On the bulletin board in my "pet-centric" home office is a cartoon a reader sent me a couple of years ago: a dog sitting at a computer, paws on the keyboard. "On the Internet," reads the caption, "know one knows you're a dog."

Meant to poke fun at one of the basic truths of the online world -- no one knows what anybody looks like -- the cartoon always reminds me of the pet-friendliness of the Internet. The online world is home to tens of thousands of pet-related Web sites, a quantity so overwhelming that it's hard to know where to start looking, and which sites offer the best information.

Until now, that is, with the publication of a book designed to help dog lovers cope with the information overload.

"Dogs on the Web" (MIS:Press/Henry Holt; $16.95) reviews more than 500 canine-related Web sites, from the silly and more than a little juvenile Dog Poo Page, to pages on dog sports, clubs and getaways, to the somber Rainbow Bridge memorial for people who have lost their pets.

The book is a labor of love from two of the country's best writers on pet topics: Audrey Pavia, who before becoming a full-time writer spent more than a decade as an editor on two national dog magazines, and Betsy Sikora Siino, the author of hundreds of magazine articles and four books on dogs.

Pavia says she and her co-author were delighted with the sites they found, and the dedication of the dog lovers who produced the pages.

"I was surprised at the quality of the information," she says. "I thought there'd be a lot of misinformation, but almost everything I came across was responsible, accurate and well-written. I got the impression the dog-owning community had embraced the Web as a way to educate the public about responsible dog ownership."

The authors looked at so many Web sites that Pavia says they're still bleary-eared, but she also said the research was the most enjoyable part of the project.

"It was a lot of fun," says Pavia about her Web cruising. "I learned more about dogs, which I didn't think I could do. I've been reading about dogs for so many years it was a surprise to find sites on the Web that taught me things I hadn't come across before."

Still, Pavia says it's a good idea to bring a little bit of skepticism to the Internet, and offers these suggestions to anyone looking for information on dogs:

-- Use the knowledge you already have to help you evaluate quality. "For example," she says, "everyone knows about the American Kennel Club and their reputation for putting out high-quality information on dogs. Knowing that, you know you can go to their Web site and rely on their information on dog breeds."

-- Watch for signs that a source isn't ethical. "Keep in mind that there's a pet overpopulation problem," she says, "and if you run across a site that's advocating wanton breeding, the authors probably don't have the best interests of animals at heart, which means you should take whatever information they offer with a grain of salt."

-- Don't be wowed by snazzy design and graphics. Although Pavia says a Web site with high-quality graphics will often have high-quality information to match, some very plain sites offer the very best in information.

-- Know whose work you're reading. "Look for attribution," says Pavia. "You should know who wrote any piece and be able to discern if they are qualified to write it."

-- Be sure information is current. "Check when the Web site was last updated," says Pavia. "If you see a site that has been neglected, say, with a last update in 1995, and the information is time-sensitive, such as health information, be cautious."

-- Look for links to other sites. "Often the sites with the best information will recommend other high-quality sites," Pavia says. "These are good paths to follow."

Cat lovers shouldn't feel slighted, by the way: "Dogs on the Web" is one of a series of books profiling Web sites on various topics, and series editor Andy Neusner says the publisher is considering following with "Cats on the Web" if their first pet book does well.

PETS ON THE WEB: "Dogs on the Web" has its own matching Web site (www.mispress.com/dogs), with links to each of the more than 500 sites profiled in this excellent reference. A better place to start exploring canine cyberspace you won't find anywhere.

Gina Spadafori is the award-winning author of "Dogs for Dummies" and "Cats for Dummies," and is the editorial director of the Veterinary Information Network Inc., an international online service for veterinary professionals. Write to her in care of this newspaper, or e-mail to Giori(at)aol.com.

4520 Main St., Kansas City, Mo. 64111; (816) 932-6600

Are you making decisions about your pet's health without understanding the risks and the benefits? In the case of anesthesia, too many people still cling to some outdated ideas, to the detriment of their pet's overall health and longevity. This is certainly true when the topic is anesthesia for dogs and cats.

The idea that the risk of anesthesia outweighs the benefits of available veterinary care -- even preventive care, such as dentistry -- is no longer true for many pets. While no surgical procedure is without risk, anesthesia has become routine and safe in the hands of the best veterinarians and their staffs, with risks so low they should not dissuade you from pursuing necessary preventive or other procedures, even for elderly dogs and cats.

What risks remain can be greatly minimized by working with your veterinarian. Before any procedure, your veterinarian may suggest taking a medical history, examining your pet thoroughly and ordering a few basic tests, including a laboratory evaluation of blood and urine, and possibly a chest X-ray. Although these tests add to the cost, they enable your veterinarian to understand fully the health status of your pet before anesthetizing him. During anesthesia, an IV catheter and fluids can further add to the safety levels.

The benefits of these tests and precautionary measures may be hard for many to recognize, although they'd surely demand them from their own doctors. Such tests spot problems that may need to be dealt with before surgery, or clue in your veterinarian to specific risk factors during surgery. Additional measures during anesthesia give your veterinarian more options for care should a problem develop.

No discussion of anesthetic danger can be complete without a few words on your responsibilities where anesthesia is concerned:

-- Follow your veterinarian's instructions on preparing your pet for surgery. If "no food" is specified, make sure that you deliver your pet with an empty stomach. Following this one piece of advice is one of the easiest and most basic ways to reduce risk. During anesthesia, the contents of a full stomach can be regurgitated and inhaled into the lungs. In general, you should completely withhold food the night before, but continue to allow free access to water until the morning of the procedure.

-- Be prepared to provide special home care for your pet after surgery. Releasing animals before sedation wears off fully may be common practice for some veterinarians. Such animals must be kept safe from hot or cold environments because their reflexes are reduced. If you do not feel comfortable caring for a sedated pet, arrange for your veterinarian to extend the care. If your veterinarian does not run a 24-hour hospital, be sure to have the number of your local emergency clinic handy in case there are any complications following your pet's anesthesia.

-- Don't hesitate to ask questions. Make sure you understand what the procedures are and what to expect. Pets commonly have a cough after anesthesia, for example, because the tube used to deliver the gas may cause some irritation. If the cough does not clear up in a couple days, call your veterinarian.

No matter what the age of your dog or cat, the chances are very high that anesthesia presents no problem if both you and your veterinarian work to minimize the risk. And the payoffs can be significant in enhancing and prolonging the life of your pet.

A final note: While anesthesia for dogs and cats is generally very safe, such is not the case for other pets, such as rabbits. Dr. Stuart Turner, veterinary director of the Pet Care Forum on America Online, is a die-hard rabbit fancier who has been caring for these gentle pets for years. He suggests dealing with veterinarians who are comfortable and familiar with small mammals and exotic pets, discussing any risks beforehand and following the veterinarian's recommendations for reducing the possibility of problems.

PETS ON THE WEB: A good source for pet health information is NetVet Veterinary Resources (http://netvet.wustl.edu/). This site contains links to every imaginable veterinary resource on the Internet, and although its organization is a little unwieldy, it's definitely the best starting site for veterinary information on the Web. If you're looking for a veterinarian, whether general care or a specialist, visit the Veterinary Information Network's VetQuest site (www.vetquest.com), a free search service offering listing more than 25,000 veterinary clinics and hospitals worldwide.

Gina Spadafori is the award-winning author of "Dogs for Dummies" and "Cats for Dummies," and is the editorial director of the Veterinary Information Network Inc., an international online service for veterinary professionals. Write to her in care of this newspaper, or e-mail to Giori(at)aol.com.

4520 Main St., Kansas City, Mo. 64111; (816) 932-6600

Fall is a time for changing routines, as children go back to school and the long, lovely days of summer start to disappear. For some dogs, household changes may be particularly distressing, triggering bouts of destructiveness when suddenly left alone. The experts call this problem "separation anxiety."

Separation anxiety is the classic problem of a dog adopted as an adult. He has had his heart broken once and his hopes rekindled, by you. And then you leave him and he copes with his anxiety (will you ever return?) by going nuts -- chewing, most typically.

If yours is one of these dogs, you'll need patience and a plan to help him. You need to build his confidence by teaching him that comings and goings aren't forever; they're a normal part of his life with you. You need to relieve some of that excess energy by exercising him regularly -- most dogs, like most people, don't get enough exercise. And you need to minimize the damage potential while his confidence builds by confining him to a small area and giving him something else to concentrate on while you're gone besides how much he misses you.

Here are some strategies to help your pet cope with his time alone:

-- Feed your dog his biggest meal before he's about to spend his biggest chunk of time alone. What dogs do after they eat is sleep, and if you're lucky, he'll sleep most of your stay away. If you work days, feed the biggest meal in the morning. If you work nights, switch to the evening.

-- Don't encourage your dog to be your shadow when you're home. All that devotion is wonderful and it feeds our human egos, but it's making matters worse when you leave. If you have a dog who isn't happy unless some part of him is touching some part of you, encourage his confidence and independence by practicing long down-stays on the other side of the room every night. Build up to 30 minutes and do this routine as you watch TV -- you on one side of the room, him on the other. Don't forget to praise him for staying.

-- Give him something special to chew. Have a really good chewy that's just for his alone time, and hand it to him as you leave. Stuff a marrow bone or Kong toy with a little peanut butter. Digging out the good stuff will keep your dog busy, relieve him of some of that excess energy and help him over the worst part of his separation from you -- the beginning.

-- Practice no-fuss comings and goings. Some people unwittingly make matters worse by staging hellos and good-byes that look like that "Gone With the Wind" scene where Ashley comes home to Melanie after the war. Emotional stuff, and your dog doesn't need it. New rule: no pats. When you leave, calmly tell your dog "guard the house" and give him his special chewy. When you return, tell him to "sit," and then praise just the tiniest bit and ignore him completely for the next 10 minutes. Then you can sit down and tell him how your day went. The message here is that all this in-and-out is no big deal, so relax.

-- Don't punish your dog for destroying things. "But he knows he did something wrong," you say. "He's acting guilty." Not true. What he knows, from past experience, is that you're angry about something and he's going to get punished. He doesn't know why, and punishing a dog who doesn't understand what his "crime" was only serves to make him more anxious, not less.

Curing separation anxiety will take some time, because the fix is something that works from the inside out. It will help you to talk to your veterinarian about a referral to a trainer or behaviorist, as well as some medications that may be of use to your pet. Veterinary behaviorists are increasingly using anti-anxiety medications to help retrain dogs with behavior problems -- and yours may be one who could use the extra help.

PETS ON THE WEB: The National Disaster Search Dog Foundation's site (http://www.west.net/(tilde)rescue) is dedicated to the inspiring partnership of human and dog that is a search and rescue team. These teams, largely volunteer, are ready to go anywhere on 10 minutes' notice to try to save the lives of people caught in disasters ranging from an avalanche to an earthquake, and to acts of terrorism such as the bombing in Oklahoma City. The site is solid and informative proof of the good dogs do in our society.

Gina Spadafori is the award-winning author of "Dogs for Dummies" and "Cats for Dummies," and is the editorial director of the Veterinary Information Network Inc., an international online service for veterinary professionals. Write to her in care of this newspaper, or e-mail to Giori(at)aol.com.

4520 Main St., Kansas City, Mo. 64111; (816) 932-6600