WHEN SNAKES BECOME ACTIVE, IT'S TIME TO PROTECT YOUR DOG

Spring hadn't even clocked in a full week before two dogs belonging to friends of mine were bitten by rattlesnakes. Both dogs survived and will recover fully, but the pain was significant -- and so was the cost of treatment.

Fortunately, most snakes aren't all that interested in biting; they prefer to hide or skedaddle when faced with a threat. If they can't escape, they'll bite. That's when dogs typically get bitten: They put their noses where they don't belong, and instead of letting a snake slither away, they bother the reptile until it strikes.

Dr. Tony Johnson, a veterinarian specializing in emergency and critical care, spent part of his career practicing in the dry, brushy foothills of Northern California -- prime rattlesnake country. In his experience, terriers tended to be bitten more often than other dogs.

"It's almost always dogs and it's almost always terriers," he said. "Cats tend to be more cautious than dogs, and a terrier is more likely to put his nose where it will get him into trouble than many other dogs. And they don't learn from the experience."

What can you do to protect your dog? Here are some tips:

-- Keep your dog on leash if at all possible. While that's not possible for working dogs such as search-and-rescue or hunting dogs, it's likely the safest strategy for all others.

-- Work with your dog to ensure he comes when called, so that if you hear or see a snake, you can get your dog away and allow the snake room and time to escape.

-- Stay on established trails instead of hiking through areas where snakes can hide.

-- Don't allow your dog to burrow or otherwise try to tangle with wildlife. If he's looking for trouble, he may find it.

-- Consider snake-proofing. Many hunters take their dogs through clinics where professional trainers expose the animals to caged snakes and use electronic shock to establish a negative association. The clinics are controversial, however, because of the use of pain in teaching dogs to fear the reptiles. Balancing risk vs. benefit is an owner's judgment call.

Signs of a bite include puncture wounds from the fangs of the snake, bruising, blood and a rapid swelling as well as severe pain. If you suspect your dog may have been bitten, end your outing and immediately get to a veterinarian -- and call ahead, if at all possible, so the veterinary team can prepare.

Your pet will need emergency veterinary care to address both the immediate dangers of swelling and pain as well as the longer-term challenges, such as dead tissue and infection. Most dogs survive a bite, especially with prompt veterinary care.

"There's nothing you can do in the field to help your dog," said Dr. Johnson, "certainly not cutting the wound or sucking the venom out. Just get to the vet."

It's worth asking your veterinarian about vaccines that protect dogs from the venom of some snakes. But really, if you're going to be hiking with your dog in areas that are perfect habitats for snakes, you'll need luck as well as precaution.

And, as always, know where to find a veterinarian when you have to, quickly.

Q&A

Bearded dragons tops

among reptilian pets

Q: Are bearded dragons good pets? -- via email

A: They're arguably the best pets among reptiles and amphibians, especially for beginners. Affectionately called "beardeds" by their fans, these lizards are not only tame around humans, but many also seem to enjoy the contact. Even better, they're relatively easy keepers, suitable for almost any pet lover or family situation.

The name comes from the display the pet puts on when trying to act tough. The puffed-beard display is only used 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 need human help to maintain their temperature in captivity, using heat lamps or warming pads. Beardeds do well with options, in tanks where some areas are cooler, some warmer, a range of 85 to 105 degrees by day, dipping down 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. All food given to a bearded should be shredded into easy-to-swallow, bite-size pieces.

Beardeds live to be about 10 years old and will mature at 18 to 24 inches in length, including the tail. -- Gina Spadafori

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

THE BUZZ

Knowing where to pet

can prevent a bite

-- Some cats don't like being petted, and may react with teeth and claws. To turn the situation around, work to eliminate the triggers for unwanted behavior while increasing your cat's tolerance levels for being petted. Some kinds of petting are easier for cats to tolerate than others. For a highly reactive cat, restrict your caresses to behind the ears, under the chin or the base of the tail. Always stop before tail twitching shows that your cat is overstimulated.

-- Buying in bulk can make pet-food budgets go further, a cost-cutting strategy already popular with many dog lovers. Nearly half of all dog owners buy kibble in either 20- to 40-pound bags or bags larger than 40 pounds, according to the American Pet Products Association.

-- Cat owners and even veterinarians often find it difficult to recognize when a cat is in pain. Cats are descended from small predators who instinctively know that if they show signs of illness, the hunter becomes the hunted. Subtle changes in a cat's interactions with the family may be a clue that pain is present. Be on the lookout for unexpected hiding, irritability, lack of appetite or just plain weird(er) behavior. While you should never give human pain meds (even the over-the-counter variety) to your cat -- they can be lethal -- your veterinarian can help you to ease your pet's pain with traditional and alternative medicine, as well as with strategies to help manage the cat's environment to ease the hurt. -- 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.

CHECK THE SHELTER FOR PERFECT PETS: TWO INDOOR RABBITS

When Easter draws near, you can be sure of an increase in sales of chocolate and rabbits. And while it won't hurt you much to buy chocolate on a whim, I'd rather you pass on buying a bunny on impulse.

But if you're ready for a surprisingly special pet, wait a few weeks, check the shelters and pick a pair. They do well in multiples -- after they're altered, of course -- and you'll find wonderful rabbits ready for re-homing in the weeks after Easter.

Never thought of a rabbit as an indoor pet for adults? You're missing out! Once liberated from the confinement of a backyard "hutch" and provided with a safe and secure indoor environment, bunnies really shine as pets. They're playful and adorably willful, trainable and even amenable to using a litter box.

Care is surprisingly easy, and very affordable. Here's how to keep your rabbit healthy:

-- Housing. Your rabbit will need a home base of a small pen or large cage with food, water and a litter box. Rabbits do well with a plain cat box filled with a shallow layer of recycled paper pellets, covered with a layer of fresh grass hay. You don't scoop a rabbit box -- you change it completely, every day. (The ingredients you toss are great for your compost pile.)

-- Nutrition. Fresh water needs to be available at all times. For food, skip the store-bought pellet route and feed your rabbit a variety of fresh leafy veggies and an unlimited supply of fresh grass hay. If you do go with pellets, your rabbit should still get as much fresh grass hay as he wants. Treat your rabbit, too: Bunnies love little bits of fruits, roots and leafy greens. (If you have storage space, hay is cheaper by the bale and lasts for many weeks in a cool, dry location.)

-- Health care. Check with your local rabbit rescue group for the names of veterinarians who are known to be good with rabbits. Get your rabbit spayed or neutered. In addition to keeping your rabbit from reproducing, you'll have a better pet. Unaltered rabbits can have behavior problems such as aggression and urine-spraying. Your rabbit will need a wellness check, just as a cat or dog would, and a good rabbit vet will help you catch little health problems before they become big ones.

-- Exercise and play. Make sure your rabbit is allowed time outside the cage or pen every day. If you can't manage letting your rabbit roam at will indoors, block off a single rabbit-proofed room. A secure, supervised area outside is fine as well, but don't leave your rabbit unattended. Rabbits can be scared literally to death by cats, dogs and even jays and crows. Because some rabbits can be chewers, you'll want to make sure that any rabbit-friendly area has electrical cords tucked away, and deny access to the legs of nice furniture and the corners of good carpets.

-- Rabbits love toys. Cat toys, dog toys, hard-plastic baby toys and even the cardboard tubes from inside toilet paper and paper towel rolls are fun for rabbits. Cardboard boxes stuffed with hay and treats are also fun for bunnies.

I had a trio of pet rabbits for a few years -- Turbo, Annie and Velocity. I still miss them, and will be looking to adopt a pair later this spring. I encourage you to join me, and make this spring a good one for former Easter bunnies.

Q&A

'Tough love' works

with finicky dogs

Q: My little dog is so finicky. Plain kibble just isn't good enough. I have to keep doctoring it up, adding leftovers, cheese and more. And then he gets bored with that, so I have to add something else. What's the solution? -- via email

A: Before you do anything, you have to be sure you're not dealing with an underlying health problem. Pets who are suffering from chronic disease or pain will often stop eating. Unless and until you get your pet to the veterinarian, you won't make any progress -- and your pet may well get worse.

It's also worth noting that if a dog who normally eats well won't eat what's in the dish, you need to trust his instincts. Feed something else, even if it's cottage cheese and rice for the night, and call the company (contact information is on the label). You may be offering a food that has been or should be recalled.

But if both your dog and the food check out as fine, you need to teach your dog to eat what's offered. Provide a quiet place to eat with no distractions, and no competition from other pets. A small room with a baby gate across it is fine, or use a pet crate if your dog is comfortable inside one. Put the food down and leave your dog alone for 20 to 30 minutes. Then pick up the food, eaten or not, say nothing and give your pet no food until the next scheduled feeding. Repeat at every meal: a quiet space, a set time for eating and remove the remainder.

Don't worry if he misses a meal, or even a day or two worth of meals. He won't starve. Above all: Do not, do not, do not give treats between meals, nor add those "goodies" to the meals after she turns up her nose. Do make sure fresh water is always available, though. I doubt it will take more than a couple of days for your dog to learn to eat promptly the food that's set down in front of him.

Note: Don't ever try this on a finicky cat. Cutting off a cat's food supply abruptly can trigger a potentially fatal liver disease. If your cat's not eating, don't wait: See your veterinarian. -- Gina Spadafori

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

THE BUZZ

A dog's mouth isn't

truly all that clean

-- The idea that a dog's saliva has healing powers dates all the way back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, whose physicians believed it to be an antidote for poisoning. Modern medicine doesn't look kindly on such theories, especially when the things a dog eats and licks get taken into account. So if you have a wound, try some antiseptic spray and a Band-Aid instead.

Why do dogs seem so interested in sniffing or licking wounds? One reason is that the serum that leaks from an open sore is sweet.

-- Tired of cats on the counter? Keep kitties from going airborne by covering the off-limits areas with double-sided tape, aluminum foil or upside-down carpet runners. Cats don't like it when their paws stick to something. They also dislike the sound and feel of aluminum foil, and find the knobs on the carpet runners uncomfortable.

You can also try cookie pans filled with water, or spraying bath towels with pet repellent and covering the affected areas. The advantage of these approaches is that they work whether you're around or not. Plus they set up the cat to choose to make the proper response -- staying off the counter -- on his own. You should also provide them with safe and approved places to climb, such as a sturdy cat tree. If a cat can't look down on us, he just can't be happy.

-- An ideal weight for most cats is 8 to 12 pounds. Even the larger breeds of cat rarely exceed 15 pounds, with the exception of a few relatively rare breeds. -- 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.