FIVE WAYS TO EVALUATE INFORMATION YOU FIND ON THE INTERNET

When you think something's wrong with your dog or cat, the first thing you do is Google the symptoms. Am I right? I bet I am. Studies show that three out of four people go to the Internet before calling their veterinarians or taking their pets to the clinic.

I understand. If you're worried about your pet, you want to have an idea right away of what might be wrong. But "Dr. Google" isn't always the best source of information for what's going on with your pet or how to treat it. I'm not just saying that because I think you should take your furry friend to the veterinarian if he's sick (although I do). The Internet is an amazing source of all kinds of knowledge, but it's also full of unreliable, out-of-date and just plain wrong advice. The fact is, some information is more equal than other information.

More important, nothing on the Internet beats an in-person exam by your veterinarian. I say that after seeing at least five instances in the past couple of years of pets dying because well-meaning owners relied on information found on the Web and brought them in for help when it was too late.

I don't want you to stop going to the Internet for information. I think it can be a valuable resource. I do want to help you learn to find and evaluate the best information. Here's what to look for.

-- Authorship. Who wrote the article? What are his or her credentials? Knowing the writer's background or affiliation with a particular institution allows you to judge how knowledgeable he or she is on the subject. You should also look for evidence of bias. Is the author pushing a particular viewpoint? Does the page belong to a company selling a product?

-- Source. Is the information from an academic institution or university, a government agency or a professional organization? Those are generally reliable and authoritative sites. Other good sites have articles that are written or reviewed by veterinarians.

Some of my favorites are Vetstreet.com (where I write), PetHealthNetwork.com, WebMD Healthy Pets, PetPlace.com, VeterinaryPartners.com and PetMD. A personal or commercial page may have good information, but it's important to look carefully at the writer's credentials and documentation of that information.

-- Evidence. What's the proof behind what you're reading? Does the author refer to other sources to back up the information? Who or what are the sources? If a study is mentioned, the writer should include where and when it was published. Then you can look up the summary and find out what kind of study it was.

For medical evidence, randomized controlled trials -- meaning that the study participants were randomly assigned to treatment or control groups -- provide the most reliable results. Does the study appear in a peer-reviewed journal -- meaning that impartial scientists who weren't part of the study evaluated it before publication? You can check the journal's website to see if studies are sent out for review before publication.

-- Reliability. Is the information similar to what you've read on the subject elsewhere, or is it way out in left field? That doesn't necessarily make it wrong, but it does mean that you should cast an extra-critical eye on the ideas presented. It's always a good idea to look at several sources so you can have a well-rounded understanding of the topic.

-- Currentness. How old is the information? What we know can change quickly in this field. Beware of undated information. Look for sites that are updated regularly.

Dr. Google makes it easy to find information, but if you want to be really knowledgeable, you still have to put in the hard work of making sure it's accurate. And remember that you have a primary source just an appointment away: your veterinarian.

Q&A

Poor grooming, overactive

glands lead to 'stud tail'

Q: My Persian cat's tail makes him look as if he has a bad case of acne. The base of the tail is all flaky, and it has bumps that look like blackheads. What's causing it, and is there anything I can do? -- via email

A: Overactive sebaceous glands are usually behind the development of acne in human teenagers, and they can cause similar problems in cats. It just happens to affect the tail instead of the face (although cats can get facial acne as well).

Nicknamed "stud tail," because it used to be thought that it was limited to unneutered male cats, this uncommon condition is now known to affect both male and female cats, including those who have been spayed or neutered. Cats like your Persian, with his long, beautiful coat, can be prone to it, as can Siamese and Rex cats. We usually see it in cats who don't do a good job of grooming their tails.

Cats with stud tail need to worry about more than getting a date to the purr-rom. The gunk in those blackheads can plug hair follicles, leading to a bacterial infection (folliculitis). If it gets really bad, the cat can get the feline equivalent of pimples: painful and itchy boils or pustules.

If your cat isn't grooming his tail properly because he's overweight and is having trouble reaching his tail, you need to help him reach a healthy weight through diet and exercise. Talk to your veterinarian about developing a plan that will help him shrink his size.

Sometimes, we don't know why stud tail develops. If this is the case, you can try to manage it with wipes, shampoos or topical products that will work to remove debris on the surface of the fur and prevent the hair follicles from becoming plugged. Your veterinarian can recommend some antiseborrheic products that will be safe for your cat. Cats with bacterial folliculitis may need a course of antibiotics to resolve the problem. Keep the tail area clean so the problem doesn't recur. -- Dr. Marty Becker

THE BUZZ

High-tech vests could aid

search-and-rescue teams

-- Search-and-rescue dogs equipped with high-tech vests could relay data about environmental hazards as well as the dog's behavior and physiological status, reports Matt Shipman on North Carolina State University's blog The Abstract. Researchers Alper Bozkurt and David Roberts at N.C. State helped to develop the harnesses, which make use of microphones, cameras and environmental sensors to transmit data in real time as the dogs search for victims. With the help of the sensors, handlers can track the well-being of a dog working remotely and determine if he has found a scent, object or area of interest. Bozkurt and Roberts hope that the vests, currently being tested, could help to improve the efficiency and capabilities of search-and-rescue teams.

-- The California State Senate is considering a bill that would designate the California red-legged frog as the state's official amphibian. The bill, AB 2364, passed the Assembly on a 52-8 vote on April 26. The red-legged frog, the largest native frog in the western United States, was made famous by Mark Twain in his short story "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County."

-- Is your dog Ivy League material? If you live in the New Haven, Connecticut, area, you can enroll your canine Einstein in Yale's Canine Cognition Center, where he can participate in studies that call for him to play simple problem-solving games. Dogs of any age, size or breed can volunteer as long as they are vaccinated, healthy, spayed or neutered, and non-aggressive. Study sessions are brief and are scheduled at times that are convenient for owners and dog volunteers. How many dogs do you know who have a diploma from Yale? For more information, go to yaledoglab.sona-systems.com. -- Kim Campbell Thornton

ABOUT PET CONNECTION

Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet-care experts headed by "The Dr. Oz Show" veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Kim Campbell Thornton. They are affiliated with Vetstreet.com and are the authors of many best-selling pet-care books. Joining them is dog trainer and behavior consultant Mikkel Becker. Dr. Becker can be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker. Kim Campbell Thornton is at Facebook.com/KimCampbellThornton and on Twitter at kkcthornton. Mikkel Becker is at Facebook.com/MikkelBecker and on Twitter at MikkelBecker.

FELINE IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS IN CATS TAKES A SURPRISING JUMP

Last month, the folks at Banfield Pet Hospital, who care for more than 2.7 million pets nationwide, including 470,000 cats, released their 2014 State of Pet Health report. It included a startling statistic: a 48 percent increase in the prevalence of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection in cats seen at Banfield's more than 850 hospitals.

Does it mean your cat is at risk? Not necessarily. A lot depends on his lifestyle.

Cats can get FIV through contact with saliva from an infected cat. Cats with the disease typically acquire it through bite wounds when they get in fights with FIV-infected cats. That's a really good reason to keep your cat indoors.

We don't know what's behind the increased incidence in FIV infection. It's not explained by changes in the rates of testing or of vaccination.

What is known from the report is that male cats are three times as likely to be infected with FIV as female cats, and that adult, unneutered cats were 3.5 times more likely to be infected with FIV as adult cats who were spayed or neutered. That makes sense, because unneutered tomcats are the ones who are going to be out there fighting and biting.

Interestingly, a recent study found no evidence that FIV-positive cats living peacefully with disease-free cats passed on the disease. In the same study, FIV-positive mothers did not pass on the disease to their kittens. So while the possibility of transmission is there, simple exposure to an infected cat may not be as risky as previously thought -- as long as the cats are friendly toward each other.

There are a couple of important things to know about FIV. First, while FIV is contagious among cats, it's not transmissible to humans.

Second, it's not a death sentence. It's not curable, but with good care, cats with FIV infections can live long, healthy lives.

FIV affects the immune system, so cats with the disease can be more prone to respiratory, dental, eye or skin infections. Cats with FIV may develop a fever or seem tired all the time. Chronic diarrhea and weight loss are also associated with FIV. Some cats don't show any signs, although they are still infectious.

Protect an FIV-infected cat from injuries or wounds that could cause secondary bacterial infections as well as from other viruses and parasites that could cause illness. Depending on your cat's lifestyle, environment and clinical signs, your veterinarian may recommend other measures as well to manage the disease.

The most important safety measure you can take is to keep your cat indoors -- both to prevent exposure to potential injuries and infections and to make sure he doesn't spread the disease to other cats.

A vaccination is available for FIV, but it is not among the core vaccines recommended by the American Association of Feline Practitioners. That's because it doesn't protect against all the strains of FIV and because the FIV test cannot distinguish between the actual disease and the antibodies produced by vaccination. That can make test results unclear if a cat's vaccination history is unknown.

The AAFP recommends the vaccine only for cats who are at high risk of infection -- in other words, cats who go outdoors. Those cats should have a microchip indicating that they've had the vaccination to prevent any confusion about their infection status.

Your veterinarian may suggest testing your cat for FIV if she has a fever, frequent infections or other signs of illness. A simple and accurate blood test gives rapid results. Kittens born to FIV-infected mothers may test positive while they are young, but negative after they are 6 months old, so it can be a good idea to retest them after that age.

Q&A

How to teach kids

good dog care habits

Q: We have a dog, and we want to teach our kids to learn to love and care for him as much as we do. What are some good ways we can do that? -- via Facebook

A: Sounds like you are already off to a good start. We think no one should get a dog for the kids unless they truly would love having a dog themselves. Helping children to build a strong and loving relationship with the family dog reinforces that he's really a member of the family. Here are some good ways to do that:

-- Have your child help you with pet care tasks. Depending on your child's age, this can include things like refilling the water bowl, washing the food bowl, giving the dog his monthly flea-control or heartworm pill, or stuffing a Kong toy for him. That helps to reinforce the importance of regular pet care.

-- Take your child to training class with the dog. It's important for everyone to learn how to train correctly. And when you go to class, you can get help from the trainer right away if you're having problems.

-- Make sure you all practice what you learn in training class at home during the week. Call it "dog homework."

-- Teach your children to respect the dog's space. They should leave him alone when he's in his crate, on his bed or eating a meal.

-- Let your child help you walk the dog, first with each of you holding a leash attached to the dog's collar and then under supervision. When your child is old enough and has learned what to do in case, say, a stray dog approaches, you'll have a built-in dog walker as well as a budding dog lover. -- Mikkel Becker

THE BUZZ

Pilot program lets

pets ride the rails

-- It's a pet peeve of many train travelers: Amtrak doesn't allow their four-footed friends on board, with the exception of service dogs. But a six-month program in Illinois is testing the idea, on the Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg trains between Chicago and Quincy. Riders with pets (dogs or cats up to 20 pounds) must reserve seats in advance and pay a pet fee of $25. As on airplanes, they must ride in carriers that fit beneath the seat. Reservations are available through Nov. 2.

"Amtrak is supportive of accommodating pets on trains, and through direct collaboration with the Illinois Department of Transportation and a working group led by U.S. Rep. Jeff Denham of California, we are optimistic a plan can be reached to accommodate the needs and concerns of all our passengers," says Amtrak President and CEO Joe Boardman.

-- Say cheese! Admit it. You take more pictures of your pet than of your spouse, don't you? Research last year by British pet insurance company Direct Line found that a whopping 90 percent of dog owners take more pictures of their pets than their partners, with 31 percent taking pictures of pets daily. The photos end up as screen savers (86 percent) and on social media profiles (45 percent). Because, let's face it -- pets are just cuter than spouses.

-- A pair of friends were reunited after a two-year separation. When U.S. Army Sgt. Jason Bos injured his back and had to retire from the military in 2012, his bomb-sniffing dog, Cici, had to remain on duty in Germany. Bos was elated when the kennel master contacted him recently and asked if he'd like to adopt the soon-to-retire dog. The American Humane Association and Mission K-9 Rescue helped pay the expense of flying Cici from Germany to Michigan. -- Kim Campbell Thornton

ABOUT PET CONNECTION

Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet-care experts headed by "The Dr. Oz Show" veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Kim Campbell Thornton. They are affiliated with Vetstreet.com and are the authors of many best-selling pet-care books. Joining them is dog trainer and behavior consultant Mikkel Becker. Dr. Becker can be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker. Kim Campbell Thornton is at Facebook.com/KimCampbellThornton and on Twitter at kkcthornton. Mikkel Becker is at Facebook.com/MikkelBecker and on Twitter at MikkelBecker.

Keeping chickens as pets and egg-layers is a popular pastime, but it's a good idea to know what you're getting into

By Dr. Tony Johnson

About three years ago, my wife and I "happened" upon some chickens. A family friend had gotten caught up in the recent rage of urban chicken acquisition and had obtained six chickens. They had forgotten to obtain any housing for them, so we offered to help out and take three of the birds.

We read up on chicken husbandry, built a coop and drove over to bring home our new flock in cat carriers.

Here's the upside to chicken ownership:

-- Great, fresh eggs, every day (on average, each chicken lays one egg per day).

-- No need to buy eggs anymore -- a cost savings, and we know our chickens are humanely treated.

-- Fun for the kids to watch (us, too -- chickens are hilarious goofballs).

-- Easy disposal of our kitchen waste -- they eat everything (as long as it's not moldy or an avocado; avocados are chicken kryptonite). With two 2-year-olds at home, we have lots of leftover "I won't eat that!" food.

Now, here's the downside:

-- They are noisy: They squabble and fight like junior-high girls at the Filene's Basement shoe sale rack. Sometimes, I have to go out back and shout a loud: "SHHHHHHHH! If you don't shut up, I am calling The Colonel!"

-- Poo. Everywhere. There's no way to potty train a chicken, and there's no such thing as a chicken diaper. We let them out for some fresh air and bug-eating, and they poo. A lot. Everywhere.

-- Although ours have tested negative for salmonella, I do worry about our family's exposure to it, given the large amount of poo around. (More on this below.)

-- We will never, ever have nice landscaping. In their obsessive quest to find the juicy bugs and worms, they dig up everything. Then, for good measure, they poo on it.

Chickens have become a feathery emblem of the "new naturism" -- if you fancy yourself a self-sustaining, eco-minded person, a wee flock is de rigueur these days. And, like many fads, the initial rose-tinted joy soon fades to reality.

Chickens can carry salmonella and a few other bacterial baddies. These can do a number on your GI tract and really put a hurting on you if you're very young, very old or have weakened immunity. If you get it, you'll be hugging the commode for a few days, or worse.

We constantly clean up after them, and even then I feel like we always have some poo lying about. Washing hands after handling them or the eggs is a must. Here is some CDC info on safe home chicken ownership: blogs.cdc.gov/publichealthmatters/2010/10/thinking-about-keeping-live-poultry

Another great source of information and support is the community at Backyard Chickens: www.backyardchickens.com.

Egg handling is important, too. There is a healthy debate about washing the eggs: Some say it removes an invisible slime layer that keeps bacteria out, while some say to wash them. Since we eat them as soon as we collect them, we don't wash our eggs (unless they are really dirty), but just wipe them off. Here is a link to safe egg-handling information: www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09377.pdf.

The life of a chicken owner is easy, delicious and fun. It's a great way to lessen your eco-footprint and teach your kids where their food comes from. But you don't want to get halfway into it and say to yourself, "What the CLUCK were we thinking?"

With a little prep, a little reading and a little precaution you, too, can safely enjoy all the benefits of having your own flock!

Guest columnist Tony Johnson, DVM, is an emergency and critical care specialist and serves as Minister of Happiness/Medical Director at Veterinary Information Network.

Q&A

Protect your dog before

enjoying fun in the sun

Q: We have a new white bull terrier puppy, and we live in Florida. The breeder said we should put sunscreen on him when he's outdoors, especially if we take him to the beach. Really? -- via email

A: Really. Dogs can get sunburned, and they are susceptible to skin cancer. Your dog's hair gives him some protection from the sun, but light-colored dogs need extra help to prevent a damaging sunburn.

Dogs who are most at risk have thin or light-colored coats, so your bull terrier is doubly in need of protection. Other breeds whose owners should think about applying sunscreen include American pit bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers, bulldogs, white boxers, Chinese cresteds or any other hairless breeds, Dalmatians, smooth fox terriers, white German shepherds, greyhounds, Jack Russell terriers, rat terriers, Weimaraners, whippets or any dog with light skin and a pink nose.

Apply sunscreen to the ears, muzzle and belly of any shorthaired dog who enjoys sunbathing. If you have a short-coated white dog, apply it all over the body. Wipe it off after your dog comes indoors, so he doesn't get it on the furniture or walls.

Choose a PABA-free sunscreen that's free of zinc oxide. Both substances can be toxic if your dog licks them off. Look for natural sunscreens made for children or sunscreen made specifically for dogs, which you can find at pet-supply stores. Just as you would for yourself, reapply frequently if your dog spends a lot of time outdoors, especially if he enjoys playing in water.

If applying sunscreen isn't your thing, cover your dog's skin with sun-protective dog clothing. Yep, it's out there, made by companies such as Ruffwear, Kong and Playa Pup. If you and your dog will be spending a lot of time at the beach or on a boat, it's also a good idea to protect his eyes from glare with canine eyewear, such as Doggles. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Bee careful: Dog wears

a honey of a suit

-- An Australian beekeeper trained his black Labrador retriever, Bazz, to sniff out hives infected with a bee-killing bacterium called American foulbrood. But there was just one problem: Bazz kept getting stung. To protect him, owner Josh Kennett designed the ultimate in dogwear: a beekeeping suit. After a long process of trial and error, he came up with a design that covers Bazz from head to tail, including protective sneakers and a covered, conelike headpiece. You might say it's the bee's knees. Getting Bazz to actually wear the gear took some time and training, but now he's back on the job, sniffing out the bees' disease.

-- Hank is in the house! The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that the Brewers' cute new mascot will soon be moving into "Hank House" at Miller Park. The dog's cozy digs? A roomy one-bedroom Cape Cod-style doghouse that will move around the ballpark throughout the season. Hank became a star after wandering into the Brewers' spring training camp in Arizona in February. He now has a line of T-shirts, and a Hank bobblehead debuts in September. A portion of the proceeds of Hank merchandise will benefit the Wisconsin Humane Society.

-- We can all agree that dogs don't live long enough, but by studying how they age, scientists at Cornell University and elsewhere hope to learn how genetic and environmental factors influence aging and what interventions might mitigate age-related diseases. Dogs not only share many genetic characteristics with humans, they also share our environment and many of our health care options. The Canine Longitudinal Aging Study will use not only traditional demographic and epidemiological approaches, but also new techniques, such as comparative genomics, to identify treatments and factors that may help extend healthy life spans in dogs and humans. -- Kim Campbell Thornton

ABOUT PET CONNECTION

Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet-care experts headed by "The Dr. Oz Show" veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Kim Campbell Thornton. They are affiliated with Vetstreet.com and are the authors of many best-selling pet-care books. Joining them is dog trainer and behavior consultant Mikkel Becker. Dr. Becker can be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker. Kim Campbell Thornton is at Facebook.com/KimCampbellThornton and on Twitter at kkcthornton. Mikkel Becker is at Facebook.com/MikkelBecker and on Twitter at MikkelBecker.