A world where small animals and their humans live in harmony

Pet project:
rabid dog, icky fishes

Dr. Michael Schaer, professor of small animal medicine and associate chief of staff of the Small Animal Hospital at UF, answers questions submitted by our readers.

Q. My friend says iguanas eat their feet. What is the name of the disease that causes this problem?
A. There is no known syndrome where iguanas eat their feet. True, they get certain infections of their feet, but they don’t eat them.

Q. How can you tell if an animal is rabid without getting too close?
A. Look for a gross change in behavior if you know the animal. If you don’t, then look for a change in species behavior, such as bats flying during the day or raccoons in the road wandering around during the day. Other signs would be an animal that’s known to be passive and friendly that now displays overly aggressive behavior. It’s best to avoid an abnormally aggressive animal and best to avoid one that becomes aggressive without provocation. When you’re dealing with something like cows, they vocalize a lot and become very aggressive. Skunks can carry rabies for a long time and be asymptomatic.

Q. Out of all the flea- control methods, what is the most effective and convenient to use?
A.Whichever product you like, Advantage or Frontline. They’ve both been proven to work. I don’t use any topicals on my cat. I control the environment with sodium tetraborate sprinkled into the carpet.

Q. What causes ICK disease, and how do you prevent your fish from catching it?
A. ICK is a parasitic disease caused by a one-celled organism known as a protozoan. Those little bugs can block off circulation around the gills. It’s difficult to cure. Chemical treatment includes certain dyes like acriflavine, malachite green or a combo of malachite green and formalim. It’s an ongoing battle using chemical treatment, meticulous cleaning of tanks, earth filters and quarantining any new animals in the tank.

Q. What’s the best way to keep a pet occupied while you are gone?
A.Some people use things like music, lots of toys, windows to look out of or getting another pet. Some animals have to be confined to crates.

Q. Is there really a difference between expensive pet store food and grocery store brands?
A. There are many good off-the-shelf products. The food from a pet store might be prepared for specific needs or have a higher quality of ingredients. If the question is, ‘Can dogs and cats grow up healthy on standard commercial products that meet the stringent criteria of the Association of American Feed Control officials or the National Research Council?,’ the answer is yes. If they need prescription diets, those can easily be found at a pet store.