Do animals grieve the loss of human or animal family members and friends? We can’t ask them, but their behavior sheds light on the subject

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

The day before Thanksgiving, we learned that our 81-year-old neighbor, Mary Lou, had died unexpectedly in her home. Besides missing her presence ourselves, my husband and I felt bad for our dogs, Harper and Keeper. They loved Mary Lou with a passion -- could it have been the treats she handed out so freely? -- and their love was returned a hundredfold. I wished I could explain to them that she wouldn’t be there anymore.

For a dog or cat, the disappearance of a person or animal from their life -- whether by death or the breakup of a family through divorce -- disrupts life in many areas: routine, companionship and social relationships. Pets who have lost a human or animal friend often show signs of depression, says Wailani Sung, DVM, behavior specialist at San Francisco SPCA. Decreased appetite, a lack of energy, lethargy, vocalizing, pacing and weight loss are among the actions that can signify grief. Many people say their pets express grief in a number of ways.

Becoming attached to the area where the pet or person slept is common. On the death of Navarre, a flat-coated retriever, his fellow flat-coat, Izzy, slept on Navarre’s bed for a week, says Jill Gibbs of Billings, Montana. Reegan Ray’s boxer, Winifred, was caring for her week-old puppies when her mother, Pip, died. Ray had a few of Pip’s beds stacked outside, and at first Winifred simply gave them a quick sniff as she went out, wanting to get back to her litter quickly. After another week, though, she pulled the beds down and rolled in them. Ray says Winifred and Pip did the same thing together when her male boxer had died three years previously.

Lynn Williams says her brother was a favorite of her cavalier King Charles spaniel Bella.

“I brought home things he had with him when he died, but the dogs paid no attention to them,” she says. “A few weeks later, I brought Bella to his house. She was so excited, running through the house until she got to his bedroom. She stopped and ran to the front door and wanted out immediately. I thought that was when she ‘got’ that he was gone.”

Often, pets search for their missing friend. Susan Conant of Newton, Massachusetts, says her Chartreux cats, KC and Celeste, were devoted companions. For weeks after Celeste died, KC looked everywhere in the house for her.

“Her search was heartbreaking,” Conant says.

Aidan, a fawn Abyssinian, lost weight mourning the loss of his human friend, Jack. “Aidan grieved for about two years,” says owner Linda Kay Hardie. “He finally put some weight back on after being scary skinny for a while.”

Sometimes pets develop separation anxiety or lose housetraining.

Corgis Gael and Rhiannon never seemed close, but when Rhiannon died, Gael began having accidents in the house, says Susan Ewing of Jamestown, New York. “We couldn’t leave her for even 20 minutes without coming back to a puddle,” she says. “When we got our new puppy, all was fine once again.”

Incidents like that may be related to patterns developed with the other dog, says Debra Horwitz, DVM, a veterinary behavior specialist who practices in St. Louis. What might happen is that one dog patterned when to go out based on the other dog’s habits but never learned to “ask” to go out on his own.

“What I normally tell people is if the dog or cat had a certain routine with the other housemate, I suggest they try and find a new routine for that animal,” she says.

Harper and Keeper still want to go to Mary Lou’s front door, but we’re taking Dr. Horwitz’s advice and trying to build new habits with them. But no matter what, we’ll always miss Mary Lou.

Q&A

Where to look for

a dog to adopt

Q: My workout partner wants to adopt a Maltese who is good with children, housetrained and 2 to 3 years old. Where should she go?

A: Start with the website of the national breed club. The American Maltese Association Rescue is a nonprofit organization affiliated with the American Maltese Association, and it is dedicated to helping down-on-their-luck members of the breed. Its volunteers may also be able to refer your friend to local or regional Maltese rescue groups. She should check local shelters or humane societies for dogs who meet her criteria, and put the word out to friends, neighbors, dog groomers, trainers and veterinarians who may know of dogs in need of homes.

She has one problem, though, and that is that many rescue groups and reputable breeders won’t place toy breeds such as Maltese in homes with young children. Maltese can be fragile and easily injured if accidentally mishandled or dropped by a child. Unless the children in question are responsible teenagers, your friend may be turned down for a dog she wants to adopt.

It’s great that your friend has some specifics in mind for what she wants in a dog. That helps people narrow their choices. But it’s also important to keep an open mind when looking. Getting stuck on a particular breed or age can cause people to pass up the perfect pet without even knowing it.

Rescue group volunteers know these dogs well and will have a good idea of which person or family is the best fit. They may suggest another dog if the one she likes might not be a good choice for her situation. When people go with the process and are open to alternatives, they can find themselves with the perfect dog -- one they might never have considered on their own. -- Mikkel Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Study finds size

increase in cats

-- Many animals become smaller with domestication, but Viking cats from the medieval era took a different path: They became larger than the average cat. It’s the first time that this type of size change has been documented, according to Belgian archaeozoologist Wim Van Neer of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences in Brussels, commenting on a study conducted by Julie Blitz-Thorsen and Anne Birgitte Godfredsen. The bones studied encompassed a period of some 2,000 years, ending in the 17th century. Researchers aren’t sure yet of the reason for the size difference, but they suspect the cats may have had access to more or better food, possibly from greater amounts of discarded food waste or a higher number of rodents attracted by edible garbage.

-- A Siberian husky made the news for detecting his owner’s ovarian cancer not once, not twice, but three times between 2013 and 2016. Sierra sniffed at Stephanie Herfel intently several times and then went and hid. Herfel, who had been experiencing abdominal pain, took note of the strange behavior and decided to see the doctor just in case. She was diagnosed with cancer and underwent treatment but experienced two recurrences. Each time, Sierra displayed the same behavior, alerting Herfel that something was wrong.

-- Sighthounds are sleek and speedy dogs who hunt by sight, chasing anything that moves and running it down for the hunter. They are known for their long, narrow heads -- the technical term for their head shape is “dolichocephalic” -- long legs, deep chests and graceful movement, almost as if they’re floating. This type of dog likely originated in the Middle East, based on recent genetic findings. Sighthound breeds include greyhounds, Afghan hounds, salukis, borzoi, Irish wolfhounds, Scottish deerhounds, silken windhounds, whippets, Azawakhs and sloughis. The Italian greyhound is a sighthound in miniature. -- 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.

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.