The secrets behind four weird and wonderful things dogs do

Andrews McMeel Syndication

We humans love our dogs, and they’ve been our companions for thousands of years. But despite that age-old relationship, there are still things dogs do that make us scratch our heads and say, “Hmm.” Let’s take a look at some of those behaviors to discover the secrets that lie behind them.

-- Why do dogs eat grass? We get this one a lot. There are lots of theories about this behavior. One is that dogs who eat it are trying to overcome stomach upset by making themselves vomit. Another is that grass contains nutrients that perhaps are lacking in the dog’s diet. We happen to think that dogs eat grass because they like it. Haven’t you ever chewed on a blade of grass on a hot summer day?

For the most part, there’s nothing wrong with dogs eating grass. Two possible drawbacks are that they ingest parasite eggs with their “salad,” or that they come inside and vomit it up on your favorite carpet.

-- Why do dogs lick so much? Dogs love to lick us and themselves. Sometimes they lick fabrics such as carpet or upholstery. Our salty skin tastes delicious, and our aroma, especially if we’re sweaty, is a delight to a dog’s nose. Dogs get attention when they lick us, whether it’s a giggle or a “Yuck” as they swipe a tongue across our face. Dogs don’t care. They just like that we’re talking to them. Licking also brings dogs a physiological reward: the pituitary gland in the brain releases hormones called endorphins that relieve pain and generate good feelings.

Licking can also be a sign of a health problem. Dogs who lick themselves excessively may be suffering from allergies that cause them to itch. When dogs lick their bowls frantically or turn their tongues to carpet or upholstery, it’s a good idea to take them to the veterinarian for a checkup. Studies have found that dogs who perform these behaviors may be diagnosed with some form of gastrointestinal disease.

-- Why do dogs wag their tails? The tail wag is a classic canine greeting, but it can have many other meanings, depending on the tail’s position, speed and even the direction in which it wags. Here are just a few of the many possible interpretations of a wagging tail: A confident dog has his tail up. A dog who feels threatened typically holds his tail up but rigid, moving it rapidly back and forth. When the tail is relaxed and moving in a gentle sweeping motion, the dog is relaxed and welcoming. A dog with tail down is stressed or cautious. A fearful dog has his tail tucked. When dogs see their owners, as opposed to strangers or unfamiliar dogs, their tail wags most strongly toward the right.

-- Why do dogs smile at us? A dog’s smile can have several meanings. A common one is what’s known as a submissive grin -- that expression a dog has when he wants to let you or another dog know that he’s not a threat. A submissive grin can sometimes resemble a more aggressive “smile,” indicating that the dog may bite if approached. A subtle clue is that with an aggressive smile, the lips may be pulled back instead of up. Always assess the rest of the dog’s body language -- especially that expressive tail -- before deciding whether it’s safe to move toward this dog.

Our favorite canine smile is when the mouth is open and relaxed. That’s what you see when your dog is calm and happy. We love that dogs show so openly that they are glad to see us. Neat fact: Dogs and humans use the same muscles to form a smile.

Q&A

Toenail tear

requires care

Q: My Lab tore his toenail at agility class. What’s the best thing to do for it? I’ve heard lots of different advice. -- via Facebook

A: Oww! If you’ve ever had a hangnail or cut your nails too short and got to sensitive skin, you know just how your dog feels when he breaks or cracks a nail.

Labs and other active dogs are prone to torn, split or broken toenails. It’s not unusual for these dogs to get toe injuries from jumping and landing wrong, banging the toenail against a hard surface or getting it caught in something.

A cracked or broken nail can be super painful. Interestingly, a toenail that’s cracked or split is often more painful than a nail that’s torn all the way off. Dogs have a much richer blood supply to their paws than humans do to their feet, and every blood vessel is accompanied by a nerve. With each step, the broken edge pushes into sensitive tissue. If the nail is completely torn off, there’s little bleeding, although the paw is still painful.

Depending on your comfort level with the procedure, you can clip off the remaining bit of torn or split toenail. If the thought of that makes you queasy, take a quick trip to the veterinarian so a vet tech or the vet can perform the procedure. With time, the toenail’s tissue will become less sensitive, and eventually the nail will grow back. Wash it with warm water and mild soap, keep it clean and watch for signs of infection, such as redness. You can also bandage it for protection during the healing period.

Your dog’s paw may be sore for a week or two afterward.

It’s a good idea to avoid walking him over rough surfaces while the nail heals. Talk to your veterinarian about prescribing a pain reliever. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Beware! Dogs are

smarter than you think

-- Is your dog wrapping you around his paw? A recent study published in the journal Animal Cognition found that dogs can be deceptive when it comes to getting treats they want. You may have seen your own dog being sneaky in an attempt to get a favored position -- a place in your lap, for instance -- by distracting or misleading the dog already there. The idea for the study was born when Marianne Heberlein at Switzerland’s University of Zurich noticed her own dogs faking each other out. Pairing 27 dogs with two human partners -- one who gave the dogs treats and one who simply showed the dogs treats -- the researchers learned that, not surprisingly, dogs preferred the partner who gave them treats. They used deceptive techniques to increase their chances of getting treats.

-- Pets might not be able to talk, but they have a say in home purchases. In a survey conducted by the National Association of Realtors, 81 percent of respondents say they consider their animals’ needs when making decisions about home purchases or rentals. Nearly 90 percent said they would not let housing restrictions or limitations cause them to give up an animal. And 12 percent don’t hesitate to move if their living situation isn’t right for a pet.

-- Senior pets, even those with illnesses, are increasingly in favor as adoptive pets. They might not be as cute as puppies -- although some are -- but they have another thing going for them: They’re more restful. Golden oldies are usually happy to adopt a couch potato lifestyle, and they are already familiar with what it takes to live in a home, including reliable housetraining and good manners. They often have years of love left to give. The best part? That warm glow you get from doing a good deed. -- 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.

If your cat isn’t using the litter box, here’s how to dig deep to discover the solution

Andrews McMeel Syndication

Cats come programmed to keep their living area clean. That’s one of the things that make them great house companions. When a cat chooses not to use the litter box, people feel betrayed. It’s no surprise that house-soiling -- the technical term for peeing or pooping outside the box -- is the No. 1 behavior problem reported in cats.

But cats don’t avoid the litter box out of spite, as owners often believe. One retrospective study -- meaning the researchers went back and looked at past cases to figure out possible associations -- found that 60 percent of cats who had issues with house soiling had a history of urinary tract disease. Not using the litter box can also be a sign of other health problems common in cats, including hyperthyroidism, diabetes mellitus and liver disease.

There are other reasons cats may avoid the litter box. When other pets bully them in the box or they don’t like the type of litter used or the location, size or cleanliness of their litter box, they vote with their paws: In other words, they don’t use it. These nine tips will help keep your cat thinking inside the box.

-- Take your cat in for a veterinary exam to rule out a urinary tract infection or other health problem.

-- Try to figure out if your cat is having relationship issues with another cat or dog in the home, is unnerved by a new baby or person in the family, or is upset by some other change in his environment or schedule.

-- In multi-cat homes, separate litter boxes so that one cat doesn’t guard access to them. Providing multiple litter boxes is also important if you have an aging cat who may have trouble getting up or down stairs or otherwise trekking long distances to a litter box. A good “rule of paw” is one box per cat, plus one extra.

-- Make the litter box attractive to your cat. Scoop it once or twice a day so that waste doesn’t sit there and stink it up. At least once or twice a month, empty the box, wash it with warm water and unscented soap, and fill it with fresh litter.

-- Offer your cat some alternative types of litter. Line up some open litter boxes, one filled with your cat’s regular litter and the others with alternatives. You may be surprised to find that your cat has a distinct preference.

-- Fill the box with two to four inches of litter. Many cats like to have some depth for digging. Even with a deep bed of litter, you should still scoop it daily.

-- Place the box in a quiet area where your cat will experience few interruptions. Cats like privacy when they do their business.

-- Try a different type of litter box. If you’re using a hooded litter box, try an uncovered one. An open litter box gives a cat a feeling of security because he can see people or other animals approaching. An uncovered litter box is also easier for you to scoop and clean.

-- Discourage your cat from using the areas he soiled. An enzymatic cleanser is the best choice for stamping out odor that could draw your cat back to the area. Other ways to make it unpleasant for him to use that spot are to place his food and water dishes there or to cover the area with double-sided tape or aluminum foil. Remember that these techniques won’t help unless you also uncover and address any health or social problems your cat may have.

Q&A

Coccidia infection

common in dogs

Q: I took in a fecal sample for my 9-year-old dog, and the results showed that she had coccidiosis, even though she didn’t have any symptoms. What can you tell me about that? -- via email

A: Coccidia are single-celled protozoa. (Interestingly, the word protozoa means “first animals.”) Four different species can infect dogs: Cystoisospora canis, Cystoisospora ohioensis, Cystoisospora neorivolta and Cystoisospora burrowsi.

Dogs can become infected with coccidia by swallowing soil or eating feces that contain the parasites. Dogs can also acquire coccidia by eating infected animals. Once inside the dog’s body, coccidia inhabit the intestinal wall. Statistically, anywhere from 3 percent to 38 percent of dogs are harboring coccidia.

Infection with coccidia is common in dogs (and cats). Veterinarians usually see coccidia in puppies, but older dogs like yours can also become infected. In puppies, infections can be severe, causing appetite loss, lethargy, bloody diarrhea and vomiting. It can even be fatal. Older dogs may not show any signs at all.

Medication is available to treat coccidia. Your senior dog doesn’t have signs, which is great, but she is probably shedding oocysts, which are how protozoa multiply.

The best way to prevent coccidia is to clean feces from your yard as soon as your dog deposits them, and to prevent your dog from eating the poop of other animals. Lots of dogs love eating poop from other dogs, cats, deer, bunnies and poultry.

People with new puppies should take them in right away with a stool sample to make sure they aren’t infected and to get treatment for them if they are.

By the way, you don’t have to worry about getting coccidia from your dog or cat. Dogs and cats can’t transmit their coccidia to each other or to humans. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Feline hypertension

goes unrecognized

-- Your cat needs a blood pressure check, stat! Hypertension -- high blood pressure -- is common in older cats, but it is significantly underdiagnosed, according to the International Society of Feline Medicine. By the time it is recognized, cats may have suffered organ damage to the eyes, heart, brain and kidneys. With early diagnosis and treatment, however, these problems may be preventable. Your veterinarian can find ISFM’s recommendations on frequency of blood pressure monitoring, when to prescribe medication and how to determine whether organs have been damaged in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery.

-- Border collies, Australian kelpies and similar herding breeds are prone to a type of exercise intolerance called Border collie collapse. After just a few minutes of strenuous exercise, they become disoriented or unfocused; start to sway, stagger or fall sideways; and drag their hind legs. Usually after half an hour, the dogs return to normal, but the condition makes it difficult for them to participate in dog sports or do farm work. Researchers are investigating whether the condition is heritable and what factors -- such as excitement or intensity of activity -- may contribute to it. They also hope to develop a genetic test for BCC.

-- Did you know that veterinary technicians can specialize in different fields? Vet techs can become specialists in such fields as dentistry, anesthesia, internal medicine, emergency and critical care, surgery, behavior, clinical practice, nutrition, dermatology and ophthalmology. Beyond the two- or four-year degree programs required to become a veterinary technician, specialists are required to meet additional education and experience requirements in their field. For instance, vet techs who want to specialize in nutrition must have three years' work experience in animal nutrition, at least 40 hours of nutrition-related continuing education and documentation of their knowledge through case reports and letters of recommendation. -- 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. The science isn’t there. Yet

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

We bet you know at least one person who shares his or her stash with a pet. Not to get the animal high, but to relieve anxiety, nausea or pain from cancer or another ailment. But does it really work?

That’s hard to say. Anecdotes aside, no research to date shows any benefit of marijuana for dogs or cats. Only minimal research is available on its effects in humans. That’s because federal law classifies it as a Schedule I drug with no medical usefulness. Regulatory restrictions hamper researchers’ ability to study marijuana’s potential benefits for humans or animals.

In theory, cannabinoids -- the chemical compounds found in marijuana -- carry great promise, says Robin Downing, DVM, a pain management expert and hospital director at the Downing Center for Animal Pain Management in Windsor, Colorado. Dogs and cats possess cannabinoid receptors. Think of them as the “lock” into which cannabinoid molecules fit like keys.

“These are exquisitely specific receptors that do not interact with other molecules,” Dr. Downing says. Unlike THC, cannabinoids are not involved in altered mentation, but they are credited with other actions in the nervous system, such as pain relief and relief of seizure activity.

“This is what gives us hope that medical marijuana will at some point become an important tool in the pain management toolbox,” she says.

That can’t happen, though, until the drug is better understood. Right now, little is known about dosing and delivery of medical marijuana to pets.

The idea of treating pet ailments with marijuana may give rise to the image of coming home to a dog or cat who’s chowing down on Doritos and listening to Bob Marley. The truth is, we don’t know a lot about how pets respond to marijuana because they can’t tell us how they feel.

“For animals, we have no safety data, no efficacy data and no dosing data,” Dr. Downing says.

For example, she says, humans can adjust their doses based on their response to a drug, but animals cannot.

“How do we know what they are feeling? How can we tell when they have received ‘enough’ to create whatever effect we seek for them?”

At veterinary emergency hospitals, marijuana is the number-one intoxicant for pets, especially in states such as California, Colorado and Washington, which have legalized medical and recreational marijuana. A retrospective study published in 2012 looked at cases in two Colorado veterinary hospitals from 2005 to 2010. Researchers found that the incidence of marijuana toxicosis in dogs increased fourfold over the period.

“Our numbers have been increasing for several years,” says veterinary toxicologist Tina Wismer, director of the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. “Many vets are able to diagnose the typical patient -- wobbly and dribbling urine -- on sight.”

Typical incidents include eating an owner’s baked goods that contain marijuana or THC-laced butter or coconut oil, eating the actual plants or inhaling smoke.

“The edibles are much more dangerous due to the concentration of THC when compared to plant material,” Dr. Wismer says.

Do pets who partake get the munchies? Usually not. Signs of toxicity include glassy eyes, incoordination, dilated pupils and vomiting, usually within an hour or less or ingestion or inhalation.

Because of marijuana’s Schedule I status, veterinarians cannot legally prescribe the drug. That doesn’t mean related products aren’t available, though. Companies sell hemp tinctures, edibles and extracts formulated for pets. While hemp and marijuana are both derived from the Cannabis sativa plant, hemp is defined as containing a concentration of no more than 0.3 percent THC.

Dr. Downing worries about variability in levels of active ingredients and lack of regulation.

“We need formal studies to determine efficacy, safety, application, optimal dosing, side effects and tolerability,” she says. “We need standardized preparations with known content of active ingredients and no contaminants. Unfortunately, we are a long way from being at a place where we can in good conscience recommend marijuana for animals.”

Q&A

The secret behind

feline eye shine

Q: Why do my cat’s eyes glow in the dark? -- via Facebook

A: The ancient Egyptians had a theory about that. They believed that a cat’s eyes reflected the sun, even at night when the solar orb was out of sight. I love that inspiring theory, but modern science has given it a thumbs-down. What we do know is pretty fascinating, though.

Cats have some neat evolutionary adaptations, especially when it comes to their eyesight. They can see in conditions that are more than five times dimmer than what even the sharpest-eyed human needs to spot something in the dark.

A layer of specialized tissue called the tapetum lucidum (Latin for “bright tapestry”) is what sparks that glow. Located behind the retina (the light-sensitive tissue lining the back of the eye), it converts light into electrical impulses that then travel to the brain. The job of the tapetum lucidum is to capture all the light that doesn’t enter the retina directly and reflect it back in, so that even tiny amounts of light are processed. When light strikes your cat’s eyes in a darkened room, you see that glow, also known as "eyeshine."

The tapetum lucidum puts night-vision goggles to shame and is what makes cats such brilliant twilight hunters. Two other factors contribute to the cat’s night eyesight. One is his ability to dilate his pupils (they can become three times the size of the pupil of a human eye!). The other is his large cornea, which is the eye’s outermost lens -- that clear, curved part of the eyeball in front of the pupil. It’s easy to see why a night-roaming mouse had better beware.

Interestingly, cats with green or yellow eyes tend to have a greenish glow, while cats with blue eyes tend to have a reddish glow. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

The nose knows?

Not about pet health

-- Conventional wisdom says that a dog’s nose should be cool and moist and that a dry nose is a sign of illness. Is your pet’s nose really a barometer of his health? Not necessarily. Veterinarians are more concerned if a dog’s nose is draining. That’s a clue that something may be wrong further inside the nose: an inhaled foreign object, for instance, or an infection. Signs such as sneezing, wheezing or pawing at the nose are better evidence of a problem than whether the nose is dry or moist.

-- Storing your pet’s dry food in the bag is the best way to keep it fresh. Putting it into a metal or plastic container with a tight-fitting lid might seem like a good idea, but those containers must be cleaned regularly to remove the oily film that develops. Once you open a bag, it’s best to use it up within six months or less, even if it has a shelf life of a year. A food with fat levels of 20 percent or higher is likely to go rancid more quickly than foods with lower levels of fat.

-- A cat with a curly coat? Meet the LaPerm, “invented” in 1982 when one kitten in a litter, born bald, began to develop a soft, curly coat, the result of a natural genetic mutation. More kittens were born with the trait, and the owner began to breed them selectively. The LaPerm’s coat comes in many different colors and patterns, including solid, tortoiseshell, tabby and calico. It can be curly or wavy, short or long. The affectionate and curious cats love people and have a reputation for being lap cats. Don’t be surprised if one wants to ride on your shoulder so he can keep tabs on everything that’s going on. -- 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.