When I look around the waiting room at one of the two Idaho veterinary hospitals where I practice, I too often see something that concerns me.

Where are the cats?

Cats have long been the most popular of pets. At the nation's veterinary hospitals, though, dogs take most of the appointment slots and get most of the wellness care. The biggest reason cats are shortchanged when it comes to their health is that people don't like catching them, putting them in carriers and dealing with the difficult behavior of fearful cats. So what can be done?

The lack of preventive care for cats means making these pets happier has become a high priority for many veterinarians. Veterinary behaviorists have been helping veterinarians design facilities and protocols to make cat visits less stressful for all, including dogs, pet owners and hospital staff. You'll see a lot of changes in the years to come, as veterinary clinics and hospitals begin to handle feline patients with greater knowledge of feline behavior.

The use of pheromones is one such change. When I'm practicing, I wear so much of the synthetic cat pheromone called Feliway (a version of feline facial pheromones, which relax cats) that it's more like aftershave to me.

As veterinarians work to make their practices fear-free and feline-friendly, there's a lot you can do to help your cat relax when it's time to see the doctor. The American Academy of Feline Practitioners offers new guidelines at CatVets.com. Here are the main points:

-- Get your cat used to being handled. Be patient and build up your cat's tolerance for handling. Make sessions short and reward your cat with treats or the kind of petting she enjoys, such as under the chin.

-- Choose a cat-friendly carrier. Find a carrier that opens from the front (BEGIN ITAL)and(END ITAL) top or that opens from the front and unclips easily to allow the entire top to come off so the cat can remain on her bedding in the bottom part.

-- Make your cat's carrier part of the furniture. If the only time your cat sees a carrier is when he's headed to the vet, he can't relax inside. Leave the carrier out and place soft bedding inside. If your cat likes treats, give them to him inside the carrier. Spray Feliway liberally in the carrier. It's "Kumbaya" in a can.

-- Locate your cat the day before a veterinary visit and don't let him outside to disappear. Let the vet's office know in advance that your cat is uncomfortable with veterinary visits so they can prepare.

-- If your cat has freaked out at the veterinary office before, ask your veterinarian for medication to calm your cat's anxiety. If your cat becomes car sick, discuss a medication for that as well.

-- Make sure the carrier is belted safely into your car to minimize movement, and put a towel over the carrier to block the view.

-- Try to remain calm and positive. Your anxiety will make your cat's worse.

If you have more than one cat, prevent post-visit aggression by leaving the cat who's been to the veterinarian in his carrier when you get home. Watch for problems. If all seems well, open the door to the carrier, but don't force your cat out and don't force the cats to interact. Let time -- and more Feliway -- ease the stress of reintroduction.

Q&A

Lab's worn-out tail

will soon wag again

Q: Our Labrador suddenly stopped being able to wag his tail after we spent a day on the lake. The problem is "dead tail," according to our veterinarian, who said it would heal on its own. But what caused it? Will it happen again? -- via email

A: Good news first: Your veterinarian's right in that the problem will resolve on its own in a couple of days. Because the condition can be painful, your veterinarian may prescribe a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication (NSAID) for a day or two to make your dog more comfortable in the meantime.

"Dead tail" (also called "cold tail" and "limber tail") is sort of a canine version of "weekend warrior syndrome," a muscle problem that happens when a body is pushed to peak performance without building up strength and stamina first. Typically, "dead tail" is seen in hunting dogs near the beginning of the season after a long day's work. Swimming in cold water under such circumstances also seems to be a trigger.

What causes "dead tail" is muscle exhaustion. The muscles of the tail are used for more than wagging. The tail is also used for balance and, in the water, for steering. "Dead tail" is a pretty accurate description: The tail just hangs down, and the dog can't even wag it.

Treatment is pain medication and rest. Prevention involves taking your dog on a series of shorter outings that demand peak performance before attempting a full day of hard work or play. Veterinarians also suggest stretch breaks for dogs confined for long periods during a day's outing (such as in a crate, waiting the turn to compete), and ending the good times before the dog is exhausted, especially when cold water swimming is involved. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Dog's leg action

on a hair trigger

-- Every healthy dog has a reflex reaction to any passing skin irritation, whether it's an insect crawling among his hairs or a fingernail giving a scratch. If nerve endings detect something that's annoying the skin, the dog's leg will automatically come up to scratch off the pest -- even if there's no pest there. The response is most pronounced if you scratch a dog on the rump near the base of the tail, along the upper part of the flanks or on the belly -- not coincidentally, places where fleas like to congregate. The "scratch reflex" is so predictable that veterinarians will use it to help with their neurological exam when spinal damage is suspected.

-- Want to avoid a tussle when it comes to trimming the claws on your cat? Don't trim them until you can massage your cat's paws gently during lap time. As you massage a paw with one hand, offer an irresistible treat in the other. Make the procedure as pleasant as possible -- for both of you. Trim only one nail each day and take off only the tip. 

-- Cats can get heartworm disease as well as dogs. If these microscopic larvae -- transmitted by mosquitoes -- settle in a cat's lungs, they can cause big health problems. Found in all 50 states, feline heartworm disease is incurable but 100 percent preventable with medications from your veterinarian. Think your indoor-only cat is safe? Think again! A North Carolina study reported that 28 percent of cats diagnosed with heartworm disease were indoor-only cats. -- 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 affiliated with Vetsteet.om and 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.

And Gina Spadafori

The best way to save your pet from an accidental poisoning is to know which items are poisonous and to keep those out of your pet's reach.

What do you need to know? We touched base with Dr. Steven Hansen of the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center to find out.

Some poisonings are a result of something an animal gets into, like a household product. But a surprising number of cases come from something intentionally given to an animal by an owner who's trying to help. The classic example of the latter is when an elderly cat is given an extra-strength acetaminophen for arthritis. The owner is trying to help, but unfortunately, even one capsule of this common human medicine can kill a cat.

Dogs can figure out their way into trouble that their owners never envisioned. This includes opening cabinets to get cleaning products and counter-surfing to reach food items and pill vials. You need to realize that pets are basically like toddlers who can open any child-proof container, and you should take similar precautions:

-- Keep products such as medications, harmful foods and cleaning products in a secure cabinet above countertop height.

-- Use a kitchen garbage can with a lid. 

-- Always read labels, especially on flea and tick products, and on lawn and garden products. Store out of reach in a high cupboard, not under the sink.

-- Be familiar with the plants in and around your home, and have only nontoxic plants. 

-- Never give any medication or supplement to your pet unless recommended or approved by your veterinarian.

Many toxic substances aren't well-known to dog owners. For example, don't let your dog have significant amounts of raisins or grapes, macadamia nuts, moldy cheese, chocolate, onions, garlic or anything made with xylitol, which is a deadly ingredient for pets. If xylitol is in something in your home, your dog needs to be protected from it.

Once the preventive measures are in place, you need to know the signs of poisoning. Many (but not all) substances first cause stomach upset, including vomiting and diarrhea. It's not fun, but vomit must be examined for evidence of chewed packaging, plants, food, pills or other important clues.

Many poisonings progress to weakness and depression or nervous stimulation, including tremors and seizures. Pets may stop eating and drinking, or may drink excessive amounts, which could suggest liver or kidney involvement. Rapid or slow breathing, with changes in tongue and gum color -- from pink to white, blue or brown -- is important.

If you suspect poisoning, stay calm. Panicking will not help your pet and may waste precious time. If your pet is not showing any serious signs of illness described above, contact your regular veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (888-426-4435) to determine if your pet needs to be seen, or if treatment needs to be given at home before you head to the veterinarian.

If your pet is having difficulty breathing, is having seizures, is bleeding or is unconscious, go to your regular veterinarian or an emergency clinic immediately. Take any evidence including chewed containers and labels and even vomit. This information is key to helping your veterinarian save your pet.

Be sure to always have the numbers of your pet's regular veterinarian, your local veterinary emergency clinic and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. It could save your pet's life.

Q&A

Do compact fluorescent bulbs

cause feather-picking?

Q: I read on the Internet that the compact fluorescent light bulbs they're pushing so hard are one of the reasons for feather-picking in parrots. Can you comment? -- via email

A: I asked board-certified avian specialist Dr. Brian Speer (my "Birds for Dummies" co-author) for help with this one. He says bird owners can probably keep using these bulbs if they choose to.

"Although there is a different flicker frequency that birds see as compared to ourselves, there is no confirmed direct causation between feather-damaging behavior and fluorescent lighting," says Speer, who owns the Medical Center for Birds, a birds-only practice in the Northern California town of Oakley.

He doesn't rule out CFLs completely, however, at least as a contributory factor to the problem. Feather-picking is a complex behavior, he stresses.

"This type of light may function as a stressor, and it is possible that some stressors may trigger anxiety," says Speer. "Anxiety may be addressed by displacement behavioral activities, and of these, feather damage could be seen.

"But this is a bit of a simplistic 'cause and effect' assumption for a problem that more often than not is multifactorial in nature," he says.

Stopping feather-picking, in other words, will remain a difficult road for many bird owners, with a lot of strategies employed along the way to find the magic ingredients to the cure -- if it can be found at all.

Best bet for a fix to feather-picking? Work with an avian veterinarian to figure out the cause or causes, which can vary from bird to bird. -- Gina Spadafori

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

THE BUZZ

Touchy cats can be

trained to chill

-- Every cat lover has had the experience of a cat who, while being petted, bites or scratches "without warning." In fact, there is almost always some warning, but a key bit of body language was missed or ignored. You can tell when you're getting close to the line by watching your cat's tail. When a cat has had just about enough, his tail will start twitching.

With sensitive cats or cats you've just met, restrict your caresses to behind the ears, under the chin or at the base of the tail. You can reform hair-trigger cats by watching for the first sign of a tail twitch. When you get that first early warning sign, stop petting and allow him to calm down or to leave if he wants. Over time, you'll build up your cat's tolerance for petting.

-- Children run less risk of being sensitive to allergens if there is a dog in the house in the early years of their lives. Recent studies give weight to the theory that growing up with a pet trains the immune system to be less sensitive to potential triggers for allergies such as asthma, eczema and hay fever.

-- A "three dog night" was once described by comedian Johnny Carson as a "bad night for a tree." But the term originates with the Inuit tribes of Alaska, who measured nocturnal temperatures based on how many of their sled dogs they needed to serve as bed warmers. -- 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.

Hardly a day goes by when there isn't a news story about a dog attack somewhere. When school starts, children may become especially vulnerable, walking and biking through their neighborhoods to class. And that's why every fall I write about safety around dogs.

To be fair, dogs aren't the biggest risk that children face growing up. Organized sports, for example, are 10 times more likely to result in a child's trip to the emergency room than are dogs.

And although in most cases the dog involved in a serious attack is the family's own, it's also true that many neighborhoods are not safe for walking or biking because of a dog. These animals are accidents waiting to happen because their owners either don't know or don't care that their dogs are a public menace.

The experts say the signs of trouble are usually there long before a dog attacks. The dog is typically young, male and unneutered. He is usually unsocialized -- a backyard dog with little to no interaction with the family. He is often inadvertently trained to be vicious by being kept full-time on a chain or in a small kennel run.

Is there a dog like this in your neighborhood -- or in your own yard? If it's the latter, call your veterinarian and arrange for your pet to be neutered, and then ask for a referral to a behaviorist who can help you rehabilitate your pet. Don't put this off: Your dog is a danger, and your own family is at risk.

Of course, you can't control what other people do with their animals. That's why you have to make sure your children know how to behave around dogs to protect themselves. Here's what everyone should know, and what parents need to teach their children: 

-- Never approach a loose dog, even if he seems friendly. Dogs who are confined in yards, and especially those dogs on chains, should also be avoided. Many are very serious about protecting their turf. If the dog is with his owner, children should always ask permission before petting him and then begin by offering him the back of a hand for a sniff. Further, they should pat the dog on the neck or chest. The dog may interpret a pat on the head from above as a gesture of dominance. Teach your children to avoid fast or jerky movements around dogs, since these may trigger predatory behavior.

-- Be a tree when a threatening dog approaches, standing straight with feet together, fists under the neck and elbows into the chest. Teach your children to make no eye contact, since some dogs view eye contact as a challenge. Running is a normal response to danger, but it's the worst possible thing to do around a dog, because it triggers the animal's instinct to chase and bite. Many dogs will just sniff and leave. Teach your children to stay still until the animal walks away, and then back away slowly out of the area.

-- "Feed" the dog a jacket or backpack if attacked, or use a bike to block the dog. These strategies may keep an attacking dog's teeth from connecting with flesh.

-- Act like a log if knocked down: face down, legs together, curled into a ball with fists covering the back of the neck and forearms over the ears. This position protects vital areas and can keep an attack from turning fatal. Role-play these lessons with your child until they are ingrained. They may save your child's life.

Discuss safe behavior with your children and role-play how to approach dogs, when not to approach, and what to do if confronted or attacked.

You don't need to scare your children, but you do need to make sure they're ready, just in case. And going over the "what ifs" isn't a bad idea for you as well.

Q&A

Give a dog a toy that's safe to have

Q: Can you recommend a good, safe toy that our golden retriever could carry around with him? He will pick up anything. I thought if I could find something safe for him to carry around, it would save my glasses, remote controls and kitchen sponges from being taken and carried around proudly. -- via email

A: Retrievers were developed to carry items, and some of them take their jobs quite seriously. One of my retrievers, McKenzie, always greets me with a toy in her mouth -- and sometimes three or four, all at once. She's very proud of her natural abilities, and she makes me laugh, so I like her skills, too.

When you're dealing with behavior as natural as this, the best thing to do is go with the flow. First, the fun part: shop therapy. Get a couple of plush pet toys to start with -- some stores will even welcome your dog inside so he can choose his own. You can also save money by picking up used plush toys originally sold for children at tag sales or thrift stores. Just run them through the washer and dryer, and remove the eyes and other bits that can be chewed off and swallowed before adding to the toy mix.

Get a toy box for your growing collection -- I use a cheapie milk crate -- so the toys are always in reach. And let your dog know it's OK to take them out of there any time he pleases.

Practice retrieving games with your dog to interest him in his new toys, and encourage him to bring them to you by asking him to "go find" and then by leading him to the toy box. You can eventually make this game more challenging and fun by hiding the toys, or by asking for them by name, such as "football" or "rooster."

Teach him "leave it" to protect your things. With him sitting in front of you, hold a cookie in a closed fist and say "leave it." Keep your fist closed until he stops showing active interest and backs off. Then say "OK," open your fist, and let him have the treat. Your dog will soon learn that pawing, sniffing and whining will not get him a goodie, but leaving the treat alone when told to do so will eventually bring rewards.

Once he understands what's expected of him, tell him to "leave it" when you see him looking at your things and then ask him to get one of his toys instead. If you find him with something he shouldn't have, take it without comment and send him for his toy. If you're consistent, he'll make the connection soon enough and will start carrying around his toys instead of yours. -- Gina Spadafori

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

THE BUZZ

Cats are sprinters but not marathoners

-- The average domestic cat can run at a speed of around 30 mph. To put that in perspective, a thoroughbred racehorse can maintain a speed of 45 mph for more than a mile. Racing greyhounds can hit just under 42 mph for about a third of a mile. But it's a cat who takes the land-speed record: The cheetah can go 70 mph for a couple of hundred yards. Like the cheetah -- albeit not as fast -- domestic cats are built for quick bursts of speed. While you could never outrun a dog over distance, you could outrun a cat. They quickly overheat when running and have to stop after just 30 to 60 seconds to cool down.

-- The British government for many years kept cats "on the payroll" to help keep buildings free of rodents.

-- Dogs today are more likely to be given human names: Sam, Sadie, Molly, Max. But it wasn't always so. At least two names -- Rover and Fido -- were once so popular that they now serve as synonyms for the word "dog." These names were of the descriptive variety, revealing the traits a dog had -- or those his owners hoped he'd have. Rover is pretty obvious, a term from the days before leash laws became more common than now. But Fido? Its roots are Latin and suggest a dog of unflinching loyalty and courage (rather like the motto of the U.S. Marine Corps, Semper Fi, for "always faithful").-- 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.