The more you know about how the kidneys work, the better you'll be able to care for a pet with kidney disease.

The kidneys act like a water filtration system in reverse, trapping and recycling substances the body needs, such as proteins, and letting waste materials pass through. If any part of this complex filtration process breaks down, toxins in the bloodstream can rise to life-threatening levels.

Treatment -- often giving massive amounts of fluids -- is aimed at restoring the kidneys to normal function, so they can resume doing their job of filtration. If that's not possible, the toxins in the blood must be reduced to safe levels some other way. Dietary changes, drug therapy, agents that bind toxins and eliminate them, and even dialysis, can be used.

Chronic kidney failure is usually found in aging pets and can be detected with a simple blood test. Acute kidney failure is typically marked by vomiting, increased thirst, increased or lack of urination, lethargy, bad breath, diarrhea and lack of appetite. These symptoms signal a health crisis, with time being the difference between whether an animal lives or dies.

The critical issue of response is why veterinarians don't recommend that pet lovers wait a day or more after the onset of symptoms in the hope that a problem will go away on its own. When sick pets finally arrive at the veterinary hospital, 75 percent of kidney function can already be gone for good. Wait much longer, and the chances of survival are not good.

For younger dogs and cats, a kidney problem is more likely to be acute, the result of a poison, such a pet ingesting anti-freeze, lilies (typically cats) or grapes/raisins (typically dogs).

No matter what's the cause of sudden-onset kidney failure, the treatment needs to be swift. At the very least, the pet will need to be placed on intravenous fluids, and may need antibiotics as well as other medications to suppress vomiting and diarrhea. The treatment plan is designed to help flush the kidneys while supporting the rest of the body through the crisis.

If the intervention is successful, the animal will be left with enough kidney function to survive, though perhaps with chronic kidney issues that will need lifetime treatment.

Although the prognosis can be grim in many cases of sudden kidney failure, it's always worth trying to save a pet. With swift veterinary intervention and good follow-up care, many pets can live with their kidney disease for many happy years.

Q&A

Owners can care

for diabetic cat

Q: My 6-year-old cat has been diagnosed with diabetes. Can she get better on her own if I decide I don't want to do the shots? -- via e-mail

A: For the diabetic cat, the levels of sugar in the blood -- glucose -- cannot be normalized without treatment. Although a cat may be able to go a few days without treatment and not get into a crisis, treating the disease should be looked upon as part of the cat's daily routine. Treatment almost always requires some dietary changes. And whether a cat will require oral therapy or insulin injections will vary from case to case.

For the owner, there are two implications: financial commitment and personal commitment. Once a cat's diabetes is well-regulated, maintenance is not that expensive, with costs that may include a special diet, oral medication, insulin and syringes.

For many people, the personal commitment seems more difficult than the financial one, but that, too, is not insurmountable. You'll need to pay close attention to your veterinarian's instructions about medication, diet and home monitoring.

Consistency is the key to keeping a diabetic cat healthy. The more you keep the medication, diet and activity the same from one day to the next, the easier it will be to keep your cat's blood sugar regulated.

Insulin injections always worry people the most. But cats seem to be more comfortable getting shots than their owners are about giving them.

If the idea of giving your cat regular injections is upsetting, consider these points:

-- Insulin does not cause pain when it is injected.

-- The injections are made with very tiny needles that your cat hardly feels.

-- The injections are given just under the skin in areas in which it is almost impossible to cause damage to any vital organ.

Although diabetes is a diagnosis that may seem like a death sentence to many distraught people with newly diagnosed cats, it doesn't need to be that way. Work with your veterinarian and give your cat a chance. You may be surprised at how well things work out.

By the way, you can find a lot of information and support on the Feline Diabetes website (felinediabetes.com), which was started by a physician after her own cat was diagnosed with the disease. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Safe driving means

securing your pet

-- Crating or harnessing your pet in the car is an important safety measure for you, your dog and everyone else on the road. In a survey by AAA, nearly 60 percent of those polled admitted to having driven while distracted when their dog was in the car. Only 17 percent of respondents said they restrained their pet in a crate or with a seat-belt harness. An unrestrained 10-pound dog in a crash at 50 mph delivers 500 pounds of force on whatever the animal strikes; an 80-pound dog in a 30 mph crash delivers 2,400 pounds of force.

-- Water 4 Dogs, a hydrotherapy center for dogs in New York City (water4dogs.com), recently began treating its first cat, a 6-year-old Turkish Van whose left side was paralyzed after an accident in June. When veterinarians diagnosed a swelling in the cat's vertebrae, the animal overcame her initial fear of the water and is showing improvement after thrice-weekly sessions.

-- Poor circulation in horse barns may be causing respiratory problems for people who have or work with horses. A study conducted by Tufts University's Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine surveyed barn workers and a control group of non-barn workers and found that half of people working in barns complained of coughing and wheezing, compared to only 15 percent of the control group. Higher rates of self-reported respiratory ailments were also found for barn workers. Horses have been known to get respiratory illness from the excess dust found in barns, and it seems the effects of poor air circulation and dirt are reaching the humans as well. -- Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Becker

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 subject of pets on the bed always makes me laugh, thinking of an old relationship and the new bed that arrived after we'd already split.

The bed in question was the biggest bed I could find. When informed that it would take three months to be manufactured and delivered, I kiddingly asked the man in my life if he would be there when the bed arrived, even though I already had a feeling he wouldn't be.

"Oh sure," he said. "And if I'm not, you have plenty of pets to take up all that space. They'll love it."

Which, of course, is exactly what came to pass.

I'm not sure what that says about the relative constancy of romantic relationships and pets, but I have to give the man credit for being right. The animals did indeed love the big new bed -- and they still do, even if they have to share it.

Every now and then I hear from someone who wants me to write about how awful it is to have dogs or cats on the bed. I've had grandparents who want to convince their sons or daughters that a pet on the bed is unhealthy for children, and new sweethearts who disagree about where a pet should sleep.

"To have pets in the house is bad enough," wrote one frustrated woman, who clearly had much larger issues with her daughter than the younger woman's pets. "But to have them on the bed? That's dirty and disgusting!"

Such folks won't find much agreement from me. I like having pets on the bed. In the wintertime, my cats and dogs are like heating pads I don't have to plug in or recharge -- and they'll readjust automatically every time I move. This surely won't mollify anyone who believes pets are disgusting, but I've always kept things clean by putting a washable cover on top of the bedding to catch all the dirt and stray hair.

Still, there are good reasons to keep your pets off the bed, and maybe even out of the bedroom -- among them, behavioral problems and allergies.

For dogs who want to be bossy, allowing access to the bed isn't recommended, since it gives the animal the idea that he has status equal to -- or better than -- the human family members. For these dogs, sleeping elsewhere will likely be part of a retraining program to modify the animal's exalted opinion of his own value. (As with all such issues, please work with a veterinary behaviorist or trainer with experience in aggression to modify the dangerous behavior of such a pet.)

For people with allergies, turning the bedroom into a pet-free zone is common medical advice that ought to be followed. Maintaining a pet-free bedroom is part of an overall strategy to minimize the impact of pet dander. It will allow allergy sufferers to sleep without sneezing or wheezing, and awake rested without allergy symptoms or headaches. For these pet lovers, keeping pets out of the bedroom gives them enough "breathing room" to make it possible to keep both their pets and their overall good health.

And what about those couples who don't have pet-behavior problems or allergies, but still argue over letting their pets on the bed? That's the sort of thing you have to work out for yourself, since I have enough work giving pet advice without venturing into relationship counseling.

If you're lucky, though, you'll be able to find a bed big enough for everyone to be happy in.

Q&A

Poinsettias

are not poison

Q: Dr. Becker made a mistake recently on "Good Morning America." My veterinarian handed me a list of plants to watch out for when I got my puppy a few years ago and poinsettias were definitely on it. Please tell your readers before someone's pet is killed! -- via e-mail

A: There's no mistake. According to the Animal Poison Control Center (www.aspca.org/apcc), the poinsettia can cause little more than a bad tummy ache, even if ingested in fairly large amounts. That doesn't mean you should put poinsettia foliage into the food processor and then add it to your pet's dish, but it does mean that you can quit worrying that the plant your aunt gave you for the holidays is going to do in your dog. -- Dr. Marty Becker

Q: Our two-story house has a loft that overlooks the living room. The ledge for the loft opening is more than 20 feet off the ground. Our recently adopted 6-month-old kitten jumps on the ledge every time she's in the room. We are afraid she may attempt to jump off the ledge, or fall and injure herself. -- via e-mail

Do you think she would actually jump?

A: You're right to be concerned: Studies of cats falling from buildings (for example, off an apartment balcony) show that the animals are often injured more in falls from relatively low heights than from those a couple of floors higher, presumably because they haven't the time to rotate themselves into "landing position" to minimize potential injury. (The benefit of being higher only goes so far, since cats falling from more than a handful of stories up are usually seriously injured or killed.)

Kittens don't have the common sense that an older cat does, so I think it is entirely possible she might jump or be startled into falling. Try covering the ledge and, especially, the approach to it with something sticky, such as upside-down contact paper secured with double-sided tape. Cats loathe having their paws stick to anything, which is why sticky substances are great for discouraging furniture scratching as well.

I'm guessing your above-it-all kitten will decide that her perch isn't a place that's worth visiting if she has to step on sticky paper to get there. -- Gina Spadafori

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

THE BUZZ

A baby changes

the priorities

-- Having a baby affects the way a pet is treated, according to a survey of 600 pet-owning parents by researchers at Indiana University's South Bend Campus. The research found people were more likely to refer to a pet as a child before a baby joined the family; afterward, they were less likely to hold that view. However, the research also found older people reported that their relationships with their pets grew stronger once the children grew up and left home.

-- A little more than half of baby boomers say pet care is a basic need, according to a study by MainStay Investments. To put this in context, 43 percent feel the same way about a professional hair color and cut; 38 percent about dining out. Providing for the education of children and grandchildren came in at 42 percent.

-- Animal charities have been hit hard by the economic downturn, according a recent economic study by GuideStar USA. The organization collected 7,000 responses from IRS-recognized nonprofits, 5 percent of which were pet-related. The study found 40 percent of nonprofits reported a decrease in donations in the first five months of 2010 as compared to 2009. The demand for the help requested from the charities increased 63 percent in the same period. -- Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Becker

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.

As summer winds down, so does kitten season, but there are still lots of kittens looking for homes. People love kittens, and it's impossible not to: Their cuteness factor is off the charts.

But during "kitten season," it's harder for an adult cat to find a home. Competing with cute and fuzzy is tough even for the sweetest, prettiest and most well-mannered cats.

Being overlooked at the shelter is bad news for the cats, of course, but it's also unfortunate for many people who don't realize that an adult cat, in many cases, may be a better choice than a kitten. Sure, kittens are cute, but they also can be a bit of a trial as they grow up. They need extra time, extra training and extra tolerance for all those crazy things that kittens do.

An adult cat can slide quickly into your life. You know pretty well what you're getting with a grown cat -- activity level, sociability, health, etc. Given time in a loving environment, a grown cat forms just as tight a bond with his new people as any kitten can.

With an adult cat, knowing a little of the animal's background is important, especially if your family has other pets or children. (A cat who has never experienced them may have a more difficult time adjusting to a new family that includes either or both.) You can ask questions directly about the cat's background if you're adopting from the original owner. And most shelters or rescue groups also try to provide some basic background information, which they ask of the people giving up their pets.

What if the information isn't flattering to the cat? For example, what if he became available for adoption because of his failure to use a litter box? Give the cat the benefit of the doubt -- if you have the time and patience to work on solving the problem. And remember, too, that you don't know the contributing factors. Maybe the litter box was never cleaned or was left in a spot that was convenient for the owner but disconcerting for the cat.

If at all possible, take each adult cat you're considering away from the caging area of the adoption center. Sit down with the animal in your lap, alone in a quiet place, and try to get a feel for the cat as an individual. Shelters are stressful places, so the cat may need a few quiet minutes to collect herself. A calm, confident and outgoing cat will respond pretty readily to your attention, relaxing in your lap, pushing for strokes and purring.

No matter how promising the initial meeting, remember that cats don't react well to change, so be prepared to give your new pet time to adjust to new surroundings once you take her home. Experts advise starting out your cat in a small, enclosed area -- a spare bathroom or small bedroom equipped with food and water, litter box, toys and a scratching post. A few days of quiet seclusion with frequent visits from you will relax your new pet and re-establish good litter-box habits.

If you're considering bringing a pet into your life, why wait? This is the time of year when adult cats in shelters need to shine a little extra, and there are enough of them around to give you a great chance to bring home a pet you'll adore for years to come.

Q&A

String and things

dangerous for cats

Q: Something was wrong with our cat, but we couldn't figure out what. She wasn't herself -- she was listless and uninterested in eating. We took her to the vet. Long story short, she had swallowed a piece of ribbon, and it messed up her intestines. She had to have surgery, but she's fine now.

We had no idea this could happen. Would you tell others that cats who like to play with ribbon, yarn and string need to be watched carefully? -- via e-mail

A: What would you call a kitten with a ball of yarn? A perfect time to reach for your camera? How about an accident waiting to happen? For too many cats, it's an accident -- and maybe a surgery -- waiting to happen, as you've found out. And you're right that people just aren't aware of the danger.

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 her plaything. And that's where the fun stops, because any sort of yarn, ribbon, Christmas tinsel or string can cause havoc in your cat's intestines -- 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, and if you're opening or wrapping packages, clean up after you're done. Packing material such as foam peanuts can be a health hazard for your pet, too.

Chewing on electrical cords is more of a risk for inquisitive kittens, but protecting your grown-up cat against them wouldn't hurt either. Tuck all cords out of the way. And if you notice some that you can't hide that are attracting kitty teeth, coat them in something nasty, such as Bitter Apple (available at pet-supply stores), to convince your cat or kitten to chomp elsewhere.

Even if your pet's not really the playful type, she may find one kind of string irresistible: the juice-soaked strings from a roast or turkey. Dispose of these tempting dangers carefully, putting them in a container that your cat can't get into.

For the cat who loves to chase things, get a "cat fishing pole" and play with her. It's good bonding for you both, and good exercise for your cat. When you're done playing, though, put the toy where she can't get it. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Bulldogs face danger

in traveling by air

-- If you're considering checking your short-nosed dog into cargo for your next trip by air, you might want to reconsider. The nation's airlines report that in the last five years, 122 dogs died in cargo, and half of those deaths were dogs of breeds called "brachycephalic" by veterinarians and "pug-nosed" by the rest of us. Bulldogs were the short-nosed breed that died most often in transit, followed by pugs and French bulldogs. These breeds have been bred for the round heads and flat faces people find cute, but the shape of their skulls makes it harder to breathe and harder to keep cool, both of which can have serious implications when flying.

-- Yoga tunes may be just what your cat needs to relax, according to a study in Wales. The yearlong study focused on the reactions of cats exposed to meditation music vs. those who weren't. Cats who listened to the calming music had a lower respiration rate and relaxed much more quickly than those who didn't hear the music at all.

-- If you love to talk to your dog, you're not alone. About a fifth of pet-owning women tell their dogs their deepest secrets, according to an informal poll by a U.K. dog food company. Some pet owners -- 14 percent of women and 10 percent of men -- believe their pets can read their minds. Most owners surveyed describe their dog as a "trusted companion," and one-third believed their dogs to be their most most loyal companion. Not true of you? Maybe in the future: Half of all dog owners said their pet makes them feel more optimistic. -- Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Becker

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.