Health Watch

Is it true that all cats with white fur and blue eyes are deaf?

No, it is not true that all cats with white hair and blue eyes are deaf, informs Jean Duddy, D.V.M., a clinician at Angell Memorial Animal Hospital in Boston, a division of the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals/American Humane Education Society. But it is true that cats with white hair and blue eyes have a greater chance of being deaf than cats of other hair colors. This is because the gene for deafness is closely related to the gene for white hair color and the gene for the blue eye color in cats. Often if one of these genes is passed on then it is common that the others are passed on as well. This is why so many of the white-haired, blue-eyed cats are deaf.

Cats that are deaf should not be used for breeding, as the chance of passing on these genes increases the chances that the offspring will be deaf.

My friend uses baking soda on a child-size toothbrush to brush her beagle's teeth. Is this more or less effective than using commercial dog toothpaste?

Good for your friend (and her dog!) for being concerned about her pet's dental health and doing something positive about it, replies William Rosenblad, D.V.M., a veterinarian specializing in dentistry and oral surgery at Angell Memorial.

Periodontal disease is the single most common disease affecting pet dogs and cats. Daily brushing with an appropriately sized soft-bristle toothbrush is the most effective way to maintain your pet's oral health. The bristles of the brush do the most important job by mechanically removing the plaque--which builds up daily--before it can mineralize, or harden, into calculus, or tartar. Tartar, unfortunately, cannot be removed with brushing.

Using baking soda as toothpaste can cause problems if an animal (or human) has heart disease, because of the sodium in it. Baking soda is also more abrasive than most toothpaste and can cause excessive wearing of the important enamel surface of the teeth. Veterinary toothpastes, which are flavored, make the brushing experience literally more palatable for your pet. These toothpastes also have other ingredients that have antiplaque properties, making the brushing even more effective.

My cat has what look like little pimples on his chin. Can cats develop acne, and if so, is it treatable?

The real cause of feline acne is unknown, according to Richard Anderson, D.V.M., a dermatologist at Angell Memorial. Cats have many sebaceous glands in the chin area that are responsible for the production of surface lipids. If the lipid material accumulates in the hair follicle, we have the formation of comedones, or blackheads.

Treating these lesions entails cleansing the cat's chin to remove sebum (fatty lubricant matter), debris, and bacteria. Daily gentle washing with soap, detergent, or alcohol is effective. Topical or systemic antibiotics may be required if there is evidence of significant infection. Feline acne may be a chronic or recurrent problem requiring periodic cleansing of the cat's chin.

My friend told me it's a bad idea to keep more than one hamster as a pet because they may fight or possibly try to kill each other. Is this really true, and if so, why do they act this way?

Most species of hamsters kept as pets in the United States, such as the golden, Siberian, or Chinese hamster, have a tendency to fight or cause harm to one another if nonbreeding adults are housed in pairs or groups, explains Tracey Ritzman, D.V.M., an avian and exotics specialist at Angell Memorial. Pet hamsters usually do best kept in a single-animal setting. Adult hamsters are often territorial and aggressive toward other hamsters. This is especially true when a female hamster is pregnant or nursing young. Young hamsters raised together from birth may get along but will often develop aggressive behavior when they reach maturity. Hamsters behave this way because this is part of their natural instinct. Adult female hamsters will tolerate the company ora male hamster during breeding but raise their young alone without with the help of other adults.

I noticed that one of my cockatiel's feathers is bent. Should I go ahead and remove it, and will another feather grow in its place?

If you are talking about one of the flight feathers (the long feathers on the wings and tail), it may be difficult for you to remove--and painful for your bird, explains Connie Orcutt, D.V.M., an avian and exotics specialist at Angell Memorial. Unless these feathers are ready to fall out (for example, when your bird molts), they are attached securely to underlying bone. If the feather is not bothering your bird, I would leave it alone, and it will fall out during molting. Once your bird molts, another feather will grow back in its place.

My rottweiler may have to have her front right leg amputated. I am worried about how she will compensate for having only three legs. Will she need to have physical therapy? And what is the adjustment period? Will I need to stay home with her immediately after her surgery to help her adjust?