Use the environment to build your dog’s fitness and agility skills and make training easier

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

Does exercising and training your dog sound boring? Not a jogger or bicyclist? You don’t have to be an athlete (or at least not much of one) to make exercising your dog fun for both of you.

Parkour, for humans or dogs, is sort of an environmental agility course. Some parkour activities can be physically and mentally challenging, but at its simplest, think jumping over a puddle, balancing on a curb or climbing over a large fallen tree on a hiking path. This kind of activity can enhance your dog’s walks, or even indoor play in inclement weather -- just use sofas, stepstools and ladders instead. “Barkour” can benefit dogs of all ages and abilities, helping them to learn or maintain ways of moving through their world.

I have small dogs, but it has always been important to me for them to be both intrepid and in good shape. On walks, we practice balance by walking on or over curbs. At puddles, we get a running start and jump over them together. On hikes, we scramble over rocks or logs. At a shopping center or the beach, they might jump onto a bench and walk across it; dogs who do this particular activity should be healthy (no heart disease or arthritis, for instance) and built for jumping up (avoid it with long, low dogs who might hurt their back). Lift little dogs down to avoid injury. Having dogs place their paws up on a large rock or wall offers a great stretch.

Parkour involves many types of movements. Linda Rehkopf’s Labradors practice walking backward up a hill or incline. Walking backward is important for a dog’s sense of proprioception, and it’s something they can do indoors or outdoors.

Some dogs develop their own parkour program. Susan Rosenau’s Boston terrier Ruth loves chasing a Chuckit ball around the backyard. “She makes it extra aerobic by leaping up and down the different levels of the landscaping and taking the long way around back to me,” Rosenau says.

Rocks, stumps or the steps in front of people’s houses are all good for jumping up, balancing and sitting on, says Linda Lombardi, who uses the obstacles to exercise her pug Momo.

Just as you would have one for yourself in the gym, be a spotter for your dog, especially if she’s jumping onto a narrow wall, pillar or other object. Knowing you have her back is important for her safety and confidence.

What about training? When working with small dogs like my cavaliers, it can sometimes be difficult to get their attention when they’re so low to the ground. Having puppy Harper walk along the low wall surrounding our complex made it easier for her to see when I was asking her to do something, plus it was good balance practice.

Outdoor environments with other people offer opportunities to teach dogs to work through distractions. To teach this to his Bernese mountain dog Granate, who was learning to pull a cart, Adam Conn practiced at a public park near the busy playground area. Eliza Rubenstein’s Australian shepherd Carter recently practiced long down-stays during a noisy quinceanera -- a popular 15th-birthday celebration for girls.

For more information or to go to the next level and earn titles, contact the International Dog Parkour Association (dogparkour.org). Earning a title is as easy as submitting a video of your dog successfully and safely performing a checklist of actions, such as jumping over an obstacle taller than the dog’s elbow height; walking across an obstacle no wider than the width of the dog’s shoulders and at least elbow height without stepping off and back on; backing up three steps on flat ground; and walking between two obstacles. Start with Training Level and see how far you and your dog can go.

Q&A

What’s OK

for cat play?

Q: What are the best toys for cats?

A: A better question might be: What aren’t the best toys for cats?

Our felines are clever and creative when it comes to what they’ll play with. Some items are tops on their list of faves, while others that they love are best avoided. Here’s what to consider.

Cats love anything that challenges their balance and mobility, stimulates their innate hunting prowess, or involves chasing and climbing, to name just a few of their favorite things. A fishing pole toy or large peacock feather is ideal for encouraging feline acrobats to spin and leap. Drag it along the floor for some hind-end wiggling and chase-and-pounce action -- all part of the hunting process. This type of toy will keep kittens and even older cats entertained and intrigued. Just be sure you put it away when you’re done so your cat doesn’t swallow the string part.

Other feline favorites include windup or electronic toys that move, toys filled with catnip and toys that squeak when pounced on. Some cats enjoy small balls or feathered objects connected to a stand by a spring that they can bat around.

Roll a small ball down the hall, and watch your cat take off after it at high speed. Rolling it on a hard surface such as a wood or tile floor is even better because it adds sound to the game.

A ball inside a circular plastic track -- some with multiple levels of tracks -- develops good motor skills as kittens or cats reach inside to bat the ball around.

Choose toys made specifically for cats, as they are less likely to have small parts that can be bitten off and swallowed. Avoid letting cats play with string, cord, yarn or thread, which can be fatal if swallowed. -- Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Lizards need

dentals, too

-- When Rex’s owners noticed he wasn’t eating and drinking much and seemed lethargic, they were worried. An examination by specialist veterinarians found that Rex had severe inflammation inside his mouth, receding gums and a large amount of tartar buildup. A course of antibiotics and anti-inflammatories, plus two months of supportive care and changes to his home care, helped improve his health enough that he could undergo dental cleaning. Rex isn’t a dog, but a 5-year-old bearded dragon, and he was treated by veterinarians David Guzman and Paula Rodriguez of the Companion Exotic Animal Medicine and Surgery Service at the University of California, Davis. Bearded dragons are among the lizards with acrodont dentition, meaning their teeth have no roots or pockets and are fused to the jawbone. Rex recovered well and now flashes his healthy pearly whites.

-- English cocker spaniel Rocco has been hired to sniff whisky barrels for a living. The specially trained dog works for Grant’s Whisky in Scotland, where his job is to “nose” wooden casks containing maturing whisky and ensure that no imperfections in casks affect the liquid gold as it ages. Appropriately, Rocco reports to associate global brand director Chris Wooff. “Rocco’s ability to ‘nose’ a very large number of casks in a short space of time means he is a fantastic addition to our team of craftsmen,” Wooff told Scotland’s Daily Record.

-- You don’t have to be covered by Nationwide’s pet health insurance to sign up for its telemed service, staffed by veterinary professionals who can answer questions and help you decide if your pet’s problem is urgent or can wait until you can get in to see your regular veterinarian. It’s less than $10 per month for a one-year subscription. Find it in the Apple or Android app stores under “Nationwide Vet Helpline.” -- 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, founder of the Fear Free organization and author of many best-selling pet care books, and award-winning journalist Kim Campbell Thornton. Joining them is behavior consultant and lead animal trainer for Fear Free Pets 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.

Pets know more about us than we think -- including, sometimes, our medical conditions

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

My dog Gemma, a tiny Chihuahua-Pomeranian mix, used to insistently lick my feet. Maybe she just liked the smell of the shoes I’d been wearing, but I always wondered if she was sensing some kind of health issue, and my feet were all she could reach. Fortunately, I haven’t been diagnosed with anything serious, but Gemma’s actions were similar to those of dogs -- both trained and naturals -- who sniff out disease in humans, alert them to oncoming seizures or low blood sugar levels, or perform other “pet scans” that keep their people safe.

If Milo insistently sniffs a mole on your arm or Puff Princess pesters you when you’re not feeling well, they may be trying to tell you something important about your health.

Scientific studies have confirmed the canine ability to sniff out lung, breast, bladder and ovarian cancer -- in some cases before it’s obvious through testing. For example, the breath exhaled by patients with lung cancer, inflammatory lung or liver disease, and hepatic or renal dysfunction is different than the breath exhaled by healthy people. The sweat and urine of people with health problems can also have a distinctive odor that dogs can be trained to identify -- and some pets sniff it out on their own.

Animals can recognize other health problems as well. Diabetes-alert dogs sniff out blood sugar lows and let their people know by waking them up, nudging them or getting the attention of another person. Without their dogs’ alerts, they could slip into a coma and die.

Dogs have been trained to alert people to oncoming epileptic seizures and assist them to a safe place until the seizure is over. A study published in 2019 in the journal Scientific Reports found that seizures have particular olfactory characteristics. Seizure-alert dogs recognize the scent of an oncoming seizure.

What about cats? We don’t hear as commonly about them alerting humans to health issues as we do dogs, but it happens. Cats have fewer scent receptors than dogs, but their ability to distinguish between similar scents is actually better than that of dogs.

Dogs and cats may not have medical degrees, but they are highly sensitive to changes in odor. That enables them to detect the subtle changes in body odor caused by cancer cells, low blood sugar or other irregularities.

They are also skilled observers, and we are their primary subjects. They watch -- and smell -- us all the time. Both pets and trained service animals may pick up clues that humans are too busy to notice or don’t have the sensory capacity to detect. Minute changes in the way we smell or act that go unnoticed by ourselves or family members may well be noticed by our dogs or cats. Their 24/7 observation of us can make them skilled diagnosticians, even if we still need a visit to our own doctor to figure out what they’re trying to tell us.

Even more fascinating is their ability to recognize and communicate that there’s a problem. It’s easy to understand how dogs are trained to recognize the scent of a specific illness, but how do untrained pet dogs know that certain odors are of concern? Again, it’s likely that sense of smell. Even if we don’t necessarily feel sick, pets may pick up on underlying chemosignals -- odors related to emotional conditions such as happiness or fear -- and react accordingly. In a study on interspecies transmission of emotional information via chemosignals from humans to dogs, published in 2018 in the journal Animal Cognition, dogs displayed more stressful behaviors when humans were giving off “fear” chemosignals. That, combined with their intense connection with us, may be their motivation to warn us that something might be wrong.

The next time your dog or cat is pawing or licking you insistently in a specific spot, don’t ignore them. They might know something you don’t.

Q&A

When should I

take cat to vet?

Q: What are the signs that my cat needs to see the vet?

A: I hope that you’re taking your kitty to the veterinarian once a year for a checkup. Even if she isn’t sick, knowing how she looks and acts normally is a great baseline for your veterinarian to have. During a physical, the vet can listen to your cat’s heart and lungs; check her temperature, pulse and respiratory rate; weigh her to make sure she’s not unnecessarily gaining or losing weight; look at her eyes, ears and skin to check for infection or parasites; check the teeth for tartar buildup or inflamed gums; and feel her body to make sure organs seem normal and there are no suspicious lumps or bumps.

Signs that your cat might not be feeling tip-top include the following:

-- Frequent vomiting or diarrhea, especially if it lasts more than 48 hours.

-- Lack of appetite for more than a day.

-- Lameness.

-- Not wanting to be petted.

-- Stiffness when standing up or lying down.

-- No longer jumping on furniture.

-- Being reluctant to go up or down stairs.

-- Picking up food and then dropping it.

-- Changes in normal behavior, such as hiding instead of greeting you when you come home.

-- Gums that are pale or bluish-gray instead of a pretty pink.

-- Persistent runny nose or sneezing.

-- Drooling or bad breath.

-- Lethargy, especially in a kitten.

-- Trauma, such as being hit by a car or a bite from another animal.

Cats don’t complain a lot when they’re not feeling well. In fact, they may even try to hide signs of illness, so you really have to know what their “normal” is to notice when something is wrong. Any time you see a change in behavior, it’s a powerful clue that your cat needs to see the vet. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Coonhound has

longest ears

-- Last month, a 3-year-old American black-and-tan coonhound named Lou set the canine record for longest ears on a living dog. Lou’s ears measure 13.38 inches, but Tigger, a bloodhound, holds the Guinness world record for longest ears ever, a title he earned in 2004. The late bloodhound’s ears measured 13.75 inches and 13.5 inches. It’s theorized that the long ears of scenthounds such as Lou and Tigger help to sweep scent up toward the dogs’ noses as they follow a trail.

-- Celebrate pets throughout the month in October -- as if you didn’t celebrate them every day! It’s Adopt-A-Dog Month, Adopt-a-Shelter-Dog Month, National Animal Safety and Protection Month, National Pet Wellness Month and National Pit Bull Awareness Month. National Walk Your Dog Week begins Oct. 1. Oct. 4 is World Animal Day; Oct. 13 is National Pet Obesity Awareness Day; Oct. 16 is Global Cat Day, National Feral Cat Day and National Fetch Day for all the ball- and stick-loving dogs out there; Oct. 21 is National Pets for Veterans Day; and Oct. 29 is National Cat Day. However you celebrate, remember that an extra treat wouldn’t go amiss!

-- Love cats? The term for you is ailurophile, from the Greek word “ailouros,” meaning “cat,” and the Greek suffix “phile,” meaning “lover.” The word was first documented in the early 20th century, although of course cat lovers have been around for millennia. Your neighbor who hates cats? He’s an ailurophobe, one who is fearful of or averse to cats. Another fancy cat-related term is chatoyancy, the gemological name for the optical effect seen in certain cabochon-cut gemstones that shine like a cat’s eye, reflecting light back in a narrow line like the constricted pupil of a cat’s eye in bright light. Chrysoberyl, tourmaline and beryl are among those that display the phenomenon. -- 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, founder of the Fear Free organization and author of many best-selling pet care books, and award-winning journalist Kim Campbell Thornton. Joining them is behavior consultant and lead animal trainer for Fear Free Pets 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 secrets and the beauty behind feline eyesight

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

Sparkling sapphires, emeralds and topazes glow up from their furry setting. They aren’t gemstones or precious metals, though, but the eyes of our cats, in blue, green, gold and amber, orange, yellow and hazel -- to name just a few of the colors reflected in a cat’s eyes.

These gorgeous orbs have some unique features that contribute to the feline aura of mystery as well as to their mastery of darkness and the hunt.

In structure, a cat’s eye is similar to a human eye. They each have a cornea, the clear front part of the eye; a retina, the light-sensitive membrane containing photoreceptor cells; and a pupil, the opening at the center of the eye, which is surrounded by the iris, the colored or pigmented part of the eye.

But the cat’s pupil and iris work a little differently than in humans.

“What is unique about the domestic cat is the pupil,” says veterinary ophthalmologist Cindy Mar. “The cat pupil has a vertically oriented slit. This pupil shape is due to the orientation of the iris muscles, which create a scissorlike action during closure.”

This allows cats to control the amount of light reaching their eyes and make precise adjustments to accommodate different lighting, whether they are in bright sunlight or a darkened room. It’s one of the factors that makes them superb hunters. (Fascinating fact: Big cats such as lions and tigers have round pupils.)

Two other features that cats have but humans don’t is a third eyelid on the inner corner of the eye, which offers extra protection, and a shiny reflective layer, called the tapetum lucidum, in the back of the eyes.

“The tapetum increases the amount of light in the eye, allowing the cat to have better night vision,” Dr. Mar says. Interestingly, not every cat has a tapetum. Blue-eyed cats and some cats with dilute colors lack a tapetum.

How do you know if your cat has good eyesight? In fact, how does a veterinary ophthalmologist know? It’s not as if they can show a cat an eye chart and ask if they can read the letters M-O-U-S-E.

It’s a challenge, Dr. Mar says. And evaluating cat vision is even more challenging than evaluating dog vision. Dogs offer more clues because they are more likely to walk around the exam room and make their way around objects. Cats may simply want to hide unless they have been given time first to adjust to being in the exam room.

“A lot of time I depend on the history, or what the owner tells me the cat sees,” Dr. Mar says. “I can check to see if the cat sees light and dark -- the dazzle reflex -- or sees my hand when I wave in front of the eye -- the menace response.”

It’s a good idea to gaze into your cat’s eyes regularly not only to give “kitty kisses” -- a slow blink -- but also to check that they are shining with health.

Your cat’s regular veterinarian should give eyes a look-see at every annual exam. And your cat should be seen by the veterinarian if eyes are red, cloudy, squinting or have excessive discharge. A referral to an eye specialist may be in order if a cat’s eye condition doesn’t improve or if it worsens with conventional therapy.

A common eye problem in cats is conjunctivitis, which is often associated with herpesvirus infection. Brachycephalic cats -- the ones with smushed faces, like Persians or exotics -- may be more prone to develop corneal sequestrum, a peculiar cat eye condition associated with chronic, nonhealing corneal ulcers, Dr. Mar says. And brachycephalic cats may be more prone to eye injuries and poor blinking ability because the eyeball is more exposed. Fortunately, cats in general don’t have as many breed-related eye problems as dogs.

Q&A

How often should

old pets see vet?

Q: Does my older pet really need wellness checks twice a year now, or is the vet just trying to make money off of me?

A: Regular preventive-care visits are absolutely important for aging dogs and cats (and other pets). The reason we veterinarians recommend bringing pets in twice a year once they get to be 7 or 8 years old is because pets age faster than humans. If we can check them over twice a year, we have a better chance of catching diseases early, when they are more treatable. It’s a good way to prolong your pet’s healthy life.

This is important to me because many times I’ve had to give people bad news about their pet’s prognosis, knowing that if I had seen the pet earlier, the problem could have been treated more effectively and at less cost.

A senior pet wellness visit is the time to talk to your veterinarian about whether a new diet is needed, and to mention any changes in activity level or behavior that you’ve noticed. In addition to a nose-to-tail exam, including eyes and teeth, your veterinarian may recommend diagnostics such as chest radiographs, which might identify an enlarged heart; a blood pressure check; and blood, urine and fecal tests.

The other thing to remember is that different animals age at different rates. Large dogs age more rapidly than small dogs and cats, for instance. So the age at which pets become seniors varies. We might want to start seeing large or giant-breed dogs when they are 6 years old and cats or small dogs at 8 years old. Your veterinarian can advise you based on your individual pet’s health history.

By keeping your pet’s care on the right track with wellness checkups, you can help to give him additional years of good health. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Labrador gets

ankle repair

-- First it was hip replacements, then elbow joints. Now total ankle, or hock, replacement is available for dogs with severe arthritis that limits mobility. A 7-year-old Labrador named Leo underwent the surgery in January at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine’s small animal hospital and is back on the hiking trail with his owner -- UF veterinary student Maggie Smallwood -- after a five-month recovery. The procedure involves replacing damaged surfaces of the joint with a prosthetic implant. “We now have a promising treatment for a condition that was previously difficult to manage,” said UF associate professor and veterinary surgeon Stanley Kim, who performed the procedure.

-- Have you ever wondered how dog DNA tests work? They compare genetic information from a dog’s DNA sample -- usually saliva, although your dog doesn’t have to spit into a test tube -- to a reference panel of different breeds and types of dogs. Matches help determine breeds in your dog’s background. Accuracy depends on such factors as number of genetic markers used, comprehensiveness of the reference panel (100 breeds, 400 breeds, different types of dogs from around the world?), and sophistication of the algorithms used to process the data.

-- If you’re considering a bird as a pet, take your allergies into account. Feathers and feather dust (produced by powder-down feathers) are allergens. All birds produce some feather dust, but certain birds are dustier than others. Species that distribute a lot of feather dust and dander include cockatoos, cockatiels, African greys and Amazon parrots. Why are birds dusty? Feather dust helps keep birds clean and waterproofs their feathers. To help keep dust down, use a HEPA filter in the room where your bird spends most of her time. A vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter can also help to remove feather dust from the environment. -- 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, founder of the Fear Free organization and author of many best-selling pet care books, and award-winning journalist Kim Campbell Thornton. Joining them is behavior consultant and lead animal trainer for Fear Free Pets 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.