Pet Products Vets Love to Hate
As an animal-lover, I can’t resist browsing through the pet boutique catalogs that come my way. After all, how else are my pets going to be the cool kids on the block? With the advent of the Internet, we’re seeing lots of pet products marketed towards our four-legged friends. That said, just because you love your poochie doesn’t mean you should buy indiscriminately. Dog lovers spend $43 billion dollars(1) a year on pet products, but that doesn’t mean that all of us have “SUCKER” written across our forehead, does it? As a vet, I look with even more critical eyes—and frankly, a lot of what I see makes me cringe. Well, when it comes to certain products, heed this vet’s advice and avoid these losers.
Magnetic beds
Perhaps you’re thinking about spending a pretty penny on an anti-arthritis, magnet-laden bed. There’s pretty extensive human research disputing the benefits of magnets and their ability to increase circulation and reduce inflammation. Most research shows that it’s the placebo affect that is beneficial, and not the magnet itself. While there isn’t any veterinary research, it’d be worth doing - as pets aren’t affected by the placebo affect to the extent that humans are. In the meantime, Dr. Choi, an associate professor in integrative medicine at the University of Minnesota, recommends seeking more aggressive treatment for arthritis (like weight loss, cartilage-protective drugs like glucosamine chondroitin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication, and acupuncture) instead of just “support” itself (like a magnetic bed), as the magnets just don’t cut it.
Pet pockets and purses
Notice how the Paris Hiltons and Brittany Spears of the world love to tote their Chihuahuas around in a pet purse? You may have seen these pet purses, pet pockets, pet slings (which look like a Baby Bjorn), or pet backpacks that allow people to carry their dog or cat over the shoulder or around their waist while they run errands, go hiking, or clean the house. First of all, your dog doesn’t want to clean with you. And like your husband, your dog definitely doesn’t want to run errands with you either. He’d rather be home chewing on a bone or licking his privates in private. And chances are, with the growing problem of pet obesity, your dog should be walking with you, not having him carry you around for exercise sake. While you may love your pet just as much as any human child, don’t stick your loved one in a piece of nylon, no matter how durable it looks. More importantly, while you may think you have a good grasp of your pet while he’s sitting in your new nylon contraption, you don’t. If you’re out for a walk or in the lobby of your vet’s clinic, a barking, snarling, lunging dog is all it takes for your cat to escape from his nylon “restraint” and go flying up your face, nails a slashin’ and tail a fluffin’, as he unintentionally bolts away forever. While the extremely mellow cat that’s well adjusted to traffic, loud noises, and barking dogs may tolerate a pet purse well, your average cat that’s never been out of the house will definitely not enjoy the ride. While we vets prefer that you keep your cat indoors, that doesn’t mean the annual trip to the vet should be skipped just because you don’t have a secure carrier. Lastly, while some of these purses or slings have an attachment for you to latch your dog’s collar onto, now your dog will just choke himself as he tries to jump to the ground to play. With these unsecured carriers, I worry about a quick escape or even a quick drop in the event of a stumble. I can’t tell you how many broken front legs I’ve seen from jumping out of these things. When transporting pets, it’s always worth splurging on a well-secured, lightweight, easy-to-carry carrier (i.e., Sherpa) or one of those cool, netted, pet strollers instead (although, once again, I’m assuming your dog could use the exercise).
Hypoallergenic body wipes
Being that pets can’t wipe themselves to keep clean, grooming duty is often left up to you. For those dirty dogs, you can purchase hypoallergenic body wipes… these are basically just like baby butt wipes to help wipe away a dirty bum, dirty paws, or just a greasy coat in general. So, do cats need these wipes too? Thankfully, cats are more fastidious cleaners, so they lick and groom themselves without your help. If you’re so inclined and want to try these pet wipes, read carefully before you buy them. If you’re using them to keep the fur cleaner, sure, they help. But remember that these hypoallergenic body wipes don’t make your pet hypoallergenic – it’s just that the wipes are made up with ingredients that usually don’t cause allergies (like aloe vera, purified water, vitamin E, and even Hawaiian Awapuhi extract).
Some people think that these hypoallergenic body wipes help minimize allergies. Sneezing from that cat of yours? Sure, you can try these wipes, but when it comes down to it, it’s hard to wipe away cat allergen Fel d 1, which is what causes those runny, red, itchy eyes. With dogs, the allergic reaction is due to the hair, while with cats it’s from the allergen in the dried saliva (known as dander)… which accumulates on everything from its fur, to its skin, to your clothes, to your furniture. So, for people who are allergic to dogs, they can buy a breed-specific dog like a Bichon or poodle to minimize allergies (these breeds don’t shed, and need to be groomed and trimmed frequently). Unfortunately, cat lovers are usually out of luck. Unless you frequently groom (daily brushing), shave (lion cut, here I come!), bath (your cat will hate you), and saliva proof (impossible) your cat, these body wipes don’t work as well as one would hope. First of all, these wipes often lack the “juice” (despite their purified water, sorbitol, and aloe vera) and are often a bit too dry to effectively wipe off dried saliva. While they’ll help clean off the dirt, dingle berries, shedding fur, grease, and yes, probably small amounts of dander, they aren’t great for getting all of it off. If you have mild allergies, and can implement other habits to minimize dander (like keeping your cat out of your bedroom, where you spend most of your time; using a HEPA air filter; grooming your cat frequently; vacuuming frequently, etc.), sure, these wipes will help those minimally affected by allergies keep it under control. Those severely affected, however, won’t get any relief from these wipes… it’s just too hard to wipe away dander. While there aren’t any studies done by veterinary dermatologist, it’s not a product they typically recommend. Don’t worry though – if that doesn’t work, you can always get a hypoallergenic cat.
While Time magazine may have voted it one of the best medical inventions of 2006, Allerca Lifestyle Pet’s hypoallergenic cat, which was first available in 2006, is probably not the first thing I’d run out and buy… especially at the asking price of $31,000. Depending on how “exotic” you want your new hypoallergenic cat to be (perhaps with some African Serval or Asian Leopard Cat blended in), the price can go up to $125,000. Don’t get me wrong – I love my cats and all, but I’d sooner buy one or two cars (or perhaps half a house) before I pay that much for one cat. As a vet, I do believe the science of being able to create genetic divergences – which is what Lifestyle Pet’s did - by minimizing the cat allergen Fel d 1. That said, for all that money, those cats should be able to scoop their own litter box, wash their own food bowl, and bring in your mail while they’re at it. Most vets wouldn’t run out and buy one – we’d rather adopt and save a life… but of course, most of the time, we’re not the ones with the severe allergies (that’d be a bad occupational hazard). These cats must be popular, as there’s a one- to two-year waiting list; thankfully, money can buy happiness in this instance - if you pay an extra $1,950, you can reduce your wait from two years to just a few months.
Anti-Stress Treats and Calming Sprays
When you leave your house for the day and are worried that your pets are stressed by your absence, is it worth investing in products to mellow them out? No, we’re not talking about giving your dog a Prozac or your cat some kitty crack, but we’re talking about those good ole’ company money makers – anti-stress treats and calming sprays. Some people feed their dogs anti-stress treats – there are biscuits or rawhides with some random vitamins, green tea, and chamomile. Others spray their animals with calming sprays. While sipping some green tea may settle you, the minimal amount of caffeine within it is unlikely to relax your four-legged friend. As for those calming sprays, they often sell well because some of them work well; however, you must be able to separate the wheat from the chaff. Some of the effective sprays contain pheromones, which are natural hormones are help settle down your pet. The pheromone sprays [such as Feliway or Dog Appeasing Pheromone (DAP)] do seem to work, and many veterinary behaviorists recommend them to help mellow out some patients – but keep in mind that it doesn’t work in every pet… just like how every woman doesn’t respond to Drakkar. If you don’t notice a beneficial response, don’t bother continuing to buy the pheromones.
The less effective sprays (i.e., knockoffs) contain mostly Vitamin B and a random assortment of herbs. And unless you like paying a lot for Vitamin B (which is water soluble and very safe, since it won’t accumulate in your pet’s body – he’ll just pee all your hard, earned money away), I wouldn’t bother with these other types. Again, there are still other more holistic, natural sprays that contain herbs like chamomile and lavender that may have a calming effect, but the effect is negligible… otherwise veterinary behaviorist would be recommending these cheaper calming sprays instead of the pheromone ones. Remember, some of these products only contain vitamins in either an edible or water form. If these anti-stress, vitamin-packed rawhide treats worked, I’d be eating them, and vets would be spraying our clinics constantly to stop the constant barking.
HINTS:
• When it comes to picking a pet product, do your research. Read product reviews, blogs, and consumer reports if available. Remember, there’s a lot of info on the Internet, and when in doubt, ask your vet or survey your fellow dog park owners!
• Often times, if the product doesn’t work in humans, it won’t work in our pets. While there’s more limited veterinary research on certain topics, check to see what the human research tells us.
• Think twice before you pick it up – dogs and wolves have survived for thousands of years without these products, and would you randomly spray a product on your kid without finding out what all those ingredients were? Be discriminating when it comes to your latest pet purchases.
Skeptically yours,
Dr. Justine Lee
Resources:
1 http://www.appma.org/
Biography:
Dr. Justine Lee is a veterinary emergency critical care specialist and the author of It’s a Dog’s Life… but It’s Your Carpet: Everything you ever wanted to know about your four-legged friend and It’s a Cat’s World… You Just Live In It: Everything you ever wanted to know about your furry feline.
Magnetic beds
Perhaps you’re thinking about spending a pretty penny on an anti-arthritis, magnet-laden bed. There’s pretty extensive human research disputing the benefits of magnets and their ability to increase circulation and reduce inflammation. Most research shows that it’s the placebo affect that is beneficial, and not the magnet itself. While there isn’t any veterinary research, it’d be worth doing - as pets aren’t affected by the placebo affect to the extent that humans are. In the meantime, Dr. Choi, an associate professor in integrative medicine at the University of Minnesota, recommends seeking more aggressive treatment for arthritis (like weight loss, cartilage-protective drugs like glucosamine chondroitin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication, and acupuncture) instead of just “support” itself (like a magnetic bed), as the magnets just don’t cut it.
Pet pockets and purses
Notice how the Paris Hiltons and Brittany Spears of the world love to tote their Chihuahuas around in a pet purse? You may have seen these pet purses, pet pockets, pet slings (which look like a Baby Bjorn), or pet backpacks that allow people to carry their dog or cat over the shoulder or around their waist while they run errands, go hiking, or clean the house. First of all, your dog doesn’t want to clean with you. And like your husband, your dog definitely doesn’t want to run errands with you either. He’d rather be home chewing on a bone or licking his privates in private. And chances are, with the growing problem of pet obesity, your dog should be walking with you, not having him carry you around for exercise sake. While you may love your pet just as much as any human child, don’t stick your loved one in a piece of nylon, no matter how durable it looks. More importantly, while you may think you have a good grasp of your pet while he’s sitting in your new nylon contraption, you don’t. If you’re out for a walk or in the lobby of your vet’s clinic, a barking, snarling, lunging dog is all it takes for your cat to escape from his nylon “restraint” and go flying up your face, nails a slashin’ and tail a fluffin’, as he unintentionally bolts away forever. While the extremely mellow cat that’s well adjusted to traffic, loud noises, and barking dogs may tolerate a pet purse well, your average cat that’s never been out of the house will definitely not enjoy the ride. While we vets prefer that you keep your cat indoors, that doesn’t mean the annual trip to the vet should be skipped just because you don’t have a secure carrier. Lastly, while some of these purses or slings have an attachment for you to latch your dog’s collar onto, now your dog will just choke himself as he tries to jump to the ground to play. With these unsecured carriers, I worry about a quick escape or even a quick drop in the event of a stumble. I can’t tell you how many broken front legs I’ve seen from jumping out of these things. When transporting pets, it’s always worth splurging on a well-secured, lightweight, easy-to-carry carrier (i.e., Sherpa) or one of those cool, netted, pet strollers instead (although, once again, I’m assuming your dog could use the exercise).
Hypoallergenic body wipes
Being that pets can’t wipe themselves to keep clean, grooming duty is often left up to you. For those dirty dogs, you can purchase hypoallergenic body wipes… these are basically just like baby butt wipes to help wipe away a dirty bum, dirty paws, or just a greasy coat in general. So, do cats need these wipes too? Thankfully, cats are more fastidious cleaners, so they lick and groom themselves without your help. If you’re so inclined and want to try these pet wipes, read carefully before you buy them. If you’re using them to keep the fur cleaner, sure, they help. But remember that these hypoallergenic body wipes don’t make your pet hypoallergenic – it’s just that the wipes are made up with ingredients that usually don’t cause allergies (like aloe vera, purified water, vitamin E, and even Hawaiian Awapuhi extract).
Some people think that these hypoallergenic body wipes help minimize allergies. Sneezing from that cat of yours? Sure, you can try these wipes, but when it comes down to it, it’s hard to wipe away cat allergen Fel d 1, which is what causes those runny, red, itchy eyes. With dogs, the allergic reaction is due to the hair, while with cats it’s from the allergen in the dried saliva (known as dander)… which accumulates on everything from its fur, to its skin, to your clothes, to your furniture. So, for people who are allergic to dogs, they can buy a breed-specific dog like a Bichon or poodle to minimize allergies (these breeds don’t shed, and need to be groomed and trimmed frequently). Unfortunately, cat lovers are usually out of luck. Unless you frequently groom (daily brushing), shave (lion cut, here I come!), bath (your cat will hate you), and saliva proof (impossible) your cat, these body wipes don’t work as well as one would hope. First of all, these wipes often lack the “juice” (despite their purified water, sorbitol, and aloe vera) and are often a bit too dry to effectively wipe off dried saliva. While they’ll help clean off the dirt, dingle berries, shedding fur, grease, and yes, probably small amounts of dander, they aren’t great for getting all of it off. If you have mild allergies, and can implement other habits to minimize dander (like keeping your cat out of your bedroom, where you spend most of your time; using a HEPA air filter; grooming your cat frequently; vacuuming frequently, etc.), sure, these wipes will help those minimally affected by allergies keep it under control. Those severely affected, however, won’t get any relief from these wipes… it’s just too hard to wipe away dander. While there aren’t any studies done by veterinary dermatologist, it’s not a product they typically recommend. Don’t worry though – if that doesn’t work, you can always get a hypoallergenic cat.
While Time magazine may have voted it one of the best medical inventions of 2006, Allerca Lifestyle Pet’s hypoallergenic cat, which was first available in 2006, is probably not the first thing I’d run out and buy… especially at the asking price of $31,000. Depending on how “exotic” you want your new hypoallergenic cat to be (perhaps with some African Serval or Asian Leopard Cat blended in), the price can go up to $125,000. Don’t get me wrong – I love my cats and all, but I’d sooner buy one or two cars (or perhaps half a house) before I pay that much for one cat. As a vet, I do believe the science of being able to create genetic divergences – which is what Lifestyle Pet’s did - by minimizing the cat allergen Fel d 1. That said, for all that money, those cats should be able to scoop their own litter box, wash their own food bowl, and bring in your mail while they’re at it. Most vets wouldn’t run out and buy one – we’d rather adopt and save a life… but of course, most of the time, we’re not the ones with the severe allergies (that’d be a bad occupational hazard). These cats must be popular, as there’s a one- to two-year waiting list; thankfully, money can buy happiness in this instance - if you pay an extra $1,950, you can reduce your wait from two years to just a few months.
Anti-Stress Treats and Calming Sprays
When you leave your house for the day and are worried that your pets are stressed by your absence, is it worth investing in products to mellow them out? No, we’re not talking about giving your dog a Prozac or your cat some kitty crack, but we’re talking about those good ole’ company money makers – anti-stress treats and calming sprays. Some people feed their dogs anti-stress treats – there are biscuits or rawhides with some random vitamins, green tea, and chamomile. Others spray their animals with calming sprays. While sipping some green tea may settle you, the minimal amount of caffeine within it is unlikely to relax your four-legged friend. As for those calming sprays, they often sell well because some of them work well; however, you must be able to separate the wheat from the chaff. Some of the effective sprays contain pheromones, which are natural hormones are help settle down your pet. The pheromone sprays [such as Feliway or Dog Appeasing Pheromone (DAP)] do seem to work, and many veterinary behaviorists recommend them to help mellow out some patients – but keep in mind that it doesn’t work in every pet… just like how every woman doesn’t respond to Drakkar. If you don’t notice a beneficial response, don’t bother continuing to buy the pheromones.
The less effective sprays (i.e., knockoffs) contain mostly Vitamin B and a random assortment of herbs. And unless you like paying a lot for Vitamin B (which is water soluble and very safe, since it won’t accumulate in your pet’s body – he’ll just pee all your hard, earned money away), I wouldn’t bother with these other types. Again, there are still other more holistic, natural sprays that contain herbs like chamomile and lavender that may have a calming effect, but the effect is negligible… otherwise veterinary behaviorist would be recommending these cheaper calming sprays instead of the pheromone ones. Remember, some of these products only contain vitamins in either an edible or water form. If these anti-stress, vitamin-packed rawhide treats worked, I’d be eating them, and vets would be spraying our clinics constantly to stop the constant barking.
HINTS:
• When it comes to picking a pet product, do your research. Read product reviews, blogs, and consumer reports if available. Remember, there’s a lot of info on the Internet, and when in doubt, ask your vet or survey your fellow dog park owners!
• Often times, if the product doesn’t work in humans, it won’t work in our pets. While there’s more limited veterinary research on certain topics, check to see what the human research tells us.
• Think twice before you pick it up – dogs and wolves have survived for thousands of years without these products, and would you randomly spray a product on your kid without finding out what all those ingredients were? Be discriminating when it comes to your latest pet purchases.
Skeptically yours,
Dr. Justine Lee
Resources:
1 http://www.appma.org/
Biography:
Dr. Justine Lee is a veterinary emergency critical care specialist and the author of It’s a Dog’s Life… but It’s Your Carpet: Everything you ever wanted to know about your four-legged friend and It’s a Cat’s World… You Just Live In It: Everything you ever wanted to know about your furry feline.
0 Response to "Pet Products Vets Love to Hate"
Post a Comment