Depending on circumstances, a dog of any size can be a good companion for a senior. Here are factors to consider

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

I’ve had cavalier King Charles spaniels for 20 years. My husband and I switched to the small spaniels after the death of our greyhound, Savanna, from bone cancer. We lived in a condo and decided our next dog should be one we could easily carry up and down the stairs if necessary -- something we had to do with Savanna after a leg amputation. We planned to go back to bigger dogs when we bought a house.

That house purchase never happened, but occasionally I still yearn for a larger dog -- before I get too old. But is there such a thing as “too old” for a big dog?

Age doesn’t have to preclude dog ownership, not even of large breeds. Bobbie Thrutchley, 88, of Leawood, Kansas, was feeling lonely after the death of her goldendoodle, so she went down to the shelter and adopted a Lab mix, whom she named Coco.

“We’re good for each other,” she says.

As with any choice of a dog, though, there’s a lot to consider.

“Variables include owner experience with dogs, owner ability to train the dog, the relationship between dog and owner and the dog’s temperament,” says dog trainer Liz Palika of Kindred Spirits in Escondido, California. Other factors are a person’s own health and fitness and the dog’s size and health.

Barbara Saunders, 47 at the time, injured her back carrying her 19-year-old 65-pound dog up and down two flights of stairs. Vision-impaired and arthritic, the dog was afraid to walk down them himself. For her next dog, she chose one weighing only 20 pounds.

If you’re a senior considering getting a puppy or adult dog, think ahead. Does your local senior housing, assisted living center or nursing home allow pets? If so, is there a cap on weight or height? Choose a dog who won’t exceed the limit. For the same reason, a dog who’s quiet -- or can learn to be that way -- is a necessity. And consider whether a puppy might outlive you. Adopting a middle-aged or senior dog may be a better option.

Experts have favorites they recommend for people of a certain age. Journalist, breeder and dog show judge Allan Reznik of Eureka Springs, Arkansas, recommends a well-trained adult greyhound, Doberman pinscher or standard poodle for people who own their own home, don’t face community size restrictions and enjoy walks. “If they prefer something smaller to cuddle and spoil, I’d suggest a cavalier, papillon or pug,” he says.

Dog groomer Julie Ellingson of Sacramento, California, is a fan of Chihuahuas -- “clever, brave little dogs” -- and miniature poodles. She says clients who are seniors most often have Pomeranians or Shih Tzus. “The Poms require a bit of effort for brushing, but have distinct shedding seasons, and Shih Tzus are best kept in short teddy bear clips. Both have sunny temperaments.”

Many seniors might not want to live with a dog they couldn’t pick up and carry to the car if necessary, so big dogs are out.

A small dog isn’t always the best choice, though. While they don’t weigh much, it can be difficult to bend down to pick them up if necessary or to attach a leash or harness. It’s also easy to trip over or step on them. Karen Henderson of Minerva, Ohio, has a goldendoodle and a yellow Lab. She says they are easier to care for than smaller dogs.

Gail Parker of Philadelphia lives with an Irish setter, Daisy. For her, a tall dog is nice for help with balance when going down steps or walking on an uneven sidewalk. She adopted Daisy, then 8 years old, from an Irish setter rescue group, and notes that some shelters discount or waive adoption fees for seniors, especially if they adopt older dogs.

Q&A

Sun-loving cats

need protection

Q: My cat loves to nap in the sun. Why is that, and do I need to worry that he’ll get sunburned?

A: Cats have made their way around the world and now live in all types of climates, but they are descended from desert animals. Their wild relatives like to bask in the sun during the day and hunt in the cool of the evening, and our domestic cats carry on that tradition as much as they are allowed.

We’ve all seen cats lying in a patch of sunshine, catching a few rays wherever they can. If your cat is indoors, you probably don’t need to slather him with sunscreen, but cats who have access to a catio or a yard with a cat fence preventing them from getting out can benefit from sun protection.

Cats most at risk are hairless or have thin, light-colored coats. If they go outdoors, put pet-safe sunscreen on their nose, ears, belly and tail, and protect the rest of the body with a T-shirt or other item of clothing -- preferably one that provides protection from UV rays. You can find UV-protective clothing for pets online or at pet boutiques. The label should say “certified UPF 50+.”

For cats and dogs, avoid sunscreen that contains zinc oxide or salicylates. If licked, those ingredients can be toxic or even deadly. Your veterinarian can recommend pet-safe sunscreen.

Consider topping a catio with a cover made of fabric that’s treated to block the sun’s rays. You can also reduce your cat’s exposure to the most harmful rays by keeping him indoors between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., when the sun is at its highest in the sky and rays are strongest.

Finally, unless it’s medically necessary, don’t shave your cat. Fur provides natural sun protection. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Study links dog,

human stress

-- Stressed? Your dog may be, too. A Swedish study published June 6 in the journal Scientific Reports found that dogs tended to mirror the stress levels of the people they lived with. Researchers looked at 58 women with border collies or Shetland sheepdogs and compared levels of cortisol -- a stress hormone -- in the hair of both dogs and humans. “We found that the levels of long-term cortisol in the dog and owner were synchronized, such that owners with high cortisol levels have dogs with high cortisol levels, while owners with low cortisol levels have dogs with low levels,” says the study’s principal author, Ann-Sofie Sundman of the Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM) at Linkoping University. In the future, researchers hope to learn how different types of dogs -- hunting dogs, for example -- are influenced by humans, and whether sex of the owner plays a role.

-- Don’t despair if your cat is diagnosed with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). The disease isn’t curable, but cats with it can live a normal life. Take your cat to the veterinarian if he has signs such as fever, anemia, weight loss and diarrhea. A blood test can identify the presence of the FIV antibody. The disease is most commonly seen in young adult or middle-aged cats. They should live in a low-stress indoor environment and receive regular veterinary care. Ways to ensure a low-stress lifestyle and veterinary visits for cats can be found at fearfreehappyhomes.com.

-- Icelandic sheepdogs have the typical prick ears, curled tail, thick coat and barkful nature of their Nordic relatives, along with a cheerful and curious nature. They thrive on human companionship and are best suited to homes with people who will keep them busy with activities such as hiking, camping or competing in dog sports. Note: Icies bark and shed. -- 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.

Heat and humidity pose hazards to pets, but the following tips can help them stay cool and comfortable

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

After a cold and rainy winter, temps are starting to sizzle. That means it’s time to think about your pet’s safety and well-being while he’s outdoors -- and indoors, too. Heat exhaustion is one of the risks facing dogs and cats in summer. Here’s what you might not have known about recognizing and preventing it, as well as protecting pets from other effects of heat.

Heat exhaustion or heatstroke can sneak up on pets and people. It doesn’t occur just in hot cars or after playing too strenuously in the hot sun. Brachycephalic pets -- think pugs, Persians, bulldogs and other short-nosed breeds -- can die indoors if the power goes off, leaving them for hours with no air conditioning. Sign up for power outage alerts from your local provider, or look for an app that will notify you so you can get home or ask a neighbor or petsitter to make sure your pets don’t overheat.

Those same breeds can develop difficulty breathing after just a few minutes outdoors when temperatures and humidity are high. That’s because they rely on the ability to pant to dissipate heat. Pets with heart disease, conditions such as laryngeal paralysis in large breeds such as Labrador retrievers or Newfoundlands, or collapsing trachea -- especially common in toy breeds -- as well as very young or old dogs are also at greater risk.

“Even just taking your brachycephalic or obese dog or dog with existing bronchitis or certain heart conditions on a walk in the middle of the day could result in heat exhaustion or heatstroke and a trip to the emergency hospital,” says veterinarian Jason Nicholas, chief medical officer of PreventiveVet.com. “We tend to see a lot of cases in the spring and fall,” he says. “In spring, people aren’t really yet thinking about the heat, and sometimes you’ll get those uncharacteristically warm days. In fall, people tend to let their guard down after summer and then we get those warm days that spring up unexpectedly.”

If your dog stays outdoors during the day or has access to the yard, make sure there’s reliable shade and fresh water available as the sun moves. A number of pet beds, some elevated for better air flow, come with covers. Look for one with fabric made to block the sun’s rays. An outdoor misting fan is another option to consider. In extreme temperatures, though, your dog will be cooler, safer and happier in the air-conditioned indoors.

A pup tent or soft crate made of similar fabric provides sun protection for dogs at agility or nose work trials or just having fun at the beach. Shade sails, canopies and tarps made of UV-resistant fabric are available at big-box stores and online. Regular misting from a handheld sprayer on the belly and paws helps keep pets cool, too.

Cooling boots can protect paws from hot asphalt, concrete or sand on walks. Better yet, schedule walks and play for cooler mornings and evenings.

A cooling mat or cooling coat or bandana can help your pet, but don’t rely on it for full protection on hot days. A cooling coat won’t allow your dog to participate in strenuous exercise or stay in a hot car for long periods. “The main thing with keeping them cool is paying attention to the temperature outside and their activity level and existing health conditions,” Dr. Nicholas says.

Most important, be your dog’s caretaker. He may love sprawling in full sun on hot concrete in 100-degree temps, but it’s smart to reduce the risk of sunburn or heatstroke by limiting sunbathing time. Keep him indoors or in a shady spot between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Q&A

Make feline flea

control year-round

Q: Help! My cat has fleas. How can I get rid of them?

A: You’re smart to want to protect your cat from these freeloading bloodsuckers.

Flea bites cause cats to be itchy and uncomfortable. (Did you know that a single flea can bite your cat up to 400 times a day?) They also transmit disease-causing bacteria that affect cats and humans, including mycoplasma, which leads to anemia in cats, and bartonella, the cause of “cat-scratch disease” in humans as well as other infections in cats. Worse, fleas reproduce like crazy. A single female flea can lay 40 to 50 eggs daily. With enough females in the right (or wrong) conditions, you could have a thousand or more fleas tormenting your cat in less than a month. So let’s get down to flea-control basics.

First, even if your cat doesn’t go outside, she needs to be on a safe and effective flea preventive. Fleas can still enter your house via your clothing or other animals. Or maybe your cat has an outdoor catio where she hangs out. Veterinary parasitologists now recommend keeping pets on a preventive year-round to prevent re-infestation.

Talk to your veterinarian about the best flea-control product to use for your individual cat and your locale. A product given monthly can control fleas as well as internal parasites and heartworms. (Yes, cats can get heartworms.) Starting a preventive when you first get a cat can help to protect her from any parasite infestations throughout her life.

Your vacuum cleaner and washing machine can complement the use of flea preventives by removing fleas and their eggs. Vacuum at least weekly, including upholstered furniture. Get beneath cushions, under furniture and in the corners. Wash your cat’s bed, as well as your own sheets, in hot water every week. That kills fleas and eggs. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Safety tips for

travel with pets

-- Road-tripping with pets this summer? Label kennels or carriers with cards that have your dog or cat’s name, photo, breed or mix, and sex status (unspayed female or neutered male, for instance). List health conditions, current medications or parasite preventives, and microchip status, if applicable. Describe your pet’s needs as far as handling (doesn’t like to be picked up, gets along with other dogs, escape artist and so on). On the reverse side, list emergency contact information, including a number for your veterinarian and the person(s) to contact about your pet’s care if you’re incapacitated. Include instructions about veterinary care if they are injured. Note that you or another responsible party will pay all expenses for your pet’s care, and sign the card.

-- A golden retriever named Max II is lifetime mayor of Idyllwild, California. Max’s chief of staff (aka owner), Phyllis Mueller, “bought” the election with a large donation to the town’s Animal Rescue Friends organization. The mayor’s platform, located on his website, promotes positive thinking, unconditional love to everyone, and good deeds -- including keeping Idyllwild beautiful by picking up litter.

-- Hepatic lipidosis -- accumulation of lipids in the liver -- is relatively common in cats. It often develops as a result of diseases associated with anorexia (appetite loss) and weight loss, such as pancreatitis or inflammatory bowel disease, but sometimes the cause is unknown (idiopathic hepatic lipidosis). These cats are usually older and obese and may have recently experienced a stressful situation. Always take your cat to the veterinarian right away if he hasn’t eaten for a couple of days or you notice that he’s dropping weight quickly. Thinking that he’ll eat when he’s hungry can be an expensive or even fatal mistake. -- 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.

Did you know? 9 fascinating facts about cats from a feline expert

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

The 25th annual conference of the Cat Writers Association took place last month, so this seemed like a good time to focus on felines. The keynote speaker at the CWA conference was veterinary behaviorist Debra Horwitz, DVM, who is currently raising two new Devon rex kittens herself. Here’s just a little of what attendees learned about cats from her talk.

1. Friendly interactions between cats include nose touches and a tail-up greeting. You probably knew that. But did you know that domestic cats and lions are the only members of the cat family who use the tail-up body posture to greet? No other felines do that.

2. Cats are adaptable, and they can learn a lot of things. “We have this idea that they’re independent and aloof, but we really don’t ask much of our cats,” Dr. Horwitz says. “You’d be surprised what they can learn when you ask them to do things.” You can’t train a cat with force, but with positive-reinforcement training, they can learn anything you can teach.

3. Cats have social relationships in their own particular way. They aren’t normally group-living animals; Horwitz describes them as not antisocial, but asocial. That means they are happy to live in groups or by themselves. Most often, they live in groups of related females -- mothers, daughters, sisters and aunts -- all sharing food resources. “So when you’re forming a household of cats, choose two sisters who are littermates,” Horwitz says. That’s what she did when she acquired her kittens.

4. Cats who like each other show it through touch. They sleep together, bodies touching, more frequently than would occur by chance and unrelated to ambient air temperature. Whether you’re observing a feral colony or cats in your home, you may notice that unless it’s extremely cold, only cats who are bonded will be touching each other. “Cats that like each other and live together amicably usually mark each other; they’ll go body to body, and they may even wrap tails,” Horwitz says. “We think part of that is the shared body odor.”

5. The cat’s meow? You may think he’s asking for food, but Horwitz says sometimes cats just want to know what’s going on. Talk back to him!

6. Grooming is a normal feline behavior, but when cats groom themselves -- or other animals -- excessively or aggressively, that normal behavior is being expressed abnormally. The cat could have a behavior problem, a skin problem or a painful internal problem. For instance, Horwitz says, cats with painful interstitial cystitis often groom their stomachs excessively.

7. Feline personality and temperament are genetically determined, primarily by the father, and fall into three basic categories: sociable, confident and easygoing; timid, shy, nervous and unfriendly; and active or active aggressive. At different times, cats may express variations from their normal temperament, but in general it should stay the same. For instance, if a cat who is normally friendly suddenly becomes aggressive, something is wrong. A change in behavior can mean a cat doesn’t feel well or is uneasy with the current situation.

8. Cats love to explore, but unlike dogs, they are more random in the way that they check out a new place. Dogs usually go into one room, sniff all around, then go into the next room. Cats tend to go back and forth.

9. One of the unique things about domestic cats and small wildcats is that they play a dual role in life: They are not only predators, but also prey. That makes them good at hiding. You may think your cat is lost, but chances are she just has a hiding spot that you know nothing about -- and never will.

Q&A

Heart disease

managed by vets

Q: My dog has mitral valve disease. How is it managed?

A: The heart has four valves that open and close to let blood flow in and out as the heart pumps. The mitral valve can degenerate and become leaky, allowing blood to wash back from the lower left chamber of the heart to the upper left chamber. Called regurgitation, this action forces the heart muscle to work harder to pump that blood out where it’s supposed to go, enlarging the heart and eventually resulting in congestive heart failure.

Currently, the condition is most commonly managed with regular checkups by a board-certified veterinary cardiologist to plot the disease’s progress, as well as medication, if needed. Exams every three to six months can help your dog’s cardiologist keep tabs on the size of the heart and recommend medication before she tips over into CHF. Cardiologists at New York City’s Animal Medical Center recommend chest X-rays to determine whether the heart is normal size or enlarged, and whether fluid is building up in the lungs. Echocardiograms create a real-time moving image of the heart as it beats, and play a role in determining heart function.

When the heart becomes enlarged, the cardiologist may recommend starting the dog on medication to keep CHF at bay. Medications that help once a dog is in CHF include diuretics to remove excess fluid in the body and positive inotropes such as pimobendan (Vetmedin) to improve the heart’s ability to contract and pump blood forward.

There is no cure for mitral valve disease, but it can be managed for a time with medication. A surgical procedure to repair the mitral valve is available from veterinary surgeons in the United Kingdom and Japan, and it may become available at the University of Florida later this year. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Genes might play

role in dog ownership

-- A study of 35,035 pairs of twins by Swedish and British scientists found that genes appear to account for more than half of the difference in dog ownership. Because identical twins share their entire genome, and fraternal twins on average share only half of the genetic variation, comparisons between groups can help to separate the influences of environment and genes on biology and behavior. Rates of dog ownership were much greater in identical twins, supporting the idea that genetics plays a role in the decision to get a dog. Carri Westgarth, lecturer in human-animal interaction at the University of Liverpool and co-author of the study, says, “These findings are important as they suggest that supposed health benefits of owning a dog reported in some studies may be partly explained by different genetics of the people studied.”

-- The American Veterinary Medical Association offers tips for keeping pets safe in hot weather. Outdoors, they need unlimited access to fresh water and shade. Ask your veterinarian to describe signs of heat stress so you can recognize it quickly. Protect pets from parasites such as fleas, ticks and heartworms. If you’re running errands on a hot day, leave pets at home in air-conditioned comfort. Walk, run or hike with pets on cool mornings and evenings, especially if they are overweight or short-nosed, and avoid walking them on hot surfaces such as asphalt.

-- Winning book entries at the 25th annual Cat Writers Association contest are "Absinthe Without Leave: A Midnight Louie Cafe Noir Mystery" by Carole Nelson Douglas; "Something Worth Saving," a novel about a boy and his cat, by Sandi Ward; "101 Essential Tips: Kitten or New Cat: Health & Safety" by ER veterinarian Jason Nicholas; "77 Things to Know Before Getting a Cat" by Susan Ewing; and CFA Ambassador Cats adult coloring book by Austin Redinger. -- 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.