11 VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES FOR ANIMAL LOVERS

By Kim Campbell Thornton

As part of our New Year's resolutions, many of us vow to do more to help others. For pet owners, that can include helping animals and their people.

Volunteering at a shelter or fostering a homeless pet are common ways to contribute to animal welfare, but there are a number of other ways to help. Time, goods and money are all valuable contributions, whether it's a little or a lot. If you've committed to help make the world a better place for pets this year, here are 11 ways to get started: 1. Donate pet food to your local Meals on Wheels program to help ensure that seniors' pets eat well, too. 2. Keep a supply of gift cards to pet supply stores on hand to give to homeless people with pets.

3. Transport animals from shelters to rescue groups or foster homes. This can be especially helpful if you have a van. "We once loaded up my van with six crates of dogs going to four different rescues," says Susan Fox of McKinleyville, California. "For rural shelters like ours, someone who can move a bunch of dogs at once would be welcomed with open arms."

4. Got a neighbor who's having difficulty getting around because of an illness or injury? Ask if you can help out by walking, playing with or grooming their dog. "Elderly people may have a hard time lifting medium-size or large dogs," says Tiffany Gere of Butler, New Jersey. "Offering to help with vet visits or being their driver in an emergency would go a long way toward giving them peace of mind."

5. Do your online shopping through AmazonSmile or AdoptAShelter.com. Register your local shelter or other pet-related organization, and a portion of your purchases will help to support them.

6. Your local shelter or rescue group just received an influx of animals and likely needs money -- fast! Help out by running a yard sale or an online fundraiser auction.

You'll need to get individuals and businesses to donate items to sell, publicize the fundraiser and follow up to make sure all the payments come in, the items get sent out to the winning bidders, and the money gets to the rescue in a timely manner. (Get your animal-loving friends to help.)

These types of events can also help to support a shelter's emergency medical fund. "Our shelter has a $250 limit imposed by the county on what can be spent on medical care for one dog or cat," Fox says. "The fund covers the difference between that and what is needed."

7. Share your skills. Shelters and rescue groups need volunteers who can write grant proposals, design or manage websites, do accounting, photograph animals available for adoption, make home visits and more.

8. Hand out fliers for an adoption campaign or other event. "I had posters donated for a white rabbit adoption program and someone distributed them to vet offices and groomers," says Mary Cvetan of Pittsburgh. "It was a huge help."

9. Help newcomers to your town or new pet owners by making a list you can hand out that includes businesses and organizations such as local veterinarians, emergency veterinary clinics, pet sitters, pet supply stores and low-cost or free spay/neuter services.

10. Take blankets, towels, gently used (or new) dog toys and other supplies to shelters.

11. Got a big heart and a healthy wallet? Help with someone's veterinary bills. Pam Becker, executive director of the Animal Health Foundation of California, recently received an email from a woman looking for information on low-cost spay/neuter services so she can help a homeless woman get her dog spayed. "She sees the woman every day and wants to help her," Becker says.

To find other volunteer opportunities, visit the website VolunteerMatch.org.

Q&A

Early access key to

bunny litter box use

Q: One of my friends has two pet bunnies. They have the run of her apartment when she's home, and she says they use a litter box like a cat. Is that true? -- via email

A: For the most part, yes. While many rabbits will use a litter box, they don't use them in the same way cats do. Rabbits typically don't cover their waste, and they aren't into "go and go" -- they like to spend a great deal of time in their boxes. And rabbit owners don't scoop the litter: A rabbit's entire box needs to be changed daily. (Unlike a cat's waste, what a rabbit leaves behind is a safe addition to any compost pile, and the composted waste is a wonderful organic fertilizer.)

Not all rabbits will use a box. Older, sexually intact rabbits who have not had prior access to a box will be less likely to use one. Young rabbits who have been spayed or neutered prior to hormones kicking in (at about four months) are more likely to use a litter box and less likely to mark territory.

The best filler for a rabbit's box is a layer of fresh hay over litter made from recycled paper or compressed sawdust (sold as pellets for wood stoves). Avoid clumping litters, crystal litters or products that contain deodorizing or scented pellets, or those with strong odors, such as pine or cedar. Litters made from corn or wheat may lead to problems with blockages or obesity.

You don't really "train" a rabbit to use a box. You provide the opportunity by setting up an inviting box -- large, comfortable, safe and with a layer of fresh hay to munch -- and limiting other choices by keeping the pet's territory relatively small, expanding it gradually.

Even rabbits who use boxes reliably may leave "pellets" now and then. Fortunately, rabbit pellets are easy to clean up with a hand vacuum, or a broom and dust pan. It's a small price to pay for the companionship of a rabbit, as people who enjoy these wonderful pets will tell you. -- Kim Campbell Thornton

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

THE BUZZ

Pets help children with

autism be more social

-- Children with autism can benefit from living with pets, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Living with pets can help to develop and improve the children's social skills, says Dr. Gretchen Carlisle, research fellow in the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine's Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction. If they have a relationship with the pet, they are more likely to respond when asked about the animal. Any kind of pet in the home can be helpful, Dr. Carlisle found in a survey of 70 families.

-- The polar vortex is back! Protect your pet from frostbite by keeping him indoors. Limit the length of walks in below-zero weather, and protect him from the elements with an insulated coat that covers his torso. Wipe off his feet when you get home to remove road salt. Check for antifreeze drips in the garage or on the driveway and clean them up so your dog or cat doesn't ingest the deadly liquid. And always knock on the hood before you start your car to make sure any cats who decided to nestle in the warm engine can escape before you start the car.

-- As they age, pets are more likely to develop some type of cancer. Signs of cancer include lumps or bumps that grow or change; wounds that don't heal; persistent or recurrent lameness; unexplained weight loss; lack of appetite; difficulty eating or swallowing; bleeding from the mouth, nose or rectum; difficulty breathing or straining to urinate or defecate; and lack of energy. If your pet shows any of these signs, take him to the veterinarian right away. Cancer is treatable with surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and other techniques, especially when caught in the early stages. -- 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.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Caption 01: Seniors or people who are ill or injured may welcome help caring for their pets. Position: Main Story

Caption 02: Booties can protect pets' feet from ice balls and road salts. Position: Pet Buzz/Item 2

YOUR CAT'S VOCALIZATIONS AND BODY LANGUAGE TELL YOU AND OTHER CATS WHAT HE'S THINKING

By Kim Campbell Thornton

When I was a kid, I loved Dr. Dolittle. I had a recording of the music from the 1967 movie, and I would sing along with it: "I can walk with the animals, talk with the animals, and they can squeak and squawk and talk to me."

As Dr. Dolittle discovered from his wise parrot, Polynesia, most animal languages are a mixture of sound and movement. But Dr. Dolittle notwithstanding, it has been only recently that we have started to look at and understand communication and emotion in animals.

At the World Small Animal Veterinary Association conference, which I attended last September, veterinary behaviorist Dr. Kersti Seksel spoke on understanding feline communication. For communication to exist, she says, there must be a sender, a means of sending the message and a receiver.

"The receiver doesn't have to be present when the message is sent," Dr. Seksel says, "but the receiver does have to receive and understand the message. That's where most issues start."

Our cats are sophisticated communicators, despite not being able to speak English. Their vocalizations, for instance, are highly individualized and specific. The sounds they use to communicate with each other, such as those between a mother and her kittens, are different from the vocal commands they issue to people. Owners, the ones who are paying attention, anyway, soon learn to recognize and interpret what their cats are saying.

Cats not only have a language they use only with humans, they also use different body language with humans than with other cats, Dr. Seksel says. Body language encompasses the position of the eyes, ears, tail and head, body posture and facial expression.

Communication between cats is subtle and quick. It often goes unnoticed by people. Often, owners think cats are getting along, when in reality violence is simmering just beneath the surface.

For instance, you might think that one of your cats has merely entered a room. But often, that cat has signaled to the other cat or cats in the room with a twitch of the ear or switch of the tail that he wants something -- maybe the chair another cat is in or the food bowl he's snacking from -- and he's in no mood to be trifled with. When the other cat gets up and leaves, in a seemingly casual manner, he's not being nonchalant. Cats leave the presence of aggressive cats very slowly because they don't want to draw attention to themselves, Dr. Seksel says.

When feline tension turns into an all-out fight, the combatants don't just kiss and make up. Cats can stay highly aroused for two to seven days afterward, Dr. Seksel says. She recommends separating cats for at least a week after a fight.

Scent is another way in which cats communicate, both among themselves and with people. When your cat gives you an affectionate head butt or rubs up against your leg, he's using pheromones secreted from glands in the cheeks, chin and paw pads to mark you as a member of his community. When he scratches, he's leaving pheromonal messages for other cats.

Pheromones are an important form of communication between cats. Among other things, pheromones signal reproductive status and social rank and indicate danger.

"Veterinary hospitals are full of pheromones all the time because cats aren't happy to be there," Dr. Seksel says.

When you can learn to understand lingua felinica, you are well on your way to earning your cat's respect, not to mention heading off behavior problems before they become serious. And in the immortal words of Dr. Dolittle:

"If we could talk to the animals, learn their languages, think of all the things we could discuss."

Q&A

Common-sense tactics

prevent disease spread

Q: With all the talk of the Ebola virus a few months ago and how it can live in both people and animals, I'm curious about what other diseases can affect humans and animals. How are they spread and can they be prevented? -- via email

A: That's a great question. Diseases that can be spread from animals to humans are called "zoonoses" (pronounced zo-uh-NO-sees). Some diseases, called "reverse zoonoses," can also be spread from people to animals. The causes of zoonotic disease are bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi. Zoonotic diseases or infections can be transmitted through bites or scratches or when the infected area is touched.

Some zoonotic diseases you may have heard of are rabies, ringworm and salmonellosis. Other diseases or parasites that can spread between animals and people include E. coli infection, roundworms, hookworms, leptospirosis, Lyme disease and Staphylococcus infection. Staph infections are a good example of reverse zoonoses, being more commonly transferred from people to animals.

Zoonotic diseases are of special concern when someone in the household has a weakened immune system. This could be someone who is sick or who is simply very young or very old. Those people are more at risk of contracting disease because their immune systems aren't strong enough to fight off disease-causing invaders.

Good hygiene is the best way to prevent the transmission of diseases between animals and people. Always wash your hands with soap and water after handling your pet (especially if he has an infectious disease), as well as after handling pet food, including dry food. Make sure kids do the same. To prevent transmission of parasites such as Cheyletiella or scabies mites, roundworms and hookworms, deworm your pet regularly. Rabies, of course, is fatal, so it's essential to vaccinate your pets against the disease as required by law and to seek immediate treatment if you are bitten by a potentially rabid animal. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Four new breeds

join AKC ranks

-- Four unusual breeds have joined the roster of dogs recognized by the American Kennel Club. They are the Spanish water dog, the Cirneco dell'Etna, the Bergamasco and the Boerboel. The curly-coated Spanish water dog will join the herding group, along with the Bergamasco, an Italian sheepdog with a corded coat. The Cirneco is a hunting breed that will become a member of the hound group. The Boerboel is a large South African farm dog who will join the working group. He's a member of the mastiff family. Their addition brings the number of AKC-recognized breeds and varieties to 184.

-- The Winn Feline Foundation has awarded seven feline medical research grants totaling $111,392. The studies funded will investigate a device that allows low-stress imaging for cats in respiratory distress; treatment for a fatal tick-borne blood parasite that is seen increasingly in cats; improving the feline genome; developing a test for the silver coat color -- one of the few remaining cat colors for which there is no genetic test; effective chemotherapy for injection-site sarcomas; improving the safety of a drug used for sedation or preanesthesia; and ways to improve treatment of skin allergies and skin diseases by looking at the differences between the bacterial and fungal organisms normally found on the skin of cats compared to those found on the skin of cats with allergies.

-- Researchers are finding more and more evidence that pets can provide people with measurable health improvements. The results are seen primarily in the area of mental health, with stress relief being a major benefit. A recent review of 69 studies found evidence that human-animal interactions could lift mood and reduce stress and anxiety, perhaps by activating the hormone oxytocin, Christie Aschwanden reported last month in The Washington Post. -- 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.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Caption 01: Cat behavior is complex and interesting. Learning how cats communicate can help us better understand them. Position: Main Story

Caption 02: Pet ownership is associated with reduced stress levels, lower blood pressure and decreased risk of heart disease, studies show. Position: Pet Buzz/Item 3

CONDITION PETS GRADUALLY WHEN STARTING A NEW EXERCISE PROGRAM

If you are anything like us, one of your top New Year's resolutions is always to get (or stay) in shape. Most of us vow to eat less and exercise more, especially when we wake up on New Year's Day and realize the results of holiday excesses.

When you commit to an exercise routine, don't leave your pet behind. Our dogs (and cats) need exercise as much as or maybe even more than we do, since they have fewer opportunities to get out and do things.

Walking or running with a dog or taking up a dog sport such as agility is a great way for both of you to burn calories, but be sure you start slow and work up to long distances or greater speeds. Like people, dogs are prone to weekend warrior syndrome -- the aches, pains and injuries that come from being inactive and then overdoing exercise.

The optimal amount of exercise for dogs in terms of frequency, intensity and duration isn't known, but factors to consider when planning an exercise program for them include their size, build, fitness level, manners (do they behave nicely in public or do they need an activity that doesn't bring them in contact with other people or dogs?), and past and current orthopedic health. Taking these things into account can help to determine the best form of exercise for them and minimize the risk of orthopedic injuries.

Whether you and your dog will be walking around the block or taking up a new sport, here are our best tips for getting conditioned and avoiding injury.

-- Talk to your veterinarian about your plans. He or she can advise you about whether your dog is ready for certain activities. For instance, large or giant breeds shouldn't run on hard surfaces until their growth plates close, usually at 10 to 24 months.

-- Choose an activity that's appropriate for your dog. Denis Marcellin-Little, professor of orthopedic surgery at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, says the best way to "break" a greyhound is to engage him in jumping sports. Likewise, it's not a good idea to jog with a French bulldog (even if you could get him to consider the idea in the first place).

-- Preventing injury is critical. Know the types of injuries commonly seen in your dog's breed or body type. Cranial cruciate ligament ruptures are common in couch-potato Labrador retrievers. Herding and agility dogs tend to suffer ligament damage because they change direction frequently. Flat-coated retrievers can be prone to patellar luxation. German shepherds can have spinal problems. Search www.pubmed.org for medical problems affecting specific breeds.

-- Balance is a key factor in conditioning. Your dog (and you) should be able to adjust as needed to changes in direction or ground surfaces. Changing direction, both ways, as you jog or run is a good way to improve balance. So is walking over cavaletti rails (a series of obstacles set at certain heights or distances) or on a trampoline if you have access to one. If you teach your dog tricks or movements such as spinning or figure eights, he should learn to perform them in both directions.

-- Rest is critical. Downtime limits fatigue and prevents injuries from overuse. The body needs rest to repair tissues and replace energy.

-- What about your cat? Give him 10 to 15 minutes of activity a day in three- to five-minute sessions. It's as easy as tossing a small tennis ball down the hall for him to chase, encouraging him to climb his cat tree by placing his food on the top level, or dangling a feather toy to encourage him to jump up or bat at it.

We wish you and your pets a happy, healthy new year.

Q&A

Ear canal removal

drastic but helpful

Q: I was told when I adopted him that my cat had some benign polyps in his ear, but lately he's been scratching at it a lot. It smells bad, and I noticed some discharge, so I took him to the veterinarian. He found a tumor in the ear canal and recommends something called total ear canal ablation. It sounds really drastic. Is this a good idea? -- via email

A: Wow! That is definitely a delicate and complex surgery. Known as total ear canal ablation, or TECA, it involves complete removal of the ear canal. Cats have an L-shaped ear canal, so we can't just go in and use a long instrument to remove the tumor. There's too much risk of missing part of it. It takes some fancy handwork to avoid damaging nerves inside the ear, but the surgery can have real benefits for cats with chronic ear canal infections or tumors such as your cat has.

The first thing the surgeon considers is whether the tumor has spread into the bone of the skull. That makes it a much more difficult situation to deal with. If that's not a problem, though, then the surgeon can remove the ear canal and, if necessary, clean out the middle ear and prescribe antibiotics to treat any infection.

Your cat will still be able to hear after the ear canal is removed, although sounds will be dampened, sort of the same way they are when you wear earplugs. You may also notice that he's happier and more active because he's more comfortable.

A veterinary pathologist will biopsy the tumor to see if it is benign (harmless) or malignant (cancerous). Sometimes tumors that appear to be benign turn out to be malignant when a larger sample is submitted. -- Dr. Marty Becker and Kim Campbell Thornton

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

THE BUZZ

Inquiring minds:

2014's top pet questions

-- Got questions about your pets? Whatever they may be, chances are you turned to Google for answers. The search engine released a list of the top questions asked last year about dogs and cats. Here's what you wanted to know: Why do dogs eat grass? Do dogs dream? Why do dogs howl? Why do dogs have whiskers? Why do dogs chase their tails? How to clean dogs' ears? Why are dogs' noses wet? How to stop dogs from digging? How to introduce dogs? Why do dogs bury bones? Why do cats purr? How long do cats live? Why do cats knead? Why do cats sleep so much? Why do cats have whiskers? What does catnip do to cats? Why do cats hate water? Why do cats eat grass? Why do cats like boxes? What is a group of cats called?

-- The pharaoh hound has a sense of humor, and anyone who lives with this breed needs one as well. He'll steal your stuff and play tricks on you, all while making you laugh at his antics. The blushing breed -- he turns bright pink when he's happy or excited -- was not a companion to pharaohs, despite his name, but was probably developed on the island of Malta in the 17th century.

-- Legislation signed in New York last month by Gov. Andrew Cuomo outlaws Goth cats and tattooed Pekes. The new law, which goes into effect in April, prohibits tattooing or piercing pets, which Cuomo called "animal abuse, pure and simple." The bill was introduced in the wake of pet owners who performed the painful practices on their animals and posted pictures of them on social media or advertised them for sale. The law applies to dogs, cats and other pets, and carries punishments of up to $250 and up to 15 days jail time. Exemptions include tattoos for identification purposes and ear tags for rabbits. -- 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.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Caption 01: For dogs and people, fitness requires strength, endurance, flexibility and good cardiovascular function. Position: Main Story

Caption 02: A group of cats is called a clowder, cluster, clutter or glaring, but multiple kittens are a kindle. Position: Pet Buzz/Item 1