Transporting a cat to a new home takes preparation, but there’s no reason to leave your BFF -- best feline friend -- behind

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

When Barbara Cole Miller made the decision to move from her longtime home in Southern California to her hometown of Albany, New York, she knew one of the greatest challenges she faced would be transporting her 10-year-old cat. Piper, adopted by Miller from San Clemente-Dana Point Animal Shelter in 2013, was fearful of loud noises and rarely left home except for visits to the veterinarian. Their cross-country trip by air would involve a two-day stay at a hotel before the flight, a new experience for Piper.

Her head exploding with “what-ifs,” Miller reached out for advice from Piper’s veterinarian, Bernadine Cruz, DVM, who is certified in Fear Free techniques, and to acquaintances experienced in traveling with cats.

The first step was finding a soft-sided carrier with mesh sides for good air flow that would fit comfortably beneath the airline seat. She chose one that allowed 15-pound Piper to be placed in it from the top or side.

Miller also purchased a portable folding litter box and packed a zippered plastic bag of lightweight clumping litter for the flight. She didn’t expect Piper to need or use it during the flight, but she wanted to have it in case they were delayed at their connection in Chicago. Janiss Garza, who travels frequently with her Somali cat Summer, advised on litter selection.

“Clay litter is heavy and will almost guarantee your suitcase will be inspected by the TSA, since it has some of the same chemical makeup as another substance on their danger list,” she says.

To make sure Piper could urinate comfortably and mess-free if she had to during the flight, Miller lined the bottom of the carrier with a plastic bag, then layered it with absorbent pee pads and folded newspaper. She also added shredded newspaper to help Piper stay warm.

Her biggest fear was that Piper would defecate during the flight.

“I carried a cat carrier change: plastic bag, pee pads and newspaper, but my good girl only peed a little while confined or away from a litter box,” she says.

To help Piper feel comfortable in the hotel room and the carrier, Miller used feline pheromone spray provided by Dr. Cruz. She also planned ahead for the flight. Piper’s carrier required a special airline tag, so they had to check in at the counter. Miller has had both knees replaced, so she had to enter a special line to go through security. She knew that Piper would have to be removed from the carrier during the security check so the bag could be X-rayed. To help maintain control of Piper while the cat was out of the bag, she purchased a custom vest with a touch fastener and a ring for attaching a leash.

“Most important,” she says, “I requested a private room for inspection of her carrier. We were escorted to a small, fully enclosed room where Piper could walk around for a few minutes.”

Before arriving at the airport and again before takeoff, Miller gave Piper a dose of gabapentin prescribed by Dr. Cruz. The medication doesn’t cause complete sedation, but it reduces stress. Aside from an occasional quiet meow, Piper tolerated the two flights without issue.

They reached their new home five days before the movers arrived with furniture, but Miller had arranged for a friend to have a litter box and food waiting for Piper. She also brought familiar throw pillows and used the pheromone spray to help Piper settle in to her new digs.

“All in all, she did far better than I could have imagined,” Miller says. “Piper has a strong bond with me, and as long as I was around, she was fine.”

Q&A

My co-worker

scares my dog

Q: My sweet 18-month-old cavalier King Charles spaniel comes to work with me every day. He loves other dogs and most people, especially women, but with most men, it takes him a while to warm up. There is one guy in my office who has tried so hard to befriend him, and my dog wants no part of him. He now runs and hides behind me or in a corner when he sees the guy; the other day, he scurried into the safe. Yesterday, before I could stop him, the guy cornered my baby, and my dog peed all over! He hasn’t peed indoors since he was 4 months old. Is it time for me to tell my co-worker to back off? What should I say?

A: Body language cues -- directly facing the dog, leaning into the dog, looking directly at the dog or reaching out -- from a person who is overly interested can be too much for a reserved dog. It’s important for people to give a dog space, allowing the dog to get to know them on his own terms, as well as to protect that needed bubble of personal space that we all, dogs included, want to have.

You can and should be clear about your dog’s need for extra space. Establish ground rules about how your dog prefers to interact with people. Your dog may be one who prefers to play hard to get and responds better to being ignored so he can make approaches when he’s comfortable.

Never be afraid to speak up for your dog. There’s nothing wrong with saying, “Please don’t come any closer.” You don’t have to give any kind of explanation as to why your dog needs space; that’s between you and your dog. -- Mikkel Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Fishy bandages

provide burn relief

-- Tilapia skins help burn wounds heal better, says Jamie Peyton, DVM, chief of the Integrative Medicine Service at University of California, Davis, Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. The novel treatment, delivered at VCA Valley Oak Veterinary Center in Chico, is helping dogs and cats who suffered burns in the Camp Fire in November. Sterilized fish skins provide pain relief and protection, transferring collagen to burned skin. Another benefit: less frequent bandage changes, which can be painful for burned paws. The treatment was first used last year on two bears and a mountain lion who suffered burns in the Thomas Fire. Eventually, Dr. Peyton hopes, the technique can be used more widely by veterinarians.

-- Cat claws, made from a protein called keratin, grow from underneath, with new layers pushing out old ones. Old layers fall off naturally (you may find shed coverings lying on your carpet every couple of months), revealing sharp new tips. In their normal relaxed state, cat claws are safely sheathed, like any good set of daggers. The retracted claws allow cats to move smoothly without catching their claws on anything. To bring out claws for defense or offense, cats must contract certain muscles and ligaments located beneath the toes.

-- Be prepared to care for pets in the event of severe winter weather. Blizzards and power outages can make it impossible to leave your home to buy pet food or pick up needed medications. If the weather forecast is predicting heavy snowfall and icy roads, make sure you have enough food, water and prescription medications your pet needs to last for at least five days, advises the American Veterinary Medical Association. Pets who are very old or young or who have short or thin coats are more susceptible to cold weather. Don’t let them stay outdoors for long periods. -- Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton and Mikkel Becker

ABOUT PET CONNECTION

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

A painful tooth or other oral problem isn’t always obvious, so it’s important to look deeper for potential problems

Andrews McMeel Syndication

A couple of years ago, I had a pet owner bring in an adult cat because she was meowing differently. That’s not much to go on, but I did a complete physical exam and found nothing. I suggested blood work, which also came back normal. Then I suggested sedation so that we could get radiographs. Again, we found nothing abnormal, so I suggested that we keep the cat and do medical rounds with the rest of the staff. When the three veterinarians and a couple of vet techs gathered and went over the history, we decided to start at the tip of the cat's nose and proceed with another detailed exam. This time, I took a pair of hemostats and gently tapped the cat's teeth, starting in the front. When I got to the cat's left upper fang and barely touched it, the cat just about shot up into orbit. We could find nothing else wrong on the repeat exam. We then did digital dental radiographs and saw that the root of the tooth was abscessed. After we surgically removed the infected tooth, the cat acted as if she had been relieved of incredible pain.

What started out as a different meow turned out to be a serious problem that was relieved only after a lot of detective work. Oral problems in dogs and cats aren’t always visible at first glance. Pets don’t have any way of telling us that something is wrong, and it’s natural for them to hide signs of weakness or pain so they don’t become targets of predators. It’s up to us as owners and veterinarians to be aware of changes in behavior that could signal pain or illness and to look beneath the surface for potential causes of problems. Here are some obvious and not-so-obvious signs that your cat or dog has a painful mouth and some of the conditions that might be causing the problem.

-- Inflamed gums or tartar buildup on the teeth. Your pet may have gingivitis -- inflammation of the gums -- or periodontal disease. Left untreated, gingivitis progresses to periodontal disease, which causes teeth to become infected and loose.

-- Bad breath or a bad smell in the mouth area. Repeat after me: It’s not normal for pets to have bad breath or any other bad odors. In the mouth area, it can signal dental disease or an infection of the lip folds in heavy-lipped breeds such as basset hounds, cocker spaniels or St. Bernards. Bad breath can also be associated with kidney disease.

-- Drooling. This is another sign of periodontal disease, as well as of mouth infections and foreign bodies such as splinters or burrs stuck in the mouth. Bad breath and drooling can also be signs of oral cancer.

-- Change in eating habits. If your dog or cat is reluctant to eat or picks up pieces of food and then drops them, there’s a good chance that the mouth hurts. He may have a broken tooth or a sore mouth from a type of inflammation called stomatitis.

-- Swelling. An abscessed tooth root is filled with pus that can cause swelling beneath the eye or a nasty condition called an oral-nasal fistula that occurs when an abscessed tooth breaks into the nasal cavity, allowing food and water to move from the mouth into the nose, coming back out through the nose. Yuck!

Don’t let your dog or cat get down in the mouth! Examine his mouth monthly for signs of problems such as redness, loose teeth and painful areas. You may need to put your money where his mouth is. He’ll thank you for it!

Q&A

Spay technique offers

option for dog owners

Q: I heard about a new way of spaying dogs that’s supposed to be easier on them than the traditional surgery. Can you tell me more about it?

A: Spay surgery -- technically known as an ovariohysterectomy -- is the removal of the ovaries and uterus through an abdominal incision. It’s usually done when puppies are 6 to 9 months old, although it can be done as early as 8 weeks of age or at any time in adulthood.

The procedure you ask about is called an ovariectomy, and it involves removing only the ovaries. It’s done laparoscopically, meaning the surgeon makes two tiny incisions: one for placement of a small camera so the organs can be seen and one for inserting instruments to remove the ovaries.

Called a lap spay for short, the technique is associated with less pain and a more rapid recovery time than traditional spay surgery. If you’ve had laparoscopic surgery yourself, you probably know how quickly you feel better afterward. The lap spay doesn’t require as much manipulation of the organs, so it is easier to perform. It’s well suited to young dogs because they are usually healthy and not overweight.

The drawback is that lap spays aren’t yet widely available and can be more expensive than traditional spays. Veterinarians who perform the procedure must first undergo advanced training and obtain specialized equipment. Before scheduling your dog for one, ask how many lap spays the veterinarian has performed and what the success rates were.

If you have pet health insurance for your dog, the plan won’t cover the surgery itself, but it may cover the price difference because lap spays usually have fewer complications. It can’t hurt to ask. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Researchers identify

key cancer gene

-- A large epidemiological study published in the journal PLOS One sheds light on golden retriever health. One of the significant findings was the prevalence of cancer in the breed. Out of 652 goldens included in the study, 65 percent died of cancer. The most common type of cancer that affects the breed is hemangiosarcoma -- a type of cancer that invades blood vessels and occurs primarily in dogs. In the future, researchers hope to determine why goldens experience such a high incidence of cancer.

-- Dalmatian puppies look white when they are born. Their spots, which can be black or liver-colored (ranging from a light reddish-brown to a dark chocolate brown), don’t start to appear until they are approximately 2 weeks old.

-- Call us old-fashioned, but we still think books are great gifts. If you are looking for presents for pet lovers, here are some suggestions. “My Life in a Cat House,” by best-selling author Gwen Cooper, is a continuation of her adventures with her feline family of five. The eight stories will leave cat lovers laughing in recognition. In "Smoky the Brave," Damien Lewis tells the story of World War II’s smallest hero: a Yorkshire terrier who earned eight battle stars for her aid to troops on the island of Papua New Guinea, including barking a warning of an incoming attack and pulling a cable through a 70-foot pipe. Adventurer Bear Grylls calls it a heartwarming and uplifting story of tiny paws and stupendous bravery. "City of Dogs" by Ken Foster and photographer Traer Scott tells the story of New Yorkers from all five boroughs and their dogs. In "The Secret Language of Cats," author Susanne Schotz, a professor at Sweden’s Lund University, introduces readers to the full range of feline vocalizations. Publishers Weekly writes, “This lively title will help cat lovers achieve a surprising and animating level of understanding with their house pet.” -- 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.

Teach these 3 habits to save your cat’s 9 lives

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

In the aftermath of a disaster such as the recent California wildfires -- a time when people and pets often become separated for reasons beyond their control -- it’s easy to worry about how to respond when lives are at risk. That’s especially true for cat owners, whose pets tend to hide at the best of times and are even more likely to do so during an emergency. Leaving them behind seems unthinkable, but if you are staring down a fire, flood or tornado, you may have no option if your cat can’t be found.

It doesn’t have to be that way. You can teach your cat three habits that may save his life, not just during an emergency but in day-to-day living: come when called, willingly enter and ride in a carrier and scratch on a post. Here’s how.

-- Come when called. When my husband and I acquired our first two cats, we didn’t know the received wisdom that “cats can’t be trained.” So we taught them to come to a whistle. Every time we fed them, we whistled a particular refrain. Soon we could whistle at any time of day, from any place in the house, and our cats would come running. If you can’t just put your lips together and blow, use another signal, such as ringing a bell, blowing a whistle or crinkling a treat bag. Always give a reward when your cat responds. Cats don’t work for free, after all.

-- Enter and ride in a carrier. Every cat owner at one time or another has wrestled a cat into a carrier. No one likes it -- least of all the cat. I asked fellow Pet Connection contributor and lead animal trainer for Fear Free Pets Mikkel Becker for tips on conditioning cats to love their carrier.

She says the key to carrier contentment is to give cats a positive association with it. Leave it out in your living room or other area where your cat likes to spend time, so she can explore it at leisure. Enhance its attractiveness as a hidey hole or resting spot by leaving treats inside for your cat to find (with a trail of them leading up to it), feeding meals in it (leave the door open), lining it with comfortable bedding, placing catnip or silver vine in it and applying a feline pheromone product to elicit calm feelings.

When transporting the carrier, hold it in both arms, close to your body, so your cat isn’t swinging at your side. Place the carrier on the floor of the car behind the passenger seat, where it won’t move excessively while the car is in motion. Play cat-specific music during the drive. Take your cat for rides to places other than the veterinary clinic. We often took those first two cats to the bank drive-through window or to Dairy Queen.

-- Using a scratching post. Coming when called and going into a carrier have obvious benefits, but using a scratching post? You bet. Up to 42 percent of behavior complaints about cats involve destructive scratching, according to the AVMA. Cats who don’t scratch destructively are more likely to stay in their homes for life and to be welcome in homes or hotels if their people have to evacuate.

Four rules apply when teaching a cat to use a scratching post:

1. Never punish or frighten your cat while he’s using the post.

2. If you see him scratching where he shouldn’t, gently redirect him to the post, using a feather or fishing pole toy as a lure. Run your fingers up and down the post; the sound and motion will attract your cat’s attention and encourage him to scratch.

3. Attract your cat to the post with catnip, silver vine or a product such as Feliway Feliscratch.

4. Reward your cat whenever he uses the post, goes in the carrier or comes when called.

Q&A

Two readers ask

about nosebleeds

Q: My dog had a nosebleed today. Should I take her to the vet or just see if it happens again?

Q: My dog was sneezing and produced bloody mucus for three weeks. An X-ray and flushing out the nose didn’t produce an answer. He is 14 and doesn’t seem to be in pain. What should I do?

A: In both cases, further examination is a good idea. Dogs experience nosebleeds for a number of reasons. Vigorous sneezing caused by foreign bodies, inflammation or infection can damage delicate nasal blood vessels. Trauma such as hitting the nose on a hard surface can cause nosebleeds. Other possible causes include tooth root abscesses, benign polyps or malignant nasal tumors. Spontaneous nosebleeds might result if a dog ingests rat poison, causing reduced production of clotting factors. Nosebleeds can also be linked to heritable conditions such as von Willebrand’s disease, which slows clotting and can lead to prolonged bleeding.

Those are just a few of the possible causes. Other factors include age, size or nose type. Older dogs or dogs with long noses such as greyhounds or collies are more likely to have some type of nasal tumor. Young small- or medium-size dogs are more likely to experience trauma-related nosebleeds, and large dogs are more likely to have rhinitis (inflammation of nasal mucous membranes) of unknown cause. Dogs who go hiking or hunting with owners may be exposed to tick-borne illnesses, foreign bodies or rodenticides that affect nasal passages and cause bleeding.

A thorough medical history and complete physical exam -- from eyes to rear end -- can help veterinarians determine a not-so-obvious underlying cause. Basic diagnostics include a complete blood count (CBC), general chemistry, urinalysis and blood pressure. A CT scan or rhinoscopy may be necessary as well. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Clinics, shelters help

evacuees find pets

-- Northern California veterinary clinics and shelters are working overtime to help reunite people and pets separated by last month’s wildfires. The North Valley Animal Disaster Group has created a website -- campfirerescuedanimals.com -- to help Camp Fire evacuees track down pets who may have survived. The resources page lists additional shelters and veterinary clinics where missing pets and large animals may be housed. Photos are updated daily. Owners who wish to reclaim an animal can do so by providing photo ID of the pet, describing unique markings or otherwise showing proof of ownership. Identified animals will be cared for until owners can take them again.

-- If you’re a dog lover planning to visit Switzerland, consider a stop at Hospice du Grand-Saint-Bernard in Bourg-Saint-Pierre, where Saint Bernard dogs originated. Located high on a mountain pass near the Swiss-Italian border, the hospice still provides a welcome to travelers, who can stay at the inn, dine at the restaurant or, in the nearby town of Martigny, tour the Barryland museum dedicated to the dogs. Activities include a 45-minute hike with two of the dogs. The walk schedule varies, so check ahead of time.

-- A higher percentage of United States households owns dogs than cats, according to the 2017-2018 Pet Ownership and Demographics Sourcebook produced by the American Veterinary Medical Association. Approximately 38 percent of households owned one or more dogs, followed by 25 percent of U.S. households with cats. The population of exotic pets is growing as well, with more than 13 percent of households claiming fish, ferrets, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils, turtles, snakes, lizards, poultry or amphibians. The 10 states with the highest percentage of pet-owning households in 2016 were Wyoming, West Virginia, Nebraska, Vermont, Idaho, Indiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Colorado. -- 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.