Food rewards aid in training, reduce fear in unfamiliar situations, and are just plain fun to give. Here’s what to know about treats for cats and dogs

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

Did you celebrate International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day last month? Even if you didn’t know about it, you probably gave your dog or cat a treat that day for any number of reasons.

Pet lovers give treats as rewards during training sessions, after a great agility run or nosework search, or for pottying in the right spot; as distractions in situations that cause the pet to be fearful, such as visiting the vet or the approach of an unknown person or dog; or to build a positive association with an item like a crate or carrier.

Ramona Marek says her Siberian cats Ivan and Natasha will do anything for cat grass. “I leash-trained Ivan in a couple of hours due to his ‘grass addiction,’” she says.

Dog trainer Laura Busch saves high-value treats such as homemade liver brownies and dehydrated chicken hearts for nosework trials and training class.

Janiss Garza’s Somali cat Summer makes frequent public appearances, and Summer’s response to treats helps Garza gauge whether her cat is feeling stressed.

“I save the really good treats for shows and other public appearances,” she says. “If she refuses them, I need to either take her to a safe spot or do something to calm her down or distract her.”

Veterinarian Marty Becker, who lectures around the country on the secrets of Fear Free veterinary visits, offers this advice: “Pets prefer certain flavors and textures over others. It’s crucial to use ‘the good stuff’ when it comes to gaining the pet’s interest in the face of pain, discomfort, distractions and change that takes them beyond their comfort zone -- home sweet home -- and into the hospital environment.”

He likes giving pieces of warm deli turkey, slices of turkey hot dogs and squeeze cheese. Choose treats that are soft and smelly, not any larger than the size of your pinkie toenail. During the exam and procedures such as having the temperature taken or vaccinations, offer 10 to 20 tiny treats per minute.

Sometimes we give treats just because. “Who’s a good boy?” isn’t simply a rhetorical question. We give treats to our pets because we love them and want them to feel special.

Treat manufacturers and pet bakeries know this, and they develop treats that feed into the human love of rewarding cats and dogs with items that resemble our own favorite foods, whether that’s bacon, cheese, chips, cookies or cupcakes.

Many pet owners also have favorite homemade treats that they serve up to drooling dogs and cats. For Lab breeder Linda Rehkopf, it’s frozen turkey meatballs. Val Hughes gives sweet potato and yam chips that she bakes in the oven. “Scrub the veggie, slice as thin as possible and cook for at least three hours at about 250 degrees, turning every hour,” she says. “Let them cool before serving.”

For faster, easier treats, pet faves include rotisserie chicken, freeze-dried liver, tiny frozen shrimp, small cubes of cheese or a small bit of cream cheese or aerosol cheese on the end of your finger. Many dogs love blueberries, banana slices, bits of fresh or dried apple or other fruit. (Avoid grapes and raisins, which can cause kidney failure.) Cats often like cantaloupe.

Try the following recipe if you want to bake “brownies” for your dog or cat.

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Blend 1/2 cup chicken liver or beef liver with one egg. Add 3/4 cup rice flour and blend well. Form the dough into small balls and bake for 45 minutes or until hard. Let cool. Serve to happy pets!

Q&A

Can cats

drink milk?

Q: My cat enjoys drinking leftover milk from my cereal bowl, but my mother says I shouldn’t give it to him because cats are lactose intolerant. True?

A: Cats have a reputation for loving milk. Maybe that’s because they have a long history of hanging out in barns with dairy cows and goats. At least that was my experience growing up on an Idaho dairy farm.

Cats will drink milk presumably because they enjoy the taste -- especially if it’s full-fat -- but it doesn’t necessarily agree with their digestive systems. Like some people, some cats are lactose intolerant and will experience diarrhea if they drink it. Other possible signs of lactose intolerance are vomiting or flatulence.

That’s because cow’s milk contains more lactose (milk sugar) and casein (a milk protein) than the milk kittens receive from their mothers. As kittens mature into cats, their ability to digest milk decreases because their body produces less of an enzyme called lactase that is involved in digestion of lactose. The body doesn’t absorb the milk sugar, causing intestinal upset. Beyond that, cream and whole milk are high in fat, causing cats who lap it up to pack on the pounds.

As with so many things, cats are individuals. Some of them don’t have a problem with milk, yogurt, cottage cheese or other dairy products. For those cats, a small amount of milk or milk products -- up to a tablespoon -- is fine as a treat.

Some pet milk products contain goat milk -- which has a different molecular structure than cow milk and is more digestible by cats -- as well as probiotics and digestive enzymes that can benefit cats. And remember, if you’re feeding orphaned kittens, stay away from any type of milk other than kitten milk formula available from your veterinarian or pet supply store. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Warming weather

brings out snakes

-- As temperatures rise, snakes become more active, increasing the risk of bites to pets and people. Most snakes do their best to avoid interactions, but being disturbed while they are less alert from their winter rest -- called brumation -- may cause them to deliver a painful and potentially fatal bite. If you live an area where coral snakes, copperheads, cottonmouths and rattlesnakes are endemic, avoid letting pets explore brush piles or other areas where snakes might be. If you know or suspect that your pet has been bitten by a snake, even a nonvenomous one, go to your veterinarian right away. Your pet may need antivenin, or in the case of nonvenomous reptiles, treatment to prevent infection.

-- Celebrate National K9 Veterans Day on March 13. Dogs have been valued members of the military for centuries, but March 13 was the date in 1942 when the United States Army began training dogs for its new War Dog Program, also known as the K-9 Corps. That’s when dogs officially became members of the armed services. Modern canine veterans include Cairo, the Navy Seal dog best known for participating in the Osama bin Laden raid, and Marco, a U.S. Air Force military working dog stationed appropriately enough at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana before his retirement.

-- Why does your cat zoom around the room as if he’s being chased by invisible mouse demons? He’s burning off excess energy stored up from the day’s exhaustive schedule of napping, eating and napping some more. The behavior is especially common in cats who don’t get enough exercise or play during the day. A cat’s natural instinct is to save energy for explosive chases as they hunt at night. But since most of our cats live placid indoor lives, that instinct is channeled into bedtime “zoomies.” -- 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.

What’s in your cat’s garden? A guide to plants cats love

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

Cats are carnivores, but they have a green side, too. We often see them delicately nibbling on grasses, plants and blossoms. Sometimes they throw up their greenery, but more often than not, they seem to enjoy it simply for the taste and not because they’re trying to vomit on the carpet just for the pleasure of watching you clean it up.

Growing an indoor garden for house cats is a way to enhance their environment and bring the outdoors inside. And some plants have entertaining effects for cats and humans alike. Who doesn’t love watching cats under the influence of a hit of ‘nip or silver vine? Here are five plants to try growing for your cat.

-- Catnip. This is the most well-known of the plants cats love, but interestingly, not all cats respond to it. Approximately one-third are immune to the harmless “high” the plant brings. A member of the mint family, catnip has a stimulating effect caused by nepetalactone, a compound that mimics the scent of a cat’s sex pheromones. It’s no wonder that cats roll and yowl in response to it.

To grow catnip, fill one or more 4-inch pots with potting soil, plant 10 to 15 seeds in each pot, and water to moisten the soil. Store the pots in a warm, dark area for a few days until the plants begin to germinate. Place in a sunny spot and protect from feline predation until there’s enough for your cat to begin to nibble.

-- Wheatgrass. Lots of people grow this vitamin-packed superfood for use in their smoothies and juices, but cats appreciate it, too, although they probably don’t care about the health benefits.

Put potting soil in a planting tray and top it with presoaked wheat berries, available at grocery stores or online. Store the wheat berries in the dark, at room temperature, and moisten them with water once or twice a day until they take root. Once wheatgrass is about an inch high, give it plenty of sunlight. Within a week, it will be ready for your cat to nosh on.

-- Silver vine. This climbing vine has similar effects on felines as catnip. A study published in March 2017 found that nearly 80 percent of the domestic cats exposed to it responded to silver vine. Cats are usually given silver vine in powdered form, but they can be attracted to the plant, too.

Growing silver vine indoors is best done by placing it in a hanging basket -- near your cat’s tall kitty condo if you have one -- allowing the vines to dangle onto it. Prune as needed. If your cat has access to a catio, you could also train the vines onto a trellis or one of the surrounding walls. The fruit is edible by cats and humans alike.

-- Lemongrass. If you love to cook or make cocktails, you are probably familiar with and fond of lemongrass, but did you know that cats like it, too? Simply purchase a plant and keep it in a warm, sunny spot for your cat’s sniffing and tasting pleasure. Be aware that lemongrass essential oil is toxic to cats, so if you keep that around, store it where your cat can’t get to it.

-- Cat thyme. Not a true thyme, this odorous herb does best in good soil with full sun and plenty of drainage. Try growing it in a container large enough for your cat to roll around or nap in it, often their preferred ways of interacting with this plant. Cats also enjoy sniffing dried sprigs of the slow-growing plant. Consider placing it in a catio instead of indoors; while the odor is intoxicating to cats, it’s not so pleasant to humans.

Q&A

Head pressing

cause for concern

Q: Last night my dog was pacing, circling and pressing his head against the wall. Should I be worried?

A: Head pressing can be a sign of a serious problem. It has a number of possible causes, including liver conditions, poisoning and traumatic injuries. If you notice this behavior in a pet, it warrants a rapid trip to the veterinarian for an exam to determine the cause.

A liver-related condition that can cause head pressing in young dogs is liver shunt, which occurs when abdominal blood vessels don’t develop properly. Blood from the intestines bypasses the liver -- where it would normally be cleansed of waste products -- and enters normal circulation, allowing buildup of toxins in the body. We usually see it in tiny dogs such as Maltese or Yorkshire terriers, but it can also affect larger breeds.

Older dogs can develop cirrhosis, not because they’re hard drinkers, but because the liver’s ability to function is affected by internal infections or long-term use of certain medications.

Toxins such as lead, certain herbicides or insecticides, rodent poisons, amanita mushrooms, blue-green algae and cycad plants such as sago palms can all seriously affect the liver and cause signs such as head pressing, as well as loss of appetite, depression and seizures.

Encephalitis, inflammation of the brain, is another possible cause of head pressing. So is trauma such as being hit by a car or a head injury from a fall.

Dogs who are head pressing against a wall or other hard surface may also have a neck injury, disk herniation or brain tumor.

Your veterinarian will perform a physical exam and lab work. If a brain disorder is suspected, your dog may need an MRI or PET/CT scan. Depending on the diagnosis, your dog may be treated with medication, surgery or rehab techniques. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Pupdates and other

pet celebrations

-- March is Poison Prevention Awareness Month. Other animal-related celebrations this month include Adopt a Rescued Guinea Pig Month; Professional Pet Sitters Week (March 3-9); K9 Veterans Day on March 13, honoring U.S. military and working dogs; National Puppy Day on March 23; Respect Your Cat Day on March 28; and Take a Walk in the Park Day -- with your best friend, of course -- on March 30.

-- Immobilizing cats for exams, treatment or giving medication increases feline stress and fear, according to a study published last year in the journal Applied Animal Behaviour Science. Researchers found in working with 51 healthy shelter cats that full-body restraint, permitting little to no movement, caused cats to be more likely to struggle or show signs of stress such as lip licking, holding the ears to the side and back, increased respiratory rate and increased pupil dilation. Cats examined with light restraint, allowed to choose whether to stand, sit or lie down and permitted to move, were easier to examine in a shorter period of time and more likely to stay on the exam table after release. Veterinarians, technicians and cat owners can learn more about kind and humane handling techniques through courses and videos offered by Fear Free Pets, Fear Free Happy Homes, American Association of Feline Practitioners and International Cat Care.

-- Both animal shelters and veterinary emergency hospitals are facing a shortage of veterinarians. The stresses inherent in both jobs can cause vets to burn out and seek positions that are more rewarding. Shelter veterinarians may perform multiple spay/neuter surgeries daily, examine many animals as they come into the shelter and manage disease outbreaks on limited budgets. Emergency veterinarians work nights, holidays and weekends, limiting family time; they must face emotional pet owners and worry about not being able to save pets’ lives. -- 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.

Hands-on therapies and patient retraining are helping a puppy regain his footing after corrective surgery

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

Remember Milo, the hound pup born with upside-down paws (a condition called bilateral congenital elbow luxation) who received corrective surgery at Oklahoma State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Stillwater last month? He’s out of his restrictive splint and learning to walk again with the help of his foster family and OSU surgical specialist and rehab therapist Cara Blake, DVM.

The pins holding Milo’s repaired elbows in place during the healing process were removed a few weeks ago, and Dr. Blake and her team began working with him and developing a plan to teach him how to walk, something the pup was never able to do. Therapeutic exercises, massage and other manual therapies are being used to help increase his flexibility and strengthen his muscles. But before he can walk -- let alone run -- he needs to learn to stand properly: to put his back legs in the correct posture, get his pelvis and spine straight, and get his front legs underneath him.

“Now that his elbows are in a more normal position, the way he was walking before isn’t going to work for him,” Dr. Blake says. “He will figure out, ‘Oh, I can’t walk like this anymore because it just doesn’t work,’ so I think that, together with doing exercises to retrain him, will allow him to progress at a pretty quick rate in terms of getting back to normal pelvic posture.”

Bilateral congenital elbow luxation is rare in dogs. The surgeon who repaired the defect, Erik Clary, DVM, has seen only two other cases in his 27-year career and was able to operate on only one of them. He says general practitioners may never see a dog with this problem, even if they practice for 30 or 40 years.

“The earlier we can get to them, generally the better the possibility that we can help them with surgery,” Dr. Clary says. “Sometimes the problem is not apparent when the puppies are really young, when they’re a week or two and just nursing. Their legs may not show those changes. But typically, when they get out to maybe 4 or 5 weeks, then usually it manifests, just like with Milo.”

What Milo has going for him, Dr. Blake says, is that he’s a puppy. He didn’t have time to learn bad ambulatory habits before undergoing surgery, so retraining him will be easier than it might have been.

He still faces challenges. His front-end alignment could be an issue because he has no range of motion in his elbows. The scar tissue that formed after surgery helps to keep the elbows in place, but it can also affect mobility. Massage and other manual treatments may help to some degree, but he may never gain full range of motion. That means he may have to learn to walk with straight elbows. Dr. Clary says the dog has a 50-50 chance of being able to walk normally one day.

This type of reconstructive surgery normally costs several thousand dollars. Part of the cost of Milo’s care was subsidized by OSU’s Pay It Forward Fund, started by students from the class of 2017.

Milo’s foster caretakers with Oliver and Friends Farm Rescue and Sanctuary in Luther, Oklahoma, are continuing his rehab exercises at home, and he already gets around well. Even though he may never walk completely normally, he can still have good quality of life.

“Even dogs that have horrible end-stage elbow arthritis, who lose significant range of motion in their elbows, are able to go out and run around and play,” Dr. Blake says. “Long-term, he may have some compensatory issues, but I don’t think it will affect his overall quality of life.”

Q&A

Old cat has

litter box issues

Q: We have a 16-year-old female cat who has always been neat about using her cat box, but now she won’t pee in it. She spends most of the day in our fenced backyard, and she has a litter box in our laundry room for when she’s in at night. Every morning we have to clean a puddle of pee next to her litter box.

We have tried different cat litters, including clumping and non-clumping; we put out two litter boxes, each with a different type of litter; we’ve moved the boxes to different locations in the laundry room; we clean the litter boxes daily, so they are always clean. Our vet suggested that it’s a bit of cat dementia rather than anything physical. Do you have any thoughts on why she is doing this and what we can do about it? We love our cat, but we are tired of cleaning the laundry room floor every morning.

A: I assume your cat is able to get into the litter box without any problem if she is defecating inside it. If she is having this issue only at night, maybe she has developed vision problems and is having trouble finding the box to get into it. Can you leave on a night light or other light? You may also want to set down pee pads next to the litter box for easier cleanup.

As your veterinarian mentioned, cats can lose housetraining if they are experiencing cognitive decline. You may want to ask about a drug called selegiline (Anipryl) that is used in dogs with dementia. It is not labeled for use in cats, but some veterinarians prescribe it off label. It has a similar success rate in cats as it does in dogs: Approximately one-third benefit from it, one-third see slighter improvement, and one-third experience no change. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

How to brush

your pet’s teeth

-- If one of your New Year’s resolutions was to begin brushing your pets’ teeth regularly, good job! Here are some tips and techniques from the AVMA to ensure you do the best job possible. Wait 10 days after a professional dental cleaning to begin or resume brushing at home, to let gums heal. Use a finger brush or toothbrush with soft bristles. For pets new to the process, give them a few days to smell and taste the toothpaste before you begin brushing. Start with only a few teeth at a time and reward with a treat. Work up to a more thorough cleaning of 30 seconds or more. Run the brush along the gumline at a 45-degree angle. Focus on the outside of the teeth, where plaque is more likely to build up. Between brushing, offer rope toys or other chew items. Chewing has a mechanical action on the teeth that helps to clean them.

-- Cockatiels are popular pets because of their friendly personalities, variety of color mutations and ease of care. They originated in Australia, where they were first exported in the late 19th century, and began to be bred in the United States in the late 1950s.

-- Taking a Fear Free approach to skin care benefits dogs and cats who require frequent treatment for ear infections, allergies and other dermatological diseases, says veterinary dermatologist John C. Angus. Speaking at a veterinary conference in Orlando last month, he recommended light sedation and local anesthesia for obtaining skin biopsy samples. This reduces the fear, anxiety and stress that can accompany restraint, injection with a stinging liquid, pressure and the smell of blood. Following a skin biopsy, pets should receive postoperative pain relief immediately after the procedure and pain medication at home for three to five days. -- 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.