Charlotte from Ukiah asks: I buy knuckle bones for my 60# dog from a local butcher or from Raleys. I have also purchased from Rainbow Ag Smoke House Lamb Bonz, Made in USA. These bones are "slow roasted in their natural juices." We have a family controversy about these bones. They seem to splinter. Question: Should we give our dog cooked bones or stick to raw knuckle bones. I know about the rubber toys that hold food.

Hi Charlotte,
This is a very good question and one that many people ask about. In general, I don't recommend that people feed their dogs bones of any kind for a variety of reasons. We see many health issues associated with the eating of bones at our hospital. Some of these include choking, obstruction of the stomach or small intestine, broken teeth, infection, constipation, and rectal tears. In some cases, these can even lead to death. Many people will tell me that their dogs have been eating bones for years without any problems. Even though this is true for many animals, it only takes one time for a major problem to occur in your pet. It seems that we often see more problems with bones that tend to splinter easily or dogs that swallow bones without adequately chewing them. I have personally seen far too many animals have serious and at times life threatening problems from eating bones to feel comfortable in recommending feeding bones of any type to your dog. The FDA has a article about this as well at www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm208365.htm. The rubber toys you describe and other chews can be good substitutes for bones. I hope this helps settle the family controversy. Dr. Joanna Holtz

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Ellen from Kelseyville asks: I have a very old cat that we rescued when we found her. She is about 18 or 19 years old, and has always been quite skinny no matter how much we feed her. We use quality food products and a variety of them. She is healthy and likes to be lazy now that she is older, but still very fit. The problem is she whines and cries a lot, especially at 3 am, or an hour or two later. It does not appear to be hunger related, and even holding her doesn't calm her. I've heard other people say their older cats do the same thing. This cat has done this for at least the last ten years. Any ideas?

Hi Ellen,
Eighteen to nineteen years old is great for a cat! It sounds like you have taken excellent care of her over the years. In regards to your concerns, the first thing I would recommend that you do is have a thorough examination done with your veterinarian including geriatric blood work. One of the more common problems we see in older cats is hyperthyroidism or an elevated thyroid level. Many cats with this disease are skinny despite a very good appetite. It is also important to assess blood work for any underlying disease process that could be contributing to her excessive night time vocalization. Another thing to check for is arthritis. It may be that she is unable to get comfortable at night. If her exam and blood work is normal, then one thing you can try is making a warm bed for her near an outlet where you can plug in a diffuser called Feliway. This is a pheromone that often helps to relax stressed or anxious cats. Your kittty may also need some dementia or anti-anxiety meds as well if your veterinarian feels this is necessary. Good luck and I hope this helps! Dr. Joanna Holtz

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