Check out an organization’s policies, protocols and philosophy before handing over your money.

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

These days, it’s not “How much is that puppy in the window?” but “Where did that rescue dog come from?” Last month, the Washington Post reported that some rescue groups pay large sums to purchase adult dogs and puppies from commercial breeders that auction them off. The rescue groups say they are saving the dogs from a life of misery, but opponents say they are simply putting dollars into the pockets of puppy mills, encouraging them to breed more dogs for the auction go-round.

No matter which side you’re on, transparency is the name of the game. Anyone choosing to adopt a pet from a breed-specific or general animal rescue group should ask questions about the organization first. Here’s what to consider.

-- What are the rescue’s bona fides? A rescue organization should be able to provide references from a veterinarian, past adopters or trainers with whom they have worked.

“People should be as wary about rescue groups as they are of breeders, and do due diligence in their search for a rescue dog,” says Renee Bruns of Oklahoma City, national director of American Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Rescue Trust.

-- What is the animal’s age? Kittens are typically easy to come by, especially during “kitten season” in spring and summer, but puppies are less commonly available from shelters and rescue groups. A rescue organization that regularly has puppies available may be purchasing “oops” litters or puppies from commercial breeders. There’s nothing wrong with wanting a puppy, but acquiring one this way is not necessarily a “rescue;” it’s a purchase.

-- Where does the animal come from? Many shelters and rescue groups, when short on animals in their own areas -- dogs, in particular -- import animals from shelters in other states or even from out of the country. That eases pressure on shelters and rescue groups with too many animals, but it can also spread disease and parasites to parts of the country where they aren’t typically found.

Cornell University virologist Ed Dubovi, Ph.D., says two recent canine influenza outbreaks in the United States are linked to viral sequences of influenza viruses that exist in Korea. Several rescue organizations bring dogs in from Korea and other Asian countries.

Reputable rescue groups have stringent health and safety protocols to prevent disease and parasite transmission. Ask if dogs six months or older were tested and treated, if necessary, for heartworm disease and other conditions before relocation.

-- How much is the adoption fee? Some rescue organizations charge hundreds of dollars, especially for purebred dogs. For a purebred dog in good health, $400 isn’t unreasonable, says Maryanne Dell, founder of Shamrock Rescue Foundation in Orange County, California. For that fee, though, she would expect a rescue organization, at a minimum, to have had the dog temperament-tested, checked by a veterinarian, spayed or neutered, and microchipped.

“If we get into much over $300 or $400 for a dog, I’m going to ask if the rescue is going to auctions and buying purebreds, and why,” she says. “I would want to have that high adoption fee itemized. If this is a dog who was hit by a car and the rescue paid $4,000 to fix it, and the dog is awesome and they showed me the bills, I might not balk at a $500 adoption fee.”

Her own organization charges a $200 adoption fee. It doesn’t recoup her costs, but it assures her that adopters value the animal.

-- Any red flags? Instant gratification isn’t necessarily a good thing. Be concerned if a rescue group tries to push an animal on you or doesn’t make any effort to check out what kind of home you would provide. Easy access to a dog, no in-home interview, willingness to ship dogs, and frequent availability of puppies are all signs that you may be dealing with a “dog flipper” who is selling animals for profit instead of an actual rescue group.

Next week: what to ask about an animal you’re considering adopting.

Q&A

Pomeranian’s fur

falls out, doesn’t regrow

Q: We have a 7-year-old blue merle Pomeranian whose fur started falling out when he was 2 or 3 years old. Now his torso, neck and tail are bald except for a few tufts of woolly fur. He’s been tested for many conditions, including hypothyroidism, and I think he has something called alopecia X. Is there anything we can try to regrow his fur? -- via Facebook

A: Pomeranians, along with other Nordic breeds and toy and miniature poodles, can develop a coat condition called alopecia X. It’s also known as black-skin disease, adult-onset growth hormone deficiency, and castration-responsive alopecia. Linda A. Frank, DVM, professor of dermatology at University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, calls it hair cycle arrest.

Dogs with this condition lose hair over most of the body, typically leaving only the head and feet with fur. The skin may thicken and turn dark. Alopecia X can occur before the dog is a year old, or much later in life. It appears to be more common in males than females. And while little is known about the disease, your dog’s blue merle coloring may also be a factor.

Sometimes the coat comes back on its own, but the fur is thin and soft. In some cases, the condition responds to treatment, although there isn’t a “one size fits all” fix. As you may have guessed from the term “castration-responsive alopecia,” the hair may regrow several months after the dog is spayed or neutered.

According to the University of Tennessee’s web page on hair loss, supplementation with oral melatonin has benefits in 30 to 40 percent of dogs with the disease. Check with your veterinarian first, especially if your dog has diabetes or has not been definitely diagnosed with alopecia X, and make sure the melatonin pills do not contain xylitol, which is toxic to dogs. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

What to do if a

pet is poisoned

-- Think your pet has been poisoned? If you know what he was exposed to, bring your vet the product label or package the toxin came in. If your pet has gotten into pills, bring them in, even if you don’t have the package. The pill’s imprint code can be useful in identifying the drug. The poison control center may also ask about your pet’s breed, sex, age, weight and health condition. If possible, tell them when and where the pet was exposed, how much was ingested, and what signs the animal exhibits. Don’t induce vomiting until you’ve spoken to your veterinarian or a poison control center expert.

-- Maddie’s Fund honored 10 animal welfare leaders last month with Maddie Hero Awards for their efforts to help bring about a “no-kill” nation. The award comes with $10,000 to each person’s organization to help further their community’s lifesaving efforts and big-picture thinking. The 2018 Maddie Hero Award winners are: Alan Borgal, Animal Rescue League, Boston; Jon Cicirelli, San Jose Animal Care and Services, California; Ryan Clinton, attorney, Austin, Texas; Denise Deisler, Jacksonville Humane Society, Florida; Wayne Ivey, Sheriff, Brevard County Sheriff’s Office South Animal Care Center, Florida; Teresa Johnson, Kansas City Pet Project, Missouri; Aimee Sadler, Dogs Playing for Life, Colorado; Risa Weinstock, Animal Care Centers of New York City; Lori Weise, Downtown Dog Rescue, Los Angeles; and Makena Yarbrough, Lynchburg Humane Society, Virginia.

-- When you think of pet bunnies, the solid white rabbit that so many of us knew as kids may be the first to spring to mind, but the American Rabbit Breeders Association recognizes 49 different rabbit breeds. They include the American chinchilla, American fuzzy lop, checkered giant, Dutch, dwarf Hotot, English Angora, English lop, Flemish giant, harlequin, Himalayan, Holland lop, lionhead, mini rex, Netherland dwarf and New Zealand. -- 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.

How often and how far should you walk your dog? Different breeds have different needs, and age matters, too

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

At our house, a long dog walk is 45 minutes each way and may involve stairs and beach walking. A moderate walk is 20 to 30 minutes around the block. A short walk is 10 to 15 minutes around our complex.

We first devised those dog walk descriptions for our then-3-year-old cavalier King Charles spaniel, Harper. It wasn’t unusual for her to walk anywhere from 2 to 7 miles daily.

What amount and distance of walking does your dog need? It’s a common Google search: “How long should I walk my cockapoo/German shepherd/puppy/small dog/etc.?”

The answer?

It depends.

Cavaliers like Harper are among the dogs who can switch from couch potato to avid walker or hiker depending on their person’s energy level and time available on a particular day, but many dogs need and demand longer or more strenuous outings every day, and often more than once or twice. And some, of course, would prefer gentle walks -- the shorter, the better.

While there are always exceptions, it’s smart to assume that dogs bred to herd (border collies, Australian cattle dogs, German shepherds and Australian shepherds, for instance) or hunt (the various retrievers, pointers, setters and spaniels) require large amounts of daily exercise to burn off their vast energy reserves.

Dog trainer Liz Palika of Kindred Spirits in Oceanside, California, lives with two English shepherds, Bones and Hero, and previously had several Australian shepherds. When her dogs are young puppies, they get an hour to an hour and a half daily of running off leash in her training yard or retrieving balls and toys. Once their growth plates close -- an age that varies by breed and ranges from 10 to 20 months -- she gradually introduces them to running several miles a day alongside her bike in the morning, plus their hour or more of play in the evening.

“We generally take Sunday off,” she says.

In Allentown, Pennsylvania, Deb Rabuck’s Pyrenean shepherds (small French herding dogs) get walks of a half-hour to an hour, or 1 to 3 miles.

New York City Leonbergers Cleah, 10, and Emily, 5, walk about 2 miles daily on city streets, plus one or more 16-story stair climbs, says owner Mara Bovsun. On Long Island, they have the opportunity for off-leash runs and 3 1/2-mile walks or runs in the woods.

Older dogs can be surprisingly active when it comes to walks. Susan Rosenau’s dogs, a 10-year-old Boston terrier and a 10-year-old French bulldog, get four walks daily, two for 20 minutes and two that are shorter. Jenn Stollery’s cavalier King Charles spaniels walk 1 to 4 miles daily.

Age and infirmities don’t deter dogs from their daily walks.

“My oldest sets the pace,” says Stollery, of Parsippany, New Jersey. “He is 13 but still loves a serious walk.”

Chris Foxx of Seattle drives his 13-year-old pug Lola, who is blind, to a nearby park for daily walks. While Lola used to love hiking on trails, Foxx says now it’s better for her to explore an open field so she doesn’t run into trees or stumble over rocks. Mika, a 10-year-old German shepherd mix, and 9-year-old Hina, a chow-Akita mix, take owner Mary Wakabayashi for a 45-to-60-minute walk every morning, plus a 2-to-3-mile walk after Wakabayashi gets home from work.

The average adult dog benefits from at least 30 minutes of exercise daily, which can be broken up into two or three walks. Harper, now 10 1/2 years old, still enjoys a 2-mile walk or several short walks daily. It’s good for her health and mine, and best of all, it makes both of us happy.

Q&A

Will cat be lonely

while we’re gone?

Q: Since my husband retired, our 12-year-old Maine coon has become super attached to him! She is in his lap every chance she gets, and if we go out in the evening, she is always waiting for us in the window.

We are going away on vacation soon. We have a person coming in daily to take care of the litter box, food and water, but I am worried about how our cat will handle being without my husband. How can we make it easier for her?

A: It’s great that your cat has developed such a strong bond with your husband, but I can see why you might be worried about going on vacation. Here are some tips to help her feel more comfortable and less lonely.

Make sure she meets the pet sitter at least a couple of times before you leave. Cats like to take their time when getting to know strangers.

Unless your cat approaches the sitter on her own, the sitter should face away from her but toss treats in her direction. If your cat has a favorite toy, the sitter could also offer to play with it, again while not looking directly at the cat. Have the sitter prepare and set down the cat’s food while you’re there, too. Your cat will see that the sitter has nice “cat manners” and will associate him or her with good things -- treats, toys and dinner.

Have your husband leave a T-shirt that he’s worn for your cat to snuggle with. Access to his odor will help her feel comfortable during his absence. A diffuser that releases a feline pheromone, such as Feliway, can also help to create a calm atmosphere for your cat while you’re gone. -- Mikkel Becker

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

THE BUZZ

How to clean up

with dogs and cats

-- If you have spring cleaning on your mind, don’t forget your pets’ gear. To prevent bacterial buildup from spreading to pet toys, dishes and bedding, not to mention your own stuff, thoroughly clean those items on a regular basis. Soft stuffed toys and bedding can go into the washing machine on the hot cycle and then into the dryer or outdoors to dry in the sun. Use detergent free of dyes and scents. Wash food and water dishes daily. Clean hard rubber or plastic toys in hot, soapy water, or run them through the dishwasher.

-- The most dog-friendly workplace in America may well be Amazon headquarters in Seattle. The company recently posted on its blog that some 6,000 dogs a day can be found at the company’s main campus. Receptionists hand out treats to passing dogs, the 17th floor has a deck where dogs can play -- fake fire hydrant included -- and the company opened a dog park available to the public in the surrounding neighborhood. In the post, “Woof Pack” manager Lara Hirschfield writes: “Dogs in the workplace is an unexpected mechanism for connection. I see Amazonians meeting each other in our lobbies or elevators every day because of their dogs.”

-- It’s Be Kind to Animals Week. The commemorative event, sponsored by the American Humane Association, first occurred in 1915, making it the longest-running humane education campaign in the United States. To celebrate, here are seven ways to act with compassion, kindness or love toward animals: provide pets with regular veterinary care and grooming; protect them with identification such as tags and microchips; foster or adopt an animal from a shelter; report animal cruelty if you see it; take your dog for a walk; play with your cat every day; and protect your pet from extreme temperatures. -- 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.

Poop: Is it the treatment of the future? Fecal transplants for dogs and cats may help to improve intestinal issues such as chronic diarrhea and vomiting

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

From the time Ana was young, she had intestinal problems. When she was only 5 months old, she suffered severe vomiting and diarrhea and wouldn't eat or drink. Instead she tried to eat non-food items such as toys, cords and paint on the wall.

"We thought she was going to die. When she should have been gaining about 6 pounds, she lost about 6 pounds," says Ana's owner, Tracy Weber of Seattle.

To help Ana thrive, Weber cooked special meals for the German shepherd puppy and tried different proteins and supplements. Nothing worked.

"When I called the vet and said, 'What do we try next?' she suggested a fecal transplant."

The gastrointestinal tract houses a complex collection of microorganisms known as the microbiome. They play a crucial role in health -- not just of the gut, but of the entire body, including regulating the immune system. Microbiome population is affected by factors such as diet, antibiotics and gastrointestinal disease, and healthy animals have a highly individual microbiota.

Weber didn't know much about fecal microbiota transplants (FMT), and she didn't like the idea of implanting another dog's poop into her dog's gastrointestinal tract. But the more she researched it, the more she thought it would be worth a shot.

Fecal transplants are a rare instance of a treatment used first in humans and then in dogs and cats. In humans, FMT has been successful in treating 90 to 98 percent of recurring Clostridium difficile infections, leading to normalization of the microbiome. Clinical signs resolve within one to two days. For inflammatory bowel disease, though, the success rate is much lower, only 25 to 30 percent.

Nicknamed "re-poopulation," FMT involves transplanting fecal material from a known healthy dog with good digestion, no parasites and no treatment with antibiotics for at least the previous three months. The process begins by blending the feces and separating out the solids. What remains is a soupy mixture of probiotic and fecal material that, for Ana, was administered as an enema into the colon. Another protocol involves inserting the material into the gut through a nasogastric tube, and one company offers an oral fecal transplant capsule.

Ana did not need to be sedated during the procedure. Afterward, she had to remain crated for six hours to give the microbes time to settle in to their new environment. Patients may be given loperamide (Imodium) to reduce the likelihood of a bowel movement.

It took several weeks before Weber saw improvement in Ana's appetite and chronic diarrhea, but the pica -- the tendency to eat non-food items -- disappeared the same day as the fecal transplant. The transplant was repeated when the pica reappeared.

The number of fecal transplants required varies in both dogs and humans, probably depending on how difficult it is for gut microbes to stay alive in a specific digestive tract. In his lecture on the intestinal microbiome at the 2018 Veterinary Meeting and Expo, Texas A&M University veterinary microbiologist Jan S. Suchodolski says that in some patients, fecal transplants are repeated up to three times every three to four weeks. The procedure decreased the imbalance of microorganisms (known as dysbiosis) in most dogs, although a subset had no improvement.

"I have colleagues who say 70 percent of patients get better, and I have colleagues who say zero percent get better," Dr. Suchodolski said.

Of Ana, Weber says, "In general, (the transplants) have helped, but we may do a third with a different donor dog."

Do fecal transplants have potential for other health benefits? At Ontario Veterinary College in Canada, Shauna Blois, DVM, is investigating the benefit of fecal transplants for dogs with inflammatory bowel disease. And last year, researchers at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine discovered a relationship between the brain, the gastrointestinal tract, and immune system diseases. The finding could have implications for treatment of certain immune and neurologic diseases, as well as diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Q&A

Anal sacs can be

smelly problem

Q: After my cat got off my lap recently, I noticed a couple of wet spots on my pants. When I gave them a sniff, the smell just about knocked me over. What was that?

A: You have just been introduced to the secretions of the feline anal glands. These pea-size glands, also called anal sacs, produce a malodorous substance that enables cats to identify and communicate with each other as well as mark territory. When the cat defecates, the contents of the anal sacs are squeezed out, coating the cat's stool and allowing him to leave a stinky warning -- "Tom's Club: No other cats allowed" -- to other cats who pass by.

Usually, anal gland secretions aren't an issue in cats, but sometimes anal glands become overactive, resulting in a noticeable odor. Anal glands that malfunction and don't empty normally can become inflamed, infected or impacted.

Inflamed or infected anal glands may become swollen and tender, inhibiting normal passage of the secretions. If you notice your cat frequently scooting on the ground or biting at his rear, this may be the problem. Left untreated, the anal glands can abscess or rupture, which isn't pleasant for your cat or for you when you have to medicate the area. Luckily, this condition is rare in cats; they are more likely to develop impacted anal glands.

Impaction occurs when stools don't exert enough pressure on the glands as the cat defecates. This may occur in cats with chronic soft stools because the anal musculature has nothing to push the sac against to release the fluid.

Your veterinarian can relieve the situation by emptying the glands manually. If your cat has soft stools related to food allergies, a change in diet may help. Adding plain canned pumpkin to the cat's food can boost his fiber intake and improve stool consistency as well. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Teeth tell the tale

of puppy age

-- How old is that puppy? Young animals aren't always accompanied by a birth certificate, so determining their age can be tricky. But veterinarians have a method that gives them a pretty accurate answer: They look at the teeth. Seeing which teeth have come in helps in estimating a young pup's age. Puppy teeth start to erupt at 3 to 4 weeks, starting with the canines and followed by the first two sets of incisors at 4 to 5 weeks, the first two sets of premolars at 4 to 6 weeks, the third set of incisors at 5 to 6 weeks, and the last set of premolars at 6 to 8 weeks. The temporary teeth start to fall out when pups are 14 weeks to 7 months old. By 8 months, most puppies have a full set of adult teeth.

-- If you thought that the plague was a medieval disease, think again. It still exists and can affect humans, dogs, cats and other mammals. The bacterial disease occurs primarily in wildlife, but humans and pets can be exposed if bitten by an infected flea or through direct contact with infected animals. The first diagnosed case this year was seen in a dog in New Mexico. Plague cases also occured in Arizona, Colorado and Utah. Signs include fever, headache, chills, weakness, and swollen, painful lymph nodes.

-- K is for Korat. The gray cat with green eyes symbolizes luck and prosperity in his homeland of Thailand, where he is known as si-sawat. Although they are related to the Siamese, the cats are not as vocal as their pointed cousins, but they have no problem communicating their desires when it comes to food or attention. Expect to provide plenty of interaction if you invite one of these active, playful cats into your life. -- 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.