HELP LONGER-LIVING PETS HAVE A HEALTHY, COMFORTABLE OLD AGE

Age. It gets us all in the end. But just as exercising, eating right and mental gymnastics can help humans live longer and better, the same is true for dogs and cats. We want to share the best ways to promote longevity for animals as they enter their middle and senior years.

But first, what defines a senior pet? That depends on species, breed and size. Cats tend to enter the golden years between the ages of 7 and 11. Some dogs show brain aging as early as 6 or 7 years, while others seem to remain young in heart and mind until they are 10 to 12 years old. Toy poodles and Chihuahuas are among the longest-lived breeds, and some are still bouncing around at 15 and living to be 20 or more. The important thing to remember is that every dog and cat is an individual, so the age at which they start to show physical or mental decline can vary.

To improve your pet's chances of living into old age gracefully, he needs five things: regular veterinary care, a great diet, physical exercise, social enrichment and mental stimulation. As he ages, all of these components will help him stay fit and can even improve cognition.

-- A lot of us operate on the principle "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." That might work with cars, but cats and dogs? Not so much. We often don't see what's going wrong with pets because they don't complain, and it's easy to miss subtle signs. An annual veterinary exam, or even twice a year for seniors if you can swing it financially, means that your pet is getting the once-over from your veterinarian's fresh eyes and experienced perspective. That can make all the difference in catching diseases early so they can be treated or managed more effectively.

-- Stick with your pet's normal, high-quality food if he's still healthy and active, but make sure he doesn't eat too much, especially if he's less active than he once was. If he's putting on weight, your veterinarian may recommend a lower-fat senior diet. If he's too thin, he may need a food that's higher in protein and fat. Pets with health problems such as kidney failure or heart disease may need special diets. If you're concerned about cognitive impairment, ask your veterinarian about one of the foods containing supplements that improve brain function.

-- Keep him moving, within the limits of his age and abilities. If he can't run, walk. If he can't walk as far, take shorter walks. If his mobility isn't what it once was, play gentle games indoors or in your yard.

-- Keep his brain busy. Pets need consistent mental and social stimulation. Make mealtime more challenging with a feeding maze or a toy he must move to make the food fall out. Play hide-and-seek games at home, practice his obedience skills or start training him for a sport such as nose work, which can be played by dogs of any size or age. Heck, tell him about that story you heard on NPR on the way home. He probably won't offer an opinion on it, but listening to you and interacting with you will help his brain stay limber. This type of enrichment is vital for a dog's or cat's physical, mental and behavioral health.

Most important, never assume that nothing can be done to mitigate the effects of aging. If you notice that your dog or cat seems less active or playful, is confused or starts to break housetraining when he never did before, tell your veterinarian. Those can be signs of cognitive dysfunction or a medical problem that can be treated. With treatment or environmental changes, your old pet may have a new lease on life.

Q&A

Tips to manage

a leaky dog

Q: I notice that there are wet spots on the carpet where my dog has been lying. She's 10 years old and otherwise in good health. What's going on? -- via email

A: It's not unusual for older dogs to develop what's called urinary incontinence: a failure of the bladder to securely store urine until it's released through urination. Incontinence can have several different causes, such as anatomical malformations, but most often it occurs when the urethra fails to close properly, known as urethral incompetence. We usually see it in large-breed females who are spayed, especially if they are overweight, but it can occur in any neutered dog. It can also develop in dogs as they age.

To diagnose urinary incontinence, your veterinarian will need to take a medical history and do a physical exam to make sure the problem isn't behavioral and rule out other problems, such as prostatic or urethral disease or neurologic problems. A urinalysis and urine culture can rule out a urinary tract infection.

Fortunately, this problem is easily treated with safe and effective medications. If urinary incontinence is indeed the problem, your veterinarian may prescribe a type of estrogen to enhance the urethra's ability to close by improving its smooth muscle or mechanical resistance. There's also medication that helps to tighten the sphincter muscle, increasing the bladder's control. Another management technique is to make sure your dog has plenty of opportunities to go out and urinate so that her bladder stays small. A late-night walk to give one last chance to pee before bedtime is a good idea.

Dogs being treated for urinary incontinence need regular monitoring, including a urinalysis and urine culture once or twice a year. Depending on what drug they're taking, they may need an annual blood test or a periodic blood pressure check. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Million Cat Challenge

underway with key goals

-- Shelter medicine programs at the University of California-Davis and University of Florida plan to save the lives of a million cats over the next five years. The Million Cat Challenge hopes shelters and animal control facilities will sign on to one or more of the following five initiatives: finding alternatives that will keep cats in homes or the community rather than in shelters; managing admission to correspond with a shelter's ability to provide safe, humane care; matching the number of cats in a shelter at any given time with the shelter's capacity to ensure their welfare; removing barriers to adoption; and returning healthy, unowned cats to the areas where they were trapped after sterilizing and vaccinating them.

-- Virginia has become the first state whose attorney general has formed an animal law unit. The attorney general's staff will assist local and state law enforcement and other agencies with cases involving animal welfare, animal fighting or animal abuse. "We've seen firsthand in Virginia that animal fighting is associated with other serious crimes such as drug distribution, possession of illegal alcohol or firearms, assaults and illegal gambling," says Attorney General Mark R. Herring. "There's also evidence that abuse of animals or exposure to animal abuse, especially by young people, can be predictive of future abusive or criminal behavior."

-- Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy can benefit from therapy dog visits, according to the results of a clinical trial performed at Mount Sinai Beth Israel in New York City. The patients experience increased emotional well-being and quality of life. Although that might seem obvious to any dog lover, it's the first such definitive study in cancer patients, says principal investigator Stewart B. Fleishman, M.D. "Patients said they would have stopped their treatments before completion, except for the presence of the certified Good Dog Foundation therapy dog and volunteer handler."

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: Mental and physical enrichment contribute to longer lifespans in pets. Position: Main Story

Caption 02: New shelter programs are aimed at saving cats' lives. Position: Pet Buzz/Item 1

CAN DOGS BE JEALOUS? SCIENCE SAYS, "YES."

By Kim Campbell Thornton

When we are on a walk with all three of our dogs and someone stops to pet them, Harper, our 7-year-old cavalier, pushes forward to be first. When they move on to one of the other dogs, she nudges them, as if to say, "No, pet me, pet me."

Is Harper jealous or envious of the attention received by the other dogs? The answer used to be no -- that jealousy is a complex emotion not experienced by dogs. Then University of California, San Diego psychology professor Christine Harris, working with former honors student Caroline Prouvost, decided to test whether that was actually true.

Their study, published last July in the journal PLOS ONE, found that dogs may well experience a basic form of jealousy. One of the definitions of the word "jealous" is one who is solicitous or vigilant in maintaining or guarding something. In this case, dogs may have evolved to protect social bonds from interlopers (or in Harper's case, protecting her share of attention from people and making sure other dogs don't get any).

When their owners showed affection toward another dog, the dogs in the study snapped and pushed at their owners or the rival dog, which for experimental purposes was a stuffed dog that barked, whined and wagged its tail. In contrast, they were less likely to display jealous behaviors when the owner showed interest in a novel object, such as a jack-o'-lantern bucket, or when the owner read aloud a children's book that had pop-up pages and played melodies.

Dogs were about twice as likely to push or touch owners when they interacted with the stuffed dog (78 percent) as when the owner paid attention to the bucket (42 percent). Thirty percent of the dogs tested tried to get between their owner and the stuffed dog.

"Our study suggests not only that dogs do engage in what appear to be jealous behaviors, but also that they were seeking to break up the connection between the owner and a seeming rival," Harris said. "We can't really speak to the dogs' subjective experiences, of course, but it looks as though they were motivated to protect an important social relationship."

Your response might be, "So what?" If you're a dog owner, you've probably seen your dog exhibit jealous behaviors. The research is important, though, because it adds to our knowledge of the canine brain and helps to support the growing body of research indicating that dogs have sophisticated social and cognitive abilities.

You probably know as well that pets can be jealous of more than just other dogs. Sometimes they are a roadblock in the path to true love. It's not unusual for pets to resent attention given to a new person in the owner's life, whether that's a boyfriend or a baby. They may seek more attention for themselves or even try to insert themselves between the owner and the new person. That's especially common when the pet is used to getting all the owner's attention. It's no surprise he doesn't want to compete with anyone else for it.

If your pet is jealous of the new love of your life, seek to create a love triangle -- the good kind. Have your significant other become the giver of all good things: walks, meals, treats, toys. If the new kid on the block is a baby, provide those things to the dog (or cat) in the baby's presence. In both cases, you'll be helping your pet develop a positive association with the newcomer, joining best friend to best friend. What could be better than that?

Q&A

Getting to Westminster:

star power & luck play roles

Q: I've always wondered: How do they decide which dogs get into Westminster? Do they have to be champions? -- via Facebook

A: The Westminster Kennel Club show, which is coming up Feb. 16 and 17, is considered to be the, er, top dog of canine conformation shows, thanks to its historic nature -- it first took place in 1877, making it the second-longest continuously held sporting event -- and its prime location at New York City's Madison Square Garden.

The top five dogs in each breed, as determined by the number of points they earn at shows throughout the year, receive invitations to the show. That way, the Westminster Kennel Club is assured that every breed will be represented. All the other entrants, limited to dogs who are champions or have earned at least a major (a 3-, 4- or 5-point award) in the show ring, must get there the old-fashioned way: by U.S. mail.

Entries are mailed during a three-week period in November and December. The show superintendent holds all the entries and delivers them to the Westminster Kennel Club's office on the day entries close. Westminster Kennel Club spokesman and co-host of USA Network's telecast of the show David Frei says some people write "Pick me!" on the outside of the envelope containing their entry or mail multiple entries for the same dog.

In the end, pure luck of the draw determines which of those dogs make it to the show: The entries drawn out of the pile, up to the limit of 2,800, win the dog world's version of a Golden Ticket. The remaining entries are returned. This year, the 2,711 dogs entered come from 48 states (no dogs are entered from North Dakota or Idaho), plus Washington, D.C., and 14 countries. -- Kim Campbell Thornton

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

THE BUZZ

Keep pets out of

sticky situations

-- We all know that dogs will eat just about anything. That includes Gorilla Glue, which has a sweet smell and taste. Veterinarian Jason Nicholas warns that it's not uncommon for dogs to lick up spills of the industrial-strength adhesive, leading to an emergency situation. If swallowed, even a small amount of the glue can expand, causing an obstruction that requires emergency surgery. If you keep it around the house, store it where your pet can't get to it, don't work with it in your pet's presence, and wipe up spills right away.

-- Sam Adams -- the puppy, not the patriot -- had a broken leg when he was left at a Michigan shelter. Fortunately, he benefited from a special fund that helps rescue groups save at-risk dogs and cats. The Michigan Pet Fund Alliance created the Judith Middleton Kroon Life Saving Program Fund from a bequest by an animal-loving donor, plus donations. With the grants of $100 to $200, rescue groups have greater latitude to pull senior pets or those with medical or behavior problems from shelters and provide the care or training they need until they can be placed in homes.

-- When pets need medical imaging such as an MRI, they sometimes have to go to hospitals for people because not every veterinary clinic has access to the expensive, high-tech equipment. Seeing a new opportunity for revenue, The Johns Hopkins Hospital opened the Center for Image-Guided Animal Therapy. Now pets can receive diagnostic scans more quickly and during normal working hours instead of the late nights and weekends common at facilities where people and animals share equipment. When the scanners aren't in use by pets, they can be borrowed -- for human patients. -- 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: Does your dog want to be your only valentine? He may experience jealousy when you give attention to other dogs or people. Position: Main Story

Caption 02: Lucky pup Samuel Adams has a repaired leg and a new home thanks to a grant from a fund for at-risk shelter pets. Position: Pet Buzz/Item 2

To ban stinky breath and periodontal disease, brush up on dental care

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Keeper did not want me to even lift his lip to look at his teeth, and his breath was terrible. It had been only six months since his last dental exam and cleaning, but clearly something was wrong.

Turns out that not only did he have an abscessed tooth, but dental X-rays also showed a large amount of bone resorption, a bone remodeling process that invades the tooth structure. It's normal when it involves the loss of baby or puppy teeth, but veterinarians are seeing it more often in the permanent teeth of dogs. Keeper had to have three teeth removed.

Keeper's experience is just one of the reasons that veterinarians are adding dental X-rays to the professional cleaning process. His veterinarian, Gershon L. Alaluf, DVM, explains: "When you look at a dog's teeth and see tartar, that's just the tip of the iceberg. It doesn't tell you what's going on underneath the gumline. Usually there's infection, and on dental X-rays we can see pockets of infection, plus root resorption and bone resorption."

Oral and dental disease are by far the most common problems affecting dogs and cats. By the time they are 3 years old, 80 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats have some form of gum disease. Tartar isn't just ugly; combined with bad breath, it's a signal that your pet's teeth and gums are probably infected, painful or both. Other signs include difficulty eating, constant drooling and lethargy.

Unfortunately, dogs and cats can't tell us that their mouth hurts, so all too often they go without treatment because a professional cleaning is considered cosmetic rather than medically important. But oral bacteria don't affect just the mouth. Over time, they can cause infections that enter the bloodstream and spread throughout the body, damaging organs such as the heart, liver and kidneys.

What can you do? We've said it before and we'll say it again: Brushing is the No. 1 way to help keep dental disease at bay. If you start when your puppy or kitten is young, he'll get used to it and accept it more readily.

Here are some options to prevent tooth decay if your pet says "no way" to brushing:

-- Wipe the teeth with a moist gauze pad or dental wipe. That can help to remove the plaque that hardens into tartar.

-- Ask your veterinarian about gels, rinses or sprays that contain chlorhexidine or zinc ascorbate cysteine (ZAC) compounds. The enzymes in chlorhexidine products dissolve plaque and help reduce bacteria, and ZAC compounds encourage collagen production to stimulate repair of gum tissue.

-- Lay in a supply of tartar-control chews and toys (available for dogs and cats) that contain enzymes to help reduce plaque.

-- Cut back on the daily skinny vanilla lattes and put the cost toward your pet's dental care. At $3.25 a pop, you can save more than enough over a year's time to cover the cost of a cleaning and any necessary extractions.

An annual professional cleaning that gets below the gumline -- something that can't be done with a non-anesthetic shine-up -- can help ensure that dental problems are found early and treated, which saves you money and saves your pet unnecessary discomfort. Even better, you may find that once his mouth doesn't hurt anymore, your pet is acting young again, for the first time in a long time.

Q&A

Ramp up older dog's

ability to get in car

Q: Our 11-year-old standard poodle is no longer willing to jump in and out of the backseat of my Honda CR-V. It might have something to do with him not being as agile as he used to be, but is probably more about his losing his vision due to cataracts. I'm thinking of buying a ramp for him. Do you have any advice on what to look for in one and how to teach him to use it? -- via Facebook

A: A ramp is a great idea. Look for one that's sturdy, stable and can fold up for transport. It should have a nonskid surface so your dog's paws will have something to grip, making him less likely to slip or jump off the side. If you have a trailer hitch, you can find steps that will connect to it, swinging out for use and folding up when not in use. To find products, do Web searches for "dog ramp" or "trailer hitch dog step," or check out online retailers such as Frontgate.com or Amazon.com.

Because a ramp's incline varies depending on the object it's resting on, it's easy to gradually adjust the incline as your dog learns to use it. Begin by placing the ramp on a flat, stable area where it won't slide. Lure your dog across the ramp with a treat. Give treats for putting a paw on the ramp, then for two paws. Gradually move the treat toward the middle of the ramp. The goal is to have your dog follow the treat in your hand from one end of the ramp to the other.

Once he goes across the ramp on flat ground, add a slight incline and continue practicing. Have him go back and forth, up and down. Add a verbal cue, such as "up" or "in." Soon, he should be using it like a pro. -- Mikkel Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Cat's body heat

saves baby's life

-- A Russian cat named Masha found an abandoned infant and saved his life by curling up with him to keep him warm and then meowing loudly to attract attention. Thinking the cat had been hurt, a woman went out to check on her and found the baby, who it was later determined was in good health despite his exposure to the cold. The longhaired tabby cat, who lives in the Russian city of Obninsk, doesn't belong to anyone, but people in the neighborhood feed her and watch over her. Since her heroic act, Masha has been getting lots of all her favorite foods.

-- How often should you bathe your dog? Most dogs can get by with monthly baths, but weekly is better if they spend a lot of time on your furniture or bed or suffer from environmental allergies, which are caused by absorption of dust, pollen and mites into the skin. If you use a mild shampoo and conditioner and rinse well, even a daily bath is fine.

-- Scientists who study the feline genome are looking for a few good cats to donate some DNA, not to mention funding, for the effort to sequence the genomes of 99 domestic cats. The insights already gained include discovery of the cause of polycystic kidney disease, reducing its prevalence in Persians, work toward development of drugs that could treat the condition in cats and possibly in humans, and genetic differences between domestic and wild cats. Researchers are seeking donations to help raise money for the sequencing, which costs $7,500 per cat, but DNA samples are welcome, too. Any cat and owner can participate, says geneticist Leslie Lyons of the University of Missouri in Columbia. For more information, visit felinegenetics.missouri.edu. -- 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: Dental disease left untreated is painful and may even shorten your pet's life. Position: Main Story

Caption 02: Rinse your dog thoroughly when you bathe him. Shampoo residue can cause skin irritation. Position: Pet Buzz/Item 2