Their keen senses, curiosity and observational skills make dogs and cats perfect partners in the fictional pursuit of crime

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Cozy or noir? Thriller or mystery? Talking cat or working dog?

Whatever your poison in literary murder and mayhem, there's a book for you. And chances are good that a dog or cat is a character in his own right, either as a four-footed detective or as a sidekick to a human protagonist. Think Lilian Jackson Braun's Siamese sleuths Koko and Yum Yum, who first made an appearance some 50 years ago; or feline Mrs. Murphy, her Persian nemesis Pewter and their corgi buddy Tee Tucker in the Mrs. Murphy series by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown.

Editors and agents used to tell authors that a "pet viewpoint" worked only for children's books, but from Braun on, writers have proven them wrong.

"It takes having a well-known and successful 'name' author to take the plunge and show it's something readers like before it becomes a trend," says Amy Shojai, author of three thrillers featuring German shepherd service dog Shadow. "James Rollins (a veterinarian-turned-writer) was one of the first best-selling thriller authors to include an animal viewpoint in his work, with a war dog partnered with an ex-military man. Robert Crais followed with a similar war dog-type character partnered with a damaged-cop character."

In her own series, Shojai, drawing on her background as a behavior consultant, wanted a viewpoint dog character with some chapters told from his perspective.

"Not as a human-in-a-fur-suit, but as I perceived a dog might truly think and behave and with motivations suitable to a canine," she says.

Shojai's fellow author Clea Simon has written 20 mysteries, all featuring cats. Simon began her career as a journalist, and along the way she realized she could combine her love of writing with her interest in and appreciation for cats. Her third nonfiction book, "The Feline Mystique," explored the relationship between women and cats.

"That was sort of the kickoff for my cat-related mysteries," she says.

At first, Simon went the traditional route. In her first series, featuring music journalist Theda Krakow and her cat Musetta, cats didn't talk -- at least, not in English.

"But after that, I realized that we all talk to our pets, and we all imagine how our animals respond," she says.

That led her to explore different ways of including a cat's viewpoint. One is her Dulcie Schwartz mystery series, which lead with the information that the character's cat, Mr. Gray, has died. He returns to her as a friendly ghost who is a comforting and wise presence.

Simon's newest mystery, "The Ninth Life," is narrated by a feral black cat who is saved from drowning by a homeless girl. It's a dark tale with a mean-streets vibe, a transition from the cozy, amateur-sleuth territory of her first books. In both instances, Simon explores her interest in the relationship between people and cats.

If you read Shojai or Simon -- or other authors who include animals in their plots -- it's not unusual to find arcana about dog shows, training or animal behavior. Many writers find their work to be a way of delving into some of the issues or controversies surrounding animals. Shojai covered dog fighting in her latest, "Show and Tell," and Simon addressed animal hoarding in "Mew Is for Murder" and puppy and kitten mills in "Cattery Row."

"One of the rules I live by, though, is that I could never seriously hurt or kill an animal in a book," Simon says.

Shojai is on the same page.

"I don't write dog abuse scenes," she says. Instead, she highlights the setting, fight paraphernalia and laws and issues surrounding the crime.

What's the pleasure in reading a mystery with purr-sonality or canine charisma?

"I think mysteries that feature or involve animals mirror real life," Shojai says. "Readers identify with the hero of the book who cares deeply about a pet."

Q&A

Wash pet dishes

in hot, soapy water

Q: How often do I have to clean my pets' dishes? Can I just give them a quick swish with hot water? And what types of dishes are best? -- via Facebook

A: Much as I'd like to save you some time in your kitchen cleanup routine, a hot water rinse isn't enough to sanitize your dog or cat's dishes. A pet's food and water bowls should be cleaned thoroughly in hot, soapy water after every use, just as you would with your own dishes.

Not many of us love washing dishes by hand, although some people say they find it relaxing. You can run your pets' dishes through the dishwasher. Use the sanitize or high-temperature cycle. For pathogens to meet a steamy death, the water temperature inside the dishwasher must reach and stay at a minimum of 155 degrees Fahrenheit. The other bonus to using the dishwasher is that it's a water saver. According to a study from the University of Bonn in Germany, dishwashers use less water and require less energy than washing dishes by hand.

That said, I believe you should wash pet dishes separately from dishes used by human family members. I think this is especially important if you have young children, seniors or people with compromised immune systems living in your home. They are most susceptible to bacteria such as salmonella, MRSA and leptospira, which can be spread between animals and humans. Washing dishes separately adds an extra barrier to transmission.

I usually recommend stainless steel or ceramic dishes. They are both long-lasting and easy to clean, but ceramic dishes are prone to breakage. If bowls become chipped, replace them. Bacteria can hide out in the broken areas. Battered plastic dishes can also harbor bacteria, and that can lead to chin acne or other skin problems in cats and dogs. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

New flu strain

can affect cats

-- Cats as well as dogs can become ill from a new strain of canine influenza (H3N2) virus, according to experts at the Shelter Medicine Program at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine. "Suspicions of an outbreak in the cats were initially raised when a group of them displayed unusual signs of respiratory disease," says Sandra Newbury, DVM, the program's director. "While this first confirmed report of multiple cats (at an animal shelter in Indiana) testing positive for canine influenza in the U.S. shows the virus can affect cats, we hope that infections and illness in felines will continue to be quite rare."

-- Just how smart are dogs? More than we give them credit for, scientists say. The average dog's intelligence is estimated to be at the same level as that of a 2.5-year-old toddler -- in other words, curious and creative. Among the discoveries researchers have made in their studies of canine intelligence are the ability to read human cues, show emotional connection to their owners, display jealousy and learn hundreds of words. Vox reporter Joseph Stromberg says, "It's likely that these abilities have been shaped by evolution -- over thousands of years, we've selected those dogs best adapted to live with humans."

-- When Australian veterinarian Tristan Rich removed a brain tumor from the head of a 9-year-old goldfish, the complicated surgery involved three buckets of water, two of them containing anesthetic. The amount in the first bucket rendered Bubbles unconscious, allowing Dr. Rich and his team to run a tube from the maintenance bucket into Bubbles' mouth so the water could wash over his gills. They then removed the tumor, sealed the incision with tissue glue, and placed Bubbles into the "recovery" bucket, where he received oxygen, pain relievers and antibiotics. Now Mr. Bubbles is swimming pretty. -- 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.

What you don't know about heartworm disease can hurt your dog or cat

By Kim Campbell Thornton

You've probably seen a dusty jar of long, spaghettilike worms in your veterinarian's office. They're heartworms (Dirofilaria immitis), and they are deadly to dogs and cats. The internal parasites make themselves at home in the heart and lungs, causing heart failure and lung disease and potentially migrating to the brain, eye and spinal cord. Here are seven things you might not know about heartworm disease:

1. Heartworms are transmitted by more than 70 species of mosquitoes. Some of these mosquitoes don't need standing bodies of water to reproduce. They thrive in small areas, such as downspouts, gutters and flowerpots and adapt well to cold weather.

2. The incidence of heartworm disease is rising. Between 2013 and 2015, the Companion Animal Parasite Council saw a 166 percent increase in reported positive heartworm cases. That's because nationwide, only about 35 percent of dogs are on preventive medication, says C. Thomas Nelson, DVM, who practices in Anniston, Alabama, and is a spokesperson for the American Heartworm Society. On the West Coast, it's only 16 to 18 percent. In the Southeast, where heartworms are especially prevalent, it's about 26 percent.

3. Heartworm disease has been found in pets in all 50 states. "Owners carry their dogs with them a lot," says parasitologist John W. McCall, Ph.D., professor emeritus in the department of infectious diseases at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. "They go from the north to the south, and they just don't really think that they're going into an area where there's mosquitoes. Many owners don't even know heartworm is transmitted by mosquitoes."

4. Cats can get heartworm disease. They are not as susceptible as dogs, but the worms can cause more serious problems in cats. Larvae in the lungs lead to what's called heartworm-associated respiratory disease (HARD), which has signs similar to feline asthma. It's worse if worms manage to develop to the adult stage.

"The clinical signs associated with the presence of a couple of adult worms in the cat's pulmonary artery are usually very severe, ranging from acute respiratory distress to sudden death as a result of severe inflammation and pulmonary embolism," says Romain Pariaut, DVM, an internal medicine specialist and associate professor of cardiology at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in Ithaca, New York.

5. Preventive medication is recommended year-round for dogs and cats in all areas. One reason is because mosquitoes are more widespread. Another is that longer bouts of warm weather and shorter bouts of cold weather mean mosquitoes are seen year-round in most areas.

6. Heartworms are becoming resistant to preventive products. Bacteria, viruses and parasites such as heartworms eventually become resistant to drugs used against them, McCall says. The current drugs have been used for almost 30 years.

"We don't really know how much of a problem it is," he says, "but the longer we use the products, the more likely it is to occur."

7. Experts recommend combining preventive with a dog-safe mosquito repellent. Even though preventive medication is highly effective, it's not failproof, especially in areas where heartworms have become resistant. Based on a study McCall did using Vectra 3D, which repels and kills mosquitoes, combining heartworm preventive with the topical parasiticide was 100 percent effective in blocking transmission of microfilariae (immature heartworms) from dogs to mosquitoes -- a necessary part of the heartworm lifecycle -- and more than 95 percent effective in repelling and killing mosquitoes for 28 days after treatment.

"If the dog is treated, the mosquito can't bite the dog and it can't transmit the infective larvae to the dog," McCall says. "It will pretty much keep the dog protected, even when there's a high degree of resistance." The product is not safe for use on cats, but cats who live with dogs who are protected share the benefit.

Q&A

Fever can have

many causes

Q: My dog had her teeth cleaned, and all went well with a couple of extractions. A week or so later, she wouldn't eat, and when we took her to the vet, she had a 104-degree fever. We tried a couple of different antibiotics, which didn't reduce the fever, so we were referred to a specialty hospital. They tested for everything, and she wasn't getting better. The vets kept her overnight and gave her fluids and super antibiotics, but she would not consistently eat and every test came back negative.

Long story short -- and $10,000 later -- my vet took an X-ray of her mouth and discovered an abscess in the jaw. He removed the tooth, cleaned out the abscess, gave her antibiotics and away she went. Why is it so hard to find the cause of a fever like this? -- via email

A: What an ordeal! I really feel for you. I can tell you that it's a real diagnostic puzzle when fever is the only significant sign on examination. My colleague Kenneth R. Harkin, an internal medicine specialist at Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine, spoke on this subject in January at the North American Veterinary Conference in Orlando, Florida. He says that figuring out the cause of a fever of unknown origin -- also called a cryptic fever -- becomes challenging when routine diagnostic tests don't pinpoint the problem.

As you discovered, the cost of testing (and hospitalization) can skyrocket as veterinarians seek other answers. Inflammation is the most common cause of fevers, Dr. Harkin says. Among the many possible inflammatory or infectious diseases that could cause fever are acute pancreatitis, pyelonephritis, lupus, immune-mediated polyarthritis and leptospirosis. Dogs with a recently discovered heart murmur may have bacterial endocarditis. Certain cancers can cause fever as well, including lymphoma, leukemia and liver cancer. All of these can be easily missed because abnormalities in the lab work can be subtle.

I'm glad your dog's fever was successfully resolved. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

More retirement

homes permit pets

-- TigerPlace, a retirement community in Columbia, Missouri, is a pet lover's dream. Residents can keep their animals with them and benefit from an animal care staff that helps walk, feed and care for the pets as needed. Allowing pets and providing pet-care services is a growing trend at retirement communities. TigerPlace, with 90 residents, is operated in collaboration with the Sinclair School of Nursing at the University of Missouri. Rebecca Johnson, director of the Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction at MU's College of Veterinary Medicine, says pets encourage people to walk, decrease loneliness and promote social interactions with other people.

-- Prehistoric best friend? Scientists in Siberia are studying the mummified remains -- including skin, hair, internal organs and stomach contents -- of two unusually well-preserved puppies thought to have died in a landslide more than 12,000 years ago. Amazingly, the brain of one is intact, the first-ever completely preserved brain of a Pleistocene canid. DNA tests on the first puppy, found five years ago, confirm dog rather than wolf ancestry, but the genetic makeup of ancient dogs and wolves is similar. The pups' genomes will be further evaluated in the hope of learning more about canine domestication and evolution.

-- A veterinarian at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine is working with physicians to test a new delivery method for a canine melanoma vaccine, according to an article by David Wahlberg in the Wisconsin State Journal. David Vail, DVM, is testing a modified tattoo gun with multiple punctures, which may induce a stronger immune reaction than a single injection. The canine melanoma vaccine, an immunotherapy approach that works to prevent the skin cancer from spreading, was approved in 2010 and is currently injected intramuscularly. If the new approach works in pet dogs, it could also benefit humans. -- 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.

Feline obesity is out of control. Here's how to get your cat back on track to a healthy figure

By Kim Campbell Thornton

When we at Pet Connection say "fat cats," we're not talking Wall Street bankers. The percentage of cats considered to be overweight (10 to 19 percent greater than ideal weight) or obese (20 percent or greater than ideal body weight) has reached a whopping 58 percent, according to a survey by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention.

That makes excess weight the No. 1 nutritional disorder in cats. Carrying too many pounds is linked to a number of feline health problems. Obese cats are more likely to suffer a liver disease called hepatic lipidosis; feline urinary tract disease; diabetes; lameness; complications from anesthesia; and non-allergenic skin conditions.

What's the skinny on the increase in tubby tabbies? It may be as simple as a lack of recognition of what a healthy cat looks and feels like. A study published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery in 2010 found that nearly 34 percent of owners underestimated their cats' body condition score.

Body condition scores rank cats on a 5-point scale, with 1 being emaciated, 2 thin, 3 ideal, 4 heavy and 5 grossly obese. In a hands-on test, it should be easy to feel a cat's ribs and other prominent bones using light pressure. If your cat falls into category 4 or 5, it's time to institute a kitty weight loss plan to help him regain a slim, trim figure.

Start with a veterinary exam to rule out medical problems that might be causing the weight gain. A weigh-in establishes current weight so a goal weight can be determined.

Your first thought might be to cut back on the amount of food you give, but that just leads to a cat who is hungry and unhappy. A different food may be a better option.

Feeding a diet that swaps out carbohydrates for proteins appears to be useful for weight loss, says Margie Scherk, DVM, speaking on feline weight management at the World Feline Veterinary Conference in San Diego, California, last October. And be aware that even 10 extra pieces a day of kibble formulated for normal weight maintenance can cause a cat to gain a pound in a year. Measure food and give it at regular mealtimes instead of free feeding.

Diet is a big part of helping cats lose weight, but getting them moving is important, too. You might not be able to take your cat jogging or get him to walk on a treadmill, but there are plenty of creative ways to add exercise to your pet's life and at the same time provide a more stimulating environment.

An easy way to keep him moving while you're gone during the day is to divide the amount of food he receives daily into six or seven portions. Place each portion in a small container, and hide them throughout the house. Mix up your hiding places so he has to work to find his food each day.

Interactive play is also important. Use toys to encourage him to walk and run around the house. Your cat is a predator, so focus on his love of stalking and chasing. Cats have short attention spans, so playtime of two to five minutes a few times a day is plenty. Since cats are nocturnal, you may find that he is more interested in being active after the sun goes down.

Introduce exercise gently and gradually. Cats who are overweight or obese can injure their joints if they do too much too quickly.

Most important, remember that prevention is best when it comes to obesity. Weight gain is more likely after cats turn 2 years old, so don't let them become sedentary as they mature. That's a heck of a lot easier than trying to change their eating habits or food after they have put on too many pounds.

Q&A

Dog won't stop

humping mom

Q: We have a 4 1/2-year-old neutered English springer spaniel who humps my mother. There are two other adults in the house, but he humps only her. Any ideas as to why this would be? -- via email

A: This is one of those embarrassing and common dog behaviors that none of us enjoys. The first thing to know is that humping is normal dog behavior. Dogs hump for three main reasons: to get attention, in play and in response to stress and anxiety.

Your dog may be seeking attention from your mother, he may be excited that she's visiting (if she doesn't live there) or she may have never let him know that it's not acceptable behavior. You need to let him know that his behavior is unacceptable, and teach him an alternative behavior for which he can be rewarded.

Dogs who hump a leg or climb on an arm to hump are often seeking attention. When people laugh, look at them or even tell them to stop, they've gotten a response for their behavior.

If this is how your dog behaves toward your mother, the best thing she can do is to remove her attention altogether. Look the other way, stand up and walk away. You can also remove him yourself. Don't yell, but in a neutral manner take him away and give him a brief timeout of one to three minutes.

The lesson for your dog is that humping puts an end to any attention he might receive. Teach him instead to sit, shake or perform some other activity in her presence. Then she can reward him for acceptable behavior. Even better, pay attention so you can distract him and ask him to perform a command or trick before he begins this unwanted behavior. -- Mikkel Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Cats don't thrive

on veggie diet

-- Can cats be vegetarian or vegan? That depends on how long you want to have a cat, says Kristi Krause, DVM, a board-certified specialist in feline medicine. Cats, with their claws and teeth made for taking down and eating meat, are obligate carnivores, meaning they require certain proteins that can be obtained only from meat. Supplements don't contain enough of the essential amino acids cats need to thrive and survive. Cats who eat a diet that's not meat-based can develop vitamin and mineral deficiencies that affect bone and muscle development; an enlarged heart from lack of taurine; and vision problems.

-- Until recently, neuroscientists believed that neurons such as the eye's photoreceptor cells did not regenerate after being damaged. But new findings from researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine showed that in certain forms of early canine blindness, photoreceptor cells in the retina continued to divide when puppies were between 7 and 14 weeks old. Further research will focus on genes involved in turning cells on to divide, in the hope of developing a therapy to interfere with cell death and retinal degeneration. It could eventually help not only dogs, but also people with similar disorders.

-- Rabbits are an age-old symbol of fertility, and for good reason. The furry breeding machines can produce six or more litters a year, with each litter containing five to eight kits (what baby rabbits are called). Do the math: That's at least 30 to 48 baby bunnies per year. During their breeding season, which runs from February to September, female rabbits are constantly pregnant. They can become pregnant again within 24 hours of giving birth. To prevent unwanted pregnancies, spay or neuter rabbits ASAP; they reach sexual maturity between 3 and 6 months of age. -- 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.