Include your pets in your family's preparedness plans

Tornadoes, hurricanes, fires, floods and earthquakes -- there are few places on Earth that are not vulnerable to one or more natural disasters.

We've learned from countless disasters that people often will put their own lives at risk -- and the lives of first responders as well -- if there are no options for relocating with their animal companions. Public planning now includes pets, and your own planning should, too. Here are the basics you need to know:

-- Have a plan. Prepare for all possibilities, and make sure everyone in your family knows what to do. Try to figure out now what's most likely for you and your community, and how you will respond. Where will you go? What will you take? You need to get these answers in advance. Get to know your neighbors, and put a plan in place to help each other out. Find out from local shelters and veterinary organizations -- and your family's own veterinarian -- what emergency response plans are in place and how you fit into them in case of a disaster.

-- ID your pets. Many, if not most, animals will survive a disaster. But too many will never see their families again if there's no way to determine which pet belongs to which family. That's why pets should always wear a collar and identification tags with your cellphone number and the numbers of a couple of out-of-area contacts. Better still is the additional permanent identification that can't slip off, such as a tattoo or an embedded microchip.

-- Practice preventive care. Disease follows disaster, which is why keeping a pet as healthy as possible with up-to-date vaccinations is essential. Prepare a file with up-to-date medical records, your pets' microchip or tattoo numbers, your veterinarian's phone number and address, feeding and medication instructions, and recent pictures of your animals. Trade copies of emergency files with another pet-loving friend or family member. It's a good idea for someone else to know about your pet, should anything happen to you.

-- Have restraints ready. Even normally calm pets can freak out under the stress of an emergency, especially if injured. You should be prepared to restrain your pet -- for his safety and the safety of others.

Keep leashes, muzzles and carriers ready for emergencies. The means to transport your pet shouldn't be something you have to find and pull from the rafters of your garage. Harnesses work better than collars at keeping panicky pets safe. Shipping crates are probably the least-thought-of pieces of emergency equipment for pet owners, but are among the most important. Sturdy crates keep pets safe and give you more options for housing your pets if you have to leave your home.

-- Keep supplies on hand. Keep several days' worth of pet food and safe drinking water ready to go in the event of a disaster, as well as any necessary medicines. Canned food is better in an emergency, so lay in a couple of cases, and don't forget to pack a can opener with your emergency supplies. For cats, keep an extra bag of litter on hand. And pack lots of plastic bags for dealing with waste.

-- Learn first aid. Pet-supply stores sell ready-made first-aid kits, or you can put your own together fairly easily with the help of any pet-related first-aid book or website. Keep a first-aid book with your supplies. If you check around in your community, you should be able to find a pet first-aid class to take that will give you the basic knowledge you need.

-- Be prepared to help. You may be lucky enough to survive a disaster nearly untouched, but others in your community won't be so fortunate. Check out groups that train volunteers for disaster response, and consider going through the training. Disaster-relief workers do everything from distributing food to stranded animals to helping reunite pets with their families, and helping find new homes for those animals who need them. Volunteering in a pinch is not only a good thing to do, it's also the right thing for anyone who cares about animals and people.

Q&A

Quick action can

recover pet bird

Q: A couple years ago, our cockatiel flew out the front door, and we were never able to get her back. We saw her for a couple of weeks in the neighborhood, and then she was gone. Can you suggest how we can protect against losing another? -- via Facebook

A: It can indeed be difficult to catch a bird on the wing, which is why the best strategies for preventing a pet bird from being lost forever are preventive. Have your bird microchipped. Keep his wings clipped to prevent him from flying away, and make sure everyone in the family knows to keep doors and unscreened windows closed.

Of course, hindsight is always 20/20, isn't it? But there are things you can do if your bird flies away:

-- Don't waste time. The longer your bird is out, the smaller the chance of recovery. Immediately start searching nearby. If you have some game you play that would elicit a response from your bird, start playing it. If your bird is used to responding to your whistle or call, you'll have an easier time locating him.

-- Lure your bird with his favorite treats. Even without wings, birds can climb far out of reach quickly. Gathering your bird's favorite treats may lure him back down. Put his familiar cage in an area that's easy for him to see and get to, and put treats inside with the door open. Because birds are more likely to eat at dawn and dusk, even a bird who's not immediately interested in treats may come into a familiar cage at feeding time.

-- Use the hose, cautiously. Because being sprayed by the hose is frightening and may injure the bird, don't go for this technique first. Some bird experts are dead-set against it, in fact. But a bird at large is in as much danger of dying as he is if he falls to the ground after being drenched. Using a hose is a judgment call, and you'll probably get only one chance, so play this card wisely.

Expand the search. If your immediate actions don't bring in your bird, don't give up. Put up fliers around the area and at the local bird shop, pet-supply stores, veterinarians' offices (especially avian veterinarians) and pet shelters. Post everywhere you can online as well.

Many birds are found days, weeks and months after they're lost, but they're found by people who don't know just who is looking for the pet. If you don't keep putting the word out, your bird may be lost for good, even if found. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

The eyes can be key

to decoding a parrot

-- Parrots have the ability to change the size of their pupils rapidly in a display known as "pinning" that offers vital clues to what they may do next.

People who aren't familiar with parrots are ill-prepared to avoid a nasty bite from these brilliant but sometimes mercurial beings. To key in on bird body language, watch the eyes.

Parrots flash their eyes when they're excited or when they're angry. Flashing accompanied by aggressive posturing, such as tail-fanning, signifies a bird who's bound to bite if not left alone. Even people who are familiar with parrots sometimes misread body language. Since the beaks of these birds are well-designed to cause damage, consider a parrot as one pet best admired from arm's length -- or more.

-- A researcher who has decoded the language of prairie dogs says the ability to understand dogs and cats is less than a decade away. Animal behaviorist Con Slobodchikoff, a professor emeritus at Northern Arizona University, told The Atlantic that his 30 years of work can extend to understanding other animals as well. -- Dr. Marty 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.

You don't need to work hard to care for a bearded dragon

If you want a friendly reptilian pet who's easy to care for, your choice is an easy one: You want a bearded dragon.

Beardeds are not only tame when handled, but many also seem to enjoy the contact. Even better, they're suitable for almost any pet lover or family situation -- and a great pet for a responsible child.

Bearded dragons enjoy exploring, whether crawling on their owners or around the house. They stick out their tongues to touch new surfaces to determine the temperature and makeup of the area -- a behavior that adds to their appeal.

Beardeds live to be about 10 years old and will measure 18 to 24 inches in length, including the tail. Hatchling beardeds are only about 3 1/2 inches in length, and look more like a gecko than a giant lizard species. Common colorings of the bearded are yellow and tan, though they can be found in more vibrant yellow, orange and albino.

The bearded dragon name comes from the display the pet puts on when trying to act tough. The puffed-beard display is used only defensively to scare away potential threats. Along with puffing out, beardeds also flatten out their bellies to look wider, as well as leave their rather large mouths gaping open to intimidate the potential threat.

Beardeds are quite happy to live alone in the wild, except when in search of mates. If you want more than one, however, there's no downside, since they seem to enjoy the companionship of another of their kind. Female beardeds can usually be housed with another female or male, but males should not be housed together, due to territorial aggression.

Beardeds need human help to maintain their temperature in captivity, using heat lamps or warming pads. They do well in tanks where some areas are cooler and some are warmer -- a range of 85 to 105 degrees by day, dipping into the 70s at night.

You'll also need special lighting, since these reptiles need UVB rays to properly absorb dietary calcium. A full-spectrum light should be provided 12 to 14 hours a day most of the year, and 10 to 12 hours in the winter.

Omnivores by nature, beardeds enjoy both plants and meat in their diet. Juveniles enjoy a carnivorous diet, while adults become primarily herbivores, enjoying a diet of dark, leafy vegetables and some fruit. All food given to the bearded should be shredded into easy-to-swallow, bite-size pieces. Insects should be given to adult beardeds two to three times per week. They eat mainly crickets, but also mealworms, wax moth larvae and pinkie mice in limited amounts.

Beardeds hit sexual maturity between 1 and 2 years of age, when females will start laying eggs, regardless of whether they've been mated.

Veterinary care is minimal for pets who are being properly cared for. After purchase, your bearded should be examined for health and parasites, with treatment for the latter if necessary. After that, annual examinations are recommended, to help your veterinarian understand what's "normal" for your pet, so treatment can be more targeted if there's a problem.

Q&A

Cat meet-and-greet

needs to be slow

Q: What's the best way to introduce a new cat to my current cat? -- via email

A: Having more than one cat is a popular option for many people, though not always for cats.

But living with more than one cat doesn't have to be contentious. The trick to domestic harmony for co-habiting felines is to introduce -- or reintroduce -- them slowly and carefully.

Since the worst territorial spats are between cats who aren't spayed or neutered, your chances for peaceful co-existence are many times greater if the cats are both altered before any introductions are planned.

Prepare a room for your new cat with food and water bowls, and a litter box and scratching post that needn't be shared. This room will be your new pet's home turf while the two cats get used to each other's presence.

Take your new cat to your veterinarian first, to be checked for parasites such as ear mites, and contagious diseases such as feline leukemia. When you're sure your new pet is healthy, the introductions can begin.

Bring the cat home in a carrier and set him in the room you've prepared. Let your resident cat discover the caged animal, and don't be discouraged by initial hisses. When the new cat is alone in the room, close the door and let him out of the carrier. If he doesn't want to leave the carrier at first, let him be. Just leave the carrier door open and the cat alone.

Maintain each cat separately for a week or so -- with lots of love and play for both -- and then on a day when you're around to observe, leave the door to the new cat's room open. Above all: Don't force them together. Territory negotiations between cats can be drawn-out and delicate, and you must let them work it out on their own, ignoring the hisses and glares. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Happier trips mean

cleaner car rides

-- Dogs get carsick for many reasons, including anxiety, full bellies and a lack of experience. But most puppies can outgrow car sickness if taken out regularly in the car. If you want your dog to enjoy car rides, take him to dog parks and other fun destinations. Otherwise, if all trips seem to end at the veterinary hospital, he may never think car rides are fun. Talk to your veterinarian about medications (over-the-counter or prescription) that can help if your puppy doesn't outgrow carsickness. And make sure when your pet is on the road that he's safely secured in a crate or with a harness.

-- Would you rather work out or indulge in heavy petting? According to Prevention magazine, 67 percent of us say having a pet is better for long-term health than having a personal trainer. Probably more fun, too.

-- Every healthy dog has a reflex reaction to any passing skin irritation, whether it's an insect crawling between the hairs or a fingernail giving a scratch. If nerve endings detect something that's annoying the skin, the dog's leg will automatically come up to scratch off the pest -- even if there's no pest there. The response is most pronounced if you scratch a dog on the rump near the base of the tail, along the upper part of the flanks or on the belly -- not coincidentally, places where fleas like to congregate. The "scratch reflex" is so predictable that veterinarians will use it to help with their neurological exam when spinal damage is suspected. -- Mikkel Becker and Dr. Marty 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.

When pets down dangerous substances: Some nontoxic food for thought

Your pet comes in licking his chops well before mealtime. Uh-oh. What has he gotten into?

Chances are, it's something that's not good for him. Last year, the Top 10 toxins ingested by pets were over-the-counter medications, medications prescribed for humans, insecticides, human foods that are toxic to pets, household items, veterinary medications, chocolate, plants, rodenticides and lawn and garden products.

If you find evidence or even suspect that your pet has swallowed something that could disagree with him in a serious or fatal way, the first thing to do is take a deep breath and remain calm. Then look for empty packaging or other clues as to what he might have eaten and how much.

Call the veterinarian to say that you're on your way with your pet, and why. Bring the empty or partially eaten containers, plant material or any type of label. It will help your veterinarian to know if that chocolate bar your dog ate is milk chocolate or 77 percent cocoa Belgian chocolate.

Maybe it's the middle of the night and you don't have a 24-hour veterinary hospital in your area. Call a pet poison hotline. Be prepared to describe packaging, labels or plant type and whether your dog or cat is conscious, alert, breathing normally and able to stand and walk.

Don't induce vomiting. It's not the best way to remove toxic substances from a pet's stomach, so toss out that old bottle of ipecac. Nobody recommends it anymore, for pets or kids. Instead, keep activated charcoal on hand. It acts like a sponge, absorbing what's in the stomach. Stick with plain activated charcoal, available from your drugstore or grocery store.

Toxins aren't always ingested by swallowing; some are absorbed through skin or fur. If your pet has a reaction to an insecticide or other substance, your first thought might be to bathe him to remove it, but it's smart to check with your veterinarian or the poison control hotline first. Some products become more toxic when they get wet. If you get the go-ahead to give a bath, brush your pet first to help remove the substance from the surface of the fur.

Learn about your local plants and their toxicity. Toxic plant lists don't always include regional plants. And know the origin of ornamental plants in your home or yard. Many beautiful but toxic plants come from South Africa.

Among the foods that can give pets a bellyache or worse are grapes and raisins, moldy walnuts and dairy products. Although not every dog reacts to grapes or raisins, aggressive treatment is recommended because the reaction can be severe -- renal failure -- or even fatal. Give activated charcoal immediately, and take your dog to the veterinarian right away. A good course of action is IV fluid therapy for at least 48 hours and careful monitoring of blood pressure, urine output and blood chemistry values for at least 72 hours to check for kidney failure.

Moldy foods cause a severe and potentially deadly neurologic syndrome. Signs -- including restlessness, panting, excessive salivation, tremors and seizures -- usually begin within 30 minutes of exposure. A dog doesn't even have to eat a moldy walnut; simply putting it in his mouth can cause problems. For the same reasons, toss the moldy cheese you found in the back of the refrigerator.

Lastly, in case you were wondering, wine and other alcoholic beverages are also toxic to dogs. So remember: It's a sin to let your dog dig zin.

Q&A

Fur and feathers:

Can they get along?

Q: I have pet chickens, and I'm planning on getting a dog soon. Are there any breeds I should avoid? -- via Facebook

A: With a careful introduction and consistent training, many dogs can learn to get along with chickens, especially if they are pups when they first meet the birds. But not every dog will be a good fit. Consider a dog's heritage before deciding which one to get.

Guardian and working breeds such as Great Pyrenees or Doberman pinschers can learn to protect chickens, although they might at first think of them as toys or dinner.

Retrievers and spaniels are often attracted to birds, but they are usually trainable and friendly toward other animals.

A toy dog might seem like a natural, since many aren't much bigger than chickens themselves, but they have all the same instincts as larger dogs and need just as much training and supervision to make sure they don't go after your feathered friends.

One of the non-sporting breeds -- such as a miniature poodle, keeshond or Lhasa apso -- could be a good fit, but again, consider their original purpose. A Finnish spitz or shiba inu might be a little too interested in hunting chickens.

With training and supervision, herding breeds can learn to live amicably with chickens. Without it, they are just as likely to be aggressive toward chickens as any other dog.

On the better-avoided end of the spectrum are dogs with a predatory bent: the various spitz breeds such as Siberian huskies and Alaskan malamutes, sighthounds and terriers.

Consider your chickens, too. Breeds that do best with dogs include large, heavy birds such as buff Orpingtons, barred rocks, Hampshires and Ameraucanas. Small, lightweight or fluffy chickens such as bantams, Leghorns and silkies are at greater risk of injury. -- Mikkel Becker and Kim Campbell Thornton

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

THE BUZZ

Some overweight Labs

can blame their genes

-- Your Lab's desire to eat everything he sees may be hardwired, say researchers at Cambridge University. They screened more than 300 Labradors kept as pets or assistance dogs, seeking known obesity genes. A change in a gene known as POMC was strongly linked to weight, obesity and appetite in Labs and flat-coated Retrievers. The gene in question may be involved in how the brain recognizes hunger and the feeling of being full after eating. The results of the study were published in the journal Cell Metabolism. "About a quarter of pet Labradors carry this gene," lead researcher Dr. Eleanor Raffan told the BBC.

-- Pet dealers and retailers in New York state must now provide purchasers with written instructions on housing, feeding, handling, veterinary care, sanitation and other needs of small animals, reports the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. The requirement applies to small mammals such as hamsters, chinchillas, guinea pigs, gerbils, rabbits, mice and ferrets, as well as small amphibians or reptiles -- think frogs, snakes and lizards. It does not include dogs, cats, birds, fish or feeder animals. The law appears to be the first of its kind in the country, according to the AVMA State Relations Department.

-- How do bacteria, viruses and parasites differ? Bacteria are microorganisms that exist everywhere -- on skin, on surfaces in the environment and inside the body. Most are helpful or harmless, but a tiny percentage cause serious illnesses. Antibiotics are effective against them, but bacteria are fighting back and becoming resistant. Viruses are unique organisms that possess genes, evolve and reproduce, but require a host cell to replicate. They attack various areas of the body and aren't affected by antibiotics, although some vaccines can help to prevent them. Parasites are microorganisms that rely on hosts to survive. They may or may not cause illness. -- 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.