Your veterinarian makes it look so easy: Pill. Pet. And like a magic trick, suddenly the pill is inside the pet, and the pet seemingly none the wiser.

If only it were that easy for you.

You go home, and you can’t even find your cat when it’s time for medication. Under the bed? Maybe. Behind the couch? Maybe not. How does the cat know, and how is he able to disappear as if by another talented magician?

Your dog is only marginally easier, maybe. Not quite as fussy as your cat, he’ll eat the pill if it’s hidden in something yummy, or so you think. But later you find the pill on the kitchen floor, and you realize he was somehow able to extricate the yummy stuff from the medicine and hide the pill in his jowls for spitting out later. Outsmarted again!

You figure it’s a victory if you get half the pills in for half the number of days they’re prescribed, and you hope that’s good enough.

Problem is, it’s not. One of the biggest problems veterinarians have in helping your pet get better is … you. If you aren’t able to follow through with medications, your pet will likely be back at the vet.

Do you dread walking out of your veterinarian’s office with pills? Here are some strategies to make the pill-popping easier. (Read more…)

And from Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Becker:

New guidelines recently issued by the U.S. Army in Afghanistan alert military doctors on how to provide medical care to military dogs injured in combat. There are seven teams of military veterinarians in Afghanistan and two veterinary clinics. Since May 2010, six dogs have been wounded and 14 dogs have died in combat.

Before being treated at military veterinary clinics, injured dogs are transported by helicopter to field hospitals. The new guidelines inform military doctors on the differences in human and dog anatomies, which include dogs’ heartbeats being about 20 beats per minute faster and their temperatures being 2 to 3 degrees warmer, with similar blood pressure. The guidelines also address post-traumatic stress disorder in dogs.

Read all that and more here!

My retrievers love to swim so much that one of them once attempted to squeeze herself through a cracked window to jump out of a moving car heading over the Mississippi River.

Heather was a smart dog, but the very sight of the Big River overwhelmed her common sense. She wanted to swim, and had it been possible, she would have.

Had she survived the fall, that is.

To be sure, most dogs aren’t so crazy about water to leap off a tall bridge, but all dogs can be at risk when water is involved. Many dogs enjoy swimming as much as people do, and cool times in the local swimming spot or backyard pool are one of the best parts of summer.

But play it safe. The keys to water safety for dogs are prevention, preparedness and awareness.

Check out Gina’s tips here.

And from Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Becker:

On an average weekday, Canadian pet owners spend nearly twice as much time surfing the Internet (48 minutes) and three times as much time watching television (79 minutes) as they do playing with/exercising their pets (25 minutes). The statistics come from Canada’s “Pet Wellness Report,” a research study of 1,000 Canadian dog or cat owners and 100 veterinarians conducted by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association.

Read all that and more here!

Photo: Gina’s FayBee gets wet with friends.

If your dog is limping, part of the problem may well be excess weight. A study of dogs at least 20 percent more that their ideal body weight evaluated their degrees of lameness. Then the dogs’ caloric intake was reduced to prompt them to lose weight while maintaining exercise at the pre-study level. By the end of the study, the dogs had not only lost weight but 82 percent of the dogs were less lame.

And from critical care specialist Dr. Tony Johnson, a tough look at in Bulldogs, Pugs and other brachycephalic (flat-faced) dog breeds:

In order to keep cool through panting, dogs need a good airway. Brachycephalic dogs almost all have narrower windpipes relative to other dogs of comparable size — a condition known as “tracheal hypoplasia.” Bulldogs often have a trachea that would keep a Yorkie quite happy, but for the bulldog, it must be like breathing through a coffee stirrer. When we have to intubate brachycephalic dogs for surgery (which involves placing a soft, plastic tube into their trachea to deliver oxygen and anesthetic gases), they will often wake up with the tube in place after the procedure and seem quite happy to have an open and bigger airway for the first time in their lives. Most other dogs can’t wait to get the dang tube out!

All that and more, here!

detect three different antibodies produced in response to the bacteria associated with Lyme disease using a single test on the sample, [and thereby] eliminates the need for separate tests. In addition, it requires smaller samples and answers more questions about the disease. Multiplex technology has been used for the last decade, but the AHDC is the first veterinary diagnostic laboratory to use it to test for Lyme disease.[...]

The bacteria that cause Lyme disease are particularly difficult to detect, according to Wagner, because after infection they tend to hide where they can’t be found. They bury in the joints of dogs, causing arthritis or lameness. Serious kidney disease has also been associated with Lyme infections in dogs. In humans and horses, they also burrow into the nervous system, in the spine or the brain, causing pain, paralysis or behavioral changes. By the time such clinical signs appear, the bacteria are usually not in circulation anymore.

Thanks, CathyA

Bionic doggie: Almost precisely one year ago, I told you about a cat who had prosthetic (bionic, I said at the time) paws installed for him in England. Today, it’s time for the canine version. In this ABC News story, Dr. Becker comments on the new veterinary trend:

Veterinarian Marty Becker said prosthetics are becoming increasingly common on disabled pets.

One prosthetic can cost anywhere form $1,000 to $3,000.

“It’s really heartwarming,” said Becker. “Dogs just soldier on. They could be in incredible pain but still greet you with their tail wagging.

Between you and me, I personally wish he had quoted Oscar Goldman’s famous line from my favorite 1970′s tv program. “Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology.”

Dogs iz smarter than you: It really doesn’t matter if you can’t distinguish between identical twins. Chances are good your dog can. ScienceNow has the details. (tip of the cap to Marge Wright)

Joplin Adopt-a-thon: In Joplin, Missouri this past weekend, nearly four hundred cats and dogs were placed by the Joplin Humane Society Animal Adoption Resource Center’s Adopt-A-Thon.

Though the event was set to begin at 10 a.m., people began arriving as early as 5 a.m. and long lines quickly formed.

Tim Rickey, senior director with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said they expected a good turnout, but the estimated 2,000 people interested in adoption “far exceeded expectations.”

Melissa Wallis and her daughter, Kaylee, traveled from Vinita, Okla., to adopt a small dog because “Daddy finally said ‘yes,’” she said.

“We heard about all the pets in need of a good home, and they’ve been through enough,” she said.

Thanks to the Joplin Globe for the details.

Labradoodle regret: Wally Conran is an elderly Australian gentleman who thinks he may have made a big mistake. What did he do? Mr. Conran is the man responsible for what we know today as the labradoodle. What does he regret? Read this piece from the NY Daily News and find out.

Heartworm medication update: In the wake of the Merial contretemps, there’s a growing question as to whether the problem Dr. Kari Blaho-Owens identified with respect to Heartgard Plus is or is not symptomatic of a broader issue. The Companion Animal Parasite Council released a statement saying it will be continuing to monitor research results, though it stops short of saying that medication currently on the market needs improvement.

Attacking FIP: Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) is both incurable and fatal. Our own Ingrid King’s blog Conscious Cat reports on the Winn Feline Foundation‘s 33rd annual Feline Symposium, held last week in Reston, Virginia.

UCDavis Vet Med surveys: The University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine is running a survey, and they would very much like to hear from Pet Connection readers. Want to help? Details below:

• Behavioral Interactions Between Children and Cats
  • A project to understand more about the interactions between cats and children from 3 to 12 years of age. If you have at least one cat of 1 year of age or older, and a child between the ages of 3 and 12, currently residing in the home with the cat, we would greatly appreciate your taking about 10-15 minutes to complete this anonymous survey. The results will help us to counsel people about cats and children.
• Dog Behavior: The Rest of the Story
  • Most dog caregivers have heard about how to train a dog to sit, stay and come, and many have heard about preventing aggressive behavior, separation anxiety and house soiling. But there are several unanswered questions, such as why dogs eat strange things, why they howl at fire engines and if they “catch” human yawns. At the Companion Animal Behavior Program in the Veterinary School at the University of California at Davis, we are conducting a voluntary web-based survey of the primary caregivers of dogs to gather information about the rest of the story. If you are the primary caregiver of an adult dog, your cooperation in taking about 10 minutes to fill out this confidential survey will be appreciated by thousands of dog caregivers.
• Cat Behavior: The Rest of the Story
  • Most cat caregivers are bombarded with talk about toys for entertainment, new types of appealing litter, ideas for upholstered climbing trees, and other products of commercial value, and which may give some insights into cat behavior. But there are several unanswered and unexplored questions, such as why and when cats purr, why they yawn and why some cats eat plants. At the Companion Animal Behavior Program in the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California at Davis, we are conducting a voluntary web-based survey of the primary caregivers of cats to gather information about the rest of the story. If you are the primary caregiver of an adult cat, your cooperation in taking about 10 minutes to fill out this confidential survey will be appreciated by thousands of cat caregivers when we disseminate the information gained from this survey.

The 2011 Banfield Report: Our own Dr. Nancy Kay’s blog Speaking for Spot has a summary of the 2011 survey from Banfield Pet Hospital, reporting on key trends in veterinary health today. The data comes from more than two million dogs and 450,000 cats seen during 2010. Dr. Kay notes highlights, covering dental disease, flea infestation, diabetes, heartworm and others. Please take the time to read the entire report here.

I always like to hear from readers, especially if you have tips, and links for interesting stories.  Give me a shout in the comments, or better yet, send me an e-mail.

Image credit: Tick, treeandlawncare.com.

The solution to staying in shape — and having fun — may be just a tail wag away. Check out the latest fitness trend: people-dog workout classes that focus on strength, flexibility and aerobics while unleashing plenty of fun for you and your dog.

By teaming up with your best workout buddy — your dog — both of you can shed pounds, tone muscles and strengthen your connection.

“Regular exercise provides people and pets with physical and mental benefits,” says Dr. Christine Zink, a veterinarian and professor of pathology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. “Exercise releases endorphins — feel-good chemicals that provide a sense of well-being. Exercise helps maintain proper weight, improves coordination and balance, and stabilizes joints to prevent arthritis and acute injuries.”

These special workout programs also reinforce good doggy manners. They bring out play with a purpose, offering dogs the chance to master basic commands such as sit, stay, down and come in positive settings. For the past two years, I’ve regularly attended Leash Your Fitness classes in San Diego with my two dogs: Chipper, a 60-pound golden retriever/husky mix, and Cleo, a 12-pound terrier-poodle mix.

Read more here.

Also on the health front, Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Becker have news about a new way to beat the fear of an MRI:

A study has found that patients who interacted with therapy dogs prior to MRI procedures suffered fewer anxiety symptoms than those patients in the study who did not. Researchers said therapy dogs could be a viable substitute for anti-anxiety medication normally given to patients before their MRI and would have fewer side effects.

Science Daily reports that the project was conceived by a 15-year-old high school student, Allison Ruchman. During the course of her MRI, she experienced anxiety and claustrophobia. She relieved her tension by creating a mental picture of her dog, Wally, and believed that her experience could be applicable to other patients who often need anti-anxiety drugs in order to complete the examination.

Allison became a certified dog therapist, and conducted the research on this project, assisting physicians who compiled and analyzed data, and prepared an abstract of the study at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, N.J.

All that and more, here!

The Grand Prize winner is Legacy Boxer Rescue, which serves the Dallas/Forth Worth area of Texas. They’ll receive $20,000 worth of prizes donated by our wonderful sponsors! The photo of some Legacy volunteers was taken in Dallas, when they all turned out for the last stop on the BIG Bus Tour to say hello! Congratulations to a great organization!

Winner of the Second Prize was Villalobos Rescue Center, a rescue, rehabilitation and placement facility for abused and abandoned pit bulls located in Canyon Country, Calif. They’ll receive $5,000 worth of donated prizes (with an extra wag of the tail from my own rescued pit bull mix, Gracie!).

The group with the third-highest number of votes, and winner of  the Third Prize, is Great Lakes Bengal Rescue, a non-profit Bengal cat rescue within the Great Lakes region serving Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin. They maintain a network of over 25 foster homes, and will be receiving $4,000 worth of donated prizes. Great work, friends!

Winning the Fourth Prize is Blind Cat Rescue and Sanctuary, a North Carolina-based organization that provides a safety net for blind cats who are homeless. They will receive $3,000 worth of donated prizes, which we know will be put to great use!

Our Fifth Place winner is Detroit Dog Rescue, which saves abused, abandoned, injured and starving dogs off the streets of Detroit. They are in the process of fundraising to build a no-kill shelter in the city, and already let us know that whatever they win will be given to to members of the Detroit community as part of a “Free Dog Food Day” giveaway of their own. That’s something I’m proud to be part of!

Now for some more exciting news: Every single one of the rest of our 50 finalists will receive at least $1000 in donated prizes! I’ll post later this week about just how that was made possible, and thank the donors who came through for us.

I want to take this opportunity to thank our prize donors, everyone who nominated rescue groups and shelters in the contest — more than 13,000 of you! — as well as thank all the dedicated rescuers and shelter volunteers and workers who do so much for the cats and dogs every day!

I am proud and honored to be able to support you in any way possible, my friends!

Here are the rest of the finalists who will each receive at least $1000 in prizes, under the jump:

I’m not sure I do, after spending the last couple months on the road, the majority of them on a custom-wrapped 45-foot luxury bus previously used to haul rock stars and TV celebrities around the country. For six weeks I got up before dawn, dressed to meet people, put a nametag on me and a Doodie Pack nametag vest on McKenzie. Then I headed with Dr. Marty Becker to a TV studio, a veterinary meeting, a book-signing — and then hopped on the bus for long ride to the next city, up to eight hours away.

And I did this six days a week, promoting the new book, “Your Dog: The Owner’s Manual.”

I’m not sure how I managed it, but I did. And so did McKenzie, who spent the entire trip handling new experience with grace and style, from the dense urban core of downtown Philly to high-rise hotels to TV studios with robotic camera. She never set a foot wrong for two months, with the exception of the triple-take she gave a three-foot Kachina that was perched on a table  in the Albuquerque Courtyard By Marriott. And she charmed everyone from front-desk staff in hotels to news producers to pet-lovers on the street.

We got home yesterday after a three-day drive from the tour’s end in Dallas, and quite promptly ate a non-road food meal and fell into bed. This morning, life returns to normal.

But not quite, because of this:

Yes, that’s a tattoo. My first, but I think not my last. I’ve been wanting one for a decade, and over a three-day break in Portland while Dr. B was giving a speech in Toronto, I finally got one. And yes, that’s the Pet Connection logo from the website here, designed by Jay Gavron of Gotham Park Studios here in Sacramento. Crazy? Maybe, but so what? The heart-paw logo … it’s me! (The pic was taken a couple days after the engraving. It’s finishing its “dead-skin phase” now and will look rather scruffy for a few days yet.)

The other great things that happened: I met people. Lots of people. People whose names appear regularly in the comments here. And they were all pretty darn wonderful. Lots of fantastic new people, and lots of fantastic dogs.

Because of the lightning-fast pace of the trip, I didn’t see all that much of the 29 cities we blazed through. Just enough to make a list of the cities I can’t wait to visit again (Baltimore, Philly, Cleveland, Salt Lake City), the ones I’d consider moving to (Kansas City, Boise) had I not decided the city I will be moving to as soon as I can (Portland).

Back at home, the house seems quiet without Woody, but Teh Big Orange Kitteh looks even bigger and Bernadette the duck and her feathered entourage all look just fine. The garden is growing well thanks to my house-sitter, and I don’t have to leave home again for a few more days.

So … did you miss me?

***

While McKenzie was asking “Are we there yet?” all the way home from Barstow yesterday, her sister was competing in the Purine Incredible Dog Challenge. And once again, the amazing Ms. Sprinty rocked the agility world, finishing 2nd as the lone non-border collie on the podium. Congrats Sprint and T-Rod!

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Today, Tuesday, June 7, Dr. Becker, Gina Spadafori and McKenzie the Dog will be at the PETCO at 5177 Eldorado Parkway in Frisco, Tex., to celebrate the release of “Your Dog: The Owner’s Manual: Hundreds of Secrets, Surprises, and Solutions for Raising a Happy, Healthy Dog” and spread the message that “Healthy Pets Visit Vets”!

Bring your dogs and join them from 12:30 to 2:00 PM. Come on down!

For those in the area, this morning at 8:35 AM, Dr. Becker will be on KDFW-FOX 4′s Good Day Dallas show, talking about pets and “Your Dog: The Owner’s Manual.”

We spoke to Dr. Becker by phone this evening, and asked how he felt as the tour came to a close.

“I kept expecting exhaustion to knock, but if it did, I was so exhilerated, I didn’t notice,” he said. “Let me tell you one story. A lot of people came to the appearances, bringing their dogs, telling me the stories about how much they love them and care for them. But there were also stories like this one.

“This dog hadn’t been eating, and then they started hand-feeding him, and now he wouldn’t eat anything. They weren’t sure what to do next. And I knew that dog had needed to see the veterinarian quite a while ago.

“These kind of stories just break my heart, knowing that if people headed for the veterinarian earlier, they’d save the pet a lot of suffering, and in most cases, save themselves money, too.

“That’s why I am so passionate about the message that ‘Healthy Pets Visit Vets,’ and that’s what kept me going.” He laughed. “That and knowing I’m going to be seeing my beautiful wife, Teresa, at the end of the tour!”

There was a good reason she was hired. The FDA had started hearing complaints that HeartGard Plus was not proving as effective as advertised in preventing heartworm. Once she got to work, Dr. Blaho-Owens learned that not only were the allegations true, but that the company had known it since at least 2002 and hadn’t done anything to change the problem. They also hadn’t updated any of their public marketing materials or documentation to alert veterinarians (or end users, for that matter) that the medication wasn’t doing its job, as stipulated by FDA. From Consumer Affairs,

In 2005, the FDA instructed Merial to change its labeling and to stop claiming 100 percent effectiveness and, the suit says, the company agreed to do so but didn’t. In August 2006, the FDA warned Merial that it was in non-compliance.

The FDA repeatedly demanded changes in product labeling. When a class-action lawsuit was initiated in 2009, the company’s U.S. director of regulatory affairs allegedly directed Dr. Blaho-Owens to destroy key documentation. She refused. From Courthouse News:

She says she did not destroy the document, but reported the exchange to Merial’s legal counsel. She says that led Merial to retaliate by putting her on a “performance improvement plan, which cited a ‘lack of understanding of differences in levels of priorities’ between Dr. Blaho-Owens and management.”
She says she was fired after she filed a claim of retaliation with the Labor Department’s OSHA division.

Dr. Blaho-Owens is suing in federal court, asserting Merial “extortionately fired” her, and in so doing violated the whistleblower protection sections of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and is seeking damages. Thanks to Cathy B for the links.

Good dog! Bear is a huge (180 pounds) German Shepherd. He’s a service dog in Parker, County, Texas. His owner suffered a seizure and hit her head, which prompted Bear to go door to door (literally) to get help. From the Star-Telegram,

After being unable to awaken his owner, Bear went to a neighbor’s house and scratched on the door to try to get help, but no one was there, said Karen Kessler, Parker County animal control supervisor, who saw Bear going door-to-door.

Bear went to another neighbor’s house, but that home owner had replaced their fence and the new fence was too high for the dog to jump over, Zeisler said.

Kessler found the dog wandering around in the 100 block of East Cattail Lane in Millsap on Saturday while answering an unrelated call with a co-worker, Kessler said. Or perhaps Bear actually found Kessler.

“Bear just crawled up in my lap while I was sitting in the truck,” Kessler said. “One of his tags said ‘I am a service dog’ and another said ‘I am a seizure dog.’ When we found him we knew there was a problem because service dogs normally don’t leave their people.”

Bear had been adopted from a local shelter a year ago.

The rescue in Bastrop: Dr. Becker, Gina and McKenzie are in Austin, Tex. today on the next-to-last stop of the Big Bus Tour. That makes it a good time to give you the story about a huge rescue from nearby Bastrop County, courtesy of the Austin Humane Society. It’s a cautionary tale about hoarding. I’d caution you that the attached video is tissue-worthy. Thanks to Rori.

Bedbugs are no match for The Nose: There is such a thing as a “bedbug location canine,” and Susan Fox sent me the link to an SFGate article about thirty of them competing for certification in Philadelphia.

How do you lose that many? Los Angeles shelters are having a problem that I would think would be a matter of simple inventory tracking: they keep losing animals. In the course of one year, one shelter (in Lincoln Heights) has allegedly misplaced forty dogs, cats and other animals. Across the system, 64 animals went missing during the year. Brenda Barnette is the general manager of the Los Angeles animal services department, and she was willing to go on the record with the Los Angeles Times.

Although some animals could have been incorrectly listed as missing because of clerical errors, at least some have “wrongly disappeared,” Barnette said. Many of the missing animals were considered “highly adoptable” and officials are trying to determine if any were stolen and sold for a profit.

“They were the young ones, the cute ones,” Barnette said. “They were ones that would have been likely to have been sold or be a nice gift for someone.”

Except in this case, if they were, the authorities couldn’t tell you one way or another. Shelter fail. Thanks again to Susan for the tip.

RIP Edward Gardner: A very sad story from examiner.com:

Edward Gardner loved animals, said his best friend Jim Gollwitzer. He loved them so much that on Memorial Day he pulled his car over on an Illinois interstate and got out to protect a family of ducklings trying to cross. For that act of compassion, after a limousine ran into him, Gardner paid the ultimate price—his life.

Our condolences to Mr. Gardner’s family and loved ones.

Plump kittehs on sale. If you’re near Columbus, Ohio and you want to adopt  a cat, heavier ones are on sale. No really, I read it in boston.com.

And finally,

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

I always like to hear from readers, especially if you have tips, and links for interesting stories. Give me a shout in the comments, or better yet, send me an e-mail.

Photo credit: Heartgard image from ConsumerAffairs.com.

Dr. Marty Becker, Gina Spadafori and McKenzie the Dog will be at the PETCO at 19000 Limestone Commercial Drive in Pflugerville, today, Monday, June 6, to celebrate the release of “Your Dog: The Owner’s Manual: Hundreds of Secrets, Surprises, and Solutions for Raising a Happy, Healthy Dog.”

Bring your dogs and join them from 12:30 to 2:00 PM. Come on down!

For those in the area, this morning at 6:40 AM, Dr. Becker will be on KVUE’s ABC News Daybreak show, talking about pets and “Your Dog: The Owner’s Manual.”

The entire tour schedule is at DrMartyBecker.com. You can also follow Dr. Becker on Facebook and Twitter, and McKenzie on Facebook and Twitter.