Behavior experts share the best ways for kids and dogs to interact safely

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

Kids and dogs encounter each other daily. Sometimes they are members of the same family; sometimes they meet at the home of a friend, family member or neighbor; and sometimes they pass by on the street or at a park or other public place. They don’t naturally know how to communicate with each other, though, and mistakes can have unhappy consequences. Here are some ways to ensure that both enjoy their time together and stay safe.

-- Outdoors. Kids run around and yell and scream. Dogs like to run around and bark, too, but the fast movement and high-pitched tones of kids at play can get them too excited. And dogs with herding or watchdog instincts may chase and nip, especially if they think “their” child is at risk. To make sure things don’t get out of hand, Fear Free-certified trainer and behavior consultant Debbie Martin of Veterinary Behavior Consultations in Austin, Texas, suggests the “red light, green light” game.

“If kids are running around the yard and the dog starts to chase them, we call ‘red light’ for everybody to freeze and be a tree,” she says. That’s an opportunity to get the dog out of the situation if necessary and then give kids permission to resume play.

-- Body language. Kids always want to pet dogs they see on the street. Instead of automatically saying yes, have youngsters ask the dog if she’d like to be petted. Then guide the child through the body language signs that indicate whether the dog is saying yes or no to a meet-and-greet.

A dog who welcomes petting has a relaxed body, open mouth and a tail that’s swishing with a loose wag. One who’s not so sure may signal discomfort by showing the whites of the eyes, tightening the lips, putting his ears back, leaning or looking away, putting the tail down or moving it in a slow, stiff wag. That dog would rather not be approached. Suggest that the child wave to the dog instead.

-- Petting dogs. For dogs who welcome petting, let the dog go to the child instead of the child approaching the dog. Children should stand still, hands at their sides or gently patting their leg in encouragement. There’s no need to offer a hand or fist for the dog to sniff. Owners or parents should give specific instructions: “Stand still, hands at your sides, and let the dog come to you.”

When the dog comes forward, kids can then offer a scratch under the chin or a soft pat on the shoulder. Spell out how dogs like to be touched. Behavior consultant Jennifer Shryock of FamilyPaws in Cary, North Carolina, uses the phrase “One hand enough, two hands too rough.”

Putting two hands on the dog often means roughing up fur, hugging, crowding them or grabbing the face, she says. One-handed petting, on the side of the dog that’s closest to the child, is gentler and prevents the child from leaning over the dog, which can seem threatening or scary to them.

“It’s a good habit for people to get into,” she says. “I so often see kids grab dogs by the face, and this helps prevent that.”

Let them pet the dog twice, then wait to see if the dog “asks” for more with a nudge or a look. If the dog has had enough, he may “shake off” or walk away.

When dogs have a choice in how they interact with kids -- or anyone -- they will feel more comfortable. That makes for happier and safer encounters and play: the foundation of a lifelong friendship.

Q&A

Crate-train cats?

Yes, you can

Q: Can cats be crate-trained the way dogs can?

A: Cats don’t need to be crate-trained for housetraining purposes, but they can absolutely learn to go into a carrier or crate and stay in it comfortably.

Crate-training has a lot of important applications throughout a cat’s life. Of course, it’s useful for taking the cat to the veterinarian, but also for road trips -- if you’re moving to a new home, for instance -- or if you have to evacuate because of a natural disaster. Having a cat who will quickly and willingly enter a carrier or crate can be a time-saver, stress-saver and lifesaver!

Pheromones, treats and time are all part of the secret to teaching cats to love their carriers. Treat the carrier with sprays or wipes that mimic the calming pheromones cats produce when they feel comfortable or safe. Hide treats in it or lay a trail of treats that leads inside the carrier to encourage a cat to explore it. Place meals inside the carrier. Leave the carrier out in an area the cat enjoys or where the family likes to gather. Any time you see the cat go in the carrier on her own, praise and reward her. All of these are ways to help the cat develop a positive association with the carrier.

Once the cat is comfortable hanging out in the carrier, practice closing it for brief periods, gradually extending the amount of time the cat spends in it. When you transport the cat in it, hold it in both arms so it’s not swinging at your side. At the vet or any new place, set it down gently and let the cat come out on her own instead of pulling her out. Bring treats or a toy to reward her when she exits. -- Mikkel Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Up, under, inside:

Cats need space

-- Starting in kittenhood and continuing throughout life, cats need spaces they can call their own, where they can rest, hide or watch what’s going on in the home. A window perch, a box or the top of a cat tree are all good options. These types of areas help cats to feel safe -- especially if there are other animals in the home or grabby toddlers. In multicat homes, boxes may be viewed as resources and taken over by a particular cat, so it’s a good idea to place them in separate areas so that each cat has an option to go in one.

-- You’ve probably seen pet foods or supplements containing probiotics or prebiotics said to improve the immune system, metabolism or gastrointestinal function. What are they, and can they help? Probiotics are defined as living organisms that, given in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, prebiotics are “nondigestible food ingredients that selectively stimulate the growth and activities of specific bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract and exert beneficial effects on the host.” Studies show that prebiotics and probiotics can have beneficial effects on gut health in cats and dogs, including limiting growth of “bad” bacteria and increasing populations of “good” bacteria.

-- Meet the Peterbald. This Russian cat breed has an unusual coat. Depending on the length, the Peterbald’s coat can feel like peach fuzz, plush velvet or the stubble of a man’s facial hair. Some Peterbalds have an ordinary cat coat. The chatty, medium-size cats have a slender but muscular body, large ears and long, whippy tails. Smart, affectionate and playful, they love spending time with their humans, including children. Don’t be surprised when a Peterbald curls up on your face -- the closer the better! -- or sneaks beneath the covers at bedtime. -- 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.

How an abandoned pit bull went from desertion and starvation to a forever home

By Dr. Marty Becker

Andrews McMeel Syndication

Last August, my wife, Teresa, and I were in Louisiana, volunteering at a shelter animal clinic. Before heading there, Teresa and I agreed not to adopt any pets that day. We even shook on it.

You probably know where this is going.

Along with a team of veterinarians and veterinary nurses and a scrum of veterinary and pre-vet students, we methodically but tenderly examined 300 dogs, drawing blood for heartworm checks, giving dewormer for internal parasites and products for external parasites, and implanting microchips. Throughout, we focused on each dog’s physical and emotional well-being, guided by our Fear Free philosophy.

Then Relic staggered in. The adult male pit bull was the thinnest dog I’ve ever seen in 39 years of practice. He was covered in fleas, ticks and lice, and inhabited internally by roundworms, whipworms, hookworms, tapeworms and heartworms.

Then he did something special. I had drawn a smiley face with aerosol cheese on the palm of my left hand. Relic walked over slowly and started licking it out of my hand. His tail wagged so hard, it made him unstable. I’d never seen a dog fall over from being happy.

I looked down at Relic and up at Teresa. In unison, we said, “We’ll adopt him.”

Relic had been abandoned in a decrepit house. When the landlord found him, he thought the fly-covered unresponsive dog was dead and called animal control to come get the body. When they discovered Relic was still alive, they rushed him to Bellevue Veterinary Clinic in Opelousas, Louisiana. The dog weighed only 19 pounds and was near death, but Dr. Kevin Fuselier gave him a chance, and he slowly began to recover.

When we spoke with him, Dr. Fuselier said Relic (now called Lazaruff for his rise from the dead) had only a 33% chance of survival.

Lazaruff made it. But we weren’t able to adopt him. The veterinary behaviorists who evaluated him recommended that he go to a home where he would be the only dog and where someone would be home with him most of the time. Lazaruff had separation anxiety, and he was happiest lying next to somebody with his big “meat head” on their lap.

The right home hadn’t come along, so last month, when Teresa and I were in New Orleans for Animal Care Expo, we decided to drive him back home with us to see if the right family was in northern Idaho, where we live.

During that weeklong road trip, his light shone bright. He never got carsick, never barked, never soiled his crate. He went from having to be lifted into his crate to jumping into it in the back of the SUV. We made “pit stops” at shelters along the way, spreading our message of emotional well-being and enrichment.

Then the miracle happened: Our friends at Panhandle Animal Shelter in Sandpoint, Idaho, connected us with Breanna Franck and her husband, Terry, who owned their own home, had no other pets, worked opposite schedules so somebody would be home most of the time and, most important, loved dogs.

Lazaruff walked over to Breanna, she knelt down and he washed her face with one lick of his dishrag-size tongue. He went into their arms, into their vehicle and into their hearts.

Teresa and I have stayed in close contact with them, and Lazaruff continues to fall over from being happy. But now it’s not because he’s too weak to stand. It’s because he’s waiting to get his belly rubbed.

Q&A

Prevent early-morning

feline food demands

Q: We took in a neighborhood cat. We love him, but he wakes us up at 3 a.m. every day wanting to be fed. Help! We need our sleep.

A: Cats are wonderful, but they have some innate body clock differences that can sometimes make them a challenge as housemates.

Cats are what we call crepuscular, a fancy way of saying that they’re most likely to be active at dawn and dusk. It sounds like your cat doesn’t even wait until dawn to do his hunting -- i.e., demand that you feed him. And you’re not alone; this is a common problem for many cat lovers.

The good news is that pet experts and manufacturers are making great efforts to provide cats with toys and other ways to get food that don’t involve waking up their people at the crack of dawn, let alone earlier.

A cat’s normal hunting behavior involves multiple forays for prey daily, not all of which are successful. Simply setting down a bowl of food twice a day doesn’t present a cat with any challenge to brain or body. But puzzle feeders allow you to mimic a cat’s natural feeding behavior, from the hunt to the satisfaction of eating.

Whether you feed canned or dry food, you can find a puzzle toy that works with it. Experts at FearFreeHappyHomes.com recommend buying or making an assortment of food puzzles so you can continually challenge your cat’s hunting skills. Fill them with your cat’s normal amount of food for the day, and hide them around the house so your cat can use his nose and other senses to find food without gobbling it all up at once and then demanding more from you at 0-dark-30.

For more information about food puzzles, both homemade and commercial, check out foodpuzzlesforcats.com. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Tennessee names

bluetick state dog

-- The bluetick coonhound, the University of Tennessee’s mascot, is now the state dog, thanks to unanimous votes in Tennessee’s House and Senate and Gov. Bill Lee’s signature making it official. The personable hounds take their name from their blotchy dark blue coat with black spots on the back, ears and sides. The people-loving dogs are often seen riding shotgun in pickup trucks and can be good friends for kids old enough to stand up to rambunctious play. Expect to give the medium-size (45 to 80 pounds) bluetick long walks and hikes and plenty of sniffing time. Drawbacks: The coat has a distinctive musty scent, and the bluetick is famous for a “big bawl mouth” -- in other words, he’s loud.

-- More than a dozen authors will be signing their books on animal care and health, breeds, science and mystery fiction, adventure, fantasy, memoirs and more at the 2019 Cat Writers’ Association 25th anniversary conference. The book signing and fundraising event, open to the public, benefits the Humane Society of Missouri (HSMO) and takes place at Drury Plaza Hotel at the Arch, St. Louis on Friday, May 17, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the West ballroom, located on the lobby level.

-- Sometimes it seems as if certain dogs ought to be able to put the initials M.D. after their names. Besides the ability to sniff out certain types of cancer or recognize the odor indicating that a person’s blood sugar is too high, dogs have now been trained to indicate the presence of malaria infections. Tested in an area of West Africa where malaria is endemic, the dogs successfully identified the distinctive odor of the disease 70% of the time by sniffing clothing worn by people with malaria infections. They recognized uninfected people 90% of the time. -- 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.

The spines on a cat’s tongue serve a variety of purposes

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

If you’ve ever been licked by a cat, you know the rough feel of the tongue, lined with rows of backward-facing barbs called papillae.

It used to be thought that papillae were in the form of a solid cone, but engineering researchers at Georgia Tech took a closer look and made a surprising discovery. Using 3D scanning with micro-computed tomography, the actual shape of the small spines was revealed to be not conical, but hollow. And that shape has a specific purpose.

“I liken them to ice-cream scoops,” says Alexis C. Noel, lead author of a paper published last December in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). “They have this little U-shaped hollow from the tip down. We found that this cavity holds fluids really well.”

To test the action of the papillae, Noel and co-author David L. Hu introduced drops of food dye to the tip of the spine. “It sucked it up like a straw,” she says.

The scoop shape enables cats to use surface-tension forces to pull up water as they lap it, as well as to wick saliva deep into their fur, a way of cooling themselves.

“This shape makes much more sense, from a biomechanical standpoint,” says feline veterinary specialist Drew Weigner, DVM, who practices in Atlanta and is president-elect of the Winn Feline Foundation.

The investigation was inspired by Noel’s own cat, who was sitting on her one day while she watched TV.

“He decided to lick this microfiber blanket that he was on top of, and he got his tongue stuck in it,” she says. “I had to detangle him from the blanket, and it made me think. Everybody says cat tongues are kind of like sandpaper, but it really looks like the tongue is a lot more like Velcro.”

She and Hu hypothesized that when cats lick themselves, saliva -- containing enzymes that break down fats and particulates -- is distributed from the hollow spines, all the way down to the root of the hairs. They used high-speed videography to film three adult cats grooming themselves. During grooming, papillae become erect, increasing their contact area with fur. This contributes to saliva’s cooling effect.

Cats don’t have sweat glands over their bodies, except on their paws, so the thorough distribution of saliva helps to remove heat from the skin. Without papillae to push saliva deep into the fur, it would wet only the top layer of hairs.

The spines also help cats lick up oils, dirt, blood, feces and other contaminants. This not only keeps cats clean, but it also reduces odors that might otherwise expose their presence to predators.

Beyond domestic cats, Noel and Hu were able to examine the tongues of five other members of the feline family: bobcat, cougar, snow leopard, tiger and lion. What they found surprised them: Papillae are the same size and shape regardless of species.

That means the papillae of your tabby or tortoiseshell are just like those of a tiger or lion -- except the big cats have more of them. Cats have about 300 papillae, while tigers have approximately 1,200.

“We thought that was strange because generally when you go from a small species to a large species, these things tend to scale, but these papillae didn’t,” Noel says.

On further investigation, they learned that no matter what the species, feline papillae are almost always long enough to penetrate fur and reach the skin. The exception is the Persian, with long, thick fur that’s impenetrable. “With these cats, the cat physically cannot push the tongue spine through the fur and reach the skin,” she says.

Q&A

Vomiting has

many causes

Q: I took my dog out to potty, and a few minutes later he started hacking and vomiting up clear liquid. I don’t know if it was caused by something he ate outdoors, the half a pear core he had eaten a few hours earlier (and eventually vomited back up) or the antibiotic he started taking last night.

He seems fine now, but how do I know when vomiting is an emergency?

A: Dogs can throw up easily and for any number of reasons. Sometimes it’s because they get into the garbage or eat something they’re not used to (that pear core, maybe). They may down something disastrous, like rat poison or some other toxin. Internal parasites, certain diseases, stress and, yes, certain antibiotics can all cause your dog to upchuck.

Oftentimes, a dog’s stomach upset is the result of dietary indiscretion, but I never like to assume that. Foreign-body obstruction, ingestion of a rodenticide and bloat are all emergencies that can have fatal (or at best, expensive) results if you wait too long to treat them.

Call your veterinarian and describe what’s happening. The history of the problem gives your veterinarian clues as to whether the problem is urgent.

How do you know if a case of vomiting warrants a visit to the veterinarian? Puppies (and kittens), toy dogs and older animals are more prone to dehydration and may benefit from subcutaneous fluids, so it’s best to take them in sooner rather than later.

Other causes for concern are an increase in the volume or frequency of vomiting or diarrhea; the presence of blood in the vomit or vomit that smells like feces; and persistent retching without bringing anything up, which could suggest bloat. Take your dog in right away if he shows any of these signs. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Check calendar for

dog and cat days

-- May is an eventful month for pets. Take time out to observe Pet Cancer Awareness Month, National Pet Month, Be Kind to Animals Week (May 5-11), National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day (take a pet first-aid class or set up a "go bag" with everything your pet might need if you have to evacuate on May 11), International Chihuahua Appreciation Day (May 14), World Turtle Day (May 23) and International Hug Your Cat Day (May 30). Cats don’t especially enjoy being hugged, so maybe just give her a good scratch behind the ears.

-- Which is cleaner, your dog’s fur or your husband’s beard? Swiss researchers found that dog fur wins out. They swabbed the beards of 18 men and the necks of 30 dogs of assorted breeds and compared the results. All the men had high bacterial counts in their beards while only 23 of the dogs (76 percent) had the same result. The remaining seven dogs had medium-to-low levels of bacteria. Maybe it’s time to retire the phrase “You dirty dog!”

-- If you have a new kitten, be sure she is properly vaccinated. Current recommendations are an initial inoculation for feline viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus and panleukopenia when kittens are 6 to 8 weeks old, followed by additional doses every three to four weeks until the kitten is 16 to 20 weeks old. A single, separate rabies vaccine can be given when the kitten is 12 to 16 weeks old. Even if your locale does not require cats to be vaccinated for rabies, it offers important protection in case your cat ever encounters a rabid animal. Bats can fly into homes, and it’s not uncommon for cats in their own yards to come in contact with skunks and raccoons, which often carry rabies. -- 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.