Pets don't try to hold it, move to a more discrete area or blame it on their human family. It's usually no secret when a pet passes gas and commits a four-pawed faux pas. They don't giggle with embarrassment or blush.

Intestinal gas is just a natural part of digestion, after all, however funny we humans may find it.

While dogs seem to be the main offenders, cats are also prone to flatulence, although they produce less gas, and their tendency to keep their distance makes their gassiness less noticeable. Plus, there's a big auditory and olfactory difference between a flatulent 10-pound feline and a gassy 120-pound Great Dane.

But if you are like most people, you'd like to find ways to wind down the passing of wind. Here are a few tips:

A wind walker: Exercise helps move everything along the digestive tract and out the back door. Just remember to stay upwind and pick up after your pet.

Watch what you feed: Consider a change of diet. While gas is a normal byproduct of digestion, if your pet is gassy as a blimp, his diet may need some adjustments. Talk to your veterinarian not only about your pet's regular meals, but also about any between-meal snacks he is enjoying, whether you're handing them out or he's finding them himself. For cats, especially, realize that while they may enjoy milk, many don't digest it well. To see if your cat is among these, stop the dairy for a bit and see if it helps.

Say "know" to supplements: Supplements are a mixed bag: Some may increase gas, while others may aid digestion. Again, your veterinarian can help you sort out the choices and their pros and cons. One supplement that may well help is the introduction of beneficial bacteria -- probiotics -- that help with digestion.

Fast eaters and short faces mean more gas: Not only do wolfers swallow air when they inhale their food, but they often overeat as well, backing up the digestive system. Pets with short noses -- pugs and bulldogs, for example -- are also not designed for an optimal intake situation. The result of swallowed air and excess fermentation is belches, flatulence or both. Several companies make bowls designed to slow down gulpers. You can also toss the bowl and feed from food puzzles -- toys that make a pet work to get food a little bit at a time.

Some veterinarians and grateful pet owners also swear by a product called CurTail. The same as Beano for people, this anti-gas product contains an enzyme that helps break down food, so that it can be digested more fully with more internal combustion and less, shall we say, external combustion.

While we sometimes laugh when the dog passes gas, some top veterinarians caution that sometimes peculiar, persistent smells are more than meets the nose. In fact, sometimes underlying medical problems can generate those nasty gasses that are more like tear gas than laughing gas.

That means that if the situation is beyond the occasional toot session, the odors are especially noxious -- yes, I realize it's relative -- and the strategies I've shared seem not to help at all, you need to get your pet in for a veterinary checkup. There may be something more serious going on.

In other words: If you really want to clear the air, see your veterinarian.

Q&A

Cat spraying is not

a litter-box problem

Q: Our cat has suddenly started spraying urine on the furniture. We've squirted him, spanked him and yelled at him, but it doesn't help. He's still using the litter box, just not all the time. My husband says if it doesn't stop, the cat goes out. Can you help?

A: The application of urine to mark territory is different from the release of urine to eliminate waste from the body. The strategies for addressing spraying are different from those that you use in getting a cat to use a litter box.

That said, the first step is exactly the same: Take your cat in to see his veterinarian to make sure there isn't a health issue triggering this change in behavior. Your veterinarian's office is the place to start with behavior problems of any kind, especially when they come on suddenly in previously well-mannered pets.

Although both male and female cats may spray, unneutered males are the biggest offenders. Neutering takes care of the problem in the majority of cases if done before sexual maturity is attained. While neutering isn't quite as effective on adult cats, it's worthwhile to alter older spraying cats.

For those cats who don't respond to neutering, environmental stresses -- such as a new person or pet in the house or a neighbor's cat in the yard -- may be triggering the spraying. Anti-anxiety medication may help (talk to your veterinarian), as can cleaning sprayed areas thoroughly and covering them with foil to discourage fresh marking. The pheromone-based aerosol products made by Feliway may also help calm your cat and reduce the urge to spray.

Don't punish your cat for spraying, even if you catch him in the act. Doing so makes him even more anxious and more likely to mark. Punishment is never a good strategy when trying to solve behavior problems in cats. -- 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 many best-selling pet-care books. Dr. Becker can also be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker.

THE BUZZ

Pet industry expands

as population grows

-- Looking for a new career? The demand for pet-related services continues to increase along with the number of pets and the need many people have for help with their care. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 20 percent increase in the number of animal trainers in the next decade, with nearly 60,000 working as trainers by 2018. The Bureau's observations match those of pet-industry experts who have long noted a steady increase in services such as canine day-care providers, dog exercisers and yard-cleanup companies.

-- Property owners in California will no longer be allowed to demand that dogs be debarked and cats be declawed as a condition for renting if a bill in the state legislature becomes law. The bill would also forbid landlords from giving preferential treatment to tenants with declawed or devocalized animals and from advertising in a way designed to discourage applicants whose animals have not been surgically altered in such a way.

-- As the pet health insurance industry continues to grow with more companies entering the market, the kinds of pets being insured is expanding as well. Veterinary Pet Insurance reports that more than 5,000 animals besides dogs and cats have been insured with the company. The number is still small -- VPI insures nearly half a million animals overall -- but continues to grow. The company reports issuing policies to 334 guinea pigs, 38 hedgehogs, seven ducks, 10 doves, 19 pot-bellied pigs, 18 sugar gliders, one goose, one hawk and one pigeon, 60 iguanas, four boa constrictors, 18 pythons and 1,437 rabbits. (Note: VPI is a sponsor of PetConnection.com.) -- Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Becker Shannon

Modern veterinary care is not inexpensive.

Every day we hear from readers who remember when "Good ol' Doc Jones" patched up their cats for next to nothing.

These days, readers complain, many veterinarians want to use available diagnostics to see what's really going on (and reduce risk during anesthesia), suggest newer procedures to fix things that were fatal not that long ago, and pretty much try to do the best job they can with all the advances of the last couple of decades.

Go figure.

Costs for everything have gone up, and "Good ol' Doc Jones" is paying more to keep the hospital doors open, even before you consider all the new options veterinarians can offer today. The good news: If you practice good preventive care with your cat -- which should, of course, include neutering -- you can really keep costs down.

Top strategy for doing so: Close the door on your cat's wandering.

A lot of cat lovers hate hearing this. They've always let their cats roam, and they're reluctant to change. A free-roaming cat seems easier to care for, especially if the outdoors serves as a litter box (a policy that's never fair to or popular with the neighbors).

But the things that can happen to a free-roaming cat can really cost you at the veterinarian's. Outdoor cats are at high risk for poisoning, infectious disease, accidents and attacks, all of which can mean misery for your pet and expensive veterinary costs for you. Tips on converting your cat to a happy indoor life can be found on The Ohio State University Veterinary Hospital's Indoor Cat Initiative's website (www.indoorcat.org).

Other strategies for preventive cat care:

-- No more yearly shots. The emphasis has shifted away from automatic annual combination boosters to tailoring the kind and frequency of vaccines to an individual cat. Some vaccines are now given at longer intervals -- every three years is common -- and some are not given at all to cats who are not at high risk for a particular disease.

Skipping annual shots isn't an excuse to skip regular "well-pet" exams, which are a cornerstone of a preventive-care program. You can discuss which vaccines are right for your cat during the visit.

-- Keep your cat lean. Too much food and not enough activity puts the pounds on a pet. Excess weight is attributed to any number of health issues in cats, especially arthritis and diabetes. Don't crash-diet your cat -- it can be deadly. Instead, talk to your veterinarian about a healthy diet that will trim down your cat before the pounds really add up. Add in activity with daily play sessions using a laser-pointer or cat-fishing pole, whatever gets your cat going.

-- Don't forget the teeth. It doesn't hurt to get into a regular routine of brushing or swiping your cat's teeth, and many cats can learn to enjoy or at least tolerate the practice. If their teeth are left alone, cats develop dental problems that can shorten their lives and lessen their quality of life.

-- Practice good grooming. Basic brushing, combing and flea control are a must for preventive care. Keeping your pet parasite-free will make living with your animal much more pleasant (after all, fleas bite people, too). Regular brushing can also help build the bond between you and your cat, and will allow you to notice skin problems and lumps and bumps early.

Five tips for nine lives, all of them guaranteed to save you money and spare your cat. You can't beat that!

Q&A

Why not consider

pair of adult cats?

Q: We are looking for two kittens to adopt. We are having trouble finding what we want. We don't want to pay breeder prices, and the shelter doesn't seem to have much selection. We are looking for two kittens from the same litter. Do you have any suggestions? -- A.N., via e-mail

A: Prime kitten season peaks in late summer, but depending on where you live, you'll start seeing kittens in shelters soon. By August, most shelters will be swimming in kittens, with seemingly endless choices when it comes to coat type and markings. There will be too many kittens, really, because each year many more kittens will be born than can possibly be adopted. (Which is one reason why the constant effort of humane and animal-rescue groups to spay and neuter pets is so important.)

You can wait for more selection, but I have a better idea: Adopt a pair of adult cats. If you don't mind cats who are not siblings, you could also adopt an adult cat now and a kitten or cat later.

The choice is yours, of course. But my advice is to seriously consider adopting a bonded pair of adult cats.

Since you want to end up with two siblings, adopting adult littermates who are already comfortable with each other seems to me to be the perfect solution. If you're really interested in adopting siblings, I have no doubt you can find that in a bonded pair of adult cats. Just check around with area shelters and rescue groups.

Once the kittens start arriving, the older cats have a hard time competing for attention. Why not give a couple of great cats a second chance? -- 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 many best-selling pet-care books. Dr. Becker can also be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker.

THE BUZZ

Imported puppies

present problem

-- Is the troubled business of high-volume dog breeding being outsourced? A report on dvm360.com points to an increase in puppies shipped into the United States as one sign that overseas puppy mills are a growing concern. California attorney John Hoffman told the veterinary website that more French Bulldogs are imported into the United States than are bred here because artificial insemination and delivery by caesarean can be done more cheaply without the assistance of licensed veterinarians. Health certificates must be signed by a veterinarian for puppies to be shipped, but activists say documents can be forged and puppies are being shipped too young to get them in front of potential buyers at their most appealing age. The increase may be in part a response to crackdowns on domestic substandard breeding operations. Officials in California have also noted an increase in puppies smuggled in illegally. In addition to cruelty concerns, officials worry about potential health problems for pets, people and livestock that such imports present.

-- A fund established in March by Betty White and the Morris Animal Foundation to help wildlife after disasters proved to be timely in the wake of the oil-rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico. The Betty White Wildlife Rapid Response Fund is intended to give wildlife researchers monetary aid to respond to unexpected events, such as natural disasters and emerging diseases, that result in the immediate need for animal health research. The Emmy-winning star and lifelong animal lover will match all donations up to $25,000. You can donate at Firstgiving.com/MAFrapidresponse.

-- A cat's heart normally beats between 140 and 220 times per minute, with a relaxed cat on the lower end of the scale. It's not unusual for a heartbeat to be high at the veterinarian's, since most cats don't like being away from home, and they certainly don't like being handled in such settings.-- Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Becker Shannon

Can cats and dogs get along? While cats and dogs scheming against each other is a comedic staple, millions of real-life cats and dogs live in harmony, and millions of people feel no family would be complete without at least one of each pet.

Getting a dog and cat to accept one another can be difficult, though, as anyone who's tried to introduce them knows. There are some basic steps to getting both pets to at least call an interspecies truce.

Under no circumstances should cat-dog introductions be handled by throwing the animals together and letting them work out things on their own. That method is far too stressful even in the best of circumstances. It's also important to keep in mind that introductions can be dangerous, usually for the cat. Some dogs see cats as prey, and even those dogs who are generally easygoing may react instinctively to a cat on the run, attacking the smaller animal.

Introductions must be supervised and handled with planning, care and patience.

If you have a cat and are planning to bring in a dog, try to find an animal who is known to be accepting of cats. Shelters, rescue groups or private parties looking to place puppies and dogs often know if an animal has successfully lived with a cat, or they will test to see how the pet behaves in the presence of one.

If you have a dog and are planning to bring in a cat, start working on your pet's obedience before you add the new animal. Your dog should be comfortable on a leash and be trained well enough to mind your requests for him to stay in either a "sit" or "down" position while on that leash.

For the cat's own comfort, he should be confined during the early stages of introduction to a small area (such as a second bathroom or guest bedroom) where he can feel safe while becoming acclimated to the sounds and smells of the dog. Be sure the room has everything he needs, and make sure he has frequent one-on-one visits with human family members.

After a couple of days with the cat sequestered, put the dog on leash and open the door to the cat's room. Allow the animals to see one another, and do not allow the dog to chase the cat, even in play. Use "sit-stay" or "down-stay" to keep the dog in place while the cat gets used to his calm presence. Don't force the cat to interact with the dog; if the cat wishes to view the dog from the darkest recesses underneath the bed, so be it. Reward the good behavior of both animals with treats and praise.

Keep the dog on leash for a couple of weeks in the cat's presence, and always make sure the cat has a way to escape from the dog, such as putting a baby gate across the door to the safe area. Build up the time the animals spend together, and continue to make the introductions rewarding with more treats and praise.

When the dog isn't interested in bothering the cat, and the cat feels secure enough to come out from under the bed, you can take off the leash and let them get on with their new lives together. How long it will take to get to this step will depend on the animals involved, and you must work at their pace.

It's not uncommon for dogs and cats to become friends and to enjoy each other's company. Take the time to manage your cat-dog introduction properly, and you could be setting up a friendship that will last for the rest of your pets' lives.

Q&A

Walking multiple dogs:

What's the safe limit?

Q: How many dogs are too many for one person to handle in public? I see people walking multiple dogs in my neighborhood, and they don't have good control over any of them. We also have people who turn multiple dogs loose in our off-leash dog park and then don't pay attention to what the dogs are doing. These dogs seem to me to be more likely to get into fights.

Can you suggest a sensible limit on dogs? I think if you have two hands, you should take two dogs, no more. What do you think?

A: How many dogs can be handled on-leash and how many turned loose together in an off-leash dog park are two different questions.

Let's take the on-leash one first. A person with good dog sense and well-mannered pets could handle several dogs on-leash at once, while someone who is outgunned by an ill-mannered animal is hard-pressed to control even one. When walking dogs on-leash, people need to be realistic about their strength and reflexes, their knowledge of canine body language and their dog's level of training. If someone's overmatched, he or she needs a trainer's help with leash manners and needs to walk no more than a single dog at once.

The off-leash dog park, however, is an entirely different matter. Owners with multiple dogs, no matter how well-mannered their pets are, simply cannot stay on top of what all their dogs are doing once the animals fan out. Everyone who takes a pet into an off-leash dog park needs to be responsible for the behavior of that animal, watching to be sure the dog is neither bully nor victim and that no one gets hurt. The dog park is not for catching up on one's reading or visiting with other people. It is for safely exercising and socializing a dog. One dog is hard enough to monitor properly; more than two would be nearly impossible.

Further, dogs who live together are more likely to gang up on those animals who aren't in their "pack." Dog packs have a different dynamic than individual dogs, and having a regular pack frequent the park could be a dangerous situation indeed.

To operate safely, dog parks need good basic rules, an active community to police through peer pressure and plenty of common sense. While all you can do with a person who's walking too many dogs on-leash is stay out of the way, you can work to put common-sense rules in place at the off-leash park not to limit the number of dogs, but rather to ban inattentive behavior on the part of the owners. If that fails, it may be necessary to set an arbitrary limit as to how many dogs a single person could have in an off-leash area at one time. -- Gina Spadafori

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

THE BUZZ

Dogs have a growl

for every occasion

-- Dog growls don't always mean the same thing. A study published in the journal "Animal Behavior" found that dogs use a distinctive growl in play that is shorter and higher-pitched than growls used in the context of guarding food, and that the food-guarding growl also sounds different than the sound used when threatened by a stranger.

-- Horses remain loyal to humans that they've had positive experiences with in the past and can remember people even after a long separation. A study in the journal "Animal Behavior" reports that horses have excellent memory not only for people, but also for complex problem-solving behaviors for 10 years and beyond.

-- Pet rodents are more intelligent than their wild relatives. A study published in "Frontiers in Zoology" reported on the tests of tame and wild guinea pigs in a water maze, finding that the domesticated guinea pigs outperformed the feral guinea pigs. The results were a surprise, since the wild animals were better swimmers and had bigger brains. The study suggests domestication may make species better problem-solvers as they adapt to the human environment.

-- The American Veterinary Medical Association estimates a population of more than 150 million cats and dogs in the United States. Most studies note that around eight out of 10 of these pets are altered.

-- Veterinarians report high degrees of job-related stress, according to dvm360.com. Contributing factors include dealing with difficult clients, long hours with little free time, and difficulty balancing their professional and personal lives. -- 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.

The Scoop

Taking Wing: Don't delay if a pet bird gets away

Because birds can fly and are often wary of strangers, an escaped bird can be very hard to get back. Prevention and persistence are key to keeping your bird safe.

Some tips:

-- Prepare for possible loss. Have your bird microchipped. Keep his wings clipped to prevent him from flying away, and make sure everyone in the family knows to keep doors and unscreened windows closed.

-- Don't waste time. The longer your bird is out, the smaller the chance of recovery. Immediately start searching nearby. If you have some game you play that would elicit a response from your bird, start playing it.

-- Lure your bird with favorite treats. Because birds are more likely to eat at dawn and dusk, even a bird who's not immediately interested in treats may come into a familiar cage set out at feeding time. Once he's eating, simply close the door.

-- Use the hose, cautiously. Because being sprayed from the hose is frightening and may injure the bird, don't go for this technique first. But it can be successful in keeping a bird from flying away and getting him down to where you can nab him. Once he's wet, wrap in a towel to prevent him from biting and carefully check for injuries.

-- Spread the news. Once your bird is out of sight, put up fliers around the area and at the local bird shop, pet-supply stores, veterinarians' offices (especially avian veterinarians) and pet shelters. Place both print and online classified ads, all offering a reward for his return.

-- Keep up the search. Many birds are found days, weeks and months after they're lost, but they're found by people who don't know anyone is looking for a lost pet. If you don't keep putting out the word, your bird may be lost for good, even if found. -- Gina Spadafori

PET Rx

As weather warms,

keep pets cool

Cats have enough sense to nap on warm afternoons, but dogs do not. If you let them, they'll go where you do, even if it's too hot. Dogs are not good at keeping themselves cool, and they rely on us to keep them out of trouble.

Limit exercise to the coolest part of the day, no matter how happy your dog is to participate when it's warm. Even in the coolest part of the day, watch for signs of trouble: Glassy eyes and frantic panting indicate a dog who needs help. Get to a veterinarian, immediately.

Remember that older, obese or short-nosed dogs are less heat-tolerant, and that all dogs need constant access to shade and an endless supply of cool, clean water. -- 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.