How to have a wild time with your pet

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

Dogs are the ultimate outdoor companions -- and these days, some cats are getting in on the act, too. If you love to hike or camp, your pet is probably right there with you -- or would like to be.

Daily outdoor fun is a way of life for people with retrievers, terriers, spaniels, herding dogs and even plenty of dogs on the small side, who don’t seem to know they are considered part of the lapdog brigade. You may even find that the reverse is true -- you take up an outdoor lifestyle to provide your pet with activity and mental stimulation. Whether you’re new to exploring the outdoors with your pet or an old hand, the following tips will help you and your four-legged friend have fun and stay safe.

-- What to Bring

No matter what you’re doing or where, the following items will stand you in good stead: first-aid kit, water, collapsible water dish or pet-friendly water bottle, tick removal device, poop bags, and a cooling pad, coat or bandanna.

-- Weather

For some animals, anything over 65 degrees Fahrenheit is hot, and they begin to wilt. Others can tolerate higher temperatures, but once the thermostat hits 80 degrees Fahrenheit, it’s too hot for most pets to be doing strenuous activity, especially if they have a short snout or heavy coat. Even on short hikes, offer water frequently.

-- Hiking

Start puppies, small dogs and cats with short hikes of a quarter-mile to a mile. Be prepared with a backpack, sling or other carrier made for pets if the going gets tough or the temperature rises.

Work up to longer distances gradually, and keep loads light. A young dog’s musculoskeletal development isn’t complete until he’s 14 to 24 months old, and excessive weight-bearing activity can contribute to orthopedic problems such as hip dysplasia.

Be aware of your pet’s limitations. He’ll go beyond them trying to keep up with you, so make sure he doesn’t overdo things.

On- or off-leash, your dog should know and always respond to the cues "come," "sit," "down," "stay" and "quiet."

-- Grooming

Getting wet is a major part of outdoor fun. Whether your pet has been in the ocean or a lake or river, he’ll need some attention to his ears and fur afterward.

Rinse fur thoroughly with fresh water to remove salt, sand and slime from his coat. Towel-dry down to the skin to prevent mildew stink or hot spots.

Keep ears dry, especially if they’re droopy. The warm, dark interior of the ear is a perfect breeding ground for bacteria if it gets and stays wet. Dry ears and add a couple of drops of ear cleaner after every swim.

-- Camping

Know the rules. Some states require people with dogs to present rabies certificates or other documentation at camping areas. Parks may restrict people with pets to certain campgrounds or campsite areas. National parks may not allow pets on trails. A nearby national forest can be a better bet with a pet.

The camp-ready pet has been treated with flea, tick and heartworm repellent, and he’s on a leash to make sure he doesn’t wander far when bears or mountain lions are on the prowl. In the tent, he has his own blanket or pet bed.

You’ve all had a big day of swimming in the lake, spotting deer on hikes, and collecting rocks, shed antlers and other treasures. Now you’re chillaxing at the campsite as the sun goes down. Toss your dog some hushpuppies or your favorite equivalent while you’re sitting around the campfire, and rest up so you can do it all again tomorrow.

Q&A

Showing cat can

be fun hobby

Q: Can my cat be in a cat show? What makes a good show cat?

A: One of the great things about cat shows is that any cat, pedigreed or not, can participate in a show. You can enter any domestic kitten or cat in the Household Pet (HHP) class, including pedigreed cats who don’t meet their breed standard because of a disqualifying trait such as coat or eye color. The only rules are that the cat must be at least 4 months old, spayed or neutered, and not declawed.

Household pets can be any age, color or pattern with a long or short coat. Judges evaluate them by appearance, interesting markings, disposition and health.

If you have a striking mixed-breed cat with a friendly personality who enjoys getting out and meeting people and doesn’t mind being picked up and handled by strangers (i.e., the judges), you may have fun showing him. You can find upcoming Cat Fanciers Association shows at cfa.org. Show listings for The International Cat Association are at tica.org.

Contact the entry clerk to see if the show has a class for household pets. On the entry form, where it says "benching request," note that you are a new HHP exhibitor and will need help setting up. And don’t be afraid to ask for help once you get to the show as well.

Your cat should be clean and well-groomed for exhibition. You’ll probably want to bathe her with a shampoo made for her coat color. Trim the nails and make sure ears, paws and rear end are all clean.

You can find more information about showing your cat, the items you should bring and how to proceed on the CFA and TICA websites. Have fun! -- 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

Dogs good at

reading faces

-- Dogs might not read our minds, but a recent study published in the journal “Learning & Behavior” says they read our faces and recognize expressions of different emotions. Researchers presented 26 dogs who were eating with photographs of people expressing emotions such as anger, fear, happiness, sadness, surprise and disgust, plus a neutral expression. When the dogs saw photos of people expressing anger, fear and happiness, their heart rate increased and it took them longer to resume eating, both indicators of stress. Dogs tended to turn their heads to the left when they saw faces expressing anger, fear or happiness and to the right when faces expressed surprise. That suggests that dogs use different parts of their brains to process human emotions. “Clearly arousing, negative emotions seem to be processed by the right hemisphere of a dog’s brain and more positive emotions by the left side,” says Marcello Siniscalchi of the Department of Veterinary Medicine at Italy’s University of Bari Aldo Moro.

-- Does your cat need to see the veterinarian? He may not show obvious signs of illness, but you should take him in if you notice the following changes in appearance or behavior: discharge from eyes or nose; change in eye color; loss of appetite for more than a day; unusual or excessive vocalizations; blood in the litter box; urinating outside the litter box, especially if the stain has a pinkish tinge, indicating blood; unusually high activity levels; unexplained weight loss; excessive vomiting; unusual thirst or urination; and hiding for prolonged periods.

-- Snakes are active now. If you live in copperhead country, seek veterinary attention immediately if one of the leaf-colored pit vipers strikes your dog or cat. Do not try to apply a tourniquet or ice or try to suck the venom out of the wound. -- 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.

Nine of the best new pet books to read this summer

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

Summer reading can be an escape, an education, an entertaining way to while away a few hours or all of the above. If you’re a pet owner, you have an astonishingly wide array of literary pleasures and educational treasures awaiting you during long, lazy days of vacation or simply while you’re waiting for the kids to get out of day camp. The following new releases cover all the bases: mystery, science, photography, behavior and humor.

In “Fear on Four Paws,” book seven in Clea Simon’s Pru Marlowe pet noir series, the animal communicator faces a drugged bear, a ferret who’s not sharing any secrets, her own crabby tabby and a town whose pets are disappearing. Marlowe herself becomes a person of interest in a murder, and a tempting job offer further complicates the situation. Can she identify the killer and return the missing pets to their homes?

Blue cats, big cats, plush cats, silly cats. If your happy place involves looking at pictures of cats, you won’t want to miss professional cat photographer Larry Johnson’s book “Show Cats: Portraits of Fine Felines.” In its pages, more than 180 images depict cats in all their glory: color, eyes, ears, tails, coat type, in motion and more. The accompanying text shares information and insights about the cats themselves and the challenges of photographing them.

If you’d rather see cats trip on ‘nip, look for Andrew Marttila’s “Cats On Catnip,” photographic documentation of the silly, bizarre and delightfully unhinged behaviors cats exhibit under the influence of the herb.

How do dogs smell? Frank Rosell set out to answer that question in his book “Secrets of the Snout: The Dog’s Incredible Nose.” He does a terrific job of explaining dogs’ olfactory obsessions as well as exploring the different types of work dogs do, including finding lost pets, search and rescue, and detecting explosives, pests and diseases. Sniff it out.

Ethologist Adam Miklosi brings together anatomy, behavior, biology, evolution and history to present the latest in what we know about dogs. His art- and photography-rich book “The Dog: A Natural History” ranges from the controversies over where and when domestication began to our current dog-loving culture and the attachment between humans and dogs.

Marc Bekoff’s “Canine Confidential: Why Dogs Do What They Do” is a fine companion to Miklosi and Rosell’s books, bringing the latest science on cognition and emotion to canine personalities, play, marking habits and more, including the eternal question: Why do dogs roll in stinky things?

I must confess, my co-writers Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Becker and I are among the contributors to the next book, “From Fearful to Fear Free.” Subtitled “A Positive Program to Free Your Dog from Anxiety, Fears, and Phobias,” it addresses how fear affects the canine brain, types of fears dogs can develop, such as separation anxiety and noise and thunderstorm phobias, and how to use reward-based techniques to reduce or even prevent fear at the veterinary clinic, out in public, on the road and more.

Kids who love animals and want to learn more about animal welfare can’t go wrong with Beth Adelman’s book “Dogs and Cats: Saving Our Precious Pets.” In easy-to-understand language, she addresses pet overpopulation, breed-specific legislation, genetic diversity, declawing and health problems caused by extreme physical characteristics, to name just a few of the important issues to consider when we live with animals. A quiz and suggested research project at the end of each chapter help readers remember what they’ve learned and find out more.

In “Catnip: A Love Story,” Michael Korda’s doodles of his cats’ imaginary lives -- reading the newspaper, happy hour at the local pub, a Fourth of July celebration -- are a joyful and humorous representation of the love for cats he and his wife shared.

Q&A

Common disorder

hard to diagnose

Q: My dog has been diagnosed with hypothyroidism. What can you tell me about this disease?

A: Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough of certain important hormones. Usually it develops when thyroid glands become inflamed (thyroiditis) or when the glands atrophy with age.

In most cases, the body’s immune system reacts by attacking and destroying thyroid gland cells, a condition called autoimmune thyroiditis. This causes thyroid glands to be less able to produce and secrete their hormones, leading to progressive and irreversible damage. The body’s metabolic rate drops, and dogs may gain weight or lose hair. We often see autoimmune thyroiditis in Doberman pinschers, beagles, golden retrievers and Akitas, but any dog can be affected.

It affects less than 1 percent of the canine population, but that still makes it the most common endocrine disease in dogs. It’s a concern in more than 70 breeds as well as in mixed breeds.

Hypothyroidism is challenging to diagnose and can be missed or mistaken for other disorders. That’s because it has a wide range of variable symptoms that are also seen in other diseases. Figuring out what’s going on requires a complete physical exam combined with several diagnostic tests and knowledge of other factors such as breed idiosyncrasies and illnesses and drugs that can influence test results.

Just a few of the common signs are thinning hair on both sides of the body or on the tail; skin that becomes dark, scaly or greasy; unusually heavy shedding; and lethargy. Dogs may feel cold all the time and seek out warm spots. Weight gain is one of the signs that may be overlooked because people associate it with aging instead of possible disease. The good news is that once diagnosed, hypothyroidism can be managed with a synthetic form of thyroid hormone given orally twice a day for the rest of the dog’s life. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Pet emergency costs

difficult to meet

-- Are you financially prepared for a pet health emergency? According to figures from pet insurance company Pet Plan, the average cost of emergency veterinary visits ranges from $800 to $1,500. A Bankrate survey found that only 39 percent of respondents would be able to cover a $1,000 emergency bill. Financial experts recommend saving $5,000 to $10,000 for pet emergency expenses, purchasing pet health insurance while pets are young and don’t have any pre-existing conditions, or opening a CareCredit medical credit card account. Finally, don’t be afraid to discuss your budget with the veterinarian, who can then help you decide the most cost-effective way to proceed.

-- The lagotto Romagnolo isn’t a fancy Italian racecar, but a curly-coated water retriever. The name means “lake dog of Romagna,” but the breed’s talents aren’t limited to fetching fallen waterfowl. He’s also a popular truffle-hunting dog. Lagotti (the plural of the name) are medium-size dogs weighing 24 to 35 pounds. The coat doesn’t shed much, but it requires regular professional grooming or an owner skilled with clippers. No fancy trims needed, though; he’s supposed to have a natural appearance. The dogs are affectionate, intelligent and exuberant, so be prepared to provide plenty of exercise and mental stimulation to keep them happy.

-- Does your cat stink? If the smell is coming from his hind end, he may have poop stuck in his fur, especially if he has long hair. Gird your loins and give him a look-see. He may need to have the fur around his rear trimmed or a butt bath to get him clean. Cats who are overweight, arthritic or have some other condition that limits their mobility are most in need of a little grooming help from their human friends. Take them to the veterinarian, who may be able to diagnose the cause and recommend treatment. -- 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.

This delightful ailment can be treated by adopting one of the furry darlings at a local shelter, but a pedigreed kitten is also an option

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

Every kitten is adorable, but some people look for breeds with a certain look, size, personality, activity level or other desirable trait. From Abyssinians to Turkish vans, there’s a pedigreed cat to suit anyone’s feline desires.

Not everyone starts out looking for a particular breed. Sometimes their choice of cat is a happy accident. That was the case with Ramona Marek of Portland, Oregon, who began looking for a new kitten after the death of her 15-year-old Maine coon-mix. Marek’s previous cats had been found -- in a ditch, on the side of an expressway, in an apartment complex laundry room. But this time, she and her husband searched several local shelters and rescue organizations, as well as Petfinder, with no luck.

“The kittens we were interested in had either been adopted or were on hold,” Marek says. “We went to a cat show in hopes of finding a kitten for adoption, since shelters often have a space at the shows.”

She didn’t find a kitten, but she did learn about cat breeds that matched the traits she was looking for: longhaired, social, affectionate. They included Maine coons, Norwegian forest cats and Siberians. With no shelter kitten available yet, Marek located a Siberian breeder who had a litter of 6-week-old silver tabby kittens, to be available when they were 12 weeks old. They put down a deposit but continued looking for a kitten to adopt. None turned up, and a month later, they went home with their little prince, Tsarevich Ivan, who still rules 13 years later.

Some people seek out cat breeds with reputations for being hypoallergenic, such as Siberians, Cornish rexes and sphynx. No cat is truly free of allergens, which are found not just on skin but also in saliva and urine. Individual cats may produce less of the proteins that trigger allergies than others, so spend lots of time with several different cats to make sure you’re comfortable around them before acquiring one.

Cats such as Persians are often in demand for their beautiful appearance and gentle nature. If there is such a thing as a couch potato cat, the Persian is it. The beautiful longhaired cats have a drawback, though: They shed. A lot. They also require daily grooming. Cat lovers who like the Persian personality but not the time required to comb them may choose an exotic, a shorthaired variety. Another consideration: Some Persians have a flat face, which can cause them to have breathing difficulties. Avoid cats with extreme characteristics.

Want an active, mischievous cat who might enjoy an adventurous lifestyle? Consider an Abyssinian, but know what you’re getting into. The cats are highly intelligent and can run you ragged as you try to stay one step ahead of them.

Any cat, pedigreed or not, can experience health problems, but some pedigreed breeds may be prone to specific diseases or conditions, ranging from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy to periodontal disease.

“Be educated about potential health issues,” says veterinary cardiologist Sarah Miller, DVM, who lives with a pair of Maine coons. “Make sure the breeder is screening for the health problems that are inherent in the breed and that the breeder is breeding responsibly in order to keep these problems out of their lines.”

Buy from a breeder who puts the cat’s health and welfare foremost. That includes being willing to take the cat back at any point if you’re unable to keep him. Buying from a breeder has other advantages. Think full-time “tech support” from an expert. A reputable breeder will always be there to answer questions about behavior or development.

Before acquiring a pedigreed kitten, learn as much as possible about the breed by talking to breeders and other owners about activity level, health concerns and grooming requirements.

“Look at the kittens and both parents, if possible, and ask many questions,” Marek says. “For me, the experience was positive, educational and rewarding on many levels.”

Q&A

Why dogs think

we’re worth a lick

Q: My dog is constantly licking me. She likes to lick my legs, my hands, my face -- any place she can get to. Why do dogs do this?

A: Dogs do love to lick us, for lots of different reasons. One is that our skin is salty. If we’ve been perspiring, we taste even better, so you may notice that your dog loves to lick you even more in the summertime. I’m not sure why, but the scent or taste of lotion or sunscreen also seems to encourage dogs to lick. And dogs just love the scent of us -- stinky feet and all.

Another reason dogs love to lick us is because we give them attention when they do. Whether we laugh at the tickling sensation or push them away because we don’t want them to ingest sunscreen or that medicated gel we just applied, it makes them happy because we’ve taken notice of them and petted or spoken to them. In a dog’s world, not much is better than that.

The one thing that might be better for a dog is getting a treat, and licking us can be a way of saying, “Hey, over here! How about a bite of what you’re having?” Pups lick mom in hopes of a meal, and maybe grown dogs hope it will work on us, too.

Dogs also get a physiological “feel good” sensation from licking. The action releases hormones called endorphins that serve a stress-relieving function and help the dog feel comfortable or contented.

One fascinating reason dogs may lick humans is because they detect a health problem such as low blood sugar. In a survey of 212 dog owners with Type 1 diabetes, 49.2 percent said their dogs licked them when they were experiencing dangerously low blood sugar levels. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Cat writers group names

best books at banquet

-- The Cat Writers Association honored five books as the best of the best at its 24th annual awards banquet in Houston onJune 9. Winning the fiction category was "Cat Shining Bright" by Shirley Rousseau Murphy, author of the popular Joe Grey cat mystery series. The gift book winner was "Black Cats Tell All: True Tales and Inspiring Images," a collection of heartfelt stories about “house panthers” by Layla Morgan Wilde. Austen Redinger’s coloring book "Caring for Your Kitty" won the children’s category. "Cat Haiku" by V.S. Pittman won the poetry category. The President’s Award, honoring the best entry out of all categories, went to Sandy Lerner’s "Caticons: 4,000 Years of Art Imitating Cats," a collection of images, prose and poetry celebrating cats.

-- United Airlines will no longer transport certain dog and cat breeds in cargo, the company announced last month. The 44 dog breeds and four cat breeds include affenpinschers, Boston terriers, boxers, Brussels griffons, bulldogs, Chinese Shar-Pei, Lhasa apsos, mastiffs, Pekingese, pugs, Shih Tzu, Staffordshire bull terriers, Tibetan spaniels and, on the cat side, Burmese, exotics, Himalayans and Persians. Because of high temperatures, no pets will be accepted in cargo between May 1 and Sept. 30 to or from Las Vegas; Palm Springs, California; Phoenix; or Tucson, Arizona.

-- Cats have amazing auditory anatomy. With 32 muscles in the pinna, or outer ear, they can twitch their ears any which way -- forward, backward and to the side -- capturing even the slightest noises. Sound waves travel through the ear canal to the eardrum in the middle ear. The eardrum vibrates in response to the sound waves, and those vibrations are transmitted by the auditory ossicles -- three tiny bones known as the hammer, anvil and stirrup -- into the inner ear. There, nerve endings in the cochlea, the organ of hearing, pass the vibrations on to the brain, which translates them into sounds. -- Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton, 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.