On Veterans Day, don’t forget to remember and honor canine service members

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

Warriors and dogs have been partners for more than 2,000 years. “Courage at both ends of the leash” -- those words are engraved on one of the many memorials throughout the world honoring military working dogs. Dogs have gone into battle wearing armor, guarded encampments, tracked enemy combatants, delivered messages, detected mines and other explosives, scouted out snipers, located wounded, hauled armaments and laid underground telegraph wire, to name just a few of the ways they have aided armies over the centuries.

Canine loyalty, intelligence, mobility and ingenuity are among the attributes that make dogs valuable to the armed forces. The most common breeds are Belgian malinois, German shepherd and Labrador retriever. Doberman pinschers were famous during World War II as the “devil dogs” of the Marines. One of the best known was Kurt, the first canine casualty on Guam, killed by incoming mortars and grenades after he alerted troops to the presence of Japanese forces. A war dog memorial on the island features a sculpture of Kurt by artist Susan Bahary and the words “always faithful.” It lists the names of all 25 Marine war dogs who lost their lives there in 1944.

Not every military working dog fits the “big and tough” stereotype. Smoky, a four-pound Yorkshire terrier, was adopted by Cpl. William A. Wynne after she was found in an abandoned foxhole on New Guinea during World War II. For two years, the little dog nicknamed “Yorkie Doodle Dandy” rode in a backpack, went on combat and reconnaissance flights and ate Spam and C-rations with the best of them. She proved her valor and value by warning Wynne of incoming shells and, most famously, pulling a telegraph wire through a 70-foot pipe with only an eight-inch diameter. Her feat saved ground crewmen from a grueling and dangerous dig.

Another uncommon canine war hero was Sergeant Stubby, a Boston terrier noted as the most decorated dog during World War I. The official mascot of the U.S. 102nd Infantry Regiment, his exploits included alerting his regiment to mustard gas attacks and incoming shells, locating wounded soldiers and capturing a German soldier, grabbing and holding him by the seat of his pants. In the trenches in France for 18 months, he participated in 17 battles and was a celebrity at home. His story hits the silver screen next year, with “Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero” set for release on April 13.

Today’s combat dogs undergo rigorous training. In Afghanistan, military working dogs may wear cameras and scout areas before troops move in. They don’t typically enjoy the same media exposure as Smoky and Stubby, but Belgian malinois Cairo, a Navy SEAL dog, stepped into the spotlight in 2011 after taking part in Operation Neptune Spear, during which Osama bin Laden was killed.

Last month, five military dogs were honored at Capitol Hill with American Humane’s Lois Pope K-9 Medal of Courage, awarded for extraordinary valor and service. The canine honorees were Coffee, a chocolate Lab who sought out IEDs and other security threats in Afghanistan; black Lab Alphie, an explosive-detection dog in Afghanistan who now works for the TSA; Capa, an explosives and patrol dog who also received the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal for meritorious service; black Lab Ranger, who served as an explosives-detection dog in Afghanistan and Iraq; and posthumously, Gabe, who was sprung from a Houston animal shelter and trained as a specialized search dog, a career in which he earned more than 40 awards.

“Soldiers have been relying on these four-footed comrades-in-arms since the beginning of organized warfare, and today military dogs are more important than ever in keeping our service men and women safe,” said AHA president and CEO Dr. Robin Ganzert.

Q&A

Pet care options

for long trips

Q: I’m hoping to take a three-week trip to Europe next year, but I don’t like leaving my pug in a dog hotel that long, and she’s such a handful -- think Tasmanian devil in pug form -- that she’s not a great candidate for leaving with friends or family. My sister has my pug’s brother, and I feel bad leaving Lulu with her because together the two pugs are more than most people can handle. We are about to do another round of obedience training, but do you have any other suggestions? -- via email

A: For your question, we went to veterinary behavior expert Lisa Radosta, DVM. Her first piece of advice is to buy your sister an amazing present -- maybe a fabulous pair of shoes she’s been coveting -- drop shoes and Lulu off at her house, and go on your trip. While that might be the simplest and fastest solution, Dr. Radosta offered some other ideas to consider that might be more beneficial long-term.

First, she says, a three-week stay at a great pet hotel is not the worst thing in the world if it’s a place Lulu enjoys. You might consider taking Lulu to day care or for a weekend at a specific place on a regular basis. If you can see she enjoys it and is well cared for, you might feel better about leaving her there for a longer stay. Try to find one with a pet cam so you can check in on her any time of day or night.

A live-in pet sitter is another option. You can find one who will stay in your home 24/7.

Finally, a refresher training class is a good idea. Look for a positive-reinforcement trainer. You might want to try a couple of private classes as well. Good luck. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

California bans sale

of pets in stores

Many California cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego, passed ordinances forbidding the sale of animals in pet stores, and the state has followed suit, passing a bill requiring pet stores to acquire dogs, cats and rabbits only from shelters or rescue groups rather than commercial breeders. Pet owners may still purchase puppies, kittens and bunnies from breeders, but pet stores that do will face a $500 fine. The law is supported by local and national animal welfare organizations. Supporters of the bill hope it will help to reduce mass production of animals for retail sale.

-- It’s pumpkin season, but if you’re a pet owner you probably keep cans of the orange squash on hand year-round. Plain pureed pumpkin (not pie filling) is high in fiber, making it useful to help get things moving in a constipated pet and, conversely, help firm up stools in pets with diarrhea. Pumpkin’s filling nature also has benefits for dogs and cats on a diet. Add one to four tablespoons --depending on your pet’s size and your veterinarian’s recommendation -- to a pet’s food. Pumpkin is low in calories, but the fiber helps pets feel full, and most like the taste.

-- When were dogs domesticated, and did domestication occur more than once? Those questions have occupied researchers for some time, but they may finally have a definitive answer, based on analysis of DNA extracted from remains of two prehistoric dogs found in Germany. A study published in the journal Nature Communications determined that these dogs were among the ancestors of modern European dogs and that domestication likely occurred some 20,000 to 40,000 years ago. The ancient dogs demonstrated continuity with each other and predominantly share ancestry with modern European dogs, the study says, suggesting only a single domestication event. -- 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.

Dogs you wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley or on a lonesome moor

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

The Wild Hunt. Gabriel hounds. Black Shuck. The Baskerville Hound. Fluffy.

Wait. Fluffy?

Any devoted Harry Potter fan knows Fluffy, the fearsome three-headed dog who guarded the philosopher’s stone in the first volume of the Potter saga. Fluffy, purchased by Rubeus Hagrid from “a Greek chappie,” is a not-so-subtle reference to Cerberus, the canine guardian of the gate to Hades, the Greek underworld. Cerberus was also said to have been the companion of the Greek goddess Hecate, who ruled the night, the moon, magic and witchcraft.

Spectral or supernatural dogs have been featured in mythology for millennia. In Egyptian lore, the dog-headed god, Anubis, weighed the hearts of the dead to determine their fate in the underworld. He was thought to protect graves and cemeteries and, later, to escort the dead from life to afterlife.

The connection of dogs to death and the afterlife isn’t limited to Egypt and Greece. A host of ghost dog tales arose in medieval northern Europe. Stories of spectral canines are found from Scandinavia to Germany to France, but especially throughout Great Britain.

The hounds of the unearthly Wild Hunt may be the best known of these ghostly dogs. Known in Wales as the Cwn Annwn, the white hounds with red ears -- a coloration that symbolizes their otherworldly nature and their association with death -- run wrongdoers to earth as well as escort souls to the next world. Legend has it that they run only on certain nights throughout the year, including All Saints’ Day on November 1, Christmas and New Year’s Day.

The vision of a phantom black dog foretells death in many parts of Great Britain. One such nocturnal canine apparition is the Barghest, a black dog with red eyes who haunts lonely byways, preying on unfortunates who come his way, and foretelling death by lying across the threshold of the doomed person’s home.

Another ghastly dog who haunts the British countryside is Black Shuck. The shaggy black dog with saucer-size flaming eyes roams East Anglia. Legend has it that seeing him is a precursor of bad luck or death by the end of the year.

Some black dogs have a more benevolent reputation. The Gurt, or Great, Dog of Somerset is a benign canine whose role is to protect children. And Jo Ashbeth Coffey of Devon, England, recalls the time she was living in Berkshire and saw a large black dog on a bend in the road as she was riding home on her motorbike.

“The next day I slowed down right at that corner remembering it, and just as well. As I came around the corner there was a black horse in the middle of the road. At normal speed, it could have killed us both,” she says.

The spirit dogs of folklore have leaped into pop culture. One of the earliest, of course, is the hound of the Baskervilles, made famous in the eponymous Sherlock Holmes story. Holmes creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle may have been inspired by a sinister West Country phantom known as a yeth hound.

More recently, a Scottish deerhound (dyed black) played Padfoot in the movie “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.” Potter author J.K. Rowling may have adapted the notion of Padfoot from the legend of a black dog in the West Yorkshire area known as Padfoot, who was benevolent if offered kindness. In “Prisoner of Azkaban,” Padfoot is the canine form of shape-shifter Sirius Black.

While black dogs have a fearsome reputation in myths and legends, those of us who live with them know the real truth that’s out there: They are our sweet and soulful companions both in life and in memory.

Q&A

Can cats have

gallbladder issues?

Q: My cat has an inflamed gallbladder and maybe a blocked bile duct. I didn’t know cats could have gallbladder problems! What can you tell me about them? -- via Facebook

A: The gallbladder is basically a storage unit for bile. This bitter, greenish-brown fluid secreted by the liver has two purposes: It helps the body break down dietary fats for absorption by the body, and it helps the body remove certain types of toxins. The gallbladder releases bile in response to hormonal signals, the bile does its job, and then it exits the body through the feces.

When cats develop certain types of liver disease such as cholangiohepatitis or hepatic lipidosis (sometimes called fatty liver disease), the accompanying inflammation can cause a bile traffic jam in the liver and biliary ducts -- the pathways that bile travels into and out of the gallbladder. Bile, being a digestive fluid, isn’t just bitter -- it’s caustic. When it can’t flow freely, it can cause serious tissue damage in the areas where it’s stuck.

Cats with cholangiohepatitis, the most common acquired inflammatory liver disease in cats, typically don’t feel like eating, run a fever, vomit and develop jaundice, the latter indicated by a yellow tinge to the whites of the eyes. These cats may also have associated bacterial infections, inflammatory bowel disease or pancreatitis, to name just a few complications.

Fluids, antibiotics and pain medications are prescribed to help get bile flowing, give a one-two punch to infections, and just help the cat feel better so he’ll start eating again. (That’s important to help prevent hepatic lipidosis.)

Some cats have an immune-mediated form of disease that doesn’t respond to antibiotics. They are usually treated with steroids given daily or every other day. Antimicrobials, a special diet, fluids, and B vitamin and electrolyte supplements may also help. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Pet food: Made for

you or for your pet?

-- If you check the label of your pet’s food, you may see ingredients such as blueberries, yams, kale or dandelion. But are they there for your dog or cat’s benefit or to appeal to you, the buyer? Those ingredients and more have reputations as “superfoods,” ingredients with health benefits, but is there science to back up their benefits for pets? Usually not, although one University of Alaska study found that sled dogs with blueberries in their diet had higher levels of antioxidants after exercise, possibly giving them a protective benefit against oxidative damage from free radicals. There’s nothing wrong with these ingredients in pet foods, but it’s more important to check the label for the words “complete and balanced.”

-- It’s Halloween, and chances are you’ll see a poodle at a pet event sporting a costume or creative clip. Their status as living canvases for creative types is nothing new. Fashionable poodles in the late 19th century strutted the streets in custom shirts, capes, eveningwear and -- at the seaside -- bathing costumes. Elite dog groomers cared for their coats with special shampoos and used colored powders to give them a stylish and unique appearance. R.W. Brown, who groomed the dogs of the noble and famous, was known to sculpt monograms, family crests and elaborate scenes into the dogs’ curly coats.

-- No bones about it: Cats have some unique anatomical characteristics. For instance, the number of bones they have depends on their paws and tail. Cats with normal-length tails have more vertebrae than cats with short tails, such as Manx or Japanese bobtails. And cats with extra toes -- a condition called polydactylism -- have more bones than cats with the normal number of toes. The average cat has 244 bones, but an individual cat can have 230 to 250 bones. -- 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.

A TRIP TO THE VETERINARY ER IS NEVER EASY, BUT THESE TIPS CAN HELP YOU GET THROUGH IT

Taking a pet to the emergency hospital is something none of us wants to do. It's scary and stressful for you and your dog or cat. We've been there more times than we like to think about, and we have some tips to help you cope. We hope you won't ever need to use them, but tuck them away in the back of your mind just in case.

Protect yourself when handling a sick or injured animal. Even the most docile dog or cat can bite when in pain. Keep a muzzle on hand or ask your veterinarian to show you how to safely tie one using a scarf or tie.

Be patient. Your pet won't be seen in the order of arrival. Animals who are most unstable will be seen first.

"We do them in order of medical need," says our friend and colleague Dr. Tony Johnson, an emergency and critical care specialist at the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. "If I have a hit-by-car and a dog with diarrhea, even if the dog with diarrhea has been waiting two hours, the hit-by-car is going to get seen first."

The only time someone jumps that line, he says, is if they're bringing in a pet to be euthanized.

Be prepared to wait as little as five minutes or as long as six hours. It all depends on what other cases are there or come in while you're waiting. If you think about it before you leave the house, grab a book or your iPod in case you'll be there for a while.

If possible, have someone go with you or meet you there. You may need help getting your pet in and out of the car and into the hospital. And it's always good to have someone's hand to hold while you're waiting.

Designate a single person to communicate with the veterinarian, so he or she doesn't have to repeat information to multiple family members. Take notes or record the conversation on your smartphone so you can refer back to it.

Don't forget your wallet in your mad rush out of the house. Most veterinary hospitals won't treat your pet without proof that you can pay for care. Your regular veterinary hospital might do that if you've been a client for years -- they know where you live and that you're probably not going to skip town -- but an emergency hospital isn't in that position.

"It sounds avaricious, but there are not too many emergency hospitals that are going to do something on a handshake," Dr. Johnson says. "ERs usually see people once. They can't separate out the people who are a risk of not paying from those who aren't. They're not trying to be greedy."

Know when to go. Some things are obvious. Take your pet to the emergency hospital in the following situations:

-- allergic reactions

-- any animal bite

-- bloated belly

-- bloody diarrhea

-- difficulty breathing

-- distress from excessively hot or cold temperatures

-- eye injuries

-- frequent or projectile vomiting

-- heavy bleeding

-- ingestion of a toxic substance, such as antifreeze, human medications or snail bait

-- seizures

-- serious trauma, such as being hit by a car

-- straining to urinate or defecate

-- sudden lameness

-- unconsciousness or collapse

-- venomous snake or spider bites

If you're not sure, well, we recommend erring on the side of caution. Like their counterparts in human medicine, veterinary emergency clinics are expensive, but sometimes the cost of a visit is a price worth paying for peace of mind. And when a visit saves your pet's life? Priceless.

Q&A

Respond to cat's 'gifts'

with gratitude, distraction

Q: My cat is always bringing me dead gophers. Why does he do this, and how should I respond? -- via Facebook

A: My mother's cats have delivered four rats to her front door in the past week. Isn't she lucky that they are so thoughtful? I guess with colder weather coming on, they are concerned that she won't be able to provide for herself.

Cats are known for bringing "presents" to their people. Why do cats hunt for us? They are natural predators, of course, and it's instinctive for them to bring their prey to a safe place. In the wild, leopards drag their kill up into trees so it will be safe from other animals and they can munch on it at their leisure. Our domestic cats choose their own home, and sometimes their own food dish, as the best place to securely deposit their kill.

Of course, we can't get into their heads, fascinating though it would be, but they may be acting out the instinct to nurture us and to provide us with food. Maybe they are trying to teach us to hunt, as they would a kitten. Or it could just be that they're saying, "Hey, could you fix this for dinner tonight?"

Be polite when your cat brings you the gift of a dead mouse or other critter. Praise him for being such a good hunter, and then try to distract him while -- ideally --someone else disposes of the carcass.

If your cat is a great hunter, there's little you can do to prevent his offerings. There's the classic bell on the collar to warn prey animals of his approach, or the policy of keeping him indoors. And learn from my mother's experience: Look carefully before you step outside the door. -- Kim Campbell Thornton

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

THE BUZZ

Dogs with 'smart collars'

could be health barometers

-- Researchers at England's Newcastle University developed a high-tech, waterproof dog collar with an accelerometer and used it to track movement, barking, sitting and other actions to gather data on the normal activity level of a variety of dog breeds. The information they obtained allowed them to quickly notice changes that might indicate that the dog was bored or in poor health. Their next step is to study whether changes such as the dog being walked less often or not being fed regularly can serve as a warning that an aging owner is struggling to cope or has deteriorating health.

-- The Eau Gallie Veterinary Hospital in Melbourne, Florida, has started regularly utilizing humorous messages, such as "No hump Wednesdays: 10 percent off spay and neuter." The clever and comical signs are the brainchild of office manager Gemma Millar, who says they are a fun way to get people's attention and promote preventive care and the benefits of spaying and neutering. The signs have increased the clinic's spay/neuter appointments and even brought in new clients.

-- Everyone knows that black is chic, sophisticated and goes with everything. So why are black dogs and cats so difficult to place? Shelter employees and humane organizations agree that the animals tend to stay longer than lighter-colored pets, possibly because they are difficult to photograph, blend into backgrounds, or maybe just look a little scary. Shelters are working to improve their chances by putting colorful bandanas on black animals, putting up bright backdrops in their kennels to help them stand out, and having their pictures taken by professional photographers. -- Dr. Marty Becker and Kim Campbell Thornton

ABOUT PET CONNECTION

Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet-care experts headed by "The Dr. Oz Show" veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Kim Campbell Thornton. They are affiliated with Vetstreet.com and are the authors of many best-selling pet-care books. Joining them is dog trainer and behavior consultant Mikkel Becker. Dr. Becker can be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker. Kim Campbell Thornton is at Facebook.com/KimCampbellThornton and on Twitter at kkcthornton. Mikkel Becker is at Facebook.com/MikkelBecker and on Twitter at MikkelBecker.