Joint disease often untreated in cats

The painful degeneration of joints in old cats may go unnoticed by owners and veterinarians.

• An article in Veterinary Practice News compared the written medical records of 100 cats older than 12 years to X-rays of the cats taken at North Carolina State University's College of Veterinary Medicine. The study found that while only four records contained mention of degenerative joint disease (DJD) by veterinarian or owner, X-rays found DJD in 90 percent of the cats. The study concluded that DJD occurs in most geriatric cats and is overlooked and undertreated.

• Dogs bit 4.7 million people in 2006. The American Veterinary Medical Association offers tips on preventing bites on its Web site at www.avma.org.

• Pigeon flocks cannot be eliminated through methods such as trapping or poisoning. Los Angeles is one of the pioneers in using new methods of controlling these messy urban nuisances. The Animal Radio Network reports that a product called OvoControl is administered to birds in treats from rooftop dispensers. OvoControl, which has also been used successfully to control populations of Canadian geese, causes changes in the egg so that it cannot develop or hatch. - Dr. Marty Becker