CATS ARE SHORT-CHANGED WHEN IT COMES TO ROUTINE 'HEALTH MAINTENANCE'

Veterinarians have long recognized something very sad about how cats are treated: Compared to dogs, cats aren't given much medical care at all.

And that's just not right.

We know more about the care and treatment of cats than ever, and as veterinarians, we want to share what we know and what we can do for the good of cats everywhere. That means preventive care before a cat gets sick -- proactive care and advice that keeps a cat healthy. And when cats do get sick, we veterinarians not only want to address little health problems before they become big health problems -- and sometimes become untreatable -- but we also want to help treat those problems in ways that are less painful to our patients.

The word is getting out, but too slowly for my taste. As great as you may be in your role of pet "parent" at home, there's no substitute for your cat's regular wellness checks with the vet.

When you consider these visits, think of your cat for a second as a trusty, well-loved car. You see that car every day -- and you know how it looks and how it sounds. But do you really understand what goes on under the hood? Your cat's veterinarian is responsible for checking your cat's internal systems and making sure he's "running right."

Long years studying every aspect of animal health and learning the ropes of feline medicine make your cat's veterinarian the pro at not only diagnosing health issues and troubles, but also at anticipating them. Veterinarians know what problems can be common at what ages.

For most young, healthy cats, an annual checkup after kittenhood should be enough. Your cat's veterinarian may order basic lab tests to provide baseline information on what's normal for your pet at the time your pet is spayed or neutered and then again in middle age for an early comparison.

At every visit, your cat should get a nose-to-toes examination and an objective assessment of his general health and body condition.

As your cat enters middle-age, your veterinarian may recommend bringing him twice a year for routine exams -- I certainly do. These semi-annual exams -- and the diagnosics that go with them -- can actually save you money and your pet pain, spotting problems early and slowing or even stopping some age-related issues for a good long while.

When you factor in any increased risk of health problems, frequent wellness checks become the No. 1 tool available to you for keeping your feline companion in good health and for saving you money in the long run.

To return to the car repair theme: You can pay me now or you can pay me later. Routine health maintenance always saves. Sadly, if you ignore preventive care for your cat the way so many people do, it's your cat who will have the most suffering when it comes to paying.

Special bonus video: Vetstreet dog-trainer Mikkel Becker shows how to greet your dog appropriately to eliminate behavior problems when you are in and out you home. (http://soc.li/qp8MlLB)

Q&A

Some cats may be

easier on allergies

Q: I recently heard that there are cat breeds that are OK for allergy sufferers. What are they? -- via email

A: No cat or breed of cat can ever be said to be "OK for allergy sufferers." While there are some individual cats (studies suggest lighter-colored females) and certain breeds (some Siberian and Rex cats) that mild to moderate allergy sufferers may be able to tolerate better, for those with severe allergies, the risk is probably not worth it.

Allergies to cats are so prevalent and so often severe that they've been suggested as one of the factors in the increased diagnoses of asthma, especially since more cats than ever before spend their lives inside. It's not cat fur that causes the problem -- which is why lightly furred or hairless cats aren't the "cure" -- but an ingredient in cat saliva that gets deposited on fur when the animal grooms, then spreads with flakes of skin and secretions commonly called "dander."

Some tips to help allergy sufferers:

-- Keep animals clean. A weekly water bath (no soap needed) for cats has been shown to reduce levels of dander and may make living with a cat workable. It's best if a non-allergic member of the family handles the pet-grooming chores.

-- Keep animals out of sleeping areas at all times. While it's hard to give up the hot-water-bottle pleasures of sleeping with a pet on the bed, your body needs a break from the stress of fighting off allergens.

-- Limit exposure to other allergens. Keeping all your allergies under control can help your body handle the exposure to a pet.

-- Most important, work with an allergist who's willing to work with you. The one whose advice starts and ends with "your cat needs a new home" probably isn't the one to choose.

A good specialist can put together a treatment plan that -- along with a commitment to environmental management -- may make living with a cat possible for all but the worst allergy sufferers. -- Gina Spadafori

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

THE BUZZ

Pet-supply trade show

a big draw in Florida

-- Global Pet Expo runs this week in Orlando, Fla., filling the massive convention center with nearly 900 exhibitors from all over the world, and featuring more than 2,400 booths with hundreds of thousands of products. The annual trade show packs all nearby hotels with buyers for large chains and small mom-and-pop pet stores, along with dozens of media representatives looking to see what will be the most talked-about merchandise for Americans' pampered pets.

-- Veterinarians see fat cats every day -- it's estimated that more than half of all pets are over their ideal weight -- but sometimes the news that a cat is fat comes as a surprise to the owner. When seen from above, a cat should have a waist -- an indentation between the ribs and hips, the shape of a modestly proportioned hourglass. A bulge between ribs and hips, however, is bad news on any cat -- the equivalent of a potbelly on a person. Cats at ideal weight have ribs that can be felt below a slight fat covering. A cat's abdomen should never hang down, making even male cats look pregnant.

-- The flea found on most dogs and cats is called the "cat flea" because the man who discovered it found it on a cat. It could just as easily have been found on a dog. There is a "dog flea," first described after removal from a dog, but the species is rare and has been found infrequently on dogs in North America over the past 20 years.

-- Mikkel Becker and Dr. Marty 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 Vetstreet.com 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.

If you want a friendly reptilian pet who's easy to care for, your choice is an easy one: You want a bearded dragon.

Beardeds are not only tame when handled, but many also seem to enjoy the contact. Even better, they're suitable for almost any pet lover or family situation -- and a great pet for a responsible child.

Bearded dragons enjoy exploring, whether crawling on their owners or around the house. They stick out their tongues to touch new surfaces to determine the temperature and makeup of the area -- a behavior that adds to their appeal.

Beardeds live to be about 10 years old and will mature at 18 to 24 inches in length, including the tail. Hatchling beardeds are only about 3 1/2 inches in length, and look more like a gecko than a giant lizard species. Common colorings of the bearded are yellow and tan, though they can be found in more vibrant yellow, orange and albino.

The bearded dragon name comes from the display the pet puts on when trying to act tough. The puffed-beard display is used only defensively to scare away potential threats. Along with puffing out, beardeds also flatten out their bellies to look wider, as well as leave their rather large mouths gaping open to intimidate the potential threat.

Beardeds are quite happy to live alone as in the wild, except when in search of mates. If you want more than one, however, there's no downside, since they seem to enjoy the companionship of another of their kind. Female beardeds can usually be housed with another female or male, but males should not be housed together, due to territorial aggression.

Beardeds need human help to maintain their temperature in captivity, using heat lamps or warming pads. They do well in tanks where some areas are cooler and some are warmer -- a range of 85 to 105 degrees by day, dipping into the 70s at night.

You'll also need special lighting, since these reptiles need UVB rays to properly absorb dietary calcium. A full-spectrum light should be provided 12 to 14 hours a day most of the year, and 10 to 12 hours in the winter.

Omnivores by nature, beardeds enjoy both plants and meat in their diet. Juveniles enjoy a carnivorous diet, while adults become primarily herbivores, enjoying a diet of dark, leafy vegetables and some fruit. All food given to the bearded should be shredded into easy-to-swallow, bite-size pieces. Insects should be given to adult beardeds two to three times per week (mainly crickets), but also mealworms, wax moth larvae and pinkie mice in limited amounts.

Beardeds hit sexual maturity between 1 and 2 years of age, when females will start laying eggs, regardless of whether they've been mated.

Veterinary care is minimal for pets who are being properly cared for. After purchase, your bearded should to be examined for health and parasites, with treatment for the latter if necessary. After that, annual examinations are recommended, to help your veterinarian understand what's "normal" for your pet, so treatment can be more targeted if there's a problem.

Q&A

Cat meet-and-greet

needs to be slow

Q: What's the best way to introduce a new cat to my current cat? -- via email

A: Having more than one cat is a popular option for many people, though not always for cats.

But living with more than one cat doesn't have to be contentious. The trick to domestic harmony for co-habiting felines is to introduce -- or reintroduce -- them slowly and carefully.

Since the worst territorial spats are between cats who aren't spayed or neutered, your chances for peaceful co-existence are many times greater if the cats are both altered before any introductions are planned.

Prepare a room for your new cat with food and water bowls, and a litter box and scratching post that needn't be shared. This room will be your new pet's home turf while the two cats get used to each other's presence.

Take your new cat to your veterinarian first, to be checked for parasites such as ear mites, and contagious diseases such as feline leukemia. When you're sure your new pet is healthy, the introductions can begin.

Bring the cat home in a carrier and set him in the room you've prepared. Let your resident cat discover the caged animal, and don't be discouraged by initial hisses. When the new cat is alone in the room, close the door and let him out of the carrier. If he doesn't want to leave the carrier at first, let him be. Just leave the carrier door open and the cat alone.

Maintain each cat separately for a week or so -- with lots of love and play for both -- and then on a day when you're around to observe, leave the door to the new cat's room open. Above all: Don't force them together. Territory negotiations between cats can be drawn-out and delicate, and you must let them work it out on their own, ignoring the hisses and glares. -- Gina Spadafori

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

THE BUZZ

Happier trips mean

cleaner car rides

-- Dogs get carsick for many reasons, including anxiety, full bellies and a lack of experience. But most puppies can outgrow car sickness if taken out regularly in the car. If you want your dog to enjoy car rides, then take him to dog parks and other fun destinations. Otherwise, if all trips seem to end at the veterinary hospital, he may never think car rides are fun. Talk to your veterinarian about medications (over-the-counter or prescription) that can help if your puppy doesn't outgrow carsickness. And make sure when your pet is on the road that he's safely secured in a crate or with a harness.

-- Would you rather work out or indulge in heavy petting? According to Prevention magazine, 67 percent of us say having a pet is better for long-term health than having a personal trainer. Probably more fun, too.

-- Every healthy dog has a reflex reaction to any passing skin irritation, whether it's an insect crawling between the 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. -- Mikkel Becker and Dr. Marty 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 Vetstreet.com 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.