By Dr. Bruce Carstens
Willow Rock Pet Hospital
I received two very direct questions from kids this month. Lindsey asks, "How do cats keep cool, since they don't pant like dogs do?" This is a very observant question. The answer is - cats will pant, but because of their size, they usually don't need to. Most people know that dogs can't sweat like people do to remove excess heat. They don't have sweat glands, except on their pads. These will sweat when they are nervous like a person with sweaty palms, but no heat is lost this way. The only way they can cool themselves is to move a lot of air across their wet tongue by panting. This cools the blood circulating there. Not very efficient, is it?
This is one reason dogs, especially large ones, are prone to heat stress during the summer. Because cats are generally around 10 pounds in size, they are small enough to regulate their temperature by decreasing their activity level and moving to the shade. The surface area of their skin is large enough in relation to their body mass to dissipate most heat build-up. If your cat gets hot or excited, you may see him pant for a short time, but it is not very common.
My second question this month is from Alyssa. She is 9 years old and wants to know why people cut dogs' tails off. This is a controversial question, because most of the time it is done at 3-4 days of age when a dog's nervous system is not fully developed yet, and it is usually done to make a dog fit the breed standard. This is similar to people piercing parts of their body for cosmetic purposes.
Most dog breeds were developed a long time ago for specific purposes - hunting, guard duty, companionship. Breeders selected dogs with certain body types that best matched the purpose. For example, breeders selected dogs that were low to the ground to develop the Welsh Corgi. This dog herds cattle, and when the cattle kick sideways, they miss the dog - their hooves go right over the top. For some purposes, a tail may have been a disadvantage.
If a dog is a hunter and constantly in long weeds, the furry tail may have been constantly matted and infested with ticks, so the breed standard was developed with no tail. For the same reason, the dewclaws are commonly removed when the tails are docked, thus avoiding a painful tear later. This is only speculation, since many of the short or no-tail breeds were developed so long ago. Modern breeds generally have all their body parts intact.
Both Lindey and Alyssa had very good questions, so you both win a stuffed animal. Stop by my office anytime to pick it up. Next month I will talk about pet food unless someone comes up with a better topic. Do any kids out there have a good story about their pet? I hear some good ones at work when I give tours to grade-schoolers.
Send in your Pet-Care Questions: Each month Dr. Carstens will answer your questions about pet care on this page. Dr. Carstens can be reached at 630-9234, or mail your questions to Willow Rock Pet Hospital, 6661-M Stanford Ranch Road, Rocklin, CA 95677. (email - netvet@vfr.net)
About the Author: Dr. Bruce Carstens graduated from the University of California at Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 1991. He and his wife have been residents of Stanford Ranch since 1992 and have two children at Breen Elementary. Dr. Carstens opened his own office, Willow Rock Pet Hospital in the Food Source Plaza in June, 1997. www.willowrockpet.com