the difference between I should just really take this, stop this walk and take this pet home, versus I should not go home and I should go to the emergency room. Totally. And I think that's honestly, I think sometimes the answer is it's it's hard to tell. But with mild heat stress, things to look out for in your dog. Your dog is is panting. They're tired, but they're also alert. They can seek shade. They can drink water. They are pretty normal. Aside from like a lot of panting and just being a little tired. And these are signs my dog literally exhibits on every walk in the middle of the day. I'm not exaggerating this. He will lay down in a shady spot he pants. I can tell when he's getting tired. And this is a dog that's already had his airway fix. So think about all of these dogs that haven't. So those are the things that I think. You notice this. You go home, you put water in front of them, put them in front of the AC or fan and give them a little bit of time and they should return to normal. That's that's mild cases, more severe cases. These dogs can collapse. They can have vomiting and diarrhea. They can develop an attack here in coordination when they walk, muscle tremors or even seizures in very severe cases. These are the dogs that require immediate emergency care and most often hospitalization. And again, if you're not sure if you're just like, I don't know, maybe I'm overreacting, just come in like it's better to be safe in these cases than sorry, as he stroke can really escalate very quickly and be very life threatening. So come in. The worst thing that we tell you is like to go home, you know, like in the moment. Come in and we will, you know, help you determine if you need to be there or not. So owners worried about that, their pets overheating. So what should they should they stop and do something at home before they decide to come in that will make a difference? Or what might they do that would only make things worse? Yeah. So if you are at home or like in your yard and you expect your pet is overheating, you should try to cool them at home. There have been studies that actually show in this instance, cooling them at home actually improves their survival in hospital. That doesn't mean don't come to the hospital. That means if you can call them at home briefly before you come here, try doing that if it's going to be a whole to do, just come here. But if you're, let's say, in the yard and you have access to a hose, spray their body down, make sure the water is not too hot. Because if the hose has been sitting out, you obviously don't want to spray them with hot water. So spray the water that sits in the hose out first, then, you know, spray. Basically cool to even room temperature. Water is fine on your dog. You can also place a circulating fan in front of them. This helps increase cooling efficiency. Things not to do. Don't use freezing cold water or ice bath or even ice packs to cool your dog's body. This can actually lead to like peripheral vasoconstriction, which can trap heat inside the body's core, and this can actually worsen the condition. So don't do that. Don't dip them in an ice bath. Same thing. And again, don't just sit at home waiting. If you feel like your dog is ill enough to receive active cooling at home, bring them in so that we can evaluate them. So come in is the well and I think about it you know, make an ice bath. So by the time I would put every ice cube in the ice cube maker into the tub, fill it with water and get the dog in there, I could have been in a taxi coming to AMC. Yeah, don't do that. And and again, that causes peripheral vision constriction. So don't don't do that. But if you're like in your house or in your like to me it's like there's a yard and there's a hose or you can dump, you know, cooler room temperature water on them or put them in front of a fan. Those things can be helpful. But if it's like a whole to do, just bring them in, bring them in. Or if you're outside, for example, like on the street or at the dog park, usually there are hoses, spray them down, then come in. But really at home, like those things, if they're convenient for you, do them. If not, just come in. And I think the comment about the hose is really important. Like the hose, it's the black rubber hose that's been sitting in the sun all day. The water, the 60ft of water in that hose is probably boiling hot. And I think you could actually not just warm your dog up more, but I think you could actually burn them, because I think that water could get really hot in that hose. So never just turn the hose on and aim it at anyone, a person or a dog, because I think you're going to cook their skin in doing that. I think that can be really terrible thing to do. All right. Let's talk about something more fun than heatstroke, which is barbecues and picnics and company. What kinds of emergencies happen in the summer because we're doing different things like having barbecues and picnics. Yeah. So of course everyone's excited for the warm weather and people like together. And there's an increase in outdoor activities, including barbecues. So these barbecues again, people also like like to bring their pets or, you know, have their dog have inside outside access while all these people are are milling about. And that puts them at risk of ingesting things that they absolutely shouldn't. Common barbecue, things that they can ingest include corn cobs. They basically cause an obstruction most of the time. Skewers people forget about, you know, meat on skewers. It's not the meat that's the problem. It's the skewer that's the problem. And they can cause major problems in dogs. In many cases, especially if they remain intact, they can migrate through the body and cause a lot of a lot of issues. So it's important to know if your pet ate that peach pit, also classic obstruction. And then of course, just eating like a bunch of anything that people have around, you know, people, especially if people are visiting and they don't have dogs, they'll leave food on a low table, leave alcohol on a low table. You know, all of these things dogs get curious and can ingest. And at the very least it can lead to gastroenteritis. But that can escalate to pancreatitis or in severe cases, a surgical form body. I think one important thing about skewers is some people have the fancy metal ones. We've seen dogs eat those and some people have the bamboo ones because they're, you know, maybe more environmentally friendly. Those are not really graphically friendly. However, if your dog eats a bamboo skewer, it will not show up on an x ray. And that is a really, really tough diagnosis to make because you got a really sick dog and you can't see anything on an x ray. So skewers of any type, bamboo or the metal ones can be really a problem in dogs because basically most dogs are gluttons and would eat anything the skewer and and the meat on the skewer as well. So another thing people like to do in the summer with their pets is travel. And so that means that the pet is out of its normal routine and also way from their regular veterinarian. So do you have any tips for pet owners about what to do if they're going to travel with their pet? Yes. So if you are planning on traveling with your pet, even if you're not going far, make sure to have all of their current vaccines and preventative and medical records in your email or hard copies. I find it easy to have in your email just, you know, call your veterinarian and they can send you their latest copy. Because sometimes if an emergency happens and your vet is closed on the weekend per se, sometimes we're unable to get records. And it's so helpful when owners have those records on hand. So just make sure to call them. It's just an easy thing to do prior to leaving. Of course, when you're traveling with your pet, you also want to make sure that they're properly identified. So make sure that they're wearing their collar on them, even cats. If you're planning on traveling with cats, if your cat doesn't typically wear a collar inside, make sure to have one for them when they are outside their home. And then, of course, make sure they're all microchipped in case something fails with their collar or you just forgot to bring it or whatever. So make sure that there's some identification on them, because if they're get away or, you know, get spooked, they're in an unfamiliar environment, we have some way of getting them back to you. And I think another important thing that a lot of people don't think about is like the need for veterinary care at your destination. So no where you're obviously if you're going someplace in advance, look to see what emergency vets are open for. What's the nearest place to go to if you need them? Like, I think a lot of the times people are, if something happens, you panic and you're on your phone or googling like, have that information ready, because how about if you find a place that is farther away than the one that's closer, or they're not open or, you know, like it's just something that you can absolutely plan for in the case of emergency. And then always if your dog is on medication, your cats on medication, make sure to have enough to last your whole trip so that you're not calling your veterinarian panicked mid trip asking for them to refill medication out of pharmacy that is, you know, in a in a different place and food to like if you don't want to change your pet's food in the middle of a trip which can lead to gastroenteritis. So have enough food for them for the entire time and maybe even some some extra. So I want to add another thing to the microchip. That story, and that is a lot of people's pets have microchips and they don't register those microchips under their name. So I mean, I'm sure E.R. gets pats all the time who you're like, oh, a chip, a chip. And then when you call the chip registry, there's no name associated with it. So make sure that your pet's chip is registered, because it's not just the chip. We need to know who you are to get that back to you. I would also say about medications, take a very clear photo of every box, bottle, or container of medicine your pet is on so that if the medicine gets forgotten somewhere or spilled, you can maybe find a veterinarian who would refill that medicine for you. If you can show them you know the label so they know exactly what medication your pet was on. But having those prescriptions again on your phone, like the medical record, is really an important thing to have when you're not at home and not near your veterinarian. Okay. So I don't know if people are really going to go on trips this summer in the car because gas is so expensive. But what would you suggest to help keep pets safe and comfortable when they're in the car? So when you're traveling in the car with your pet, whether it's a dog or cat, you know, I think let's talk about dogs. First, we want to make sure that they are comfortable in the car, but also make sure that they're properly restrained. So right now in our day and age, there are so many products that you can look for that are like pet beds, but also offer restraint in the car. I find having a dog or especially a cat like loose in the car that could jump on your lap or jump even where the petals are so dangerous when you're driving. And then also if you ever needed to stop short, you can cause major injury to your pets. You wouldn't have your child in a car without some sort of restraint. And you should feel the same way about your pets. So dogs should be in some sort of restrained place, whether that's like a a carrier or a pet bed that also has like a seatbelt incorporated into it, that's a big deal. Of course, always make sure that you have water available. Take water breaks, take regular bathroom breaks. Never, ever leave your pet in a parked car, even if it's for a very short period of time. Do not do it. Temperatures and cars can rise very quickly and much hotter than the temperature outside. Make sure to take them with you even if it's for a couple of minutes. Do not leave them and monitor your pet for motion sickness or anxiety. And if you think that your pet is going to have that going back to before about being prepared, prepared in advance with either sedative medications and or anti-nausea medications that you could administer during the trip. So I think there's a bunch of things that, you know, you, as a responsible pet owner, can do. I find cats should be in carriers in the car. They really shouldn't be allowed to roam free. Cats are to me like a cat to me, would just jump immediately onto the steering wheel or onto my lap while I was driving and I'd I'd be would be very uncomfortable with that. So they should be ideally in carriers or you can restrain them similar to dogs if your cat is that type of cat. Yeah, I had a cat in the minute you put it in a carrier, it started to scream, and then I'd be driving for two hours with the screaming cat. So I had this great idea that I would put the cat's leash and harness on it, and I was sure it was just going to, like, go to sleep in the car. Well, no, it didn't scream. That was a good part of it. The bad part was it wanted to have its head under the brake pedal, and it would get on the floor between my feet, and then I would look in its head was under the brake, and if I needed to stop, it was going to have a concussion or something down there. It was. The cat was not meant to be a traveling kind of cat, but that's. And then if you needed to roll down the window because you wanted to pay for gas or go to McDonald's and get a coffee, then the cat was like looking to jump out the window. So there were just so many bad things that could happen with that cat that that lasted one trip. And it was a really terrible idea. So I'm 100% with you that cats need to be in a carrier. Okay. The beach now, the beach is one of my most favorite places to be in the summer, and I don't think anyone I don't know any cats. Oh, I take that back. I have one cat patient that does like to go to the beach. Part of me thinks it. Maybe he just considers it a very large litter box there, but I get pictures from the owner when the cat's at the beach. But it's really dogs who love the beach. But sand impaction is. I'm always surprised at how many cases we see here every summer of dogs who have sand impaction. So can you describe for our listeners what that is, in case they don't really know what it is? Sure. So sand impaction is definitely something we see much more commonly during the summer when dogs are able to go to the beach, there's dog friendly beaches or, you know, early in the morning and they're playing fetch. And their owners, you know, throwing the ball 100 times and they're picking up the ball and at the same time picking up sand. Most animals won't just eat sand. They're smarter than that, but they will accidentally ingest sand when they are digging or playing fetch most commonly and over with repetition, they can actually ingest a fair amount of sand, and when they do that, sand can mix with their like the fluid and acid in their stomach and actually sort of form like a wet brick. If you think of like that sand you like to play with at the beach, that's very wet and drippy, that can develop in their stomach, move into their intestines, and then cause, almost like a sausage, like obstruction in their small intestine, that big, firm like wet brick of sand. And animals exhibit signs very similar to any GI obstruction. They are vomiting, lethargic, not eating. And always when I see this on x ray, it has a very characteristic appearance. I'm always like, oh, were you just at the beach? And everyone's like, yeah, what? Like so. But it's like always they're always just at the beach. And it's important for us to know that if you ever go to the vet after your dog has been to the beach, tell them, because it's more of a reason to do x rays and imaging on your pet to make sure this is something that that we're seeing. So what's good about these cases is that in most of the time we can manage them medically, meaning that even though that they're obstructed, which is usually a surgical problem, these are actually obstructions that we can manage medically with with fluids and time most cases will resolve. However, in very rare cases they do require surgical intervention. Those surgeries can be very difficult because instead of one foreign body or something that's very removable, you're dealing with millions and millions and millions of particles of sand and those and also very dirty sand, if you think about what sand it. I mean, it's beach sand is gross, right. So those cases are very are more at risk for complications secondary to that. So we try to avoid surgery if we can. And I think being someplace that's able to recognize this and treat it appropriately and only go to surgery if absolutely, absolutely necessary is very important. So if your dog has a sand impaction, then someone's recommending surgical intervention right away. You know, take a pause. So it's really interesting. One of our cancer patients last summer was not feeling well and came in. And of course we were all thinking that the dog, it was just the chemo that was making the dog have vomiting and diarrhea. And then someone did a rectal exam and felt sand on the exam. And so they sent the dog to radiology and sure enough, it had this sausage shaped brick of wet sand in its intestine because it had been to the beach for the weekend and by Monday morning wasn't feeling well. So it it it was a good example of how a good examination and the right test can tell you what's wrong with the pet when you're first. Your first thought in that patient was it's just it's having a chemo problem. So everybody gets sand impaction in the summertime. What about. Well, I guess question is what other beach hazards are there besides just the sand, which is really one of the serious, most serious ones, I think. Yeah. I think, you know, other things we already talked about heatstroke. That obviously can happen at the beach and sun exposure, especially in dogs with thin hair coats, white dogs, they can get sunburned just like people can. I think people forget that. But more at risk are dogs with thin or white hair coats. And then of course, like the beach detritus, right. Like your dog is going to go and sniff that dead seagull on the beach, or try to eat that jellyfish that washed up. There's all this debris and ingestion of that is is very possible. Hooks on the beach also from fishing is something that I've seen a bunch of times. So getting a hook caught in their lip, that's like best case scenario or worst case is like in their actual suffocates or, you know, GI tract. But those things are something are all things that we see after a beach visit. Oh, also, another thing is like saltwater ingestion, dogs are dogs and sometimes they're not the smartest, and they will drink water that doesn't typically taste like normal water and sometimes drink a bunch of ocean water, which can cause mild upset to even in severe cases, can cause actually like a hyper. So an increased blood sodium, which can cause severe neurologic signs and even seizures in some cases. So it's something to be mindful of as well. And one last thing, because I'm getting a message that we have to close this conversation, but I just want everyone to remember that all dogs cannot swim. I am thinking Leonard is not a swimmer. A letter immediate, he would immediately sink to the bottom. So like so not even though there is a doggy paddle dog. Not all dogs can swim, and it is 100% possible that dogs will drown if they don't realize that they can't swim. So with that final warning, I want to thank Doctor Fox so much for joining me today here on Assabet, and for helping our listeners to prepare for a summer that is filled with good memories and not so many E.R. visits. I know that keeping your pet healthy is very important to you. And with that said, I hope you'll reach out to me. If you have a question about your pet's health, I will answer that question on next month's Ask the Vet podcast. You just need to email me at Ask the Vet at AMC and we have a short break coming up. But stay tuned because there are lots of interesting animal news stories. When we return, it's time for animal headlines, the biggest animal news from across the world. A new study suggests blue whales may be able to recognize themselves in a mirror, and this is a rare cognitive ability that's documented in only a few number of species. The research began in 2001 at the New York Aquarium, which is out in Coney Island, and scientists placed a mirror against the beluga whale pool and observed for Wales. Kathy, Marina, Natasha and Natasha's daughter Maris. The footage sat mostly analyzed for nearly 20 years, until a graduate student in Hunter College's Animal Behavior and Conservation Program revisited the tapes for a thesis project. During the pandemic. Two of the whales mostly ignored the mirror, but Natasha and Maris seemed curious at first. They appeared to treat the reflection like another whale, and then their behavior changed. They began testing the mirror, turning their heads and watching whether the image moved with them. Soon they were using it unusual ways, watching themselves roll, looking in their mouths, blowing bubbles and biting at the bubbles as they floated upward. The analysis suggested the whales were not just reacting to another animal. They may have been recognizing themselves. Mirror self-recognition has only been documented in small groups of animals, including humans, great apes, dolphins, elephants, magpies and the cleaner Rassie fish. Belugas may now just join that list. Scientists are careful about what it means. It does not prove that belugas experience self-awareness the way humans do, but it does offer a glimpse into the minds of these social, expressive whales, and is also a reminder that animals may understand more about themselves than we once imagined. Our second story comes to us from Duke University, where researchers looked at how young songbirds learn their songs and what their brains may reveal about how complex skills take place. The study focused on zebra finches. These are the cutest little birds. They're called zebra finches because they're kind of black and white striped like zebras. But they've got the cutest bright orange bills and they make a very soothing little DVD song. I just I love zebra finches, and one of my roommates in veterinary school had a whole family of zebra finches in, you know, in a giant cage. And they were so nice to listen to those little birds. And then they laid eggs and had more zebra finches than they were as cute as could be. So these zebra finches are often used in neuroscience research because, like humans, they acquire vocal communication by listening, imitating, and practicing using brain circuits that help guide learning and movement. So first, a young male Finch listens to the adult bird song, and then over the course of weeks, he gradually practices thousands of times a day, refining his own song. The researchers identified a specific connection between brain cells that appear to help turn all that repetitious skill into development of his own skill in singing. When scientists temporarily reduced activity in that neural circuit, the bird sounded less developed, and when they increased activity, the finches improved more quickly, although not often more accurately. The findings suggest that the brain needs a balance of practice, feedback and flexibility to develop stable skills over time. And while this study was done in birds, the research may offer broader clues about how animals, including ourselves, develop complex behaviors such as speech, music, and other motor skills. Since similar brain circuits play a role in human movement and communications, these findings may eventually help scientists better understand neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease and Tourette syndrome. For veterinarians and animal scientists, it's another reminder that even a small songbird can help answer big questions about how brains adapt and refine complex skills. And our last story for today is about why your pet may be leaving behind more than fur on the couch. A new study published in the journal Artificial Intelligence and Environment. Scientists looked at whether hair shed by cats and dogs could reveal clues about the indoor environments pets and people share. Because pet spent so much time on floors, furniture and other household surfaces, research wanted to know whether pet hair could act as kind of a record of what's circulating inside a home. So using artificial intelligence and advanced chemical testing, they compared contaminants found in pet hair with those found in household dust. They found that pet hair shared many of the same chemical signatures found in household dust. Those signatures come from everyday sources such as cleaning products, pesticides, furniture, personal care products, and other common household materials. While the research is still in its early stages, the study raises the possibility that hair May 1st day help scientists better understand the environments people and pets share. It's also a reminder that pets are exposed to many of the same everyday materials, products, and environmental factors that we are. And now it's time for questions from our listeners. Our first question today comes from Elaine C. Elaine asks my eight year old Yorkie. Maya has pancreatitis and is on a low fat diet. She's been making a worsening honking sound, especially when excited, and she gets winded and overheated easily in warm weather. Could this be collapsing trachea, heart disease, or another breathing problem? What should my vet check before I take her on a summer vacation? And how should I discuss safe vaccine and flea tick prevention options? Giving my concerns? So the Elaine C is correct in that a honking cough is very often what pet owners report when their pet has a collapsing trachea. And also pets who get easily winded and overheated in warm weather, like Doctor Fox talked about in our first segment, are are those with collapsing trachea? So all of this sounds a lot like a collapsing trachea problem. Usually dogs with heart disease breathe fast, but they don't usually cough. And so that is more related to tracheal or bronchial disease that we get coughing. So I think guessing that Maya has a collapsing trachea is a good idea. So before you go on a summer vacation, you should really talk to your veterinarian about the need for a chest X-ray to look at the trachea and see if, in fact it is collapsing, and what medications might be necessary to take on vacation so that you're prepared in case Maya overheats and can't stop coughing. Because that is what will often happen, is the dog overheats and coughs and coughs and coughs. You know, I can't make a vaccine and flea and tick prevention recommendation that specific for Maya, but absolutely before she goes on vacation, she needs to get vaccines to protect her against regular diseases like rabies and distemper. But then also where are you going? And you need to find out what diseases she might need to be vaccinated to keep her safe when she gets on her trip. And the same is true for flea and tick medication that should be given year round. And we are having a real big tick and flea season here in New York City. And the health department just put out an alert yesterday, reminding everyone that pets and people share very common diseases, spread to both by fleas and ticks. So that is another very important thing to be sure you've got plenty of when you head on your vacation. So, Elaine, I hope you and Mia have a good trip and everybody stays healthy while you're traveling. Our next question is from Barbara Z. Barbara's question is my family has been debating whether we should shave our golden retriever for the summer because he seems uncomfortable in the heat and pants heavily after walks. We've heard mixed advice from groomers and friends. Does shaving help dogs stay cooler and hot weather, or can it sometimes make overheating and sun exposure worse? Are certain breeds or coat types more at risk? So Doctor Fox and I talked a little bit earlier that dogs with short snouts and dark hair coats are going to be more at risk for heat related injury because those dark hair coats soak up the sun and the pet can overheat. So this golden retriever has neither a dark hair coat nor a short snout, so those two risk factors are not in play here. Now, one other thing that golden retrievers are prone to is being overweight. And so if this golden retriever is a chunky golden retriever, that may also be contributing to the heat stress that this pet is having in the summertime after long walks. So I think things that you can do is listen to what Doctor Fox said earlier, and be sure that you're walking your dog early in the morning and late in the evening when it's cooler out. Keep your pet out of the sun. You know, I agree with you. What you hear about shaving dogs is mixed. Some people do shave their golden retrievers in the summertime, and their opinion is that their golden retriever is more comfortable, and other people's think that the hair has an insulating quality and helps them to stay cool. So I don't know how to give you better advice than that. On that particular topic, you could shave your dog and see what happens, and if it doesn't make a difference in the heat, then you've you've tested that theory and know that it's not going to make a difference. But I can't make a really good recommendation because I don't think there's good science behind it. I think it's personal opinion and preference. Wish I could be more helpful, but I hope you and your dog have a safe summer. Barbara. And our last question today comes from Maria a he asks my five year old domestic shorthair cat has a thyroid problem and takes Tapatio. Since I adopted him a few months ago. He has been drinking a lot of water and has had ongoing diarrhea. He also dislikes most prescription sensitive stomach foods. Could these symptoms be related to his thyroid disease, medication, diet, or another problem? What should I ask my veterinarian to check? And are there other diet options for cats who won't eat prescription gastrointestinal food? So this is an interesting question for Maria, because five years old is a very young age for a cat to be diagnosed with a thyroid problem. And so I would I would ask the question, do we have the right diagnosis here? Then if we're sure that the cat has the right diagnosis and the thyroid level on the medication to control it is in the normal range, then I have to say, I'm worried that this cat has yet another problem because cats cats never have just one problem. Cats always have multiple problems. And so I would be worried that this cat has some sort of intestinal problem. And if we can't control the intestinal problem with diet alone, then I think maybe it's time to consider having an intestinal biopsy to see if we can sort out what's causing the diarrhea in this cat. There are Maria also asked about diet options for cats who won't eat the gastrointestinal food. There are a lot of gastrointestinal foods out there, but also talk to your veterinarian about things like adding fiber to your cat's food, because that often will make diarrhea in some pets better. I know it sounds counterintuitive, because a lot of times we think about fiber as being good for constipation, but it also can help some pets with diarrhea. And then there are other special diets that we call limited ingredient diets. And those limited ingredient diets only have a small number of ingredients, so that you can sort out whether the diarrhea is caused by a food sensitivity. So I think there's a bunch of things that Maria's veterinarian can do to help this five year old cat, and I'm going to wish them good luck and a happy summer. And now it's time for us to take a quick break. And when we come back, we'll have important information from AMC’s Usdan institute for animal health education. We're back with Dr. Ann Hohenhaus on Ask the Vet. Hi everyone. Welcome back to Ask the Vet with the 4th of July. Coming up, now is the time to talk to your veterinarian. If your pet has noise phobia and fireworks, thunderstorms and loud noises cause your pet anxiety. Some pets may benefit from anti-anxiety medication, noise desensitization strategies or other behavioral support, but these options work the best when you discuss them before the holiday, not the night of the fireworks. You should also make sure that your pet has a quiet, secure place indoors and keep the windows closed and the blinds drawn so that your pet has the least amount of noise to upset it. And as Doctor Fox mentioned in our first segment, be sure that microchip is in and working and that it's registered up to date with your most up to date information. And then be sure your dog is wearing its collar and ID tag in case something spooks your dog and they escape. Also from the Usdan institute. We've got an upcoming talk neurologic Signs, which in dogs and cats can be very concerning to owners and are often difficult situations for pet owners to interpret what's going on seizures, weakness, loss of balance, collapse, or sudden changes in behavior may all point to a neurologic problem. So on Thursday, June 25th at 6 p.m. via zoom, Dr. Zoe Daniels, one of our board certified veterinary here at AMC, will discuss common neurologic warning signs in dogs and cats when veterinary evaluation by a neurologist is recommended, and what pet owners should do if these signs occur. This webinar will help pet owners better understand neurologic conditions and feel more prepared should emergency arise. This is an online event only hosted on zoom and you need to register at. Events so we know you want to come and can send you the zoom link. I want to take a minute to thank Doctor Carly Fox for joining me today to discuss summer safety for your pet. I hope you've all found it as informative as I did. Don't forget, if you want to know more about your pet's well-being or looking for pet health advice, you can email me at Ask the Vet at AMCNY.org and I'll answer your questions on next month's Ask the Vet podcast. The asset Podcast is available on the Sirius XM app across all major podcast platforms, and also on AMC's website. All of this is thanks to AMC's longstanding partnership with Sirius XM. Follow us on social media. Remember on Facebook. It's the Animal Medical Center and on X and Instagram. It's at AMCNY. Don't forget to like and put a comment about the Ask the Vet podcast so that we can know what you like about our show. And you can also like and subscribe so you never miss an episode. I hope you'll join me next month when I'll be joined by Doctor Wendy McCulloch my good friend and also founder of Pet Requiem, to talk of life, care, difficult decisions and how to find support in a very emotional time. Thanks so much for listening everyone, and I'll see you next month on Ask the Vet.