Stain Stopper

by Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton and Mikkel Becker

Pet Connection | June 9th, 2008

Universal Press Syndicate

Poop happens. So do urine and vomit.

While most pet messes come from young pets or old ones, even pets in the prime of their lives can get sick sometimes, leaving you looking at -- or worse, stepping in -- something you need to clean up.

If you want to make that mess a memory instead of a smelly stain, don't delay your cleanup.

Addressing a pet mess promptly does more than minimize the chance of staining. A quick and thorough cleanup also reduces the chance of repeat business, since old stains and smells tend to attract new ones, especially from pets who are struggling with the concept of house-training.

With a fresh mess, you can use gentle dish soap and warm water. Start by picking up and disposing of any solid matter. Blot the area with towels, and then wet it with the soapy solution (color-testing in a corner is always recommended, of course!). Work in the soapy solution and then flush with clean water and blot again, repeating a couple of times to make sure the soap is removed along with the mess.

Older but still pretty recent messes can benefit from the use of an enzymatic cleaner designed for pet stains, following label directions. These products break down the organic compounds in the mess, helping it to let go of the fibers of carpet or upholstery.

Don't use ammonia-based cleaners. They smell like urine to the keen noses of our pets -- ammonia being one of the byproducts of decomposing urine. Instead of making the area smell clean, ammonia products may make a mess site even more attractive to pets.

Really old, permanently set pet stains may resist any effort to remove them, but it's always worth a try. Since the carpet or upholstery is already trashed, there's no harm in saturating the stain with enzymatic pet cleaner and letting it sit. Flush well with water, blot, let dry, and repeat at least one more time if the stain is still there.

A professional furniture or upholstery cleaning service may be worth trying, as well. If nothing works, you can always put an attractive accent rug or furniture throw over the stain, unless the smell makes keeping the piece impossible.

Even the messes you can't see or smell can be a problem, because your pet may be able to smell what you cannot and may want to add his own mess on top. Many pet retailers carry black lights, which will show you the locations of old stains so you can treat them.

Unfortunately, not all stains and smells can be successfully treated. Any real estate agent can tell you a horror story of a home with pet stains that had soaked through to the carpet padding or even the sub-flooring below, making stain and smell removal an expensive proposition involving the replacement of carpet, padding and even flooring in some cases.

Just another good reason why there's no reason to wait when you've found a fresh mess.

SIDEBAR

Take a preventive approach to fur

Three tips for keeping fur off your furniture and clothing:

-- Groom your pets frequently. The fur you catch on a brush, comb or shedding rake will not end up where you don't want it.

-- Cover your furniture and bedding with washable throws. If your pets are allowed on the furniture -- or if they sneak up on it from time to time -- these washable throws will catch loose fur. Pet-themed products are widely available from retailers, or you can just buy colorful, lightweight and inexpensive cotton quilts.

-- Keep lint brushes, lint-rollers and wide shipping tape at hand. These sticky supplies are the final line of defense, picking up the fur that lands despite all preventive efforts. -- Gina Spadafori

Q&A

Biting poodle may have ear infection

Q: The other day my husband startled our little poodle mix by petting her ears when she wasn't looking, and she bit him. This never happened before. I suspect this was my husband's fault for surprising her. He yelled at her mostly out of pain and shock, but didn't hit her. What should we do now? -- W.T., via e-mail

A: When a pet bites, the first step is to get a veterinary exam with diagnostic tests to rule out any health problems. We have to wonder, given the recent change in your dog's behavior and that she's a breed type with a predisposition for ear problems, if she is suffering from a painful ear infection. Pain can make anyone lash out!

If there turns out to be no health problem, ask your veterinarian for a referral to a behaviorist.

Beware of simple answers. Any combination of factors can trigger aggression in dogs. Once a pet has bitten, it's more likely the behavior will be repeated. If the bite broke the skin or if there have been more bites since, you may have a difficult time counterconditioning her to not bite again. In any case, whenever biting is involved, it's absolutely essential that you get professional help, starting with your own veterinarian. -- Susan and Dr. Rolan Tripp

Q: Can you please pass on this tip for relocating cats? You butter the cat's paws.

In the new house, put a towel down in the bathtub, shower stall, the garage or any enclosed area you will not mind having butter paw prints on. Take softened butter or margarine and completely saturate all four paws up to the dew claw, including between the toes.

Put the cat in an enclosed area and let him lick himself clean, removing all of the scents from his paws and making a clean slate for new scents to imprint. Of course, like anything you do with an unwilling cat, wear old clothes and have gloves handy! -- S.B., via e-mail

A: I've heard this for years, too, and I put it in the "can't hurt, could help, will surely be messy" category.

Yet I don't care if you coat your cat's paws with caviar, it's still recommended to start him in a small room for a couple of weeks after the move (with all necessities). Then let him graduate to the rest of the house and, finally, to the yard. Better still, use moving as a good reason to convert your cat to indoor status. Cats object loudly to having a large part of their territory removed. But after a move, it's all new, so they can't miss what they never had. -- Gina Spadafori

(Do you have a pet question? Send it to petconnection@gmail.com.)

ABOUT PET CONNECTION

Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet-care experts headed by "Good Morning America" veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Gina Spadafori. The two are also the authors of several best-selling pet-care books.

On PetConnection.com there's more information on pets and their care, reviews of products, books and "dog cars," and a weekly drawing for pet-care prizes. Contact Pet Connection in care of this newspaper by sending e-mail to petconnection@gmail.com or visiting PetConnection.com.

PET BUZZ

Heartworms not just a dog worry

-- Cats can get heartworm disease as well as dogs. If these microscopic larvae -- transmitted by mosquitoes -- settle in a cat's lungs, they can cause big health problems. Found in all 50 states, feline heartworm disease is incurable but 100 percent preventable with medications from your veterinarian. Think your indoor-only cat is safe? Think again! A North Carolina study reported that 28 percent of cats diagnosed with heartworm disease were indoor-only cats. For more information, visit knowheartworms.org.

-- Gorillas on diets? Polar bears slurping sugar-free frozen treats? Giraffes nibbling alfalfa biscuits? The Associated Press reports the days of letting visitors throw marshmallows to animals is history, replaced by a growing focus on diet and nutrition. Like humans, many zoo animals have been getting fat by eating too much sugary, high-fat food and not moving as much as they're genetically programmed to.

-- Rabies on the rise. Reported cases of animal rabies in Virginia have spiked to their highest number in 25 years, according to DVM Newsmagazine. Although most of the 730 cases involved wild animals, with the highest number among raccoons, almost 40 cases involved dogs and cats.

-- Want to attract a crowd to your business? Get a cat! Tourists are now flocking to the Kishi station of the struggling Kishikawa train line in Kinokawa, Japan, to have their picture taken with Tama, a 9-year-old calico cat who wears a black cap and sits by the entrance. The Associated Press reports that Tama has done such a good job attracting new business that she was recently promoted to "super station master." She got a raise, too -- all in cat food. -- Dr. Marty Becker

THE SCOOP

Celebrating all the colors of the cat

By far, the most common marking pattern in cats is the "tiger-striped," or tabby. The word "tabby" comes from "atabi," a silk imported to England long ago that had a striped pattern similar to that of the domestic tiger cat.

Tabbies comes in many colors, such as red (more commonly called "orange," "ginger" or "marmalade"), cream, brown or gray. The tabby pattern is so common that, even in solid-colored cats, you can often discern faint tabby markings, especially on the head, legs and tail.

But there's more to cat markings than stripes.

"Smoked," "shaded" and "shell" describe the varying amounts of tipping that appear on each individual hair, with shell being a dash of color at the very tip, shaded a little more tipping, and smoked, at the other extreme, being a coat so heavily tipped that it may look solid, except as the cat moves and the lighter color becomes visible underneath.

Fur can also be "ticked" -- that is, banded with color, as in the agouti pattern seen in the Abyssinian, where dark-colored bands alternate with lighter ones on each hair shaft.

"Pointed" cats are those such as the Siamese, with lighter-colored bodies shading to darker, complementary colors at the "points" -- the face, the ears, the legs and the tail.

"Bicolors" are any other color (or pattern, such as tabby) paired with white, and "particolors" have three or more colors, as is true of calicoes.

Mixing these genetics can have some unpredictable results. The spotted Ocicat, for example, was created as the result of mating a Siamese and an Abyssinian! -- Gina Spadafori

PETS BY THE NUMBERS

Popular Cat Breeds

Pedigreed cats aren't as popular as pedigreed dogs. Most cat lovers are happy to share the company of a cat of unknown breeding, what the British so charmingly call a "moggie." But cat breeds have their fans, too, and according to the Cat Fanciers' Association registration figures for 2007, these are the most popular:

1. Persian

2. Maine coon

3. Exotic

4. Abyssinian

5. Siamese

6. Ragdoll

7. Sphynx

8. Birman

9. American shorthair

10. Oriental

PET Rx

'Scooting' likely not from worms

Does your dog scoot along on his fanny? You need to talk to your veterinarian about your pet's anal glands.

Anal glands are a topic no dog lover likes to think about, but the subject often cannot be ignored. Positioned on either side of the anus, the glands secrete a material that smells vile. Normal defecation may keep the glands emptied, but in some dogs, impactions and infections become a real problem.

The glands should be emptied regularly, a task that's simple if unappealing. Your veterinarian can show you how to empty the glands, or you can have the groomer do it for you when your dog's in for a regular grooming.

Infections of the anal glands are not uncommon, and they need to be treated by your veterinarian. In some cases, chronic infections need to be dealt with by having the glands removed. -- Dr. Marty Becker

Pet Connection is produced by a team of team of pet-care experts headed by "Good Morning America" veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Gina Spadafori. The two are also the authors of several best-selling pet-care books. Contact Pet Connection in care of this newspaper, by sending e-mail to petconnection@gmail.com or by visiting PetConnection.com.

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

pets

Lather, Rinse, Repeat

by Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton and Mikkel Becker

Pet Connection | June 2nd, 2008

Universal Press Syndicate

Dogs are content to live in dog-smell heaven, a place where water is only for drinking or swimming and never has soap added. Sadly, from a canine point of view, we make the rules that dictate how often dogs must be bathed.

But how often is that? Forget that old saw about "every six months" or even "every year." Who wants to live with a stinky dog? To keep your dog huggable, bathe him as often as needed -- even if that means weekly -- to keep the coat clean-smelling and get rid of the hair that's about to be shed. (Dogs with skin problems, of course, should be bathed according to the veterinarian's instructions, with products prescribed or recommended for the problem.)

So get ready: We're going to wash the dog.

Before you start, brush your dog well. Mats and tangles, once wet, just get worse and will likely have to be cut out. So get them out of the way first.

Let your brushed dog relax while you set up the proper equipment and fill the tub. A bath mat in the tub or sink will make your dog feel more comfortable by giving him something secure to stand on. You'll also need a spray nozzle. Some people rinse their dogs by pouring dirty bathwater back over them, but that defeats the purpose of bathing a dog (to get him clean), so use a nozzle. Set out your towels and some dog-friendly shampoo and conditioner where you can reach them.

Right before the big plunge, put a pinch of cotton just inside your dog's ears to help keep the soap out (don't forget to remove the cotton afterward).

Don't spare the words of love and encouragement. In working with dogs, a good attitude can go a long way, but a bad one can go even further. If your dog knows how much you hate bath time, how can he get a positive, or at least tolerable, opinion of the process? Keep your attitude high and don't let up on the praise.

Lather up, rinse, repeat and rinse thoroughly (the biggest mistake most people make is not rinsing well enough -- it makes the coat dull and flaky). Follow up with a conditioner or detangler if your pet's coat needs either. Rinse well for a final time.

Hold a towel over your dog loosely while he shakes. Your dog can get more water off by shaking than you can by toweling. So let him have at it, and then finish the job by rubbing him dry when he's done. (Forced-air dog dryers start at less than $100 and can be a wonderful investment for a dog owner, except for those with shorthaired pets.)

Don't let your dog outside until he's dry, so he won't roll in something yucky and undo the work you've done.

SIDEBAR

Bathe the cat? Are you nuts?

Cats -- especially shorthaired ones -- generally do a pretty good job of keeping themselves well-groomed. If you have an allergy sufferer in the house, though, a weekly bath (or just a rinse with clean water) will help to keep the allergen levels to more manageable levels.

And, of course, if your cat gets into something he can't safely clean off himself, he'll need a bath.

If your cat won't cooperate, take a firm hold on the nape of your cat's neck and hang on tightly. Working as quickly as you can, wet your cat, lather, rinse, condition and then rinse again, thoroughly. Wrap your cat snugly in a "kitty burrito" to dry him with the towel, and then set him down in a way to minimize injury to you both and let him stalk off to reclaim his dignity and plot his revenge.

Both of my cats get weekly bathing because of my allergies. They don't like being bathed, but they tolerate it pretty well because I started with them as kittens. -- Gina Spadafori

Q&A

Do compact fluorescent bulbs cause feather-picking?

Q: I am a cat person, but I read with interest your recent article on feather-picking in birds. I wanted to add, since it was not included in the piece, that my parents have a very big bird -- I think it is a scarlet macaw -- and he is either molting excessively or picking his feathers.

He looks just awful, and I asked my stepmom what was wrong with him. She said that she took him to a veterinarian recently who told her that her bird is very likely stressed out by the compact fluorescent bulbs they are now using in all of their lamps. She was going to change back to regular lightbulbs, and I do not know the outcome.

I wanted to mention this in case you want to do some research and inform your readers if this is in fact a problem for birds. -- C.F., via e-mail

A: I asked board-certified avian specialist Dr. Brian Speer (my "Birds for Dummies" co-author) for help with this one. He says your parents can probably keep using the energy-saving compact fluorescent lights (CFLs).

"Although there is a different flicker frequency that birds see as compared to ourselves, there is no confirmed direct causation between feather-damaging behavior and fluorescent lighting," says Speer, who owns the Medical Center for Birds, a birds-only practice in the Northern California town of Oakley.

He doesn't rule out CFLs completely, however, at least as a contributory factor to the problem. Feather-picking is complex behavior, he stresses.

"This type of light may function as a stressor, and it is possible that some stressors may trigger anxiety," says Speer. "Anxiety may be addressed by displacement behavioral activities, and of these, feather damage could be seen.

"But this is a bit of a simplistic 'cause and effect' assumption for a problem that more often than not is multifactorial in nature," he says.

Stopping feather-picking, in other words, will remain a difficult road for many bird owners, with a lot of strategies employed along the way to find the magic ingredients to the cure -- if it can be found at all. -- Gina Spadafori

(Do you have a pet question? Send it to petconnection@gmail.com.)

ABOUT PET CONNECTION

PET BUZZ

Fewer allergies with early pet exposure?

-- Children run less risk of being sensitive to allergens if there is a dog in the house in the early years of their lives. That's the conclusion based on a six-year study of 9,000 children in the European Respiratory Journal. Reported in The Times of London, the study adds weight to the theory that growing up with a pet trains the immune system to be less sensitive to potential triggers for allergies such as asthma, eczema and hay fever.

-- A "three dog night" was once described by comedian Johnny Carson as a "bad night for a tree." But the term originates with the Inuit tribes of Alaska, who measured nocturnal temperatures based on how many of their sled dogs they needed to serve as bed warmers. So says the Animal Radio Network newsletter.

-- Dogfighting is now a felony in all 50 states, reports the Journal for the American Veterinary Medical Association. Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal signed legislation on March 4 that increased the penalty for participating in dogfighting from a misdemeanor to a felony. Idaho passed similar legislation just a week earlier.

-- The pet industry is the second-fastest growing retail sector after electronics, according to the investment banking firm The Mercanti Group. The study, reported in Veterinary Practice News, finds that the fastest-growing segment of the pet industry in terms of percentage growth is pet services, especially grooming and boarding.

-- Employment opportunities for veterinarians in the United States are expected to increase faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2012, according to the California Veterinary Medical Association. California alone will need 700 new veterinarians per year to keep up with veterinarian retirements and the growing pet population. It is estimated there will be a shortage of 15,000 veterinarians nationwide over the next 20 years. -- Dr. Marty Becker

THE SCOOP

Petting your cat? Watch the tail

Every cat lover has had the experience of a cat who, while being petted, bites or scratches "without warning." In fact, there is almost always some warning, but a key bit of body language was ignored.

You can tell when you're getting close to the line by watching your cat's tail. When a cat has had just about enough, his tail will start twitching. Keep petting, and that tail will get even more active, just before you're introduced to your cat's nonloving embrace.

With sensitive cats or cats you've just met, restrict your caresses to behind the ears, under the chin or the base of the tail. A long stroke down the back is too much for some kitties, and you're really taking chances when you decide to tickle the tummy on any cat, even your own.

You can reform hair-trigger cats by watching for the first sign of a tail twitch. When you get that first early warning sign, stop petting and allow him to calm down or leave if he wants to. Over time, you'll build up your cat's tolerance for petting.

If you miss the signs and end up with teeth and claws around your arm, just freeze. If you fight back or physically punish your cat, your cat will be compelled by instinct and fear to escalate the violence. And that will set back your training. -- Gina Spadafori

PETS BY THE NUMBERS

The best man is a dog

The Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. polled more than 3,000 of its policyholders to find that it's no longer novel to have a pet at a wedding. According to the poll:

-- 42 percent: Included or planned to involve a pet in their wedding ceremony

--11 percent: Didn't include their pet but had been to a wedding with a pet in it

-- 47 percent: Had never been to a wedding with pets involved

PET Rx

False pregnancy common in dogs

False pregnancies are not uncommon in unspayed dogs. The signs include nesting, mothering objects, such as a stuffed animal, and excreting milk. Some dogs may physically appear pregnant and may even go into labor. These symptoms become noticeable three to six months after a heat cycle.

If symptoms are mild, the condition will usually resolve itself within three weeks. It may be tempting to put warm compresses on the dog's underside or to wrap the abdomen to prevent milk leakage in the house. But that's not advised. Any stimulation of the dog's mammary tissues encourages more milk production.

Continued or severe symptoms will require your veterinarian's assistance to address. After the false pregnancy has passed, the dog can be safely spayed, preventing future false pregnancies -- and, of course, real ones as well. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

pets

Closed Door Policy

by Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton and Mikkel Becker

Pet Connection | May 26th, 2008

By Susan and Dr. Rolan Tripp

Universal Press Syndicate

When the weather warms up, so does feline romance. That soon means kittens who need new homes are suddenly everywhere. But with so many to choose from, how can you decide which one fits with your personality and lifestyle?

Work with a reputable shelter or rescue group to make sure the kittens you're considering are in good health and have had the benefits of gentle handling by staff and volunteers. Even kittens born wild can usually be tamed, but they need to be exposed to people early to grasp the advantages of being a member of a human family.

Faced with so many kittens, many prospective adopters choose based on looks alone. Some favor tuxedo cats, others red tabbies. Unusual markings can get other kittens adopted, such as "mustaches" or mittens, perfect symmetrical markings or pretty patches of rich, contrasting colors.

But personality counts, too, which is why when you're looking at choosing from a shelter full of healthy kittens, it's a good idea to look beyond the markings to consider the cat within.

The feline personality ranges from the love-everyone attention-seekers to cautious cold-shoulder types. Remember that what you see in a kitten is a window into the personality of the cat that baby will become. Kittens are creatures of their genetics and of what they experience in the first 10 weeks of life. Sadly, a terrified or unfriendly kitten does not offer the best possibility of becoming a loving family pet. So for most people, it's better to choose from among the more promising contenders.

Based on years of experience, we've "cat"-egorized kittens into five personality types, along with the kind of home each is best suited for.

-- The activity junkie: Look at that kitten go! These crazy kittens are in constant motion and will likely become cats who are also busy-busy. Choose one of these kittens and expect an explorer who's always on the go. If you like an entertaining companion, this is the kitten for you.

-- The me-now meower: Look at me! Pay attention to me! As cute as these kittens can be, remember that if you like a quiet house, you might consider another baby. Cats are nocturnal, and the noisy, demanding kitten can become a middle-of-the-night alarm-clock cat. Still, many people love a cat who communicates.

-- The big-league batter: Your finger? It's a kitten toy! These kittens will reach between the gaps in their shelter enclosures to grab your fingers. These lively youngsters will crave play time with you and will use all the kitten toys you can offer. If you can't provide daily, regular play sessions with these tiny tigers, you may find these felines ambushing your feet.

-- The purr machine: Love and lap time are what these babies crave. Touch them or even look at them and their motors start instantly. As adults, they will be happiest when near you and not happy when left alone. This type is an excellent choice for the person who's home a lot and wants an easygoing lap cat.

-- The socialite: These friendly, take-it-all-in-stride youngsters are a good match for homes with children and other pets. The socialite eagerly approaches the front of the kennel to meet and greet you -- tail is up, ears forward, looking for a finger to sniff. These kittens should mature into cats who aren't easily flustered by a busy household.

Of course, adopting is only the beginning. When you adopt a healthy, friendly kitten, you'll need to build on the good start, by teaching your kitten the house rules and how to play and scratch appropriately. Fortunately, this learning is fun for you both.

SIDEBAR

Win $1,000 in pet supplies

Every month the Pet Connection draws from the subscribers of its free e-mail newsletter for prizes with a total retail value of $1,000. Past winners have received $500 worth of training equipment from Premier Pet (with a $500 matching gift to Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue) and $500 in grooming supplies from the Oster Company, along with a $500 PetSmart gift certificate.

Signing up for the monthly e-mail newsletter is fast, free and easy: Just visit PetConnection.com to sign up and find out what company is giving away a grand in goodies this month.

Q&A

Bird body language can warn of a bite

Q: I bought an adult yellow-naped Amazon through an ad, cage and all. She has been settling in well and seems to like me most of the time. She'll get on my hand, take treats and play on the gym on top of her cage. Usually, she's funny and good-natured.

Some of the time, though, she seems to be a bit bipolar, desperate to bite me. I know that parrots bite, but there doesn't seem to be any warning that she's in the mood to attack. I've read that I shouldn't hit my bird for biting me, but what else can I do? She has drawn blood. -- P.F., via e-mail

A: As I wrote with avian veterinarian Dr. Brian Speer in our book "Birds for Dummies," parrots can be loving, cuddly, playful or contemplative one minute, and demanding, aloof, manic or peevish the next. Sharing space with a parrot is like living with another human: Sometimes you just have to pick your moments and know when to back off.

Some of these moods are pretty obvious -- an Amazon in a rowdy state or a cockatoo who wants to be cuddled isn't hard to figure out. Other times, though, behavior signs may be more subtle, and the failure to heed these clues may earn you a nasty bite.

Parrots have keen eyesight and often stare at something that fascinates or frightens them, using one eye and tipping the head, or using both eyes for a head-on look.

When you see that your bird is fixated on something, follow that line of vision. A relaxed body posture accompanies a calm, curious bird's staring, and a more defensive or aggressive body language demonstrates fright. Most often, a locked-on look is a sign of fascination: Like the youngest children, birds can become attracted to something colorful in their environments.

Birds are able to control their irises, shrinking and enlarging their pupils rapidly in a display that's called "flashing" or "pinning."

You have to read the whole bird to put the message in its proper context. Birds may flash their eyes when they're excited or when they're angry. Flashing accompanied by aggressive posturing, such as tail-fanning, signifies a bird who's bound to escalate his warnings -- and maybe even bite -- if not left alone.

Consider flashing to be the physical display of strong emotion -- anything from the "I want to kill you" vibes of an angry or aggressive bird to the "Hey there, cutie" of an infatuated bird.

You might consider getting a copy of Sally Blanchard's "The Beak Book" (CompanionParrot.com, $20) to learn about how to read your pet better as well as how to work with her to modify her biting behavior. -- Gina Spadafori

(Do you have a pet question? Send it to petconnection@gmail.com.)

ABOUT PET CONNECTION

PET BUZZ

Birds seeing vets a lot more often

-- Among bird-owning households, 13.9 percent had at least one visit to the veterinarian in 2006, an increase of 18.8 percent since 2001, reports Veterinary Forum.

-- What makes for effective political slang? Legendary language guru William Safire has written "Safire's Political Dictionary" (Oxford University Press, $23). Safire told Newsweek that memorable phrases are often borrowed from zoology ("doves and hawks," "lame duck") and horse racing ("running mate," "shoo-in").

-- Although cats in Los Angeles police stations don't wear badges, they're on patrol against rodents. According to the Los Angeles Times, these furry exterminators are too wild to be house pets, and they don't generally kill the rodents. Seems just leaving their scent while on patrol is enough to make the bad guys go away. If only police work could be that easy!

-- The American Kennel Club's Canine Health Foundation has been working with scientists at the University of Pennsylvania to determine the long-term health impact of search-and-rescue dogs following terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Led by Dr. Cynthia Otto, the scientists have been monitoring the health and behavior of 97 search-and-rescue dogs. As reported in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, no clinically obvious differences have been observed between the dogs and a control group of 44 non-deployed dogs. The proportion of deceased deployed dogs to deceased control dogs is not significantly different, nor is the rate of cancer. More information is available on the foundation's Web site (www.akcchf.org). -- Dr. Marty Becker

PET TIP

Brushing can help tame the spring shed

Dogs typically lose their winter coats in the spring, and that means hair everywhere.

The change is most obvious in "double-coated" breeds, such as collies, Samoyeds and malamutes. These breeds carry a protective overcoat of long hair as well as an insulating undercoat that's soft and fuzzy. These breeds lose masses of fur from both of these coats in spring and fall, but the clumps that come out of the undercoat are especially noticeable.

The amount of shedding varies widely from breed to breed. German shepherds, for example, are prolific year-round shedders, while poodles seem to lose very little fur at all. Shorthaired breeds may shed as much as longhairs, but since the hair these dogs drop is easily overlooked, it may seem as if they are shedding less.

All shedders -- even the heaviest -- can be tamed by a regular and frequent schedule of combing and brushing. After all, the fur you catch on a brush won't end up on your furniture.

If you have a purebred or a dog that has the characteristics of a purebred, seek out breed-specific advice in regard to the proper kind of grooming equipment. The brush that works fine on a close-cropped poodle may not make much headway in the thick mane of a full-coated Alaskan malamute at the height of a seasonal shed.

Shedding is normal, but some heavy shedding can be a sign of health problems. Skin allergies and skin parasites may trigger shedding, and poor nutrition or other health problems can also be a cause of coat problems.

Become familiar with your pet's normal pattern of shedding. Ask your veterinarian for advice if your pet's coat condition seems too dull, or if you notice excessive hair loss or bare patches. -- Gina Spadafori

PETS BY THE NUMBERS

Cat allergy attacks

Dogs seem to suffer more from allergies than cats do. That doesn't mean things don't get under the feline skin, though. According to claims made to the Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. in 2007, the top allergy-related problems for cats were:

1. Skin allergies, generalized

2. Ear infections

3. Eye allergies/conjunctivitis

4. Bronchitis/asthma

5. Skin allergies, limited

ON GOOD BEHAVIOR

Calming cat can minimize marking

While nations use flags to claim their lands, cats unfortunately tend to spray urine or leave feces instead. Such actions can quickly leave them looking for new territory in the least-tolerant of pet-owning homes.

Cats also mark territory by scratching and rubbing their cheeks against objects. Deal with territory-crazy cats by minimizing the need to spray and by channeling their marking behavior toward more acceptable actions and targets.

Encourage acceptable marking by providing plenty of tall scratching posts and cat trees and by praising cheek rubbing. Feliway, a pheromone-based product, may help to calm the competitive stress that leads to marking. When the competition is the neighbor's cat outside, close the blinds or keep cats out of rooms that allow them to see their rivals.

(Animal behavior experts Susan and Dr. Roland Tripp are the authors of "On Good Behavior." For more information, visit their Web site at AnimalBehavior.net.)

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