Simple tips can help your dog or cat have a turnaround in the way he feels about health care visits

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

My dog Keeper used to be a brown-and-white tornado on the exam table at the veterinary hospital. He’s a nice boy otherwise, and I don’t know what it was in his past life that made him fear being on top of the table, but it has always been a struggle for veterinarians to examine him because he’s trying so hard to escape.

Lots of people have the same problem with their dogs and cats. Some animals are so fearful that they tremble, cry, defecate or throw up in the car on the way to the veterinary clinic. We are lucky that Keeper enjoys car rides and even going into the clinic; he just doesn’t like being on the exam table. Nonetheless, I wanted to make veterinary visits more pleasant for him, not to mention easier on the vets and staff who had to handle him.

My fellow Pet Connection columnist Dr. Marty Becker has been concerned about this problem for a long time. It’s what inspired him to found Fear Free, which trains vets, technicians and other animal professionals to recognize, reduce and prevent fear in animals who come to the clinic for care.

“Veterinarians love pets, and we want them to feel comfortable and loved when they visit us, but the strange sights and smells they encounter at the veterinary clinic can be a big turnoff and even frighten them,” he says.

Keeper’s veterinarian had already been using one Fear Free technique -- sitting on the floor -- when he examined Keeper. The past couple of visits, I remembered to bring treats or to grab some out of the jar at the clinic, and they were a game-changer.

Last week, my husband set Keeper on top of the exam table, and he started to spin around like crazy, trying to escape. I started handing him treats nonstop. That got his attention -- and kept it. The veterinary technician came in to take his temperature, and I’m not sure he even noticed. As long as I was holding treats, he focused on them and nothing else.

Keeper will eat anything, but Dr. Becker likes to offer something special. Speaking at the 2017 conference of the American Veterinary Medical Association, he said: “Food is currency in a pet’s world. You’ve got to have really good treats. Pet-Tabs are a penny in a pet’s mind, but they don’t normally get hot deli turkey or bacon-cheese-flavored squeeze cheese.”

For pets who are extremely fearful, preparation for veterinary visits can begin as much as a week in advance with what Dr. Becker calls “a magic carpet ride of pheromones.” Spray or wipe down the pet’s carrier regularly with the chemical concoctions that simulate the soothing substances mother dogs excrete or the markers that cats use to make a place or person feel familiar. Line carriers with fleece blankets that have also been treated with pheromones. That helps the car ride be less frightening.

We used another Fear Free technique on this most recent visit. I went inside to check us in while my husband waited in the car with the dogs. They didn’t enter the clinic until an exam room was ready for them, so there was no sitting around in the lobby and allowing anxiety to build up.

I don’t know whether Keeper will ever love being on an exam table, but it’s sure a lot easier now to have him on one. As long as I remember to bring treats, I may no longer have to warn vets and techs to hang on to him so he doesn’t try to flee over the edge.

Q&A

Be cautious with

essential oils

Q: Someone told me that the essential oils I use in our home could be harmful to my pets. Do I need to be concerned, and what should I do if my pets come in contact with them?

A: Essential oils are everywhere, it seems, used to scent homes in the form of liquid potpourri and in homemade cleaning solutions and remedies. Pets can experience chemical burns or other toxic effects if they lick up spilled oils or if the oils are applied to their skin.

Among the essential oils that are toxic to pets are cinnamon, citrus, lemon, pennyroyal, peppermint, pine, sweet birch, tea tree, thyme, wintergreen and ylang ylang. Never apply any concentrated essential oil to a pet’s skin.

Exposure to even a small amount can cause problems such as difficulty breathing or walking, drooling, lethargy, muscle tremors, pawing at the mouth or face, vomiting, or redness or burns at the affected area.

Any time your pet has a reaction to something applied to the skin, whether it’s an essential oil, a hormone cream or a spot treatment, immediate decontamination is important. If you can’t get your pet to a veterinarian right away, gently shampoo with a mild product and rinse frequently and thoroughly to get rid of the substance. If the substance is oily, you may need to use a shampoo or detergent that contains a degreaser, such as a mild dishwashing soap. Pets with long coats may need to be shaved for quick, effective removal of the substance from their fur.

Afterward, take your pet to the veterinarian to make sure he doesn’t have any ill effects from the substance. Pets whose skin is exposed to a large amount of a toxic substance may need sedation or anesthesia to have the product removed, followed by supportive care and pain medication. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Sniffer dog hot on

pepper pest trail

-- A Belgian herding dog named Chili is helping to protect Canada’s nascent $275 million greenhouse pepper industry, which is at risk from attack by pepper weevils. The tiny beetles burrow into bell peppers to lay their eggs, killing them in the process. Chili’s job is to sniff out the weevils so they can be eliminated. For three hours a day, Chili and his handler Heide walk through the greenhouses -- each covers the area of six city blocks -- as well as loading docks and warehouses where the pests may be in hiding. Chili’s ability will be tested in the next few months as vulnerable seedlings grow.

-- You’ve heard of puppy kindergarten, but kitten kindergarten? The increasingly popular classes help to socialize kittens, but more important, they teach people what to expect from their new feline friends. Purr-fect for kittens 8 to 12 weeks old, kitten kindergarten covers cat behaviors from eating and eliminating to climbing and scratching, giving owners a heads-up on how to set up a fun and attractive environment for young cats, play with and train them, and guard their health. Ask your veterinarian or local humane society if there are any classes in your area.

-- Dog-loving readers will want to check out the best canine books of 2017: the winners in the annual Dog Writers Association of America contest. Taking the Dogwise Best Book Award was “Life With Forty Dogs” by Joseph Robertia. Winners in other categories were “Fun and Games for a Smarter Dog” by Sophie Collins; “Symptoms to Watch for in Your Dog” by Jana Rade; “Rescue Smiles” by Heather Leughmyer and Tamira Thayne; “101 Things to Know Before Getting a Dog” by Susan Ewing; “Land of the Free” by Donna Ball (fiction); “Toby” by Hazel Mitchell (children’s); and “The Leonberger” by Caroline Bliss-Isberg. -- 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 and humans could benefit from potential new therapies and diagnostic techniques for a degenerative neurological disease

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

New therapies and diagnostic tests have the potential to help dogs with a progressive neurodegenerative disease live longer lives. Boxers, German shepherds and Pembroke Welsh corgis are among more than 100 breeds and mixes that may benefit from two therapies being studied, as well as a diagnostic biomarker test for degenerative myelopathy, a disease of the central nervous system that develops late in life.

The condition, which typically affects dogs between 8 and 14 years old, damages the spinal cord, muscles, nerves and brain, causing loss of muscle control, weakness in the hind legs and, eventually, paralysis. Dogs with two copies of a mutation in the gene superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) are at risk for the disease, but not all dogs with the mutation will develop the disease.

Early signs include dragging or shuffling the hind legs. At first, owners may suspect the weakness or lameness is caused by an orthopedic condition or simply advancing age, says Dominik Faissler, DVM, assistant professor of neurology at Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine in North Grafton, Massachusetts.

As the disease progresses, the dog may stumble and fall, have difficulty standing up and lose mobility as the nervous system becomes unable to transmit motor commands between brain and limbs. Gradually, the brain stem becomes affected, causing difficulty swallowing. Paralysis usually occurs in the space of a year. Most dogs are euthanized before they develop difficulty breathing, Dr. Faissler says.

Currently, a DNA test developed in 2009 is available to identify the recessive gene mutation that causes the disease, allowing breeders to avoid producing affected dogs, but last year’s discovery of a diagnostic biomarker can help lead to earlier diagnosis of dogs at risk of developing DM, as it’s called for short. It’s also important for researchers in human medicine who study amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The same mutation that causes DM in dogs also causes ALS in humans.

Finding the biomarker involves collecting cerebrospinal fluid from the affected dog. That’s more difficult and expensive than a blood test because it requires anesthesia, but less expensive than magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Because DM mimics other diseases such as intervertebral disc disease and spinal cancer, an MRI is part of the process to rule out those conditions. Even then, the diagnosis is not considered definitive until the dog dies and a necropsy is performed. As the biomarker test becomes more widely available, it may help to provide earlier and more reliable diagnoses. And earlier diagnosis goes hand in paw with the search for effective therapies.

One of the therapies being studied involves injecting antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) into the spinal fluid with the goal of suppressing production of the mutant protein SOD1. Researchers hope the molecular therapy will be able to sneak past the blood-brain barrier and “silence” the messenger RNA, slowing or stopping disease progression. Affected dogs who meet certain criteria may be eligible to participate in the study, conducted at the University of Missouri. A gene-silencing study is also under way at Tufts Cummings School.

A gene therapy clinical trial, also at the University of Missouri, injects what’s called interference RNA (iRNA) into the spinal fluid to repress production of the SOD1 protein. Dogs in the early stages of the disease may also be eligible to participate in that study.

Both University of Missouri studies are randomized and double-blinded. That means neither researchers nor owners know which dogs receive the treatment and which receive a placebo. The study’s design gives dogs a 67 percent chance of receiving the treatment, according to the university’s website.

The treatments have been tested for safety, but their effectiveness isn’t yet known. The same therapeutic approach is being studied in humans with SOD1-associated ALS. Success in either dogs or humans will likely benefit both.

Q&A

How to find a

feline-friendly vet

Q: We have moved cross-country and need to find a veterinarian for our two cats. Do you have any tips for us?

A: I like your priorities. Finding a great veterinarian should be at the top of the to-do list for any pet person who’s new in town.

You can use a number of filters to narrow the search for your cats’ veterinarian. The one that’s nearest and dearest to my heart is Fear Free certification. Veterinarians with Fear Free credentials know how to approach and interact with cats in a manner that caters to their needs for security, gentle handling and a calm environment. Practice visits, treats and pheromones are among the techniques used to give cats a fabulous experience they won’t mind repeating throughout life.

I also asked a couple of my cat-expert colleagues to weigh in with their advice. Jane Brunt, DVM, executive director of the CATalyst Council and past president of the American Association of Feline Practitioners, suggests searching online for veterinarians in your own zip code so your cat doesn’t have to travel far to get to the clinic. She also suggests looking for a Cat Friendly Practice designation accreditation by the American Animal Hospital Association. Ask pet-owning family or friends for recommendations. Call a practice to make an appointment for a tour. How the receptionist handles your call is a good clue as to how well the practice is run.

Winn Feline Foundation Executive Director Vicki Thayer, DVM, a specialist in feline veterinary care, says veterinarians and staff should exhibit a love and understanding of cats in the way the waiting room and exam rooms are set up with cat behavior in mind. They should handle cats calmly, slowly and quietly and offer helpful advice on getting the cat to -- and into -- the hospital with minimal anxiety. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

App updates owners

about pet condition

-- Want to know how your hospitalized pet is doing? There’s an app for that. Texas A&M Veterinary Teaching Hospital in College Station has begun using an app called EASE (Electronic Access to Surgical Events) that allows veterinarians to give pet owners real-time updates on a pet’s status using videos, texts and photos. The app originated for use in human hospitals to allow doctors to send HIPAA-compliant messages to family members. Texas A&M is the first veterinary teaching hospital to adopt it. The app is a way to help support owners emotionally, says oncology technician supervisor Jaci Christensen.

-- A biobank of dog tumors hopes the donated tissue will help lead to new models and treatments for cancer in dogs and humans. Owners of dogs diagnosed with a cancer of interest at veterinary hospitals in partnership with Tallwood Canine Cancer Research Initiative by Jackson Laboratory can ask the veterinarian to donate their pets’ tumors after removal. The tumors will be used to create cancer models. Researchers will also sequence DNA from healthy dogs of specific breeds and compare it to dogs of the same breed who have cancer.

-- As pets live longer, helping them maintain quality of life and mobility is an important facet of veterinary medicine. Your veterinarian may be helping you manage your pet for cognitive dysfunction, chronic high blood pressure, kidney disease, Cushing’s disease and diabetes, to name just a few. For your golden oldie, consider a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids and other antioxidants, which have been shown to enhance brain health. You can also keep the brain sharp with gentle play and exercise. Medication can help with hypertension, cognitive dysfunction, arthritis, diabetes and other conditions. Easy but important: Maintain a routine and be alert to subtle behavior changes that may indicate health problems. -- 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 number of factors go into the search for the right dogmobile, owners say

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

We purchased our first Subaru Outback 13 years ago to haul around three cavalier King Charles spaniels and, as needed, two cats and two birds. In the years since, we’ve driven it to San Francisco; Seattle; Vancouver, British Columbia; Wyoming; New Mexico; Utah; Arizona; and Oklahoma. I had hoped it would last us another couple of years, but repair costs were rising higher, so last month we found ourselves in search of a new dog car.

With the need to hold crates, pop-up tents and other equipment for dog shows and canine sports events, choosing the right vehicle is a matter of intense interest to members of the “barkoisie.” Issues such as cargo capacity, the ability to go off road to reach field trial sites, all-wheel drive versus four-wheel drive, and of course gas mileage are all matters to consider when selecting a dog car. The right choice depends on the size and number of dogs and the activities in which owners and dogs participate.

Auto manufacturers recognize that dog owners are an important demographic. Honda no longer makes its Element, which had a large fan base among dog owners, but at last month’s Los Angeles Auto Show, a team of golden and Labrador retrievers introduced Subaru’s three-row SUV, the 2018 Ascent. The company intentionally markets its vehicles to dog owners after a study found that more than half of Subaru owners have dogs. Honda’s roomy CR-V crossover, midsize Pilot SUV and Odyssey minivan also find favor with active dog owners or people with large dogs.

What do dog owners look for in a vehicle? Debbie Best of Huntington Beach, California, who lives with two flat-coated retrievers, has a long list of musts as she contemplates trading in her 190,000-mile Subaru Forester for the larger Ascent. They include a boxy shape -- more practical for carrying cargo and offering better visibility than the sloped rears seen on many vehicles -- seats that fold flat, and rear air vents.

“I want to know the dogs are cool, even when the car is packed,” she says. “It’s a plus if they are on the ceiling, as they are with the Ascent.”

Her new vehicle must also be tall enough to hold large dog crates, with at least 44 inches between the wheel wells so she can fit two crates side by side. All-wheel drive is important for field training and trips to the mountains.

Dog trainer Liz Palika of Oceanside, California, searched for five months to find just the right ride for herself and her two 50-pound English shepherds. She decided on a midsize SUV, a 2017 Toyota Highlander, that she describes as “not too small, not too big.” The back seats fold down, allowing her to carry two midsize dog crates and still have room for cargo.

Lillian Huang of Emeryville, California, also likes the 2017 Highlander for its flat backseat floor, making it easy to accommodate folding tables, tents and canopies behind the front seats; the backup camera; and the separate air conditioning vents for the back of the car.

Other factors affecting vehicle choice are a dog’s age and mobility. Jill Gibbs of Billings, Montana, prefers minivans because it’s easier for aging dogs to get in and out of them. “I bought my first one for my 12-year-old golden,” she says.

For advice on selecting a dog-friendly car, turn to a Facebook page called Dog Sport Vehicle Ideas. Edmunds, AutoTrader and other websites also rate cars for their canine suitability. Search “dog-friendly cars” for tips.

In our case, we’re currently down to two cavaliers, but our activities have expanded to canine nose work trials, as well as many road trips to visit family. We went with another Outback, confident that it will carry us and our dogs for at least another dozen years.

Q&A

How to use

hand targeting

Q: My trainer recommends teaching our dog hand targeting. What are some of the benefits, and what’s the best way to go about it?

A: Teaching a dog to touch his nose to your hand or other object has many uses. Dogs with targeting skills can learn to touch a person’s hand instead of jumping up, move onto the scale at the veterinary clinic, or move away from a forbidden item. Following and touching a target can also help to reduce a dog’s fear of an object such as a stethoscope or nail trimmers. And targeting is useful for teaching tricks such as spinning in a circle or jumping through a hoop.

A target can be your hand or an item such as a wooden spoon or bird perch. To begin, hold the target item a few inches in front of your dog’s nose and slightly to the side. If your dog looks at the target or moves his eyes toward it, say “Yes!” or “Good!” and reward him with a tasty treat. Praise and reward as well if he touches the target with his nose.

Each time your dog responds appropriately, move the target out of sight, then present it again. Your dog should approach the target and touch his nose to it no matter where you present it.

When your dog readily touches his nose to the target, add a cue such as “Touch.” To create an association between the word and the behavior, say the cue just before or just as your dog moves toward the target. As he begins to respond to the verbal cue, start moving your palm farther away from him, using it to indicate where you want him to go. Gradually increase the distance your dog must move before reaching and touching the target. -- Mikkel Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Pet lease programs

pricey, misleading

-- Read purchase contracts carefully to make sure you’re actually buying a pet and not simply signing a lease agreement. A recent Washington Post article reported that some pet stores are offering “payment plans” for pricey pups. Buyers who don’t read the fine print don’t realize that they’ll pay much more than the original price and will have no ownership rights without exercising a purchase option -- a final payment at the end of the lease period, writes Karin Brulliard. The contracts are legal, and pets can be “repossessed” if owners miss payments. California and Nevada ban pet leases; the ASPCA encourages other states to follow suit.

-- Does your dog or cat have a heart murmur? Even if he’s not showing signs of heart disease -- such as lethargy, exercise intolerance, coughing, difficulty breathing or fainting -- he should be seen by a veterinary cardiologist to determine whether his condition is at a stage that requires monitoring or medication. This can be done by a noninvasive exam such as an echocardiogram (ultrasound) to evaluate the heart’s structure and function or an X-ray to see if the heart is enlarged. Identifying and monitoring a potential heart problem in the early stages can increase a dog’s lifespan.

-- The Devon rex is the 10th-most-popular cat breed registered by the Cat Fanciers Association. If you see one, you might think he’s having a bad hair day, but that soft, wavy coat is normal for the breed. The playful and mischievous cats get along with all members of the family, including dogs and kids. Given his sociable nature, it’s not unusual to see a Devon rex riding shotgun in an RV or semi, or making therapy visits to hospitals and other facilities. People can have allergies to this breed, so make several test visits before acquiring one. -- 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.