By Dr. Timothy McCarthy

The first spaying I ever watched was in a small rural practice in 1958 when I was 13 -- the same time I first became interested in veterinary medicine.

The surgery was performed using ether and catgut suture from a spool that had to be manually threaded onto a needle. There was no surgical cap, mask, gown or gloves, and only a postage stamp-sized surgical drape. There was no pain medication, and the ovaries were pulled up to the incision by tearing their attachment to the abdominal wall. This was the state of the art at that time.

Today, nearly all aspects of spaying have improved. We have better anesthetics that have minimal negative effects on the patient. We use individual sterile packages of suture with attached needles made using the same synthetic suture material used in human surgery, which causes minimal tissue reaction and is completely removed by the body with time.

We also use caps, masks, gloves and gowns, and use drapes of adequate size to prevent any contamination of the surgical field. We no longer need to pour antibacterial agents into the surgery site. Aggressive pain management with drug combinations is used before surgery to block pain before it starts, and the medications are continued during the post-operative period.

However, we are still using the same barbaric blind tissue-tearing technique to rip the attachment of the ovaries away from the abdominal wall. This technique does work -- because we've been spaying dogs and cats this way for more than 50 years. But now there is a better way: laparoscopic spaying. It changes our technique from tearing tissue blindly to cutting tissue where we can see what we are doing, and it is the final step toward achieving modernization of this surgery.

To perform a laparoscopic ovariectomy, we first place a small endoscopic telescope into the abdomen, and the abdominal wall is lifted away from the internal organs by filling the abdomen with carbon dioxide gas so that we have a space to work. Specially designed surgical instruments are placed into the gas-filled abdomen. The first ovary is found and can be seen clearly on a video screen with magnification, which the surgeon uses for the duration of the procedure. The ovary is lifted gently away from the other organs, and its attachments to the abdominal wall are cut with a device that electronically seals the blood vessels. The freed ovary is removed from the abdominal cavity through one of the small incisions made for the telescope or the instruments. The procedure is repeated for the other ovary.

When the surgery is completed, no foreign suture material is left in the abdomen because we have electronically sealed the blood vessels, and we have only two small incisions in the abdominal wall.

The equipment and instruments needed to perform laparoscopic spaying are expensive, but they cost no more than many other advanced medical devices commonly seen in small-animal practices (such as ultrasound, digital X-ray systems and lasers) and are far less expensive than others (CT and MRI). Additional training is needed, but this surgery is easier to learn and perform, with fewer problems and complications than many other new surgical techniques that are being incorporated into small-animal medicine. This technique is well within a skill level attainable by most general practitioners.

The bottom line for pet owners: Animals spayed with laparoscopy recover faster and have less pain than those operated on using the traditional technique. It's time for a change!

Dr. Timothy C. McCarthy is a board-certified surgeon in the Portland, Ore., area who has pioneered the application of many minimally invasive diagnostic and therapeutic techniques that are now becoming the standard of care.

Q&A

Follow vet advice

on cancer diet

Q: My dog has been diagnosed with cancer, and I heard there is a special diet that can help. What is it and where can I buy it? -- via email

A: There's no doubt that the right diet can benefit dogs with cancer. Research on dogs with lymphoma has shown that in some cases, foods containing relatively low amounts of simple carbohydrates, moderate amounts of good-quality proteins, soluble and insoluble fiber, and moderate amounts of fats helped to reduce or eliminate some of the weight loss and muscle atrophy that occurs in dogs with cancer. The diet appears to help improve quality and length of life for some dogs with that type of cancer.

What we don't know is whether that type of diet can help with other types of cancer and whether it is effective only at specific stages of the disease. An oncologist or veterinary nutritionist may take into account factors such as where the cancer occurs or the dog's previous health history when making diet recommendations for a dog with cancer. For instance, if the cancer is targeting a specific organ, such as the kidneys, a diet designed for dogs with kidney disease may be the best choice. A dog who has a history of pancreatitis may not do well with a diet that is low in carbohydrates.

Certain supplements can also have positive or negative consequences in dogs with cancer, depending on the circumstances. Antioxidant vitamins such as E, C and beta-carotene are normally beneficial, but they shouldn't be given to dogs undergoing radiation therapy because they can interfere with the effectiveness of the treatment by preventing the radiation from killing the cancer cells.

What's most important for a dog with cancer is to continue to eat well, especially if he is undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatments. The ability to take in nutrients and maintain a healthy weight is a big part of a dog's ability to fight cancer effectively. You, your dog's oncologist and a veterinary nutritionist should work together to design the best diet and supplement plan for your dog. -- Kim Campbell Thornton

THE BUZZ

Fido and Fluffy:

OCD just like me

-- Our pets' compulsive behaviors may be windows into our own compulsive behaviors.

"Like people can have compulsive behaviors, such as famously washing their hands until their skin is raw, animals can have similar behaviors," veterinary behaviorist Dr. Nicholas Dodman, director of the Behavior Clinics at Tufts University's Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine in North Grafton, Mass., told the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants 2011 Conference in April.

"We're on our way to proving compulsive behaviors may be genetic," Dodman said. "If it's true in dogs, there's a good bet it's true in people."

Compulsive disorders in dogs are associated with what they were bred to do. Dogs bred to chase prey or herd are more likely to chase shadows or light. Research in Dobermans with flank sucking has shown a link between their behavior and a specific alteration on a chromosome for dogs with this disorder. Some cats, primarily Oriental breeds, such as Siamese, may compulsively suck on fabric, a behavior commonly called "wool-sucking."

-- Delta Airlines has joined American Airlines in banning snub-nosed dogs from flying on its airplanes following an increase in dog deaths on Delta flights. U.S. Department of Transportation data show that 122 dogs died on airlines from May 2005 to May 2010. Of those, 25 were English bulldogs and six were French bulldogs. Sixteen pets died on Delta Airlines in 2010, including six bulldogs. American Airlines banned snub-nosed dogs in November.

-- Toxoplasma gondii, a bacteria found in cat feces, is causing a deadly epidemic among California sea otters.

"Anything that harms sea otters will seriously harm the marine environment," said Mary Huebert, who studies tropical ecology at Humboldt State University in Northern California. "Sea otters eat sea urchins, and sea urchins eat kelp. Kelp is a big player in the marine ecosystem." The recommendation? Dispose of your kitty litter without flushing it.

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.

By Dr. Laurie Hess

It happens in malls across America every weekend. Somewhere between Build-a-Bear and the food court, an 8-year-old races up to the pet store window, presses his face against the glass, points to the large parrot perched inside and shouts, "Mommy, Daddy, can we get him, PLEASE?"

The parents see the colorful bird dancing on the other side of the glass and their child's longing expression, and all reason leaves them. Before they know it, they are swiping their credit card and trying to cram their SUV with a big metal cage, bags of food, and a large, feathered family member who is now squawking loudly in the back seat.

Parrots -- from parakeets to macaws -- can make wonderful companions, but many are purchased impulsively. Parrots are highly intelligent creatures that require a great deal of attention and care. They can thrive in the right homes, but they are often bought by people who have little knowledge of what they require. As a result, many birds end up being relinquished to shelters or re-homed. Or worse, they remain in homes where they are ignored, becoming unhappy and self-destructive.

Before you purchase a parrot, ask yourself four questions:

-- Do I live in a home conducive to owning a parrot?

This really means: Can you and your family tolerate noise? Parrots naturally chatter and squawk early in the morning and at dusk, around feeding time. Also, large birdcages take up a great deal of space. Small apartment dwellers or light sleepers might not be able to tolerate these restrictions. Additionally, little children and large birds often don't mix. Parrots are commonly scared by kids' quick movements and loud cries, so they may bite, chew their feathers or scream in reaction. If you have a baby or a toddler, you might pass on the parrot until the kids reach elementary school.

-- Do I have time to care for a parrot?

In the wild, parrots live in flocks of hundreds or thousands. They are social animals that need constant contact and interaction with their flockmates (in your home, this means you) to prosper. When they are ignored or left alone for long periods, they may scream and pick at their feathers or skin. Also, they need water and food (including fresh produce) twice a day, plus weekly cleaning and daily spot cleaning of their cages. This adds up to several hours a week in playtime, feeding and cleanup -- not something those of us who work long hours outside our homes can readily spare.

-- Do I have a lifestyle suited to owning a parrot? Parrots are homebodies and generally don't like change. When they are moved into new environments, they sometimes stop eating and can take days to adjust. Plus, we already noted how attached they become to their flockmates. As a result, they sometimes don't acclimate easily to unfamiliar surroundings, such as boarding kennels. If you travel a lot or if you're gone from morning until midnight, a fish or two might be better pets.

-- Do I have the finances to care for a parrot?

While many people will shell out hundreds of dollars to purchase a parrot, few consider what happens next. Parrots require fresh food daily, which will add to your grocery bill, and some will chew up expensive toys in under a minute. And what happens when your parrot becomes ill? Few people take their birds for regular veterinary checkups, and even fewer take out parrot pet insurance policies -- as many do for their pooches. So when the birds get sick, a person may be hit with an unexpected vet bill. If purchasing a parrot will max out your budget, you may want to wait and save up, so you can have funds available for medical care.

That all said, if you can answer these questions with an honest "yes," then a parrot can be an entertaining and loving lifelong companion.

Dr. Laurie Hess is a board-certified avian specialist who cares for birds and other exotic pets, such as rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs, smaller rodents and reptiles at the Veterinary Center for Birds & Exotics in Bedford Hills, N.Y. Dr. Hess previously served as head of the Avian & Exotic Pet Service at the renowned Animal Medical Center in New York City.

Q&A

Crusty ears on rabbit

may mean pesky mites

Q: My rabbit's ears are kind of scabby and crusty inside, with flakes that look kind of papery and gray, and he's really scratching at them a lot. Do rabbits get dandruff, or could he have an infection? -- via email

A: There's a good chance that your rabbit may have ear mites, also known as rabbit ear canker, especially if he is also tilting or shaking his head, and scratching hard at the ears all the time.

Ear mites are tiny parasites that think the inside of a rabbit's ears are as great a vacation spot as Miami Beach. They like the warmth, humidity and darkness of the ear canal, dig into the skin to feed, and then start reproducing. The next thing you know, your rabbit's ears are itching like crazy. He may scratch at them so much that the skin around the ears becomes red, raw or even bloody, and the inside of the ear flap becomes crusty and scaly.

It's important to treat rabbits with ear mites as soon as you realize there is a problem. If they go uncared for, the mites can cause secondary bacterial infections of the skin, invade the middle or inner ear with resulting neurological symptoms that affect balance or gait, or even spread over the bunny's entire body, resulting in severe itching everywhere, plus hair loss and skin sores.

To relieve your rabbit's itch, take him to the veterinarian for medication to kill the mites and prevent them from coming back. Ear mites don't affect people, but they are contagious between rabbits. They are spread by direct skin contact or contact with bedding or other objects belonging to a rabbit with mites. If one rabbit in your household is diagnosed with ear mites, any other pet bunnies also should be treated for them. Ear mites can survive for up to three weeks away from their cozy home on your rabbit, so thoroughly clean your rabbit's hutch, bedding and anything else he has been in contact with or he could become reinfested. -- Kim Campbell Thornton

THE BUZZ

Feeding pets puts

a bite on the earth

-- Paw prints on the kitchen floors and counters are bad enough, but do you know that our dogs and cats leave significant carbon paw prints on the Earth? According to sustainability researchers from Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand, more than two acres of agricultural land are required to provide the meat and grain necessary to sustain a medium-sized dog for its lifetime. Researchers estimate that 154,440 square miles of land are required to feed the cats in the world's top 10 feline-friendly nations. This is the equivalent of bulldozing the entire state of California to grow Meow Mix.

-- A study published in the February issue of the Veterinary Record found that many owners don't realize their horses are overweight. The study ranked horses' body scores from 1 to 5, with over 3 being overweight or obese. More than 20 percent of horse owners said their animals are overweight or obese, while the trained researchers classified 55 percent of the horses as overweight or obese. Additionally, 53 percent of owners ranked their horses at least one grade lower than the researchers did.

-- Using treadmill tests, researchers at the National Academy of Sciences found that the most dazzling and deadly frogs are more physically fit than their dull and drab non-toxic cousins, Science Daily reports. Unlike other poisonous animals, such as snakes, which make their own venom, poisonous frogs get their toxins from food. Non-toxic frogs generally are fairly stationary when waiting for insects to move along their path. However, poisonous frogs have to search out ants and mites, which are not found in large groups, but in small patches, which means the frogs have to travel long distances to find their food, which links their eating habits to their fitness prowess. -- Dr. Marty Becker, Mikkel Becker and Ed Murrieta

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.

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Remember when you got that bundle of puppy love? Remember when you took him to training class, to the beach, on that road trip? Remember when he spent a whole week just snuggling with you in bed when you had the flu and he brought all his toys to help you feel better?

If you've ever loved an old dog or have one who is approaching his golden years, you have lots of "remember whens." And you can have lots more with the help of "Good Old Dog: Expert Advice for Keeping Your Aging Dog Happy, Healthy and Comfortable " (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $26), a compendium of science, stories, myth-busting and more information than you might have known existed about the care and companionship of aging dogs. Compiled by veterinary experts at Tufts University's Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine and edited by Tufts veterinary behaviorist Dr. Nicholas Dodman, the comprehensive tome covers everything from behavioral changes to expect and recognizing signs of potential problems to making health care and end-of-life decisions.

How long can dogs live? A lot longer than you might think, Dodman says.

"Here at the veterinary school, we see about 8,000 old dogs per year out of our caseload of about 24,000. The oldest one we had on record was 21, but I know dogs can make it to 22 or 23."

With dogs living longer, pet owners are more likely to confront such canine health problems as arthritis, cancer, congestive heart failure, kidney disease and even a form of Alzheimer's disease. Dodman, whose contribution was a chapter on doggie dementia, says classic signs of the condition are disorientation, a reduction in social interaction, sleep disturbances and loss of house-training, identified by the acronym DISH. If your dog seems to get lost in the house or stare into space, no longer greets you when you come home from work, sleeps fitfully or becomes agitated during the night, or starts to have house-training accidents, chances are that senility is setting in. The good news is that medication, activity and diet can all help. That's true for almost every effect of aging.

Aging is not a disease, Dodman says -- there's even a chapter with that title -- and when it does cause problems, there is a lot that can be done to help pets. With regular veterinary examinations, careful observations and the advice in this book, we can help our dogs glide comfortably through their golden years.

Cat owners are equally fortunate in their choice of reading material. Cat expert Darlene Arden has written "The Complete Cat's Meow: Everything You Need to Know About Caring for Your Cat" (Howell Book House, $20). The clowder of cat-centric advice includes tips on raising kittens, training cats (yes, it can be done!), fixing behavior problems and helping shelter cats through clicker training. Along the way, she addresses nutrition and wellness, details exactly how to hold a cat, trim sharp claws and successfully administer medication, and debunks the myths that give cats a bad rap, from black cats crossing paths to cats sucking the breath from babies.

For instance, Arden begs to differ with the notion that cats are loners. Why else do cats choose to sit in our laps, sleep with us, walk across our keyboards and spread out across the newspaper we're reading?

"They're solitary hunters, but they're not solitary creatures," Arden says. "They're looking for attention."

Keeping cats intellectually and physically challenged is a big part of living happily with them, says Arden, who believes most cats spend the day doing the mental equivalent of twiddling their thumbs. They need playtime with their people -- "Even three five-minute play sessions a day is great" -- and interactive toys so they can play on their own when they want.

"You can have so much fun with a cat. I really hope everyone will look at them in a different light and will have more interaction with them."

Kim Campbell Thornton is an award-winning writer an a member of the PetConnection team.

Q&A

Keeping dogs safe

when on the road

Q: My dog loves to ride in the car with his head hanging out the open window, ears blowing in the breeze, but my neighbor keeps telling me it's not safe to let him do that. Why not, and what's the best way to protect him when he's riding in the car? -- via e-mail

A: There's no doubt dogs get a thrill out of sniffing the fantastic odors carried in the air and feeling the wind ruffle their fur.

Unfortunately for them, there's a lot that can go wrong when they are allowed to ride loose and stick their heads out the window. Dust and other debris can blow into their eyes and cause injury, and in the event of a collision, an unrestrained dog can be flung about in the car, endangering the driver, passengers and himself. He can hit the windshield with hundreds or even thousands of pounds of force or even be thrown out the window into traffic.

Instead of letting him ride loose, restrain him with a seat belt or car seat made for dogs, or confine him to a crate or soft carrier that can be secured with a seat belt through the handle on top or a loop located at the back of the carrier. A canine seat belt should consist of a one-piece harness with wide, padded straps that can be attached to your car's seat belt or some other sturdy anchor point. A car seat should attach to a passenger seat and come with a strap that hooks to your dog's harness (not his collar).

Whichever option you choose, your dog is safest in the middle of the back seat. An air bag punching out of the dashboard at 140 miles per hour is just as dangerous to a dog as it is to a small child.

What's the safest way to restrain your dog? A seat belt or car seat prevents him from flying through the air, but a crate may do a better job of protecting him from a flying object in a collision. Either way, he will be safer than if he's not restrained at all. -- Kim Campbell Thornton

THE BUZZ

Tailless cats count

for less in one way

-- No one can definitively say how many bones a cat has. A long-tailed Maine Coon cat will have more vertebrae than a Manx with no tail, or a Manx mix with just part of a tail. And a cat with extra toes -- they're called polydactyl -- will have extra bones as a result. The range is usually between 230 and 250, with the average cat counting about 244 bones, if cats could or cared to count. Anyway you count it, the average cat has about 30 more bones than we have. But we have something cats don't: collarbones. Not that a cat would consider that a disadvantage. Without a collarbone, a cat can fit his body through an opening the size of his head. Assuming he isn't overweight, of course.

-- While being fat isn't funny for a cat, crash diets can be deadly for obese felines. Rapid weight-loss can trigger a dangerous liver disease, hepatic lipidosis. Talk to your veterinarian about how to reduce your cat's weight safely.

-- In many parts of the country, fenced yards are uncommon, so some people keep their dogs on chains. Tethering a dog for a short while is fine, but it should never be a permanent way of confining a dog. Dogs who spend their lives on chains are more likely to become dangerous, biting anyone who comes onto their turf. That's because a dog who spends his life on a chain is isolated and frustrated, and he'll sometimes lash out to protect his pitiful bit of territory. Chaining can be dangerous for the dog, too: There are countless cases where a dog tried to jump a fence, didn't have enough chain to clear it and ended up hanging himself from his collar on the other side. If you don't have a fenced yard, walking your dog or buying a kennel run for him to hang out in when you can't be with him is better than chaining him outside.

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.