HAVE A PLAN FOR YOUR PET JUST IN CASE SOMETHING HAPPENS TO YOU

It's a sad fact of modern life that when we think about disasters, our minds now add terrorist attacks and mass shootings to the natural calamities for which we've long been urged to keep our families prepared -- pets included, of course.

But the fact remains that we're far more likely to encounter a tragedy that won't make the news. Accidents, illness and even sudden death are regular visitors to our lives, and they commonly don't raise an eyebrow outside our immediate circle of friends and family. If something happens to you today, your pets need to be looked after, whether the situation will be temporary or, sadly, permanent.

Are you prepared?

The first step is to make sure someone (or better yet, a couple of people) know that you have pets, where they are and how to care for them. Trade information with other pet-keeping friends, family or neighbors, along with the keys to each other's homes.

I like to recommend making a folder with all your pet's information. Pictures and a physical description of your pet are a good place to start. Add to the file an overview of your pet's medical records, including proof of altering and dates of vaccinations. Instructions for any medications should include not only the dosage and where to find the bottle, but also whatever method you use to entice your pet to swallow the pill.

Don't forget a copy of your pet's license, as well as the name, address and phone number of the animal's veterinarian. Write down some information about the tricks and commands your pet knows, as well as any unique personality quirks, such as a favorite spot to be petted. Keeping all this information in an electronic file is also a good idea -- as long as there are directions on how to find it!

As part of your preparation, talk to your veterinarian about setting up plans for emergency care or boarding. If you're a long-term client who always pays bills promptly, you should have no problem getting your veterinarian to agree to run a tab or charge to your credit card if you cannot be reached immediately. I have an arrangement with my veterinarian that if anyone -- absolutely anyone -- comes in with one of my animals, the doctor will take the pet in and do what needs to be done. And he knows that either I or my heirs will settle the bill later. If you are able to make such arrangements, put those details in the folder, too, and include any information on pet health insurance policies, as well.

The final bit of information for the folder should concern arrangements for your pet if you never come home again. While no one likes to think about this possibility, you have a responsibility to your pets to provide for them after your death. You cannot leave money directly to an animal, but you can leave the animal and money to cover expenses to a trusted friend or relative. In some states, you can establish a trust in your pet's name. Talk to an attorney about what arrangement is best for you and your pets.

You should keep a copy of the file on hand in case you ever need to be evacuated with your pet. And be sure to trade copies with the person you'll be counting on to rescue your pet should you ever not be able to.

Once you have made all the arrangements, make up a card for your wallet. On it, you should note that you have pets, how many and what kind, and the names and numbers of the people whom you have designated to care for them should you suddenly become unable to do so.

A few years ago, I had major surgery, and although everything turned out well, I didn't take it for granted that I would survive, much less thrive. I put such a folder together for each of my pets, complete with arrangements for the worst-case scenario. I surprised myself in that I didn't find the exercise frightening or depressing. On the contrary, I found great peace in knowing that if something happened to me, my beloved pets would be taken care of.

Q&A

'Toweling' keeps parrots

from biting when handled

Q: My parrot has bitten me badly when I've tried to clip flight feathers or nails. How can I make this easier on us both? -- via e-mail

A: Make sure you're doing these procedures properly to minimize pain. Have an expert show you exactly where and how much to clip those flight feathers and nails, and learn what to do if things get bloody by accident. Ideally, that should be an avian veterinarian, a veterinary technician or someone on the staff of a reputable bird shop.

You'll also need a towel to restrain your bird, and ask for a demonstration of the art of "toweling." An old, clean hand towel is fine for small parrots such as cockatiels and budgies, while a larger bath towel is better for large parrots such as cockatoos and macaws.

My "Birds For Dummies" co-author, avian veterinarian Dr. Brian Speer, says that toweling shouldn't be frightening for the bird. He suggests that you hold the towel with the ends draped over each hand, make eye contact with your bird, and approach from the front. Show your bird the towel and then gently wrap it around the bird, usually from the front. When using a towel to restrain your bird, you do not need to keep direct hold of the head, but do expect a few new holes to be chewed in the towel while you're working with your bird.

Wrap the towel tightly enough to control your bird, but not so tightly as to restrict breathing. Pet birds breathe by moving their breastbones forward and back, like a bellows. You must leave the towel wrapped loosely enough for your bird to draw breath normally.

When your bird is gently wrapped up in the towel, you are in control and can take care of grooming or of investigating any injuries. Attitude is everything: Always handle your bird with respect, but also with gentle firmness.

Keep in mind, too, that the towel is not supposed to terrify your bird. It's a good idea to play "towel games" now and then, covering and uncovering your bird while providing praise and special seeds for treats. That way, your bird won't come to believe the appearance of the towel is always a sign of something uncomfortable and unpleasant to come. -- Gina Spadafori

Do you have a pet question? Send it to petconnection@gmail.com or visit Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker.

THE BUZZ

Obesity clinic opens

at Tufts vet school

-- Can fat camp be far behind? Veterinarian Dr. Deborah Linger, a certified veterinary nutritionist, has opens an obesity clinic at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. In yet another example of how trends in human medicine are mirrored in veterinary medicine, the program offers a medical-based regimen that includes counseling on nutrition and exercise, all aimed at helping pet owners trim down their animal companions. More than half of all pets are overweight or obese, and the problem is far from cosmetic -- excess weight triggers chronic disease, including diabetes, and makes problems such as arthritis worse.

-- Following the shocking deaths of lions, tigers, bears and other exotic animals last fall on an Ohio farm after their owner released them before committing suicide, the state has now put regulations in place in hopes of preventing similar tragedies. Ohio was once one of the easiest and least regulated places to keep exotic animals, but no more: The new law prohibits buying, selling, transferring and trading exotic animals. Those who already have them will be allowed to keep them, but they must obtain a license, insurance and have the pets microchipped, among other requirements.

-- The latest specialty in veterinary medicine is one that focuses specifically on animal welfare, reports DVM360.com. The American Veterinary Medical Association's recent recognition of the American College of Animal Welfare gives 23 veterinarians the right tobe certified as experts in the field. Others will be granted the status after meeting requirements set by the new group. The ACAW's mission is to advance animal welfare through education, certification and scientific investigation, and to ensure that the veterinary profession leads advances in animal welfare knowledge. The AVMA currently recognizes 22 other veterinary specialty organizations. -- Gina Spadafori

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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.

ROTATE A VARIETY OF TOYS FOR YOUR BIRD – AND BE PREPARED TO REPLACE THEM OFTEN

And Gina Spadafori

Parrots are incredibly intelligent, and for anyone who doubts this, we point to the late Alex, Dr. Irene Pepperberg's well-known African Grey, who showed by matching words to objects the parrots are anything but "bird brains."

And yet, we too often see these brilliant beings kept as little more than decorative objects, prized for their plumage and locked for nearly all their lives in cages that are too small, no matter how large. Is it any wonder so many pet birds die young, or rip out their own feathers in frustration?

Toys are essential to maintaining the physical and mental well-being of parrots large and small. Playthings help keep pet birds fit while fighting the boredom that can contribute to behavioral problems, such as feather-picking.

Although you can buy toys by major manufacturers from the big chain stores, it's also nice to choose from the variety of playthings lovingly made by a cottage industry of bird lovers and available from independent bird shops, through catalogs and on the Internet.

Some basic rules apply when shopping for toys, to ensure they are suitable and safe for your bird. Look for the following when choosing bird toys:

-- Materials: Toys are subject to your bird's healthy urge to destroy, which means safe components are a must. Wood, rawhide, plastic or stainless steel chain, rope, cloth and hard plastic are among the more popular materials that make up safe toys. Choose toys that break down into pieces that can't be swallowed. An exception: Toys made to hold food items, such as dried corncobs or fruit chunks. With these, eating is a large part of the fun.

-- Construction: Challenging toys, the best choice for busy birds, feature pieces combined in ways that make it hard for the birds to pull the whole product apart -- but not too hard. Indestructible toys are not appropriate for most birds, because the time and energy used to rip apart the gadget is part of the reason toys fill such a need. 

-- Size: Little toys for little birds, big toys for big birds. A big bird can catch and lose a toe in a toy made for a smaller bird, and small birds can get their heads trapped in toys made for their larger relatives.

Some birds are apprehensive of new toys. If yours is one of them, try to set the toy outside the cage (but within eye range) for a day or two, and then put it on the floor of the cage for another day or two. Once your bird starts to play with the toy, you can go ahead and attach it to the cage.

Don't overwhelm your pet with toys. Instead, keep two or three in the cage and rotate new ones in regularly. Shopping for bird toys can be fun, but the costs do add up, especially if you have one of those gleefully destructive parrots. With some creativity, you can make your money go further by complementing store-bought bird toys with alternatives.

The cardboard cores of toilet paper and paper towel rolls are perfect for shredding, especially for smaller birds. Other cheapies include ballpoint pens with the ink tube removed, pingpong balls, old plastic measuring cups and spoons, and plastic bottle tops. Toothbrushes are another bargain toy, sturdy and colorful. The hard plastic keys on a ring sold for human babies are also a budget-wise buy that birds love. (Wash in hot soap and water, rinse well and air-dry before offering such items to your bird.)

Keep your eyes and mind open for playthings your bird can enjoy -- you may surprise yourself with the possibilities!

Q&A

Preparation is key

when flying with pets

Q: Regarding your recent column on flying with pets, will you let readers know about the risk of losing a pet in the airport?

Most people don't realize that if they take a pet as carry-on baggage, they'll have to take the pet out of the carrier and hold the animal while the carrier itself goes through screening. I found this out the hard way with a cat who hates to be held!

Everyone who takes a pet aboard a plane as carry-on luggage should have a harness and leash in place to avoid having the animal take off running through the airport. -- J.P., via e-mail

A: You're absolutely right. While a small dog having a bit of a freak-out at the airport can probably be held firmly and without too much difficulty, a cat in full flight-or-fight mode can really create a dangerous scene. That's why your suggestion is important: Make sure any pet -- but especially a cat -- is equipped with a harness and leash before removing the animal from the carrier at the airport screening station.

I've flown with pets as carry-on a few times and have put larger pets in cargo a few times more -- never (knock on wood) with any problems whatsoever. I've always found airline staff to be caring, helpful and understanding of the needs and worries of pet lovers.

One myth about flying with pets that just won't go away is the assumption that pets need to be routinely tranquilized for flights. Not only is this not true, it's also dangerous. Tranquilizing limits the ability of their bodies to function normally, and they need all that ability to cope with the stress of flight.

The default mode for pet air travel should be no tranquilizers, although there are exceptions, so a pre-flight talk with the veterinarian is a must. (You'll need to be there for a pre-flight health certificate anyway.)

Talking to the airline for pet reservations and conditions is a must, as is checking en route for any pets traveling in cargo holds. With all precautions in place, air travel with pets should go smoothly -- and it usually does. -- Gina Spadafori

Do you have a pet question? Send it to petconnection@gmail.com or visit Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker.

THE BUZZ

Moving with a cat?

Limit his options

The best way to move with your cat is to confine him before and after moving day in a "safe room."

Choose a room where your cat isn't going to be disturbed, and outfit it with food and water, a litter box, a scratching post, a bed and toys.

Confining your cat not only reduces his stress, but also prevents him from slipping out, which is a danger at both the old home and the new. Your cat could easily become scared, take off and get lost, even in his familiar neighborhood, if he gets disoriented.

Your cat should be confined in his safe room the day before packing begins, moved to his new home in a carrier, and then confined again in his new safe room until the moving is over, the furniture arranged and most of the dust settled.

Trying to force a scared and stressed-out cat to do anything he doesn't want to do is hazardous to your health. After you arrive at your new home, don't pull your cat out of his carrier. Instead, put the carrier in his safe room, open the carrier door, and let him come out into the room when he wants to. After he's a little calmer, you can coax him out with some fresh food or treats if you want. But don't rush him and don't drag him out -- or you may be bitten or scratched.

When you have the rest of the house settled, open the door to the safe room and let your cat explore his new home, on his terms. -- Gina Spadafori

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 A DOG OR CAT IS GOING TO MESS, YOU'LL FIND IT -- WITH A BARE FOOT

When I was in high school, I signed up for physics and calculus. I knew that to become a veterinarian I would have to develop a far greater grasp of science and math than the one I seemed to have been born with.

My physics teacher gave me a "C" out of mercy. My calculus teacher wasn't nearly as generous, and I spent the rest of my academic career -- high school and college -- sticking as close to the English department as I could. I abandoned all hope of veterinary medicine and settled (more or less) happily into a career as a writer specializing in pet care and veterinary medicine.

But that doesn't mean I'm incapable of making a brilliant scientific discovery.

Oh sure, maybe mine doesn't have anything to do with mass or energy. And OK, so maybe the people who hand out the Nobel Prizes won't be calling. But that doesn't mean my discovery has no significance to the lives of millions of people. Consider this: How often do you recognize the importance of, say, Einstein's work in your daily life?

Everyone who has spent more than a month with a cat or dog has stepped squarely into my discovery. In fact, stepping in it is just the way I happened upon it.

Call it Gina's Law of the Well-Placed Pet Mess. No matter how large the floor, pet-related organic matter will always be placed where a human being is most likely to plant a bare foot. Poop, pee, barf or hairball -- it doesn't matter. If it lands on the floor, chances are you'll step in it.

Keep the cleaning supplies handy, and accept it as one of the absolute laws of nature. You have no other choice.

Of course, one can't rest on one's laurels. I'd been working until recently on proving my theory that the affection level of pets is directly related to the level of contrast between the color of their fur and that of the shirt you're wearing. I thought I had it nailed when I discovered that my black sweater was irresistible to white cats. But then I noticed that my friend's golden retriever was just as eager to snuggle no matter what I was wearing, shedding her long, silky fur without regard to my reputation as a scientist.

I've now shelved the Gina's Law of Shedding in favor of a field of study that shows more promise: the apparent ability of pets to do whatever is most embarrassing to you in front of the person you'd be most mortified to have see it. Call it Gina's Law of That's Not My Pet: I Think He Belongs to the Neighbors.

When one of my dogs brought my dirty underwear out to meet a person I'd just starting seeing (in what I hoped would become a romantic way), I knew I was on to something. And then a friend called with the exciting news that her dog had managed on a recent occasion to upchuck what was clearly a feminine hygiene product in front of a visiting minister.

With news like that, can you fault me for believing that my best scientific discoveries are still in front of me? All that's left is to name the phenomenon and wait for the media to call.

Q&A

Smaller dogs need

more dental care

Q: Are you aware of any genetic problems with small dogs that cause them to have excessive plaque buildup? If so, are there any remedies? -- via email

A: As a general rule, the smaller the dog, the faster the plaque buildup. For most dogs and cats, regular dental cleanings (as often as twice a year in some cases) are as important to pets' long-term health as they are to ours. Keeping teeth in good health prevents bad breath, preserves teeth into old age, and protects their organs from the constant shower of bacteria caused by rotting teeth and gums. Over the course of a lifetime, good dental health will add significantly to your pet's quality of life and perhaps even extend his lifetime.

You should not attempt to clean your dog's teeth with a dental pick because you likely will cause more problems than you'll prevent -- damaging the surface of the tooth enamel and, in so doing, giving bacteria a nice little niche to call home. Nor should you patronize a "no-anesthesia" groomer to clean your pet's teeth, since all that does is make bad teeth look better cosmetically.

Start your pet's dental health regimen with a trip to your veterinarian, who should check your pet's mouth, teeth and gums. Then he or she can make recommendations based on what is found. For many pets, that'll mean a complete dentistry under anesthesia, and possibly some periodontal work and even the removal of broken or rotting teeth.

After the problems are treated, at-home care can keep things in good shape. Here are the basics:

-- Brush or wipe the teeth regularly. Use a toothpaste designed for dogs and cats a couple of times a week at least, although daily is better. A children's soft toothbrush works well, as does one made especially for pets. You can also use a brush that fits over your fingertip, or plain gauze wrapped around your finger. Some vets suggest that gauze may be more readily accepted by cats, especially if dipped in tuna or clam juice first.

-- Offer teeth-cleaning foods and toys. Diets designed to scrape teeth may help, but these must be used in combination with regular brushing and with toys that help wipe the teeth. Soft chewies or a rope toy are best. Avoid chews that are rock-hard or are prone to breaking into sharp pieces, as these can break teeth or slice gums. Your veterinarian can also suggest rinses that help keep the teeth and mouth healthier.

With proper home care, you'll slow the buildup of plaque and increase the time between cleanings by your veterinarian. -- Dr. Marty Becker

Do you have a pet question? Send it to petconnection@gmail.com or visit Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker.

THE BUZZ

Chinese-made treats

still killing pets

-- Chicken jerky treats made in China and sold by several companies have been implicated in pet deaths, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The FDA has been unable to identify the source of the problem, and veterinary experts have cautioned people to read labels and avoid the treats. More recently, concerns have spread as complaints about sick pets have come in to the FDA about other Chinese-made treats. More than a thousand pets have been killed by the treats, according to the FDA. Some companies have so far refused to recall the products, which remain for sale through many retailers.

-- Veterinary Pet Insurance dug through its database to come up with a list of the most unusual names for cats: Pico Del Gato, Dingleberry, Dumpster Kitty, Schnickelfritz, Koobenfarben, Sassy Pants Huska, Vincent Van, Kitty Gaga, Beefra and Mister Biggl.

-- According to LiveScience.com, dogs who are trained to help people with epilepsy are able to alert to a seizure almost an hour before it happens. These dogs join the wide-ranging ranks of dogs whose special skills help people cope with illness, including those who alert to falling blood sugar levels for diabetics. -- Gina Spadafori

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.