Part of my work as a veterinarian involves staying current on the latest in disease prevention and treatment, which means I go to a lot of conferences.

I also speak at a lot of conferences, which is what took me recently to Orlando, where the North American Veterinary Conference is held every year. While I was in Florida, I taped some public service announcements, and that's how I learned of a need for pet beds in shelters.

When I was at the Orange County Animal Services shelter I saw a sparkling-clean facility with a loving staff, all set up for 250 pets but filled with 800. This situation is not special to Orlando, of course, for all over the country job losses and foreclosures are forcing many to give up their pets. At OCAS, as in many other shelters, there aren't enough beds to go around. Some pets share what beds there are, but others sleep on the floor, without even the little bit of warmth and comfort that comes from being off the concrete.

I thought of the senior dogs and cats sleeping on hard surfaces, becoming stiffer and more painful every day, lessening their chances of being adopted.

I thought about skinny pets, cold pets, pets in drafts and on wet floors, all of whom would be healthier, happier and more adoptable if this one basic comfort were available to them.

Like all my readers might have felt, I can't take all those pets home. But that didn't mean I couldn't help and couldn't get others to help. That's when it came to me: Let's get these pets some beds.

In other words, let's help shelter pets rise up, lie down and move out.

Turns out the people at the Kuranda company of Annapolis, Md., are already on this. These cot-style beds are popular with shelters (and pet owners, too, of course) because they're easy to assemble, durable, chew-resistant and easy to keep clean. The company has a program where people buy beds and have them sent directly to any of hundreds of shelters. The cost for a donated bed is discounted 30 percent off the regular price.

In just a few days of sending the word out through our PetConnection.com Web blog, and my Facebook and Twitter accounts, the 100 beds OCAS had requested had been donated.

It's a great start, and now I'm reaching out even more, to help pets in other shelters.

Can you donate a bed for a shelter pet? It's easy! Go to Kuranda's Web site (kuranda.com) and click on "Donate a Bed." You can then choose from dozens of shelters, sorted alphabetically and also searchable by state. When you've chosen your shelter, the site will display what kind of beds the shelter has requested. Buy a bed, and the company will send it to the shelter you've chosen. It'll take you just a couple of minutes and a credit card.

I have no association with the company and didn't know about the program before the folks at OCAS pointed it out. And of course, there are lots of other ways to help your local shelter, with donations of time, money or goods -- and by adopting!

Whatever it takes, let's do it. The need is great, and it only takes a little from each of us to help.

Q&A

Rabbits can't share the cat's litter box

Q: When I grew up, we had rabbits outside in a hutch. After doing some research, we gave in to our daughter's request for a pet rabbit, who lives in her bedroom, mostly inside a roomy cage but also loose in her room when she's in there. There's a box in the cage, but we've read that our cat's litter isn't right. Why can't we just buy in bulk for the cat and use the same litter for both pets? Does it really matter? -- K.I., via e-mail.

A: Yes, it does. Your rabbit needs to have his box filled with wood or pressed paper pellets, and covered with fresh grass hay. Clumping litter puts your rabbits at risk of impaction -- a block of their gastrointestinal tract. As for the hay, your rabbits know what's edible and what's not, and will eat the hay, not the litter.

Putting a layer of high-quality hay -- not straw -- on top of the pelleted paper litter encourages rabbits to use the box, since they tend to pass feces while eating. (I think of eating hay while "on the john" as the rabbit equivalent of reading while in the bathroom.)

Like many animals, rabbits naturally want to keep their area clean and will use a litter box if it's attractive and accessible. Make sure the box is large enough to be comfortable and the sides are low enough for easy entry. Keep it filled with clean pellets and fresh hay, supplemented by a special food treat like an apple slice, and your rabbits will use it likely as not.

Dropping feces while away from the box is normal for some rabbits, but fortunately cleanup is easy with a hand vac. Remember, too, that rabbits who are not neutered will be very difficult to house-train.

Rabbits are indeed wonderful house pets, as you're no doubt finding out. But be sure any area where bunny roams is rabbit-proofed and that your bun is watched while out. Put electric cords in rabbit-proof hoses, wrap wooden furniture legs to discourage chewing and offer lots of toys -- freebies such as cardboard boxes, broken baskets filled with hay and toilet or paper towel rolls are great. -- 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" and "The Dr. Oz Show" 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 more. Contact Pet Connection in care of this newspaper by sending e-mail to petconnection@gmail.com or by visiting PetConnection.com.

THE BUZZ

A president's pet named for a 'no'

-- According to the Presidential Pet Museum, only two U.S. presidents were completely pet-free while in office: Chester A. Arthur and Franklin Pierce. All other presidents and their families have shared their lives with many different companion animals, starting with George Washington, who was well-known for his fine eye for a good foxhound. The presidential pets have had a lot of interesting names, but perhaps the one that says most about the power of the presidency is the name James Garfield gave to his dog: Veto.

-- "Only the strong survive" has been suspected for generations. But now, scientists are finding ways to further prove the idea. A study on Colorado mountain lions found that sick mule deer were more likely to become a meal for big cats by establishing that the deer were sick before the lions grabbed them. The carcasses of deer killed by lions were tested for chronic wasting disease, with the rate of infection compared to that in deer killed by area hunters. The study, published in Biology Letters, found the deer killed by mountain lions had a higher rate of infection than deer killed by the hunters, suggesting that mountain lions were more likely to kill sick deer. The lions do not seem to be affected by the illness and may be aiding the overall deer population by decreasing the number of infected animals.

-- Dogs have cat fleas, sort of. The flea that drives both cats and dogs -- and their owners -- crazy is Ctenocephalides felis, the "cat flea." But it could have just as easily been named after dogs. In 1934, a French scientist pulled the flea off a cat and named it after the host. He could have just as easily found one on a dog and named the pest accordingly. There is a flea called Ctenocephalides canis, but cat fleas are much more common on both dogs and cats.

-- Fish are a pretty diverse lot. The longest is the whale shark, at 40 to 60 feet. The shortest is the spiny-headed devilfish, at less than one-quarter of an inch. -- Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Becker Shannon

THE SCOOP

Bird's cage must be chosen with care

When it comes to choosing a bird cage, metal is the best material. Wood is too hard to clean and usually won't stand up to the abuse birds can dish out.

Metal cages are made of stainless steel, brass, aluminum, galvanized wire or iron, and come in all kinds of designs, with or without paint. Choose a model without fussiness: Embellished avian abodes may look good in the store, but you're apt to regret the purchase every time you try to clean poop out of the decorative elements. Make sure you think and shop from a practical, as well as safe, standpoint for your bird.

Cages are often lacking in an important dimension: width. Those tall and narrow circular cages may look nice, but they force birds to fly more like a helicopter than in the style that comes naturally for them. Remember to consider the way the birds move. Finches and canaries usually prefer to fly horizontally, not vertically. Parrot species like to fly horizontally as well as climb up and down in their cages.

Galvanized metal is fine -- at least it won't rust -- but look for galvanizing material that's electroplated on, not dipped. The latter process too often leaves beads of material that birds can chip off and swallow, putting them at risk of zinc or lead poisoning or both. Powder-coating is popular in many decorator colors and is fine for most birds. -- Gina Spadafori

BY THE NUMBERS

In the know on the new

Seeing is believing when it comes to finding out about new products for pets. According to a 2008 survey by the American Pet Products Association, pet owners find out about new products from (multiple answers allowed):

TV: 59 percent

See in store: 56 percent

Print ad: 40 percent

Friend/relative: 28 percent

Veterinarian: 27 percent

Internet: 15 percent

PET Rx

Yarn not fit for cat toy

Kittens and cats love playing with yarn, as well as string, ribbon and anything that twists and dances. They like to stalk, to pounce, to flip their slender prey in the air and to start stalking again. That's all good, clean fun, but there's always a chance that your cat won't stop with play and will decide to eat his plaything.

The fun stops then, because any sort of "string thing" can cause havoc in your cat's intestines, causing a problem that may need to be surgically treated.

If you knit or sew, put your supplies securely away after you're done with them. Even if your pet's not really the playful type, she may find one kind of string irresistible: juice-soaked string from a roast or turkey. Dispose of these tempting dangers carefully, putting them in a trash container your cat can't get into. -- 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.

Beauty is more than skin-deep when it comes to your dog. Keeping your pet well-groomed not only gives you a clean-smelling companion, it also helps keep your dog more comfortable and allows you to spot health problems before they become serious, even life-threatening.

How important is grooming to your pet's comfort? Consider a simple mat, so easy to overlook. Have you ever had your hair in a ponytail that was just a little too tight? A mat can feel the same way to your dog, a constant pull on the skin. Try to imagine those all over your body, and you have a good idea how uncomfortable an ungroomed coat can be.

Your dog need never know what a mat feels like if you keep him brushed and combed -- but that's just the start of the health benefits. Regular grooming allows you to look for lumps, bumps and injuries, while clearing such things as mats and ticks from his coat. Follow up with your veterinarian on any questionable masses you find, and you may detect cancer early enough to save your pet's life.

For shorthaired breeds, keeping skin and coat in good shape is easy. Run your hands over him daily, a brush over him weekly, and that's it.

For other breeds, grooming is a little more involved. Breeds such as collies, chows, Keeshonden and Alaskan malamutes are "double-coated," which means they have a downy undercoat underneath harsher long hair. The down can mat like a layer of felt against the skin if left untended. To prevent this, divide the coat into small sections and brush against the grain from the skin outward, working from head to tail, section by section. In the spring and fall -- the big shedding times -- you'll end up with enough of that fluffy undercoat to make a whole new dog. Keep brushing and think of the benefits: The fur you pull out with a brush won't end up on the furniture, and removing the old stuff keeps your pet cooler in the summer and lets new insulation come in for the winter.

Silky-coated dogs such as Afghan hounds, cockers and Maltese also need constant brushing to keep tangles from forming. As with the double-coated dogs, work with small sections at a time, brushing from the skin outward, and then comb back into place with the grain for a glossy, finished look. Coats of this type require so much attention that having a groomer keep the dogs trimmed to a medium length is often more practical. In fact, experts say that the pets who shed the least are longhaired dogs kept trimmed short by a groomer.

Curly and wiry coats, such as those on poodles and terriers, need to be brushed weekly, working against the grain and then with it. Curly coats need to be clipped every six weeks; wiry ones, two or three times a year (but clipping every six weeks will keep your terrier looking sharper).

Good grooming is about more than keeping your pet looking beautiful and clean-smelling, although that's certainly one of the pleasant payoffs. Regular grooming relaxes the dog who's used to it, and it becomes a special time shared between you both. A coat free of mats, burrs and tangles, and skin free of fleas and ticks, are as comfortable to your dog as clean clothes fresh from the wash are to you. It just makes you feel good, and the effect is the same for your pet.

Some added benefit for you: Giving your dog a tummy rub after every session is sure to relax you (and your dog, of course) and ease the stress of your day. And for allergy sufferers, keeping a dog clean may make having a dog possible.

Q&A

Keeping dogs out of the box

Q: Our dog finds our cat's litter box irresistible. It's a disgusting habit, and we can't break her of it, even with spankings and yelling at her. It just makes her sneakier. Have you ever written about this? What can we do? -- K.I., via e-mail.

A: We get this question constantly. Litter boxes are irresistible to many if not most dogs: They're drawn to the undigested protein that remains in feline feces. Faced with a constant supply and ready access, no dog will be able to resist for long, which is why efforts to train your pet haven't been successful.

The better plan would be to restrict access, which can be accomplished in many ways, including:

-- Covered litter boxes. You can find litter boxes with lids at almost any pet-supply store, and this might fix the problem. Cats who have asthma shouldn't use them, some cats won't use them, and some dogs are strong enough (or small enough) to get to the box anyway. But for some households, a covered box will solve the problem.

-- Change the litter box location. Make any change slowly, so as not to discourage litter box use by your cat. But it doesn't hurt to experiment with such things as moving the litter box to a location above the dog's reach.

-- Provide barriers. One way is to rig a door so it stays open wide enough for the cat but not for the dog. One friend of mine did this by putting hooks on the edge of a door and the door jamb, and then by putting a length of chain between them to allow the door to stay open wide enough for the cat, but not for the dog. Another possibility is to cut a cat-sized hole through the door to the litter box room. For a small dog who's able to fit through any opening a cat can, a baby gate is an alternative: The cat can jump over it, but the dog cannot.

Experiment with what works, and realize that punishment doesn't work when the reward is as wonderful (to your dog) as the litter box contents. This is one case in which training the family to make adjustments usually works much better than trying to train the dog. -- 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" and "The Dr. Oz Show" 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 more. Contact Pet Connection in care of this newspaper by sending e-mail to petconnection@gmail.com or by visiting PetConnection.com.

THE BUZZ

FDA 'widget' gets recall news out

-- If you see information on pet health pop up automatically on the Web site of your veterinary hospital, favorite pet-related blog or other pet-care site, what you've likely noticed is the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's new "widget." The widget is a small graphic that's easily added to any Web site by following instructions on the FDA site (www.fda.gov/pethealthwidget). Once loaded onto the host site, the graphic updates automatically with news and information from the federal agency, including recall notifications and information on how to report problems with food or medications.

-- An animal resulting from the physical mingling of very early embryos of two species, thus having four parents, is known as a "chimera." One such chimera is the "geep," a mix of a sheep and goat. Six geeps were born at the Institute of Animal Physiology in Cambridge, England, in 1984, but only one had blood proteins from both sheep and goats and patches of goat hair and sheep wool. With a true hybrid, the embryo would need genetic material from both species mixed at conception, half coming from one parent, and half from the other. A hybrid goat/sheep would be sterile, because the animals have mismatched numbers of chromosomes -- goats have 60 and sheep, 54.

-- Veterinary specialists working in the pet-care field -- as opposed to academia, industry or large-animal medicine -- number at about 3,000, based at approximately 746 practices of all types and sizes. So says the American Animal Hospital Association (aahanet.org) in a 2005 benchmarking study that looked at the growth of specialists in veterinary medicine. Veterinary system specialties include cardiology, radiology, dermatology, ophthalmology, emergency and critical care, and surgery, along with species specialists certified in avian or feline medicine.

-- The heaviest land mammal and the second tallest animal is the African elephant, with the tallest males measuring 12 feet tall. The elephant's height doesn't compete with the giraffe's, the tallest of which can be 19 feet tall. -- Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Becker Shannon

THE SCOOP

Pet problem? Get professional help, now

When you're dealing with a pet's behavior problem, quick-fix, halfhearted efforts are doomed from the start. What you need is dedication, patience and help from your veterinarian and a pet-behavior expert.

Why your veterinarian? Because the first rule of solving any behavioral problem is to make sure it's not a medical problem. Health issues that cause or contribute to behavior problems must first be accurately diagnosed and treated with the help of your veterinarian.

Once you know your pet is healthy, a trainer or behaviorist can help you work on resolving the problem.

Consulting an expert can save time, money and aggravation. Time, because someone with experience in animal behavior can quickly determine the root of the problem, without the emotional baggage that a pet owner may bring to the situation. Money, because a consultation or two is a great deal cheaper than replacing a chewed couch or blitzed landscaping. And aggravation? Anyone who has ever lived with a problem pet -- and that's most of us, at one time or another -- can understand how annoying it can be.

Behaviorist experts are not "trainers" in the sense of offering group obedience classes to sharpen a pet's manners. Instead, they work one-on-one with you to solve a specific behavior problem. Some are veterinarians, some have academic credentials in other fields, and still others have learned their expertise in "the school of hard knocks." Ask your veterinarian for a referral.

Above all, don't put off getting the help you need. The sooner you get help, the more likely it is that you'll be able to solve the problem. -- Gina Spadafori

BY THE NUMBERS

Experience matters

People who have dogs, cats and birds are making a lifestyle choice. For other pets, shorter periods of pet ownership are more common. The number of years as a pet owner, by species, according to the 2008 survey of the American Pet Products Association:

Cat: 19 years

Dog: 18 years

Bird: 12 years

Freshwater fish: 8 years

Saltwater fish: 5.2 years

Reptile: 2.8 years

Small animal: 1.8 years

PET Rx

Keep pets away from antifreeze

Pet lovers have two ways to protect their animal companions from lapping away at deadly antifreeze -- one relatively foolproof, the other not.

-- Not foolproof: Use a safer antifreeze made from a different formulation than the more popular variety, store chemicals properly, and wipe up spills promptly. While this should eliminate most of the risk for dogs, these strategies are not foolproof for free-roaming cats because you cannot control what your neighbors will do when it comes to using or storing deadly chemicals.

-- Foolproof: Keep cats inside. Free-roaming cats have relatively short life spans because the outside world is full of deadly hazards. To antifreeze, add cars, coyotes (even in cities!) and cat-hating neighbors to the list of things that can kill a free-roaming cat.

If you even suspect that your pet has gotten into some antifreeze, get him to the veterinary clinic immediately. There's no "wait and see" period with this stuff. -- 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.

Every year more of my yard gets turned over to sustainable projects, from my pet chickens and their fresh eggs to an ever-growing collection of raised beds and containers planted with the veggies I love -- and some flowers, too.

This year, I'm taking back a huge swath of lawn, fencing it off and having a contractor really go to town, doubling the size of my garden and putting in drip irrigation and mulched paths to save on weeding and water. The way I'm planning it, my yard will be beautiful and productive -- and I'm doing this while continuing to share my life with my dogs.

And you can, too. That's because dogs and lush gardens -- whether productive or decorative -- aren't mutually exclusive.

You can't just plant whatever you want where you want it and throw a bored, unsupervised dog into the mix. Instead, plan your yard to take your dog into account, and mind your dog's needs to get him to leave the plants alone. The basic guidelines:

-- Exercise your dog. A dog with too much energy isn't one you want to leave alone all day in a nice yard -- and yet that's exactly what many people do. If you don't take care of your dog's exercise requirements, he's going to take care of them on his own, by digging a hole to China or by removing the shrubs in your yard.

Dogs who don't get daily exercise are likely to expend that energy and cure boredom by doing things people don't like -- digging, chewing and barking. Dogs who are well-exercised are more likely to sleep while you are gone. When you leave, you should also offer your dog alternatives to choosing his own amusements: Provide him with chew toys. You can make them more appealing by praising him for using them and by stuffing hollow toys -- such as a Kong -- with something delicious, like peanut butter.

-- Work with your dog's habits. Observe how your dog uses your yard, and plan accordingly. For instance, many dogs consider it their duty to run the fence line, leaving a well-worn trail where many people hope to put flowers. Instead of fighting with your dog, go with his natural instincts. Place your beds and plantings away from the fence line, and let him do his guard-dog patrolling behind those plants.

-- Consider giving your dog a yard of his own. At my house, the dogs are never let out in the main yard without supervision -- and the veggie garden and chicken areas are fenced off -- but they come and go at will into a side yard that's just for them. A low fence covered with climbing roses hides from view both the dog yard and the chicken/veggie areas.

-- Redirect digging. Some breeds were developed to dig, and expecting them not to indulge in it is unfair. You can find most of these digging dogs in the terrier group -- the word terrier comes from terra, for "earth."

You can keep many dogs from digging if you keep them exercised, limit their access to dirt and make the digging experience unpleasant. Sometimes, putting the dog's own stools in the hole and covering them with dirt deters them. Many dogs won't dig if their own mess is under the surface.

Another option is giving your dog a dig zone. While hardly clean fun, it is good fun, especially for dogs who are happiest with their noses in the dirt and their paws flying.

-- Put special plants in safer places. Raised beds and hanging planters are the place to put your most precious plants. In borders, put the plants that can take being stepped on in front. What are some dog-friendly plants? Mint is a good one. This plant is nearly indestructible and greets each assault with a wave of cool mint smell. Some lilies are tough enough to be stomped or sat on, as well, and your gardening center may have suggestions for others that are dependable growers in your region.

Dogs don't know a wisteria from a weed, and they never will. That's why it's up to you not to leave them unattended around plants you want left alone. When you leave for work, limit your dog's space for his safety and to protect your plants. Most of a dog's time alone is spent sleeping anyway, so he doesn't need to have the entire run of the house and yard. Outings -- for jogging, walking, fetch or swimming -- should be done with your supervision.

If your dog is allowed in your yard under your supervision only, the chance of his digging or chewing is just about nil -- you can stop him before the damage is done. And you can enjoy your beautiful yard together.

I know at my home, we do.

Q&A

'Clicker' training works with the dog

Q: The last time we had a dog, we went to a class that required a choke chain. That sweet dog is long gone, and we're starting class with our 6-month-old Queensland heeler. But the local trainer says no choke chain. She teaches with a "clicker." Is that better? -- G.W., via e-mail

A: A clicker is a small plastic box that fits in the palm of your hand -- a child's toy that's also called a "cricket." To make the noise, you press down on the metal strip inside the housing and quickly release it -- click-click!

The clicker itself doesn't have any magic powers. What it provides is timing -- it allows a trainer working with a dog who understands the game to let the pet know that the behavior he's doing right now is the one that's being rewarded. And that means the behavior will be repeated. The clicking noise becomes a reward, because in the early stages of training the sound is linked to the delivery of something a dog wants, most usually a tiny treat.

Does this sound familiar? If it rings a bell, that's because the underlying principal of clicker training is scientific and is called "operant conditioning" (Pavlov's drooling dogs and all). But you can be excused if you don't want to know the ins and outs of the science and just want to cut to the chase.

After all, your pet just wants to get to the good part, too.

You start by teaching your pet that a click means a treat. Pick a time when your pet isn't sleeping (not just after a meal) and is a little hungry (a couple of hours before a meal). Choose a relatively small, quiet place you can work without too many distractions, and prepare a pouch or bowl of tiny, yummy treats (diced hot dogs are popular, as are pieces of cheese or even bits of kibble). For the next few minutes, click and treat. One click, one treat. Again, and again, and again. Eventually your pet will show you he understands that the sound means food. For example, he may look immediately to the source of the treats after hearing the click.

When that happens, you're on to the next stage. But wait until your next session, because clicker training works best with a couple of short sessions -- less than 10 minutes -- every day.

When you're all set up again, sit quietly with your clicker and treats -- and wait. Your dog should start volunteering behaviors, everything from sitting to pawing to wandering in a circle. When your pet chooses one you like, click, treat and wait again. Your dog will initially be confused but should eventually offer the behavior again. Be patient! When that moment comes, click, treat and wait again.

Say you clicked your dog a couple of times because he finally got bored and sat. Soon your dog will sit to test his theory that sitting means a click-treat. When that happens, click and "jackpot" him with a handful of treats. When the pattern is firmly established, you can then give it a name ("sit") and make the food reward more random to strengthen it (this is the principal that keeps you pulling the slot machine handle).

In future sessions you'll move on from the "sit" that your dog knows, waiting for more behaviors to click, treat and name, as you build your pet's repertoire of commands. More complicated behaviors are trained by "chaining" -- training in pieces and putting them together.

One more thing: Never punish your pet for not "getting it right." Clicker training is all about the payoff, and once you get it mastered, there's no end to the things you can teach your dog to do.

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

THE BUZZ

Med recall news slow to get out

-- The recall of two veterinary drugs made by Teva Animal Health Inc. has not been well-known among either veterinarians or pet owners. According to the Pet Connection's Christie Keith, writing for the SFGate.com Web site, the recalls involve two commonly used injectable veterinary drugs: butorphanol, a fast-acting opioid used to control pain from surgical procedures in dogs and cats, and the anesthetic agent ketamine. Because Teva manufactured these products for a variety of companies and it's not known if all the product has been identified and removed from veterinary practices, it's essential that pet lovers discuss these recalls with their veterinarians before scheduling a pet for any procedure requiring their use. The list of recalled products is on the FDA's Web site.

-- A study published in Current Biology recorded the sounds cats make when trying to get people to do their bidding. Cats use an urgent cry or meowing sound embedded within a purr when they want something, producing a sound humans find difficult to ignore. The combination is more subtle than meowing, which some owners may find annoying enough to put the cat out. Not all cats produce this type of "request purring," but it seems to be more prevalent in cats who have a bonded relationship with a single care-giver.

-- The average daily water intake for a dog is about 3 ounces for every 5 pounds of body weight, so a 25-pound dog would drink about a pint of water per day under average conditions. The amount goes up if the weather is hot, the dog is exercising or both. Depending on whether a pet eats canned or dry food, up to half of a pet's daily water consumption can come from food. Dogs drink a lot of water, not only because they need it for normal bodily functioning, but also to create moist nasal mucous to help them with their keen sense of smell. -- Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Becker Shannon

ABOUT PET CONNECTION

Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet-care experts headed by "Good Morning America" and "The Dr. Oz Show" 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 more. Contact Pet Connection in care of this newspaper by sending e-mail to petconnection@gmail.com or by visiting PetConnection.com.

PET Rx

Cancer in pets no longer a death sentence

The word "cancer" used to be pretty much synonymous with "euthanasia" in veterinary medicine.

That has changed a great deal in recent years. Today, there's a wide range of options, everything from hospice care aimed at pain-management to the most aggressive surgical, chemo and radiation therapies. The outcome? Cures for some pets, long-term remissions for others and, for the rest, a good quality of life for a little extra time.

The earlier cancer is diagnosed, the better. Know these signs, and have your pet checked out when you observe them:

-- asymmetrical swelling

-- lumps and bumps

-- a wound that doesn't heal

-- unexplained weight loss

-- lameness that can't be attributed to injury

-- an older pet who's not thriving

-- unexplained vomiting or diarrhea

Keeping pets at proper weight and limiting or avoiding a pet's exposure to such risks as secondhand smoke is also recommended. For more information, talk to your pet's veterinarian.

If you haven't ever dealt with cancer in a pet, consider yourself lucky. And then consider donating to research for pet health, such as through the Morris Animal Foundation (www.morrisanimalfoundation.org), Winn Feline (winnfelinehealth.org) or the AKC Canine Health Foundation (www.akcchf.org). A good online reference site is the Pet Cancer Center (petcancerfoundation.org). -- Dr. Marty Becker

BY THE NUMBERS

Keep pets safe from poisons

The ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center has listed the top 10 poisons pets get into, based on the number of cases the organization handled last year. APCC staff warn that many pet poisonings are preventable, so look through your home and put dangerous products safely out of reach. Visit www.aspca.org/apcc for listings of most hazardous items in each category.

1. Human medications

2. Insecticides

3. Common food items

4. Rodenticides

5. Pet medications

6. Plants

7. Household chemicals

8. Household cleaners

9. Metals

10. Fertilizer

PET TIP

Pet birds need perch variety

Chosen properly, a perch is an important tool for helping to keep a pet bird physically and emotionally sound.

When choosing perches, think variety and select an array of textures. Choices you'll find at the bird store or through catalog or online retailers include rope, natural wood and concrete, and each should find a place in your bird's home.

Some of the best perches around won't cost you anything more than the time it takes to trim them from your trees. Limbs from most fruit and nut trees make fine perches, as do those from ash, elm, dogwood and magnolia. Cut the branches to fit the cage, scrub with detergent, rinse well, and let them dry in the sun before putting them in the cage.

A final check is for insect pods -- just break them off and dispose of them in an outside trash can. -- Gina Spadafori

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.