33 places to share your vacation with your dog

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

Whether your plans this year include a vacation or a staycation, there’s no reason to leave your dog out of the fun. Dog-friendly spots abound across the United States and include botanical gardens, breweries, festivals, hikes, museums and more. No matter where you’re located, there’s a good chance you’ll be within driving distance of at least one of these activities. Assume that dogs must be leashed unless informed otherwise. Check AirBnB, FlipKey and VRBO for pet-friendly rentals.

“Barkansas” is filled with natural wonders for dogs -- and their humans -- to explore, including Lake Wilson Park south of Fayetteville and Lake Ouachita Vista Trail near Mount Ida. For a more manicured experience, visit Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs or the 1886 Crescent Hotel and Spa in Eureka Springs, with 15 acres of gardens and hiking trails. In Little Rock, you and your dog can take self-guided tours of the Arkansas River Trail, Arkansas State Capitol Grounds and Arkansas Civil Rights Heritage Walk.

It’s hard to find a place in California that isn’t dog-friendly. In Laguna Beach, enjoy outdoor dining at Brussels Bistro or Watermarc. In summer, take your dog to Laguna’s beaches before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m. The rest of the year, leashed dogs can play all day. In Santa Barbara, visit the botanical gardens or the Sunday art sale and walk.

Visiting Chicago? Sign up for Mercury’s 90-minute Canine Cruise, a floating history and architecture tour of the city with dog-friendly highlights such as the oldest fire hydrant in the city and the park with the most squirrels. Departs Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 7.

In Kentucky, Shaker Village and Kentucky Horse Park are two top attractions that allow leashed dogs. Shaker Village has pet-friendly trails and overnight rooms. At KHP, pets are allowed on the grounds, in the museum lobby and at restaurant outdoor seating.

Maine attraction? In Bar Harbor, you and your dog can cruise Frenchman Bay on the Margaret Todd schooner (go midday for fewer people) or explore Acadia National Park.

If you’re summering in Nantucket, take Fido on a private charter with Endeavor Sailing Excursions or take him kayaking at Francis Street Beach. Afterward, kick back with a brew at dog-friendly Cisco Brewers.

Dogs can’t appreciate the art inside Kansas City, Missouri's, Nelson-Atkins Museum or Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, but they are allowed on the grounds, dotted with sculptures. In St. Louis, look for a paw print logo at shops and restaurants to identify those that are dog-friendly. Enjoy Yappy Hour at Anheuser-Busch Biergarten every day the outdoor garden is open.

Asheville, North Carolina, is home to majestic Biltmore Estate on 220 acres. Explore the grounds with your dog, then settle him in the on-site kennel while you tour the house. In Wilmington, start your morning at Java Dog Coffee House and finish the day with dinner on the deck at The George restaurant on the Riverwalk.

Hit the water with your dog in Bend, Oregon, where you can float the Deschutes River by kayak, paddleboard or other craft that holds your dog. Other dog-friendly activities include riding the Mount Bachelor Pine Marten chairlift up to hiking trails. In Portland, visit the world-famous Rose Garden or sign up for a Portland Food Cart Tour. Dine at Tin Shed Garden Cafe, where your dog gets fed, too.

In Oklahoma, dogs are welcome at Woolaroc Museum and Wildlife Preserve, a 3,700-acre working ranch in Bartlesville with bison, elk, longhorn cattle and more.

Leashed dogs can attend shows at Northern Sky Theater in Fish Creek, Wisconsin, presenting family-friendly musicals under the stars through August.

Don’t see your city or state here? Future features will focus on pet-friendly breweries and wineries and winter destinations, whether you’re looking for warm or cold weather. Bark voyage!

Q&A

Appetite may

signal illness

Q: My pet always eats well, and lately he’s been eating more than usual. I’ve always thought that a good appetite means he’s healthy, but something just seems off about him. Should I be worried?

A: We all like to see our pets enjoy their food, but eating a lot isn’t always a sign of good health. It’s normal for pets to have a big appetite when they’re growing or have an active lifestyle. Pregnant or nursing animals also eat more food than normal. But an increased appetite in the absence of those situations can be cause for concern.

Puppies and kittens with a pot-bellied appearance who are eating but losing weight may have an infestation of intestinal parasites such as roundworms. A fecal exam will tell the tale.

Pets who eat ravenously and still want more but are losing weight may have a health problem. Those signs can indicate diabetes mellitus in dogs and cats; hyperthyroidism in cats; or exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI, for short), in which the body has difficulty digesting food and absorbing nutrients.

Increased appetite accompanied by seizures can signal insulinoma, a pancreatic tumor. An unexplained appetite increase along with hair loss and increased thirst and urination can indicate a condition called Cushing’s disease.

If your pet has any of these signs, your veterinarian will conduct a physical exam and ask questions such as what your pet eats, how often, how long since you first noticed the problem and whether you’ve noticed other changes in your pet’s daily routine and habits. She may recommend screening tests such as various types of blood work or a urinalysis. Once the problem is determined, your pet can be treated. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Bird brain?

Think again

-- Why are parrots so smart? Canadian neuroscientists have discovered that the brainy birds have a neural circuit that transfers information between the cortex and the cerebellum. Called the medial spiriform nucleus (SpM), it’s similar to an area of the brain in primates, the pontine nuclei, that performs the same function. “This loop between the cortex and the cerebellum is important for the planning and execution of sophisticated behaviors,” said Doug Wylie, the study’s co-author and professor of psychology at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. Parrots have an SpM that is two to five times larger than that in other types of birds. The paper, “Parrots have evolved a primate-like telencephalic-midbrain-cerebellar circuit,” was published earlier this month in the journal Scientific Reports.

-- One of the final vestiges of ancient American dogs is a type of cancer: canine transmissible venereal tumor (CTVT). Analysis of DNA from the remains of 71 ancient dogs located in North America and Siberia found that they were a distinct population, unlike modern and ancient Eurasian dogs. Little of their DNA remains in modern dogs, based on DNA analysis of 5,000 dogs, including village dogs, from North and South America. The closest detectable link to indigenous American dogs is CTVT, a contagious cancer clone derived from a single dog who lived some 8,000 years ago. Scientists speculate that the dogs died of CTVT or from infectious diseases that arrived with European dogs.

-- If your cat keeps you up at night, feed into his night-owl personality by giving a meal before bedtime. Cats like to eat at night and typically rest afterward. Or set timed feeders to open during the night, at whatever time your cat typically awakens you, or early in the morning so you can sleep in. Set out food-filled puzzles or hide treats that your cat can hunt for at night. Soon you should be sleeping through the night. -- 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 cats populate our language in clever and creative ways

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

When I was growing up, I was a shy, quiet child, and the phrase I heard most often from my grandmother was “What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?” When I began writing this week’s feature -- on the many ways animals appear in our language -- it was the first phrase that came to mind.

While it seems as if this saying should have a colorful history, its origins are as shy as I was. Its first known appearance in print was in Ballou’s Monthly Magazine, vol. 53, in 1881, where it was described as a phrase said by children. One other theory, unsupported by quality references, suggests that the saying dates to the Middle Ages, when it was thought that a witch’s cat would steal or control the tongue of anyone who saw the witch in action so that she couldn’t be reported to the authorities.

This time of year is notable for its "dog days," known for their scorching heat. The dog days occur in summer when Sirius, the dog star, shines brightly in the sky. Its name derives from the ancient Greek word “seirios,” meaning “sparking,” “fiery” or “burning.” The star, which rises early in the morning in the path of the sun, was thought to be the cause of hot midsummer days. The dog days begin in mid-to-late July and end on Aug. 11.

The Cambridge Dictionary defines a "cool cat" as a fashionable person. I prefer the American Heritage Dictionary’s slang definition of the word cool -- composure or poise -- because that so perfectly describes a cat’s normal state of being. The phrase "cool cat" entered the language in the 1940s, associated with jazz music. The digital Oxford English Dictionary says slang references to cats as people who appreciate jazz date to 1936, and the use of cool in reference to jazz music appeared in 1947. The mashup "cool cat" probably occurred soon thereafter.

The metaphor “black dog” as a term for depression has a long history. The negative image of black dogs dates to Roman times, when the poet Horace wrote that the sight of a black dog with puppies was a bad omen. Wordsmith Samuel Johnson used the phrase in the 18th century to describe his melancholia, and Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable listed the saying “a black dog has walked over him” to describe a sullen person. In the 20th century, British prime minister Winston Churchill used the phrase “black dog” to refer to his own depression.

Have you ever let the cat out of the bag? This idiom, referring to spilling a secret, has no clear origin, but Barbara Mikkelson of the urban folklore website Snopes.com wrote in 2012 that “it could have to do with a similarity between the behavior of both secrets and cats -- once either is let out, they go wherever they want.” I am reminded of the time our late cat Peter the Gray trapped himself inside a plastic bag and ran frantically back and forth down the hall trying to escape it. In much the same way, a secret-keeper often struggles to contain his or her knowledge until it finally bursts out -- the way Peter did from the bag.

It’s a dog’s life. We all wish we could live that, don’t we? Or do we? What does that phrase mean? In its earliest known reference in a 16th-century manuscript, it referred to a miserably unhappy existence. But considering the multi-billion-dollar pet industry in this country alone, I think that now we can safely say that the phrase refers to a pampered life indeed.

Q&A

Bicycle can be good

dog exercise tool

Q: I often see people bicycling with their dogs running alongside them. Is that a good way to exercise dogs?

A: Letting a dog run alongside a bike can be a great way to exercise him if he’s in good shape and not overweight. Before you decide to exercise your dog this way, take him in for a checkup with your veterinarian. He shouldn’t be overweight, because running can be hard on his joints. And it’s not something to do with a puppy whose growth plates haven’t closed yet. But if you have a dog who loves to run and has an excess of energy, you have yourself the makings of a bicycling companion.

To get started, your dog should know and respond to the cues "sit," "leave it" and "heel." Start slowly, and gradually build up speed and distance. Keep your dog at a trot, not a run. Make sure he’s not overheating; take a break if you notice that he’s panting hard, slowing down, trying to run toward shade or wanting to lie down. Bring water to give him, and offer it frequently.

Schedule rides for early morning or evening when it’s cool, never in the middle of the day if it’s hot. Avoid busy streets if possible, and make sure your dog wears a flashing collar or orange safety vest so drivers see him. Don’t use an extendible leash or carry the leash in your hand; both can easily lead to a bike wreck. You can purchase an attachment for your bike that keeps your dog alongside it and unable to run off after a bird or squirrel.

Not every dog is suited to running alongside a bike. Skip this type of exercise if you have a bulldog, French bulldog, dogue de Bordeaux or other flat-faced breed or mix. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Algal growth harmful

to pets, people

-- Beware of blue-green algae in water where your pet plays or swims. The algal blooms, often the result of agricultural runoff, produce toxins that affect the gastrointestinal tract and liver, causing vomiting or diarrhea. In severe cases, the animal can suffer liver failure. Blue-green algae blooms look like blue or green paint spilled on the surface of non-moving water, says Steve Ensley, a clinical veterinary toxicologist at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas. Keep pets (and yourself) away from lakes or ponds with blue-green algae, which commonly develops when temperatures are high and rain falls regularly. “Rain causes lakes and ponds to become enriched with an excess amount of nutrients, like phosphorus and nitrogen, causing bacteria to bloom at a more rapid pace,” Ensley said in a news release.

-- Chatty catty? If you have a cat who loves to converse with you, she’s likely a member of the Siamese family. Cats with the gift of gab vocalize seemingly nonstop, telling you about their day, asking about yours, commenting on how you could be doing things better (like feeding them more or pulling out their favorite toy) and complaining about the barking dog next door. Other cat breeds with talkative tendencies include Balinese, Orientals, Bombays, Burmese, Japanese bobtail, Tonkinese, and Devon, Cornish and Selkirk rex cats. Beyond meows, their vocalizations include chirps, chattering, yowls and trills.

-- Not everyone has easy access to a veterinarian. Rural communities often lack options for animal care. Rural Area Veterinary Services steps in with spay/neuter and other surgeries, vaccinations, parasite treatment, porcupine quill removal and other care. The organization helps more than 8,000 animals annually and helps to develop humane animal care and control programs in communities. The organization relies on volunteer veterinary professionals and students to provide services. Donations can be made at ruralareavet.org. -- Kim Campbell Thornton

ABOUT PET CONNECTION

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

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.