How to make introductions that promote friendship, not conflict

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

My dog Harper thinks cats are to chase. She’s the first of our dogs who didn’t grow up with a cat in the household. I introduced her to our neighbor’s cat when she was a young puppy, but unfortunately, I didn’t have easy access to other cats she could meet, and she never learned to live compatibly with them.

That’s a problem when we visit friends and family with cats. Harper growls and barks when she sees them, and she wants nothing more than to chase them away. I keep warning her that one of these days we will have a cat again ourselves, so she had better prepare herself for the idea.

The idea that cats and dogs don’t get along is a common belief -- Harper certainly believes it -- but it’s not necessarily true. According to a survey by the American Pet Products Association, 46 percent of households with pets have multiple types of animals. Cats and dogs are the most common combination, found in 32 percent of pet-owning households.

There is always the potential for conflict between two -- or three, if you count the humans in the mix -- species who have differing habits and communication styles, but pets living together can become good friends. I’ve seen it with our previous pets and those of people I know. In homes where the humans are away all day, a dog and cat can keep each other company and often play and sleep together, groom each other, and team up to get in trouble. If you’re introducing a pet of a different species into your family, the following tips can help the meeting go smoothly and, ideally, a friendship develop.

Introduce them first by scent, not sight. Isolate a new cat in a small room for a few days with everything he needs: food, water, litter box, toys. His scent will drift out to your dog, and the cat can get used to your dog’s scent as well. After two or three days, let the cat explore the house while the dog is in the yard or on a walk with someone else.

Maintain control. It’s never a good idea to just turn animals loose and hope for the best. That’s a recipe for fear, anxiety and stress on the part of all involved. Have your dog on a leash, and make sure your cat has an escape route.

“Having ample getaway spaces for cats, such as tall cat trees or gates with a cutout that the cats fits through but not the dog, is essential,” says Mikkel Becker, lead animal trainer for Fear Free Pets and co-author of the upcoming book "From Fearful to Fear Free."

A dragline attached to a harness can help to prevent bolt-and-chase sequences during the settling-in period, Becker says. Until you’re sure pets are getting along, supervise interactions and separate them when you’re not around.

Hand out treats liberally to both parties. This worked well with Harper recently when we were visiting family with cats. She was rewarded every time she looked away from the cat as well as for not growling or barking. You want both pets to think that being in the presence of the other is a good thing.

Dog trainer Liz Palika has fostered many litters of kittens with the aid of her English shepherds. Her best piece of advice in one word? Patience.

“A friendship between a dog and a cat cannot be forced,” she says. “Let them gradually get to know each other and provide safe places where they can get away from each other.”

Q&A

Storms send cat

running for shelter

Q: I have an 11-year-old female domestic shorthair cat. In the past year, she has started behaving strangely when it storms. Instead of wanting to stay indoors when it begins to rain heavily with high wind, lightning and thunder, she yowls desperately and scratches at the door to get out. She won’t let up until I let her out, and she disappears until the storm is over. -- via email

A: Like dogs, cats can develop storm phobias, but we usually don’t notice it as much because cats tend to just hide under the bed when they are scared. And storm phobias can build up over time. Your cat may always have been afraid during storms, but her fear has now built up to the point that she is desperate to escape the frightening conditions. It may also be that sometime during the past year, something occurred during a storm that frightened her, and now she wants to make sure whatever it was doesn’t happen again. She may also have a hidey-hole outdoors where she feels safe.

You can try several things to help your cat relax and stay indoors the next time there’s a storm. Prepare a small, dark, cozy place where she can retreat, such as a closet or guest bath. Spray a synthetic feline pheromone in the area to help attract and comfort your cat.

The snug fit of a Thundershirt can give a comforting hug. The gentle pressure relieves anxiety in some pets. Pay attention to weather reports so you can put it on well before a storm hits.

Relaxing music composed especially for cats may help. An internet search will lead you to “calming,” “relaxing” or “sleep” music for cats.

Finally, you can ask your veterinarian about medications you can give when you know a storm is coming. That may help your cat relax enough to stay indoors. -- Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Becker

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

THE BUZZ

AKC adds two

breeds to roster

-- Two breeds have joined the roster of AKC-recognized dogs: the Nederlandse kooikerhondje in the Sporting Group and the grand basset griffon vendeen in the Hound Group. The kooiker (coy-ker), as he’s known for short, is a medium-size dog created in the Netherlands to corral ducks for hunters. The 20- to 30-pound dogs have a medium-length red-and-white coat and a moderate activity level. The GBGV is a low-slung scenthound who is friendly with other dogs and has a high activity level. The grand weighs 40 to 45 pounds and has a personality described as comical but stubborn.

-- Cat trivia? We have it. For instance, did you know that a cat’s sense of smell is about 14 times greater than that of a human? Cats either roar (big cats) or purr (smaller wildcats and domestic cats). No cat can do both. Your housecat can run up to 30 miles per hour -- faster than any Olympic track star -- but can maintain that speed for only a few seconds. A cat’s coat can tell you where and when his ancestors hunted: Cats with light, solid-colored coats evolved to hunt in grasslands, while cats with spotted coats were forest dwellers, hunting at dawn and dusk.

-- If you thought it was hard to give your dog or cat medication, think again. Even snakes need a treat to take their medicine. Denver’s KCNC-TV reported that an 18-year-old king cobra’s lymphosarcoma, which in snakes affects the scales, was in remission after chemotherapy. To “pill” the 13-foot-long snake, Denver Zoo Associate Veterinarian Betsy Stringer consulted a veterinary oncologist at Colorado State University. They came up with plan to insert a chemo pill in the throat of the snake’s supper -- a dead rat. The cobra took a “treated” rat every three weeks for five months. -- 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.

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.