ADVANCE SCREENING AND OTHER TECHNIQUES REDUCE RISK

And Gina Spadafori

While no medical procedure or medication -- or even home remedy, for that matter -- can ever be completely without risk, safer anesthetic agents, monitoring by specially trained veterinary technicians, and protocols that stress a pet's safety and comfort before, during and after anesthesia have minimized risks substantially, even for older and chronically ill pets.

That's the good news. The bad news? Pet owners too often opt out of potentially lifesaving protocols or don't follow veterinary advice before sedation, increasing the risks for their pets.

With proper pre-op care, anesthetic risk is very low. That wasn't always the case, of course, and old fears based on old information can be difficult to ease. But don't let your fears keep you from providing your pet with care that can dramatically improve quality of life, such as necessary dental care. (If you doubt how much, just think of how desperate you were for dental care the last time you broke a tooth or even had a toothache!) Bringing your knowledge up to date and working with your veterinarian to minimize risk will help you make the best decisions when it comes to your pet's care.

So what's changed in recent years? In a word: everything. Everything, that is, except your veterinarian's guidelines for how to present your pet on the day of a procedure -- with an empty stomach.

Anesthetic drugs tend to induce vomiting, and that can lead to aspiration pneumonia. That's because the larynx relaxes during anesthesia, which means vomit may end up going down the trachea to the lungs instead of through the esophagus and back to the stomach. And once in the lungs, pneumonia can develop. If you give your pet food or water after midnight on the day before surgery, call your veterinarian and 'fess up. It's always better to reschedule an elective procedure than to go forward at higher risk than necessary.

Your active role in your pet's anesthesia may not have changed much, but that's not true of the role of your pet's veterinarian and veterinary technicians in a pre-anesthetic examination and diagnostics. These are intended to spot and address any health problems your pet has before anesthesia.

While many pet lovers probably think of veterinary anesthesia as a gas given through a mask over the animal's face, the modern practice of preparing an animal for surgery is a no-size-fits-all combination of injectable medications (often combining anesthesia and pain-control agents), anesthesia-inducing gas and pure oxygen -- the latter two delivered through a breathing tube to maintain an animal's unconscious state. The use of intravenous fluids during anesthesia is another safety measure, meant to allow a veterinarian to react rapidly if something unexpected happens during surgery.

Keeping tabs on it all is a veterinary technician with special training in monitoring the animal during anesthesia, providing the surgeon with the information he or she needs to adjust or react to any unforeseen problems. Heating pads are another safety measure, preventing organ damage if a pet's body temperature dips -- and increasing comfort as a pet recovers.

Just as the pre-anesthetic advice from the veterinarian needs to be followed to the letter, so, too, do any take-home instructions. While pain medications and antibiotics may already be on board as the pet leaves for home, these medications may also need to be given in the days to follow.

The improvements in anesthetic agents and protocols have such high levels of safety that you should no longer dismiss essential care because of what may be an outdated knowledge of the risk. Do your part to help your pet, and your veterinarian will do the rest.

Q&A

Will leather couch

deter cats' scratches?

Q: We're considering purchasing a leather couch. We have two indoor cats who have completely destroyed our fabric couch. We have given them a scratch post recently, and although they use it, they still use the couch. We do not deter them from using the fabric couch.

In regard to the leather couch, we have heard that cats don't like leather and won't scratch it. But before we shell out the money for an expensive piece of furniture, I wanted your opinion. -- M.B., via email

A: While it's true that cats prefer fabrics, especially those with a coarse woven texture, I wouldn't bet the farm on them not touching the new leather couch. Before you make such a huge investment, make a determined effort to convert your cats to using the scratching post.

First, make sure the post is adequate. I recommend a cat tree rather than a scratching post. Trees are taller, less likely to fall over, and offer room for two or more cats to scratch, play and nap. The cover should be a loose-weave fabric or a rough rope, like sisal.

Then make your current, old couch less attractive to scratching. Cover all the areas on the furniture where your cats love to scratch with something they'll hate to touch -- the sticky side of shelf-lining contact paper. Secure the sheets (sticky side out) to the scratched areas with double-sided tape. Don't scrimp: Go for full coverage!

Next, move the scratching post beside your cats' most popular part of the couch. The idea is to give them a nearby alternative to putting their paws on their former scratching post -- your old couch. Play games with your cats on the post, and give them food and treats for scratching in an appropriate place.

Be patient, since cats aren't keen on change. Once you notice your cats using the post (and not using the booby-trapped couch), you can very slowly -- like, a couple feet a week -- move the post to a less prominent part of the room. But don't move it so far away that your cats lose interest.

When you get your new couch, you can booby-trap it without marring the leather by mounting the sticky paper to sheets of cardboard and leaning them against the sides, corners and back of the new couch. The cardboard is to keep the cats from trying out the new couch, and it can come down once you observe that the cat post is getting all the action. -- Gina Spadafori

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

THE BUZZ

Hurricane ups demand

for pet blood donors

-- Blood donors are often needed after disasters, and Hurricane Sandy is no exception. But while most people think about rolling up their own sleeves to help, they don't realize blood donors for dogs and cats are also in short supply. DVM Magazine reports that veterinary blood banks throughout the Northeast are asking for help. While most feline blood donors are in-house residents of their veterinary practices (and are given good forever homes after a short period of service), healthy large dogs are welcomed as blood donors at many practices. Some even offer discounts on veterinary care for regular canine blood donors.

-- Dr. Jan Pol, a Michigan veterinarian who is the star of a popular reality show, was fined and ordered to complete coursework after being found by the state's disciplinary panel to have been negligent in a case from 2010. Pol maintains he did nothing wrong in the case of 10 puppies who died in utero and were removed from their mother by caesarian performed at another veterinary practice. While some veterinarians have called for "The Incredible Dr. Pol" to be canceled, it is Nat Geo Wild's highest-rating program, and the network told DVM360.com that it had no plans to take the series off the air.

-- The cost of a becoming a veterinarian has concerned the profession for years, and there's no sign of relief in sight. According to The New York Times, new graduates can carry debt loads approaching a quarter-million dollars, with entry-level salaries of less than half the average $121,000 annual salary for the profession as a whole. -- Dr. Marty Becker and 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.

A MOVE IS THE PERFECT TIME TO CONVERT OUTDOOR CAT TO INSIDE LIFE

A few months ago, I moved to a place for all my animals, not only three dogs and a cat, but also chickens, ducks, horses and goats.

While it's good to have everyone together -- and a big garden planned for spring -- there was one change I made for one of them that was long overdue: I ended my cat's roaming days.

In effect, I was taking my own advice. I'm well aware that a cat who has been used to going out as he pleases won't accept a closed door quietly. But when you move, everything's new, and a cat won't miss territory he hasn't claimed as his own. Six months later, Ilario, my fluffy orange tabby, is content with the change.

As am I, and that's because in the house I left behind remains the memory of the cat who never came home. Clara was a sweet little thing who rarely left the yard. Neither cat did, which is why I indulged them when they asked to go outside. After she disappeared, I did all the things you're supposed to: let the microchip registry know, put out flyers, checked the shelters.

I never saw her again.

I'd never meant for either cat to go outside, and after Clara disappeared, I closed the door on Ilario. It didn't go well. He yowled, he paced and he threw himself at the window screens. And whenever he could, he'd take advantage of the opportunity to slip out.

The new house was easier to secure than the old one, and Ilario has adjusted well to indoor life. That's because I made sure it works for him. He's an active cat, and I've worked hard to keep him that way. Some tips:

-- Set aside time every day to play with your cat. Cat fishing poles, with strings ending in feathers or other cat-attracting toys, are a great way to get your cat moving. Some cats love chasing dots of light from a laser pointer, while others can be encouraged to chase toys and even retrieve them.

-- Offer your cat ways to play when you're not around. Cat trees and tunnels can be great for cavorting or for hiding when a cat just wants to be left alone. Check out toys stuffed with catnip for extra appeal, or those puzzle toys that keep a cat's interest by making play a test of both body and mind.

-- Make getting food more difficult for your cat. All most cats have to do to eat is waddle over to a full dish. End free feeding, and make a cat's food hard to get. Break the daily measured portion into smaller meals, and put these small plates in places that require jumping or climbing to find. Some cats may also enjoy puzzle toys that make them work to get out bits of kibble.

-- Consider safe outdoor space. Converting a screened-in porch to a feline jungle gym will give your pet more reasons to stay active. Remember that cats like heights, so build in tempting overhead spaces that require effort to reach. There's nothing a cat likes better than looking down on people, after all!

I wish the world were safe enough that Ilario could enjoy the little farm I have now, but I know it's not. We live on a road where people drive by at highway speeds, and every night I can hear the cries of coyotes.

So I've compromised, and it's working out well for us both. Cats can and do live happily indoors. Whatever you do, don't keep your cat inside and offer nothing in exchange for the pleasures of nature you're denying him. Enrich the indoor environment, and you'll have a cat who's not only safer, but also healthier and every bit as content as one who comes and goes at will.

Q&A

Check the dryer

before closing door

Q: One of my co-workers had a horrible experience: Her cat died in the dryer. There were some clothes in there, still warm, and her teenage daughter threw more in without looking, and turned on the dryer. I did an Internet search, and found out this isn't uncommon. Can you spread the word? -- via Facebook

A: Cats love warmth, and at this time of year they are especially eager to search out the warmest, softest place to nap. As you now know, sadly, it's easy for a person not to notice a cat in the dryer, to add clothes and then turn on the appliance. Over the last 25 years or so, I have had two co-workers lose cats that way. Heartbreaking.

The obvious answer is to keep the dryer door shut at all times, but it's hard to get an entire family to comply. If you can't be sure you can keep the door closed, it's important to convince your cat that the dryer's not a good place to nap.

You can try scaring your cat to help convince him to stay clear of this dangerous appliance. If you find your cat in the dryer, close the door for a few seconds (with the machine off, of course) and pound on the metal with your palms, making as much noise as you can. Then open the door and let your cat make a run for it.

I normally would not recommend any training method that would scare an animal, but the risk of death here is too great to ignore. A couple of scary moments in the dryer is vastly preferable to such a horrible death, in my book. -- Gina Spadafori

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

THE BUZZ

War dogs getting

national monument

-- The nation's military dogs will soon be honored with a monument to their service. The U.S. Working Dog Teams National Monument will show a handler flanked by four dogs representing breeds commonly used in modern wars -- a Doberman, German shepherd, Labrador retriever and Belgian malinois. Credit for the effort goes to John Burnam, who served in Vietnam with military dogs and spent years pushing the idea of a national monument for war dogs. While there are other monuments, none has been elevated to national monument level, where it will be in the company of the Statue of Liberty and Mount Rushmore National Memorial. After a tour, the bronze monument will head to Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, which is home to the military's dog-training center.

-- Anyone hoping for a reduction in rat sightings in New York City in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy is likely to be disappointed. According to National Geographic online, Manhattan’s hardiest residents may be even more visible in the weeks to come. That’s because the rats who survived likely took the subway stairs to the surface, and are now taking refuge in every trash can and hole in the wall in the city.

-- When a pet bites, the first step is to get a veterinary exam with diagnostic tests to rule out any health problems. The next step is to work with a behaviorist. Beware of simple answers. Any combination of factors may be triggering aggression, including fence-fighting, displaced aggression, dominance, drug side-effects, other pets, pain triggers, predation, possessiveness, fear, hormonal changes, protection of young, pack response, play, protection of home or family, neurological abnormalities, improper socialization, and intentionally or accidentally trained behaviors. -- Dr. Marty Becker and 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.

OLDER DOGS NEED A LITTLE HELP TO GET THROUGH COLD WEATHER

Cold weather is ruff, er, rough on older dogs, but they don't have to be miserable. Your dog's health in later years is not entirely in your control, but you can have a real impact on a pet's attitude by keeping him warm, comfortable and keeping his mind and body gently active.

As your dog ages, increase the frequency and diminish the intensity of his exercise. Instead of taking your dog to the park once a week to chase tennis balls until he's exhausted, take him for a long walk daily. If your dog is having problems with physical activity, talk to your veterinarian. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications may help, as may supplements such as glucosamine or alternative treatments such as acupuncture.

For his mental health, talk to your veterinarian about products that help with brain function. And keep those brain cells clicking by using food puzzles. These toys require pets to play with them to get the food out, little bits at a time. They can also be a part of your plan to keep your less-active senior dog from putting on excess pounds.

Your dog has no real sense of shame or embarrassment, so he suffers no loss of face if you come up with some ideas to make his life a little easier. Truly, the number of ways you can give your oldster a break is limited only by your imagination. Here are a few tips to get you thinking:

-- Beds. Think soft. Think cushioned. Think low. Think heated. Your dog will thank you for all of these thoughts, especially in cold weather.

-- Clothes. Older dogs, like older people, have a more difficult time maintaining their body temperature. This problem is even more pronounced in slender, short-coated breeds like the greyhound or whippet. So check out the sweater selection at your local pet-supply store, repurpose thrift-store children's clothes, or make your own if you're crafty.

-- Ramps and steps. If your dog is allowed on the couch and the bed, get steps to help him if he can no longer make it in one jump. You wouldn't want to watch TV without your dog at your side, would you? A permanent ramp going down the back porch steps or a slide-out ramp to help your dog get into the car will also be appreciated.

While you're making household adjustments, don't forget to make an appointment for a senior dog checkup. Your veterinarian may recommend some diagnostic tests in addition to a physical examination -- typically, blood work and an X-ray -- to spot problems early or to establish a baseline of what's normal for your dog. You should also consider having your dog's teeth attended to, because gum infections and mouth pain will severely affect the comfort and health of your dog. Most veterinarians recommend twice-annual checkups for senior dogs, by the way.

The senior dog checkup is also a good time to determine if your dog's slowing down means his diet will need to change to take excess weight off his joints.

Helping to keep your older dog healthy and fit will mean his senior years will be happier and more comfortable as time goes by. When the weather is cold, nothing will seem so important to your dog as what you can do to offset the challenges of aging.

Q&A

Beak trims not

needed for bird

Q: Do I need to trim the beak on my African Grey parrot? I find contradictory advice in books and on the Internet. -- via Facebook

A: Although beaks are constantly growing at a rate of one to three inches per year, depending on the species, the beak of a normal pet bird does not need to be trimmed. Your bird will keep his beak at the proper length through normal chewing activities. Chewing is essential both for the physical and emotional health of a parrot.

Overgrowth of the beak is frequently a sign of illness, such as liver disease or malnutrition. In many situations, there may be a malocclusion, or misalignment of the upper and lower mandibles, not allowing normal wear to occur and resulting in beak overgrowth.

Contrary to some information you've found, don't accept "beak trims" as a routine health care measure -- they're not. A bird who gets routine "beak trims" instead of proper medical attention may get an attractive beak, but the bird is likely to die of the primary disease that is causing the abnormal growth of the beak in the first place.

Many of these malocclusions, nutritional issues, or liver problems can be corrected if diagnosed and addressed early and accurately.

Strong as they are, beaks sometimes break. Common causes of beak fractures include fighting between birds of different sizes (with the smaller one usually getting the worst of it) and excessively short wing trims that offer no "gliding" ability, so a falling bird lands hard on his beak (or on his fanny, which can also be injured).

For optimum beak health, provide your bird with lots of things to chew on. If you see a beak problem, don't try to deal with it on your own. Your bird needs the help of an experienced avian veterinarian to properly diagnose and treat any problem. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Dog's licking won't

help your wounds

-- The idea that a dog's saliva has healing powers has been around at least since the ancient Greeks and Romans, whose physicians believed it to be an antidote for poisoning. Later, St. Roch was often pictured with a dog licking a sore, reflecting the belief that the patron saint of plague victims knew something about a cure and that his dog's saliva made him healthy. Modern medicine, no surprise, doesn't look kindly on such theories. And by the way: Dogs are attracted to open wounds because the serum from them is sweet.

-- The phrase "Beware of Dog" is so old that its Latin equivalent -- cave canem -- has been found on signs in Roman ruins. The word "watchdog" isn't quite so old; the first mention of it is by Shakespeare, in "The Tempest."

-- Neuter a dog with a needle? The return of an injectable drug that sterilizes male dogs is being watched closely by animal-welfare organizations and veterinarians, in hopes of having another tool at their disposal in keeping the number of pets needing new homes down. According to the VIN News Service, Zeuterin is a solution of zinc gluconate that's injected directly into the testicles, killing existing sperm and stimulating inflammation that leads to scarring. The resulting scar tissue results in infertility. -- 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.