PACK A BAG FOR YOUR PET AND YOURSELF IN CASE YOU HAVE TO EVACUATE DURING A DISASTER

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Melissa Duffy was driving away from her home in Carlsbad, California, when she glanced in the rearview mirror and saw that the horizon was black with smoke. It was the Poinsettia fire, one of 11 fires raging in San Diego County just two weeks ago. She went back, loaded up her three dogs and went to a friend's house.

Wildfires have also broken out recently in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. Fire season in the western United States is beginning weeks earlier than usual this year, and the National Interagency Fire Center predicts above-normal fire hazards through August in much of the West. If you live in a dry or drought-stricken area, be prepared to evacuate quickly with your pets.

Duffy grabbed her dogs' medications and food. One of her dogs is on a strict medical diet, and two require regular medication. She keeps a first-aid kit and leashes in the car.

Many people who live in areas prone to earthquakes, floods or fires keep a "go bag" at hand. It should contain important documents, including copies of your pets' vaccination records; a supply of food and water for at least two or three days (a week or more is better); medications for your pets or yourself; a change of clothes; and a favorite toy for your pet to help him feel at home wherever you land. Cat owners may want to have a disposable litter box and litter easily available if they need to grab and go.

Those are the basics. Dog trainer Liz Palika, who lives in fire- and earthquake-prone Southern California, has an extensive go-bag that she keeps right inside the garage door so it can be reached even if her house collapses. In addition to the above items, it contains dog bowls, poop bags, camping gear, a first-aid kit, flashlight and batteries, a hand-cranked radio and truck keys. Store items in a large duffle bag or even a large trash can if it will fit in your vehicle.

Palika has another smart hint:

"Take photos with your smartphone of your prescriptions, pet prescriptions and pet shot records. Organize those on your phone into two files: yours and your pets'. Back them up on a memory card. Keep them on your phone, but put the memory card with your first-aid kit. When anything changes, update it."

Know where you can go, and have more than one backup plan. Duffy was able to get back home from her friend's house, but later woke up to sirens and the smell of smoke and had to leave again.

"Our first two 'go-to' friends were also threatened, so we had to find somewhere else to go," she says. "Four friends offered us their homes, and since we have three dogs, I would rather go there than to a hotel or shelter."

Some disaster shelters now allow pets, but it's not something you can count on. Keep a list of local pet-friendly hotels on your smartphone if you don't have friends or relatives who can take in pets. And if all else fails, ask if a hotel will waive its "no pets" rule. Many will when disaster strikes.

Keep pets restrained when they are in a strange place. A Craigslist ad for a lost dog noted that the yellow Lab ran off from the home where the owners were staying after they evacuated from the fires. He was microchipped but wasn't wearing his collar.

Exchange keys with neighbors so you can care for each other's pets if one family isn't home when disaster strikes. Have a plan for communicating via text, Twitter or Facebook that a pet is safe. Even if disaster never strikes, you'll rest easier knowing that you and your pets are prepared.

Q&A

Cat scratch furor:

7 tips to serenity

Q: My new cat is scratching my furniture. I have a cat tower, but he doesn't use it. One of my friends suggested squirting the cat with water when he scratches, but I don't want to frighten him. Any suggestions? -- via email

A: It's a fact of life that cats scratch. They don't do it just to sharpen their claws, either. Scratching is one of the ways cats communicate. It leaves traces of scent deposited from glands in the paws. People can't detect it, but other cats can. That's why cats want to scratch in a prominent area, which may well be your sofa, instead of the dark corner where you may have placed his post.

Scratching also helps keep paws and claws in shape, shedding the dead keratin that sheathes the claws and exercising the muscles in the legs and paws. And stretching up to scratch just feels good.

Your cat's scratching post should be at least three feet high and covered in something other than carpet. Materials like rope, sisal, hemp and burlap offer texture and "shreddability." The bonus is that your cat won't mistake them for the carpet on the floor. The post should also be sturdy, so your cat doesn't have to worry that it will fall over while he's using it.

Try putting the post next to the sofa that he's scratching or in front of a window so he can check out the birds and squirrels while he's scratching. That's a turn-on for any cat.

Encourage your cat to use the post by running your fingers up and down it or brushing a feather alongside it. The motion will attract him and entice him to scratch. A little catnip might help, too. Finally, praise your cat or give him a treat every time you see him using the post. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Investigation finds DEET,

antiviral drug in jerky treats

-- Chicken jerky treats consumed by dogs who became sick have been found to contain the insect repellent DEET and the drug amantadine, reports Edie Lau for the Veterinary Information Network News Service. The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Food Laboratory in Albany analyzed the samples, and last year detected illegal antibiotics in pet treats containing chicken imported from China. Veterinary pathologist Kendal Harr, who is leading an investigation into the cause of the tainted pet treats, says it's unclear whether the substances caused the dogs' illnesses, but that the illegal residues point to a contaminated food source. The Food and Drug Administration does not believe that amantadine -- an antiviral medication that is FDA-approved for use in people -- contributed to the illnesses because its known side effects are not the same as those seen in jerky pet treat-related cases, but it has notified Chinese authorities that the drug's presence in these products is not permitted.

-- By car and plane, caravans of Chihuahuas are being transported from Arizona to Idaho, the East Coast and other areas where the little dogs are in big demand. The New York Times reports that Arizona shelters are overflowing with the tiny dogs. When they can't take in any more, shelters and rescue groups arrange transport through organizations such as Dog Is My Copilot and Pilots N Paws to areas where they have a better chance at adoption.

-- Who says cats can't be protective? A California cat went on the warpath last month after a loose dog attacked her family's 4-year-old son. The boy was riding his bike in the driveway when the dog appeared and dragged him off it. The cat jumped the dog and drove him away. Cats are territorial, and they will take action when their space is invaded. -- Dr. Marty Becker and 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.

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.