Dr. Brian L. Speer

The beak of a bird is a tool with many features. It's a weapon that can put a dent in any enemy or damage the relationship with a friend. It can be a delicate tool for feeding a newly hatched chick or for the precise adjustment of feathers while grooming. With their beaks, birds can pick a lock, crush a walnut or peel the skin off a grape.

Beak shapes and sizes vary widely, depending mostly on the kind of food a certain species eats. The short, straight bill of canaries and other finches is ideal for plucking out seeds, grubs and other edibles. Birds of the parrot family -- including budgies, cockatiels and the larger parrots such as macaws -- are known as "hookbills" because of the shape and function of their beaks.

At its most basic, the beaks on our pet parrots consist of two hard structures, the upper and lower mandibles, along with an amazingly agile and strong tongue.

The beaks of most parrots are remarkably well-designed for one of their most important tasks: cracking, crushing, prying or otherwise destroying the protective coatings around many of the foods they like to eat. Like everything else on a creature designed for flight, the beak is surprisingly lightweight considering its strength -- a hard shell of constantly growing material (similar to that found in antlers) placed over a hollow bony structure. (If a beak were made of solid bone, its weight would probably force a bird to spend his life on the ground, and on his nose.)

Lightweight it may be, but the hookbill's beak is also very strong. Although a person would need a hammer or nutcracker to get through hard shells to a nut's meat, a bird needs only his beak -- and perhaps a foot to hold the nut in place. A parrot will rotate the seed to find the seam with his tongue, apply pressure to crack it at this weak spot, and then rotate it again to slide the meat free -- all in a few seconds.

A parrot has such strength in his beak that owners are often surprised to see even the bars of a metal cage fall victim. Birds have been known to pick off the welds holding bars together -- and sometimes get lead or zinc poisoning as a result -- or even snap the bars themselves. That's why a cheap cage with shoddy construction will turn out to be no bargain when faced with the destructive abilities of a bird.

Contrary to advice that still can be found in books or on the Internet, beak trims should not be a part of routine health maintenance for birds. Although beaks constantly grow at a rate of 1 to 3 inches per year, depending on the species, the beak of a healthy bird will remain at a healthy length with normal chewing activities.

Overgrowth of the beak is frequently a sign of illness, such as liver disease or malnutrition. Any bird whose beak seems to be too long needs to see a veterinarian expert in avian medicine to determine the cause of the problem and to treat it accordingly.

Using those beaks often is essential to both the physical and emotional well-being of birds. Even finches and canaries will have better beak health if you provide cuttlebone or another hard material for them to work with their beaks while in their cages. As a caring bird-keeper, be sure you're doing more for your bird's beak than just admiring its amazing form and function. Provide your pet bird with lots of things to chew on -- an unending variety of toys and perches meant to be gleefully destroyed.

Dr. Brian L. Speer, a board-certified avian veterinarian, wrote "Birds for Dummies" with the PetConnection's Gina Spadafori.

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Q&A

Can a mix-breed's

size be predicted?

Q: We just got a great puppy from our local shelter. We love this dog, but we're really hoping he doesn't get too big. The shelter guessed he was a Chihuahua mixed with terrier, so I'm hoping that's true to keep the size small. Is there any way to know for sure? We're keeping him, regardless!

A: Guessing the adult size of a puppy of unknown origins is a tricky business, to say the least. Many experienced shelter workers and more than a few veterinarians are pretty good at it, but no guarantees exist.

As you've already guessed, if you have an idea of what breeds went into the mix, you can guess how large the pup will end up. The problem is, some of these youngsters are so truly mixed up that it's anyone's guess as to what went into the genetic blender. However, you'll be needing to take your new puppy to your veterinarian anyway. So while you're there, ask for the veterinarian's and staff's best guesses on what breeds are in your puppy's background. If you want to up the odds of knowing, ask while you're there for one of the new tests that sort out the DNA and come up with an answer on the breeds that went into your dog's mix. Though they don't always seem to work every time, the tests can provide some answers in many cases.

The other way to predict a puppy's adult size is to look at the paws, because big dogs start out with relatively big puppy paws.

Nothing is foolproof, though. In fact, a friend of mine -- who's a well-regarded expert on dogs -- once adopted a puppy from one of the nation's best-known shelters, where the staff sees enough puppies to be pretty educated about how they might turn out.

My friend and the shelter staff put their heads together and guessed the pup for a terrier mix, and figured an adult size of 30 to 40 pounds. That little puppy grew up to be a 90-pound tank of a dog. So much for expertise! -- Gina Spadafori

THE BUZZ

Panting the answer

when a dog's too hot

-- Compared to their owners, dogs have very few sweat glands. There are some in the paw pads, so dogs do sweat from their feet and from other relatively less furry regions of their bodies. But the primary way dogs cool off is by panting. Panting is very rapid, shallow breathing that enhances the evaporation of water from the tongue, mouth and upper respiratory tract. Evaporation dissipates heat as water vapor. Panting can reach frequencies of 300 to 400 breaths per minute (the normal canine breathing rate is 30 to 40 breaths per minute). Yet it requires surprisingly little effort. Because of the natural elasticity of the lungs and airways, panting does not expend much energy, nor does it create additional heat.

-- Pet care services in the U.S. will grow to a value of $34 billion in 2013. The pet care services market was $23 billion in 2008, with veterinary services making up three-quarters of that amount, according to a study by Packaged Facts. Market growth in the pet industry has been expanding in areas such as mobile grooming, waste removal, pet travel, pet-sitting and pet walking, and funerary/bereavement.

-- Viagra (Sildenafil) is used for more than for what it's most famous. In both humans and canines, the drug is prescribed for severe pulmonary hypertension -- high blood pressure in the lungs. The disease is physically debilitating, and many affected dogs are unable to walk across the room without collapsing. Once they receive the proper dose of Viagra, these dogs can take short, daily walks with their owners and return to a more normal quality of life. So if you overhear Viagra being dispensed at your veterinarian's, you'll know its more likely for a heart condition than for "performance." That's especially true, of course, in a neutered dog. And no, dogs aren't prescribed it for that "other" use. -- 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.

Dr. Marty Becker

Universal uClick

You know the usual warnings: "Don't give pets as gifts"; "The holidays are the worst time to get a new pet"; "Pets are for life, not just for Christmas"; "The only good pet to give as a gift is a stuffed animal."

Lately, though, I've found myself swimming against that tide -- a little. When it comes to giving pets as gifts, it's not always a good idea, but it's also not always a bad idea. If you add just one word to the word "gift," it pretty much fixes the problem. That word is "thoughtful." And getting a pet should always be done thoughtfully, whether the pet is a gift or not.

First and foremost, being thoughtful means never buying a puppy or kitten from a pet store or Internet site that ships with no questions asked. You don't want to support puppy mills, after all.

With that out of the way, what about the other common cautions? Sure, the holidays can be a busy time, with lots of activities, travel and guests. But parents often have time off from work during the holidays, and the children aren't in school. The greater flexibility of a holiday schedule can make both pets' and people's adjustments easier, not harder.

Then there's the idea that other gifts will be so much more exciting to children that they'll be distracted from a new pet. I'm a parent and a grandparent, and I'll tell you one thing about children: They're expert multitaskers. And they don't suddenly become less so on Jan. 2.

Puppies and kittens are just like little kids, and they get into things. But that's not true just at the holidays. If they aren't getting into your Christmas decorations, they'll be getting into your laundry basket. Part of acquiring a new pet is making sure that the environment is safe for him, and that the treasured family heirloom you inherited from your great-grandmother is locked away until the new furry family member learns the ropes. And that principle applies year-round, not just between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.

If the family is prepared for the new addition, then all will be well. If not, it won't -- but that's true whether you get the pet for yourself or for your spouse. And if the parents have unrealistic expectations about how much of the pet's care will be handled by the kids, does that change if the pet isn't given as a gift? Of course not.

It can be hard to adopt a shelter pet, since many shelters have traditionally discouraged holiday-season adoptions. That's a trend that's changing, in part thanks to pet food maker Iams' noteworthy "Home for the Holidays" pet adoption campaign. Shelter pets would love nothing more than to move from the cage or run at the shelter to the couch at your home. Why make them wait?

So while springing an unwanted and unexpected pet on someone as a gift is always a bad idea, and buying from a pet store or click-and-ship puppy website is never a good idea, the careful and well-planned gift of an appropriate pet can be just what this veterinarian ordered for making your family happier and healthier, now and at any time of the year.

It's a great thing to have strong ideas about how pets should be cared for -- I know I do. But let's not let those ideas get so set in stone that we don't question and qualify them from time to time. The "Healing Power of Pets" is a prescription I'm comfortable giving 365 days a year, and what better gift could there be than the love and companionship of a pet?

If you're ready, don't wait until the New Year. Ready, set ... adopt!

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Q&A

Four-legged guests

add seasonal stress

Q: At Thanksgiving I found out that a client -- a newly divorced woman with no family locally -- had no plans, so I invited her over for dinner with our family. I was surprised (to say the least) when she showed up with her dog.

Everything worked out fine. The dog was sweet and well-behaved. But am I right in thinking it's strange not to mention you're bringing a dog? -- via e-mail

A: Bringing an uninvited guest to someone's home is never a good idea, whether that guest has two legs or four.

While you were blindsided -- and handled the situation with graciousness -- most people have at least a little warning when it comes to working out the issues of pets during the holidays. It's always a good idea to discuss arrangements in advance, and don't assume anything.

The ground rules: The person who has the ground sets the rules, and the decision to bend or break them is theirs alone to make. If you want to bring your pet to a family gathering but your son-in-law says absolutely not in his house, you have to respect that. Arrange to stay at a pet-friendly hotel or leave your pet behind, boarded or with a pet-sitter.

Likewise, the person who demands you remove a member of your family (the furry one) as a condition of his visit is barking up the wrong tree. My pets are part of my family, and you need to accept that before you cross the threshold into my home.

Once the boundaries are established, there may be some wiggle room on the details. Pets may be welcome if they'll stay in a crate when unattended, for example, or someone with mild pet allergies could be accommodated in a clean, pet-free room in a home with pets.

Communication is always key, and no surprises should always be the bottom line. -- Gina Spadafori

THE BUZZ

Slinky cats can get

through tiny holes

-- Cats are able to squeeze through spaces that seem narrower than they are because they don't have a rigid collarbone to block their way through nooks and crannies. Once they can get their head and shoulders through, their sleek bodies present no further obstacle. That's (BEGIN ITAL)if(END ITAL) those bodies are sleek, that is. The world is full of fat cats, after all, and for them fitting through tiny holes is not a given. For one thing, they may think they're capable of fitting even if their paunch says otherwise. That's because a cat's whiskers -- super-sensitive specialized hairs -- spread roughly as wide as a cat does. But they don't grow longer as a cat gets wider, which can lead some corpulent cats into sticky situations.

-- Tumors responsible for the deaths of endangered green sea turtles have been linked to sewage and farm runoff, according to National Geographic. Nitrogen in the runoff triggers massive algae blooms, which in turn awaken a deadly herpes virus in the turtles. The virus causes cauliflower-like tumors to grow on the turtles' eyes, mouth joints and internal organs. Some 90 percent of turtles found dead or dying are afflicted with the disease.

-- One in three dogs will develop cancer, reports the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, the ACVIM Foundation and the Chase Away K-9 Cancer campaign. The coalition urges cancer checks and specifically asks pet owners to take 10 minutes on the 14th of each month to check their pets for signs of cancer, including lumps, bumps and swellings. More information is at acvimfoundation.org.

-- Zoos are hotspots for the interspecies spread of infectious disease. A parasite has been identified in zoo animals and their keepers that, while not serious, confirms the possibilities of infection transmission between species. A study to be published in the journal Veterinary Parasitology found that 63 percent of zookeepers were infected by the parasite, which is likely transmitted during routine care for the animals, such as cleaning their enclosures. -- 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.

Dr. Marty Becker

Universal uClick

Less than one in five pet owners are successful in giving medications to their pets as directed by their veterinarians. It's difficult to give medication to an animal who absolutely doesn't want it, so a lot of prescriptions end up in the cupboard (or on the floor) rather than in the pet.

Are you in the majority when it comes to pill problems? If so, read on.

When you let your pet sense that you're reluctant to give medication, and then you reward her for resisting by letting her off the hook, you actually are teaching her that medication is bad, scary or otherwise unpleasant -- and that she can get away with refusing to take it. And that means your pet is progressively less likely to get the medication she needs to get or stay well.

You can turn things around by admitting that you need help. You may just need a lesson in pilling your pet, or you might need another plan entirely.

Many pet lovers are unaware that there are alternatives to bad-tasting pills. Your veterinarian may be about to provide you with medications that are in meat-flavored tablets that seem like a munchy, not a medication. Many parasite-control and pain medications, and even antibiotics, are available in these tasty formulations. Or you may not have to give medication at all, as in the case of Convenia -- an antibiotic given as an injection at the veterinarian's that lasts up to two weeks.

If you're being given a medication that's not offered in a chewable or injectable form, you may find that a compounding pharmacy can help. These pharmacies mix medications into savory liquids or pastes that pets will lap up eagerly, or into transdermal medications that can be applied inside the ear. With any of these alternatives, your veterinarian will be able to help, so ask!

But even plain old pill-popping can be made easier. Most pet owners are familiar with tricks such as hiding a pill in a bit of meat or peanut butter, which works for many pets, but not all. I like to recommend Greenies Pill Pockets, which make it easy to stuff the pill into a yummy treat, or pill guns that pop the medication safely past the teeth, over the tongue and straight into your pet's throat. Both may be available from your veterinarian, or can be purchased from pet-supply retailers.

When you're hiding the pill, try using three treats to fool your pet. (Think of the street game of three shells and one ball.) The first bit of cheese or treat has no medication and is called "the promise." The second contains the medication and is called "the dead." The last treat also contains nothing and is called "the chaser." Work quickly and stay enthusiastic, and your pet will be more likely to stay in the game until the medication is swallowed.

Whatever you do, don't give up. If your pet doesn't get medication as prescribed, you're wasting money and risking your pet's health. Your veterinarian wants your pet to get the medication as often and as long as it's been recommended. If you can't do that, ask for help -- there's plenty of it out there.

Q&A

Nail trimming

better at home

Q: Our veterinarian retired and sold his practice to two young women. They seem to be good veterinarians, and they do love animals. But one thing that surprised us: They don't want to cut our dog's nails. -- via e-mail

Our old vet used to do that on request. I've never liked trimming nails, and all dogs hate it, so it seems better for the vet to do it. Our new vet says it's better for us to do it. Why? -- via e-mail

A: Dog owners hate trimming their pets' nails. So they put it off. And then they botch it, which means the dog pitches a fit, there's blood everywhere and there is no way on God's green earth they are ever going to do that again.

So they figure their veterinarian will do it. Once a year.

Every veterinarian has seen dogs with nails so long the dog can barely walk, or with dewclaws -- the nails that are the equivalent of a thumb in dogs, but up their leg and not very useful -- so long that they loop around and dig into the flesh. Ouch!

But here's the problem with dumping the problem on your veterinarian: Your dog will hate your veterinarian for the pain she or her staff has had to dole out. Since your veterinarian will have to cut way back to make you happy, that means she'll have to make your dog hurt and bleed. This is not a good way to build a positive relationship, and it may make your dog so vet-phobic over time that he'll be horribly stressed out when he really needs help.

A better solution: Learn to do nails at home after seeing it done by your veterinarian, a tech or a groomer, and do them often. Your dog won't be hurt, and your veterinarian won't become his enemy.

One exception to this rule: If your pet is scheduled for a procedure that requires anesthesia, such as a dental visit, your veterinarian may be OK with "quicking" the nails while your pet's unconscious. Your pet's paws will still hurt, but he won't blame the veterinarian or the techs for it. And once the quick recedes, you can keep them short more easily. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Children must be

watched with dogs

-- Children under the age of 5 left unattended with a dog have the highest chance of being bit. A study conducted by the University of Colorado, Denver looked at data of 537 dog-bite cases from 2003 to 2008. Children under 5 accounted for 68 percent of dog-bite cases, and most of the bites were by a familiar dog. About half the bites came from the family dog, 15 percent were a neighbor's dog, 13 percent were a friend's dog and 10 percent were from a relative's dog. In about half the attacks, the child provoked the bite, either by petting or playing with the dog too forcefully, surprising the animal, or falling or stepping on it.

-- While dog parks seem like they've been around forever, the idea of setting aside a public space for off-leash recreation is actually only about a generation old. The first official dog park opened in 1979 in Berkeley, Calif. The idea was a popular one, with more than a thousand dog parks now in use across the United States.

-- Livability.com has come out with another of those lists ranking cities for their pet-related amenities. The website says Portland, Ore., is the best place to have a pet, taking into account dog-friendly parks and trails, active animal welfare groups, high-quality veterinary care and a large number of pet supply stores. After Portland, the top cities are: Colorado Springs, Colo.; Rocky Mount, N.C.; Boulder, Colo.; Santa Cruz, Calif.; Eugene, Ore.; Asheville, N.C.; Albuquerque, N.M.; Nashville, Tenn.; and Louisville, Ky.

-- The shortage of veterinarians practicing large-animal medicine promises only to get worse. A survey conducted by the American Veterinary Medical Association found that only 2 percent of graduating veterinary students in 2010 planned to enter practice with large, non-pet animals. -- 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.