YOUR VETERINARIAN NEEDS TO BE A PARTNER IN YOUR PET'S HEALTH

Time passes at such a crazy pace -- and if age creeps up swiftly on us humans, then it practically gallops where our pets are concerned.

Because pets age more quickly than people, they may get illnesses earlier than you'd think. Making sure your pet has regular checkups with the veterinarian is the best way to catch and treat developing health issues before they become serious problems.

I recommend twice-yearly wellness visits. Just as in human medicine, veterinary care has come a long way in its ability to detect health problems before they become symptomatic -- and to treat many of those problems simply and effectively.

The old adage about an ounce of prevention is just as true in your pet's life as it is in your own. Preventive, proactive veterinary care can add years to your pet's life.

For some pets, the veterinarian is just a vaguely familiar person who gives them treats and rudely palpates their privates once a year. For others, though, this is someone associated with all kinds of discomfort: strange and disturbing odors, barks and hisses of unfamiliar animals, and memories of pain from visits during an illness or following an accident. The veterinarian's office can be a scary place, indeed.

But it doesn't have to be that way, and it shouldn't be.

Making sure you and your pet have found the right veterinary practice can cut down on the stress and strain of visits. Having a practitioner -- and an actual veterinary practice, from front desk to veterinary technicians and more -- you can trust and count on when it comes to your pet's health care is essential to your pet having a life as long, healthy and happy as possible. Because without a well-run practice, an expert team and great veterinarians, neither you nor your pet will be likely to go as often as you need to, and that means less than optimal health for your pet.

What makes a great veterinarian? It starts with your level of confidence and trust and goes from there.

-- Does your dog's veterinarian put you at ease? Do you feel comfortable calling or coming in with any question or concern? Are you taken seriously when you bring your pet in for something non-specific, like overtiredness, a slight change in bathroom habits or becoming snippy with the kids?

-- Does the veterinarian acknowledge your role as "Dogtor Mom" or "Dogtor Dad"? A good practitioner respects the fact that you are her eyes and ears at home. You're the one who knows your pet's normal habits and attitudes, and you can be trusted to raise an alarm when something is outright wrong or your pet is just a little "off."

Do you like the way pets are treated at the practice? It's fair to expect to have confidence in everyone from the receptionist to the surgeon in your vet's practice. Ask for a tour of the entire clinic before becoming a client. Beyond reception areas and exam rooms are the areas where the nitty-gritty work of the office takes place, and most veterinarians will be happy to show you around. Employee- and pet-only rooms should reflect the same level of care, compassion and cleanliness as the ones out front. In fact, they must. I have a mantra that you should demand from your veterinarian: that she treat your pet exactly as if you were standing there looking over her shoulder.

When you find the veterinarian you can feel that way about, you have found the right one. Make that appointment for a wellness check and get your pet's health on track!

(Dr. Marty Becker is currently on a national tour for "Your Cat: The Owner's Manual," his newest book with fellow Pet Connection writer Gina Spadafori. "Your Dog: The Owner's Manual" is now available in paperback. For information on where to meet Dr. Becker, visit Vetstreet.com/dr-marty-becker.)

Q&A

Be ready to leave

a dog park quickly

Q: I disagree with your opinion on dog parks, and so does the dog-trainer whose class we took. She says she would never step foot in one. I know people who have had their pets attacked! Please spread the word. -- via Facebook

A: Dog parks tend to be only as good as the people using them, but I wouldn't put them all into the category of "never visit." As dog owners, we all need to look out for the safety of our own dogs as well as make sure our dogs are not causing problems for others using a dog park or run.

So how can you tell a "good" park from a "bad" one?

The best way to check out a dog park is to go during off-peak hours. You want to see clean grounds and clear rules for pickup and good behavior, a double-gated entry so dogs don't walk in on leash (a known fight trigger), and, in the best parks, a separate area for small dogs so they're not trampled or looked at as prey by large ones. People should be paying attention to keep their own dogs out of trouble, not answering their e-mail and checking their text messages.

And since a "good" park can change when a clueless person steps in with a dog who shouldn't be there, you need to be prepared to leave when you do not feel safe.

When they work, dog parks are great for getting pets the exercise they need. When they don't work, they put people and pets at risk of injuries, perhaps even deadly ones. So go forth and unleash, but do so with common sense and caution. -- Gina Spadafori

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

THE BUZZ

How many bones

for cat? Depends

-- No one really can say how many bones a cat has, and the Manx is one of the reasons why. 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. Any way you count it, the average cat has about 30 more bones than we do. But we have something cats don't: collarbones. Without a collarbone, though, a cat can fit its body through openings the size of its head. Assuming he isn't overweight, of course.

-- Fleas aren't just an annoying problem for your pet, they can also transmit disease to humans. When you protect your pet against fleas, ticks and other parasites, you are minimizing your risk from zoonotic disease. Talk to your veterinarian about what parasite control is most effective in your area.

-- Was your pet just skunked? Take 1 quart of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide, 1/4 cup of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of liquid soap, such as Ivory. Mix and immediately apply to the stinky pet. Then rinse thoroughly with tap water. For a big dog, such as a Labrador, you might double the recipe to improve coverage. Common sense dictates keeping the mix out of sensitive areas like the eyes and ears. Obviously, no one wants to take the time to run to the store when you have a stinky dog, so buy the ingredients now and keep them on hand. But remember -- don't mix them until immediately before application. And don't store the leftovers. -- 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.

NEED AN EXERCISE PARTNER? YOUR DOG WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN

Some dogs, like some people, are high maintenance -- they need lots and lots of attention. For many dogs, the attention they need comes in a category that most Americans say they don't have time for already -- exercise.

All dogs need exercise. Even little ones. Even old ones. Even ones who really don't seem to mind a sedentary lifestyle. They need exercise, just as you do, and for the same reasons. Exercise helps keep their hearts healthy, helps keep their joints strong, helps keep their weight down. (Did you know that veterinarians say the majority -- yes, more than half -- of all dogs they see are overweight or obese? The statistics are even worse for some breeds that just seem to be born to blimp -- Flabadors, er, I mean Labradors, beagles and pugs, to name just three.)

Exercise -- or lack of, more specifically -- is also one of the main reasons why dogs misbehave. They need to burn energy. If you don't find something for them to do, they'll find something to do on their own, and chances are you won't like their choices.

Now, while it's true you can get a doggie treadmill (some look like human treadmills; the ones for small dogs look more like hamster wheels), or get someone else to exercise your pet, the fact is that getting out with your dog is good for you both. That's not just me talking, by the way: Studies have shown that people who walk their dogs benefit from the activity as much as their dogs do. So much so that I wrote a book on the subject, "Fitness Unleashed! A Dog and Owner's Guide to Losing Weight and Gaining Health Together," with Dr. Robert Kushner, an internist and nutritionist who's an expert on human weight loss.

The least amount of time you can "get away with" is probably an hour a day, all total, for feeding, cleaning up after, and a little play and exercise. For larger dogs -- or high-energy small ones, such as most of the terriers -- there simply isn't a high end on the amount of time you can spend with them. They'll happily jump up and be ready to go every time you pick up the leash or the car keys. But really, dogs need about a half-hour a day of heart-thumping exercise.

There are always imaginative ways to get your dog exercised without you exhausting yourself, of course. Fetch is always great for this, and swimming is another energy burner, especially when combined with fetch. Toys that require dogs to work for small food rewards also count, and are really well-suited to those times when you simply can't keep your dog busy, such as when you're out earning the kibble.

If you're in a large metro area, you can likely hire dog walkers, hikers or runners, or send your dog to day care. There's nothing wrong with any of it, of course, except that you'll be missing out on a great time with your own dog.

Make time for your dog, and you'll both be healthier for the time you spend. It's worth it! Talk to your veterinarian before you get started, though, just to make sure everything's OK before you step out with your best friend.

(Dr. Marty Becker is currently on a national tour for "Your Cat: The Owner's Manual," his newest book with fellow Pet Connection writer Gina Spadafori. "Your Dog: The Owner's Manual" is now available in paperback. For information on where to meet Dr. Becker, visit Vetstreet.com/dr-marty-becker.)

Q&A

What to do and not do

about lawn spots

Q: Last summer, my lawn was covered in brown spots from my dog urinating on it. Are there supplements or a special diet I can give her so that doesn't happen? -- G.B., via Facebook

A: Because female dogs deposit a lot of urine in one concentrated spot compared to male dogs, who usually leave small amounts of urine in a number of locations, this tends to be more a problem with females than males.

Unfortunately, supplements or medications that change the pH of urine aren't going to help, because that's not what makes the grass brown. Urine has a lot of nitrogen in it. In small, dilute amounts, nitrogen is a fertilizer. When it's too concentrated, though, it will "burn" the grass. In fact, you might have noticed that around the edges of the brown spot, there is a ring of very green, lush grass. That's due to the more diluted urine at the edges of the spot where the dog urinated.

There are only two main solutions. The first is to dilute the urine so it isn't so concentrated, either in the bladder or on the lawn.

Some suggestions, such as giving the dog tomato juice, are thought to work by increasing the sodium in the diet, stimulating thirst, and thus diluting the urine right in the bladder. This isn't a good idea, as high-sodium diets can make some health problems worse, and probably won't create a sufficiently diluted urine to save your lawn either way.

A better method of diluting the urine is to pour a gallon or so of water directly on the spot where your dog urinates.

The second solution is to train your dog to urinate elsewhere. This requires taking her to a specified area of your property, waiting until she urinates there, and rewarding and praising her. Don't give her any opportunity to urinate anywhere else for a couple of weeks, and she should get the idea from then on. -- Gina Spadafori

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

THE BUZZ

Go a size bigger

for a bird's cage

-- Nothing is more important to your bird than the cage you buy and where you put it. You want your bird to be safe and feel secure in his cage. He should also feel included as part of the family, even when he's confined. A proper cage -- well-designed, large, and made of safe and sturdy materials -- and its proper placement can achieve all these goals.

A good rule of thumb on size is to choose the next cage larger from what the labeling says. Look for smooth welds and no paint chipping. Your bird will be working as best he can to destroy his cage, so you don't want him breaking off any toxic pieces. Although the kitchen may seem like an ideal place for your bird's cage, it's really not a good idea. The potential for your bird to breathe deadly fumes, such as those from overheated nonstick cookware, is too high in the kitchen. These products can kill your bird before you even realize there's a problem.

-- About 80 percent of all cat owners provide a litter box for their pets, and about three-quarters of those litter boxes are filled with clumping litter, which studies have shown is favored by cats. Although behavior experts say that providing more than one litter box is key to preventing inappropriate elimination, only one cat owner in five offers the family cat an extra potty spot, according to the American Pet Products Association.

-- 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.

KNOWING WHEN TO SAY GOODBYE TO A PET IS A DECISION MADE WITH LOVE

Never before have I been in a position to make end-of-life decisions for two pets at the same time. With a nearly 16-year-old Sheltie being treated for chronic kidney failure and a 7-year-old retriever in chemotherapy for a malignancy that turned up on her annual wellness check, you can well imagine that I spend a fair amount of time thinking that some hard decisions aren't that far away.

Both of my dogs are doing phenomenally well right now, and I am as comfortable as I can be with the decisions in our future. But I know that choosing to end a pet's life is the hardest decision we make when it comes to our pets, and Marty and I can tell you from decades of experience that it's a decision that never gets any easier.

Everyone makes the decision a little differently. Some pet lovers do not wait until their pet's discomfort becomes chronic, untreatable pain, and they choose euthanasia much sooner than others would. Some owners use an animal's appetite as the guide -- when an old or ill animal cannot be tempted into eating, they reason, he has lost most interest in life. And some owners wait until there's no doubt the time is at hand -- and later wonder if they delayed a bit too long.

There's no absolute rule, and every method for deciding is right for certain pets and certain owners at certain times. You do the best you can, and then you try to put the decision behind you and deal with the grief.

The incredible advances in veterinary medicine in the past couple of decades have made the decisions even more difficult for many people. Not too long ago, the best you could do for a seriously ill pet was to make her comfortable until that wasn't possible anymore. Nowadays, nearly every advantage of human medicine -- from chemotherapy to pacemakers to advanced pain relief -- is available to our pets.

But the addition of high-level care shouldn't change much when it comes to easing suffering: If you can have a realistic expectation that a course of treatment will improve your pet's life -- rather than simply prolong it -- then those options should be considered. But you must also ask yourself: "Am I doing right by my pet, or am I just holding on because I can't bear to say goodbye?"

If it's the latter, you know what decision you have to make.

Many people are surprised at the powerful emotions that erupt after a pet's death, and they can be embarrassed by their grief. Often, we don't realize we're grieving not only for the pet we loved, but also for the special time the animal represented and for the ties to other people in our lives. The death of a cat who was a gift as a kitten from a friend who has died, for example, may trigger bittersweet memories of another love lost.

Taking care of yourself is important when dealing with pet loss. Some people -- the "It's just a pet" crowd -- won't understand the loss and may shrug off grief over a pet's death as foolish. I find that the company of other animal lovers is very important. Seek them out to share your feelings, and don't be shy about getting professional help to get you through a difficult time.

Choosing to end a pet's suffering is a final act of love and nothing less. Knowing that your decisions are guided by that love is what helps us all through the sad and lonely time of losing a cherished animal companion. And in the end -- and I hope that end is a long time away yet -- it is love that will see me through, as well.

Q&A

Talk to your vet

about 'dog flu'

Q: I keep hearing about "dog flu." I get my flu shot every year. Should I get one for my dog, too? -- via email

A: Canine influenza virus, or H3N8, is one of many organisms that can make dogs cough. Most of these illnesses are no more dangerous than your getting a cold, but like a cold, they can turn into something more serious in a small number of cases, especially in the very young, very old or those with other health problems.

H3N8 was first discovered in racing greyhounds in 2004, but it's now been found all over the country, in pet dogs as well as those in kennels and shelters. It's a good idea to ask your veterinarian if she's seen cases of it in your area, and whether she thinks your dog needs to be vaccinated.

Be aware, however, that the vaccine might not protect your dog from getting sick with the disease, although it may make his symptoms less severe. Vaccinated dogs can still transmit the H3N8 to other dogs, too.

No matter what causes your dog's respiratory illness, and regardless of whether he's been vaccinated, always stay alert for signs that things are taking a turn for the worse. Symptoms of canine influenza and other forms of respiratory disease include nasal discharge and a cough that ranges from so mild you almost wonder if your dog is just clearing his throat all the way to a very deep, disturbing cough.

If your dog's fever goes over 104 degrees, he seems depressed, his nasal discharge is green, or he has trouble breathing, it's lights and sirens time: Head for the veterinary ER. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Most cat lovers

like them mixed

-- Less than 1 percent of the total feline population are pedigreed cats. The rest are usually cat-egorized by coat length in the United States, with veterinarians marking them in the records as domestic longhairs (DLH) or domestic shorthairs (DSH). Cats of no particular breed are sometimes also referred to as "alley cats" in the United States. In the United Kingdom, they're called "moggies."

-- Having a hard time finding a rental that will permit your pet? You're not alone. Apartments.com reports that 35 percent of renters with pets say it's very difficult to find an apartment that allows pets. Of renters who don't have pets but wish they did, 33 percent blame their lack of a pet on their building's no-animal policy.

-- Dogs can become afraid just as we do, but they express fear in different ways. A fearful dog may cower, hide, drool or tremble. Wide pupils are another sign of a dog in fear. The cause of such behavior may be genetic, it may be because of improper socialization as a puppy, or it may be in response to a frightening episode in an animal's life. Since fearful dogs are not happy and may in fact bite, it's important to get a referral to a veterinarian skilled in working with behavior problems. The combination of proper medication and behavior modification can make a scared dog's life a happy one. -- 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.