Pulling a cart or wagon is bred in the bone for some breeds, but almost any dog can learn

By Kim Campbell Thornton

You've probably seen vintage photos of dogs pulling carts or wagons loaded with milk cans, large cheeses and other goods to market for farmers. Certain breeds specialized in this work, among them Bernese mountain dogs, bouviers des Flandres, great Pyrenees, greater Swiss mountain dogs, Leonbergers, Newfoundlands, Rottweilers and Saint Bernards. Dogs were less expensive to purchase and care for than horses and were sometimes referred to as "the poor farmer's horse."

Some modern dog owners, inspired by their breeds' heritage, are eager to teach their dogs to perform their traditional work. They've taken up drafting, also known as carting.

Laura Bullock of Charlotte, North Carolina, has had greater Swiss mountain dogs for nine years. "I really wanted to do all of the things that my breed is meant to do," she says. "It's something that is interesting and different and definitely challenging. It may look easy, but it's not."

Dogs who can pull a cart or wagon are popular for lots of reasons. They are crowd pleasers in parades, give rides to neighborhood kids, haul recycling bins out to the street, help bring home groceries and work as gardening assistants, pulling wagons loaded with potting soil, bark and trays of plants around the yard.

A framework of training and trust between dog and owner is necessary to be successful. Before a dog starts training for carting, he should know and respond readily to basic obedience commands, especially "stay" and "come."

Before a dog is ever put into a harness or attached to a cart, he becomes accustomed to having a cart brought behind him and learns how it feels to have the shafts of the cart touching his shoulders. Experiencing that sensation is important because as the cart turns, the shafts will touch the dog's body, so it's something he needs to be prepared for.

More advanced lessons involve learning to go in circles, back up, pull uphill, control the speed of a cart going downhill and walk across different surfaces. In a draft test, to earn a title, a dog may have to pull his cart over dirt, grass or gravel, as well as over a bridge or through a gate. He needs to learn how it feels and sounds to cross those surfaces and how to make his way through narrow spaces. As he learns, he is rewarded with toys, treats and praise.

Dogs can become accustomed to wearing a harness and being hitched to a cart at any age -- the earlier, the better -- but depending on the breed, they must be 18 months to 2 years old before they can enter a draft test to earn a title. That's to ensure that the dog's bones and joints are fully developed.

Drafting isn't limited to large breeds. Any dog of any size can learn to pull for fun, exercise or utility, although a smaller dog's loads are limited. Breeds and mixes that have learned to pull include papillons, cockapoos, Shetland sheepdogs and collies.

Before getting started, take your dog to the veterinarian. He shouldn't have any physical problems that could be made worse by the activity.

To learn more, contact a local Bernese mountain dog breed club. They often have drafting demonstrations and clinics at fun days or specialty shows so people can learn about the sport.

The benefits of carting go beyond earning titles or even doing work with it, says Kathe Vasquez, co-chair of the draft committee for the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Southern California.

"It forms a really special bond between you and your dog. When you have that partnership, that teamwork, it's really a beautiful thing."

Q&A

Excess thirst, urine

signal health problems

Q: My cat seems to be drinking a lot more water than usual. She's even started having accidents outside the litter box. I think she can't get there in time. What could be causing this? -- via Facebook

A: In vet speak, what's going on is called polydipsia and polyuria -- excessive thirst and urination. The problem is that these signs can be symptomatic of any number of diseases. It can be really frustrating for veterinarians and owners to try to figure out the cause. Diseases that cause these signs include diabetes, kidney failure and hyperthyroidism, to name just a few.

The differential diagnosis -- a term you may know from medical detective shows such as "House M.D." -- involves a good history first. The veterinarian will want to know how long your cat has been drinking lots of water and whether you've noticed if she's urinating more frequently (pollakiuria) or going a normal number of times but producing greater amounts of urine (polyuria). Other questions may include what you feed your cat, whether you've noticed any changes in eating habits or unusual weight loss and whether you're giving her any medications or supplements.

A physical exam and lab tests are also part of the search for answers. A complete blood count, urinalysis and thyroid test are among the lab work your veterinarian may order. They can help to check such things as kidney and liver values, thyroid hormone levels, abnormal electrolyte levels and excess sugar in the urine. Again, there are many potential causes of these signs, so a veterinary visit is a must. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Best workplaces

for pet lovers

-- We've all heard of the Fortune 500 -- the 500 most profitable U.S. companies. Well, here's a more important ranking for pet lovers: the pet-friendly 12, a dozen companies that offer perks to pet-loving employees. They run the gamut: allowing owners to bring dogs to work and providing pet insurance, discounts for doggie daycare, pet supplies, financial assistance for pet adoptions and free pet health screening days. The "purr-ty" dozen are Genentech, Kimpton, Atlantic Health, VMWare, Salesforce, Mars, Google, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Autodesk, GoDaddy, Workday and Activision Blizzard.

-- Thanks to social media, we're seeing lots more photos and videos of cats getting baths or playing in water. You were probably under the impression that cats did a perfectly fine job of grooming themselves, but there are times when a bath can be beneficial. If someone in your family is allergic to cats, a weekly bath (for the cat) can help to keep dander levels low, reducing the person's reaction. Cats also need baths if they get into something sticky or that would be toxic for them to lick off themselves.

-- "Who rescued whom?" The popular bumper sticker is seen on numerous cars, but for Eric O'Grey, it's more than an expression. When his doctor told him he would be dead in five years if he didn't lose weight, he consulted a nutritionist and took her advice to adopt a shelter dog. He chose a middle-aged, overweight dog named Peety, and the two started walking. Within a year, O'Grey had lost 140 pounds and Peety 25. Their story was turned into a video, the kickoff for a contest called the Mutual Rescue initiative, in which people can share stories of how a shelter animal changed their lives. Contact the Humane Society of Silicon Valley for more information. Entry deadline is April 30. -- Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton and Mikkel Becker

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.

Not so fast. Going nuclear with antibiotics can cause bigger problems than it solves

By Kim Campbell Thornton

What's the first thing you do when you're feeling sick or your pet has diarrhea? Is it to ask your doctor or the veterinarian to prescribe antibiotics to knock down whatever it is quickly?

That's a common request in human and veterinary medicine, but it's not necessarily the right one. From urinary tract infections to dental disease, antibiotics seem to be the easy answer, but their overuse in animals and humans is creating resistant bacteria. Instead of being killed off by the drugs, bacteria continue to multiply, becoming stronger than ever. That makes them ever more difficult to treat. And oftentimes, they're not even necessary.

"Lots of ailments that we see are caused by viruses, which antibiotics won't do anything for," says Tony Johnson, DVM, an emergency and critical-care specialist. "Lots of ailments that we see are going to go away on their own without antibiotics. We prescribe antibiotics for things that there's absolutely no need for. If a dog gets hit by a car and doesn't have a mark on it, he doesn't need antibiotics. If a dog has a cut less than the size of a dime, it'll heal on its own; he doesn't need antibiotics. Veterinarians are as guilty of this as the general public."

A review of antibiotic use in dogs, published in June 2011 in the Journal of Small Animal Practice, found that there was a confirmed infection in only 17 percent of the prescriptions. In 45 percent, infection was suspected; for instance, the patient had an open wound or discharge from the eyes or nose. In 38 percent, there was no documented evidence of infection. In those cases, the antibiotics were often given for "preventive" reasons, such as after surgery.

A better practice is to culture the skin, blood, urine or other tissue to confirm an infection and pinpoint the type of bacteria causing it. That allows the most appropriate antibiotic to be prescribed.

"If we see a big, infected wound or if we have a dog with pneumonia, we can culture that, find out what the bug is and what antibiotic will specifically target it, as opposed to using an overly broad-spectrum antibiotic that isn't needed," Dr. Johnson says.

But cultures can be expensive. While the cost of a culture is often worth it, not everyone is willing or able to pay for it.

That leaves veterinarians guessing at the best way to proceed. If they guess incorrectly, the dog or cat is in discomfort longer than necessary, and they are potentially contributing to the problem of bacterial resistance to antibiotics.

What's the answer? The World Health Organization and other institutions are calling for antibiotic stewardship: using the drugs only in cases with a definite diagnosis, ruling out viral and fungal infections, parasites and other conditions that don't respond to antimicrobial therapies.

For instance, antimicrobials aren't indicated for viral upper respiratory infections such as feline herpesvirus or canine influenza unless they are accompanied by secondary bacterial infections. Most cases of feline lower urinary tract disease don't involve bacterial infection. Treatments such as a change in diet or stress relief techniques are more effective. And some wounds may simply require cleaning with a topical antiseptic solution.

"If your dog or cat or child is not in pain and it's not life-threatening, let their body deal with it, whatever it is," Dr. Johnson says. "Antibiotics are a very powerful tool, and they save lives, so you don't want to not use them when necessary, but the main thing to understand is that they are not a cure-all."

Q&A

Lyme disease affects

dogs and humans

Q: Do dogs get Lyme disease? I have always heard that they don't, so why is there a canine vaccine for it? -- via email

A: That's an interesting question with a complex answer. The short version is that yes, dogs can get Lyme disease from the bite of an infected tick. We see clinical signs in approximately 10 percent of infected cases, according to my colleague, Richard E. Goldstein, an internal medicine specialist at New York City's Animal Medical Center. He spoke on Lyme disease in dogs recently at the North American Veterinary Conference in Orlando, Florida.

Now, 10 percent might not seem like much, but if you look at the numbers, Lyme disease is pretty common. Even if most dogs don't show signs, the infection rate is 50 percent to 75 percent in some areas of the Northeast. Clinical signs in 10 percent of those dogs is a lot of dogs.

It can take two to five months after infection for a dog to show signs, such as lameness, lethargy and fever. They may last for approximately three days, and the arthritis and fever are usually treatable.

In more serious -- but fortunately, less common -- cases, dogs can develop a type of kidney disease called Lyme nephritis, which is often fatal, even in young, healthy dogs, as well as myocarditis -- inflammation of the heart muscle -- and neurological disease. And in many, if not most, dogs, the bacteria are the unwanted guests who never leave, even in the face of antibiotic treatment.

Good tick control is the first line of defense against Lyme disease in dogs. Vaccination alone isn't enough. If you live in an area where the disease is endemic, talk to your veterinarian about your dog's risk level, the prevalence of the disease and whether vaccination is appropriate for your dog. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

First White House pets

were dogs and horses

-- Pets have made themselves at home in the White House since the very beginning. The nation's second president, John Adams, was the first to take up residence there, and of course the family dogs accompanied him and his wife, Abigail, to their new digs. The Adams family had several mixed-breed dogs, including two named Satan and Juno, according to the Presidential Pet Museum. Of Juno, the First Lady wrote to her granddaughter: "You will be glad to learn that Juno yet lives, although like her mistress she is gray with age."

-- Since 2008, it has been a federal felony to sponsor, exhibit, buy, sell, deliver, possess, train or transport an animal for participation in animal fighting, a crime punishable by a five-year prison term and a $250,000 fine. But until recently, spectators at dogfights got off lightly. In 24 states, the act of attending a dogfight is only a misdemeanor, carrying penalties of a small fine and no jail time. With passage of the Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act, included in the 2014 Farm Bill, it is now a federal misdemeanor to knowingly attend a fight as a spectator and a federal felony to bring a minor under the age of 16 to a dogfight or cockfight.

-- Do you think his friends call him "metal mouth"? Wesley, a golden retriever puppy, is sporting braces after his owner, Molly Moore, noticed that he was having trouble eating and was losing weight. She brought the problem to the attention of her father, Jim Moore, an associate professor of oral surgery at Michigan State University's College of Veterinary Medicine. Moore realized Wesley's mouth didn't close properly and was causing pain. The braces will alleviate the problem in plenty of time for Molly's wedding next year. Maybe she'll have a canine ring bearer. -- Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton and Mikkel Becker

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.

Spring blooms can be beautiful but deadly to pets. Here's what you should know

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Lilies have been associated with rebirth and renewal for millennia. Ancient Romans believed that lilies sprang up when the goddess Juno spilled milk while she was nursing the baby Hercules. Lilies also represent the renewal symbolized by Easter. For cat lovers, though, lilies mean just the opposite. Every part of them -- pollen, flowers, leaves, stems, even the water in which they're placed -- is deadly to felines.

What is it about lilies that make them so toxic to cats?

"That is the million-dollar question," says Tina Wismer, DVM, a veterinary toxicology specialist who is medical director of the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center. "There was a researcher at Michigan State who was looking into the toxic component. He was able to find that it is throughout the plant, but couldn't quite characterize it."

When it comes to toxicity, cats are special -- in a bad way. They are uniquely susceptible to certain plants, medications and other substances. Dogs, for instance, may simply get a little stomach upset if they eat lily flowers, but cats can develop kidney failure if not treated within the first 18 hours after ingestion. They need intravenous fluids for 48 hours to help flush the toxins from the body. Cats treated after the 18-hour time frame don't do as well and may even die.

"The toxin kills off some of the cells that line the urine tubules in the kidneys, so that debris from the dead cells plugs up the kidneys," Dr. Wismer says. "As long as you keep the fluids going and keep that debris from building up, then we have a good prognosis."

How does lily toxicity occur? A typical call that APCC receives at this time of year involves a man sending flowers to a woman.

"In the bouquet many times are gorgeous stargazer lilies, and these are highly toxic to cats," Wismer says. "The owner gets home, finds that the cat has chewed on the bouquet and for a couple of days the cat gets to spend time in the hospital."

If you have lilies in your home or yard -- which we don't recommend -- signs of trouble you may notice include pollen on your cat's face, vomiting and pieces of the plant in the vomit. The kidneys start shutting down after the first 12 to 24 hours. At first, that causes increased thirst and urination, but within two to three days, cats stop making urine.

Dogs have their own issues with different plants. While cats usually prefer to nibble on foliage and flowers, dogs may go all the way to the other end of the plant. Bulbs such as daffodils, hyacinths and tulips are toxic to them. If your dog likes to "help" you garden, he can be at risk if he digs up and eats the bulbs of those flowers. The petals cause only mild stomach upset in dogs and cats, but the bulb itself can cause bloody vomiting, bloody diarrhea and low blood pressure.

Certain dog breeds can be more at risk. No one who is familiar with them will be surprised to learn that one breed in particular gets into trouble from eating bulbs.

"Labradors keep us in business here at poison control," Wismer says.

Dogs who dig up bulbs may be attracted by the bone meal that some gardeners place beneath the bulb to help nourish it. Dogs eat the bulb on their way to the bone meal.

"If you're going to plant bulbs in areas that your dogs have access to, don't use bone meal," Wismer says.

Want to send a cat-loving friend a bouquet? Ask the florist to send one that's pet-safe. That way you don't end up in the, er, dog house.

Q&A

Why do dogs

eat grass?

Q: My dog loves to eat grass. She grazes so frequently that we have taken to calling her our little cow dog. Luckily, she doesn't vomit it up. Why do dogs do this, and can it be harmful? -- via email

A: Your dog isn't alone. I've met many dogs who enjoy nibbling on the green stuff with no ill effect. In most cases, eating small amounts of grass is a perfectly normal and acceptable behavior for dogs.

Dogs who frequently eat a lot of grass and then throw it up may benefit from a veterinary visit. A physical exam may bring to light the cause of an upset stomach, but sometimes we need further diagnostics. Blood work, a urinalysis and a stool sample to check for parasites can turn up problems that might relate to grass-eating.

Some dogs may eat grass because their body is seeking some nutrient that's not available in their diet. Dogs are individuals, so some may have nutritional needs that are met with a little serving of grass.

Can grass be harmful? Well, pets can ingest parasite eggs when they eat it, but as long as you give your dog parasite preventive regularly, that shouldn't be a problem. And, naturally, your dog should never nibble on grass that has been treated with herbicides, pesticides or other chemicals. Ingesting those substances isn't good for any dog, of course, but certain breeds -- Scottish terriers, Shetland sheepdogs, beagles, West Highland white terriers and wirehaired fox terriers -- have a higher incidence of invasive transitional cell carcinoma, the most common cancer of the urinary bladder in dogs. That type of cancer has been linked to exposure to lawns treated with pesticides, insecticides and herbicides.

Dogs eat grass for lots of reasons, and the truth is, we don't always know why. In your dog's case, she may simply enjoy a nice salad once in a while. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

More support for health

benefits of dog ownership

-- Many people refer to special canine companions as "heart dogs," and new research has found that the description might refer to more than just a tight emotional bond. Oregon State University students presented research last fall to the Gerontological Society of America showing that older dog owners have significantly lower levels of systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading) than people who don't own dogs. The research, which hasn't been published yet, looked at a nationwide group of 1,570 participants who were at least 60 years old. That's a larger representative sample than most such studies.

-- If you don't see enough pictures of cats on the Internet, be sure not to miss Cat Art Show LA 2 from March 24 to 27 at Think Tank Gallery in downtown Los Angeles. The exhibit drew thousands of visitors when it debuted in 2014 and will feature the works of more than 70 artists. Curator Susan Michals asked artists to depict what cats meant to them: "ally, domestic partner, enemy, frenemy, allergic reaction or guru." All of the artwork will be available for sale, and a portion of the proceeds will go to Kitten Rescue Los Angeles. Admission is free.

-- A cat who apparently had enough of the Wisconsin winter escaped from her home and was found two months later -- thanks to her microchip -- in sunny Naples, Florida. No one knows how Nadia made the 1,484-mile journey, but owner Cheri Stocker speculates that the gray cat may have hitched a ride on a semi at a nearby business. A Naples woman found Nadia and asked a friend to take her to Collier County Domestic Animal Services, where she was scanned for a microchip. Two women volunteered to fly the cat home from her vacation. No word on whether she got a tan. -- Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton and Mikkel Becker

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.