All posts by Dr. Marty Becker

Macro photograph of a deer tick held between index finger and thumb.

How to remove ticks from pets

Pet Connection, Veterinary Medicine

How to remove ticks from pets is one of the top questions I get, never more so than now as ticks and tick diseases are spreading into parts of the country where they didn’t have much of a presence before. Here’s the advice I gave a reader.

Q: Ugh! I found a tick on my dog. How do I get it off?

A: Very carefully. Ticks spread a number of diseases, including Lyme, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and ehrlichiosis, so you want to protect yourself and your dog when you take steps to remove them.

You may have discovered a tick accidentally when running your hand through a pet’s fur, but the best tactic is to search diligently for them any time you and your dog have been in tick-infested areas. Place your dog on a white towel, and go over him with a fine-tooth comb to check for any little bumps that might actually be feeding ticks. Unless they’re bloated with blood, they can be tiny — the size of a sesame seed — so keep a sharp eye out.

Have tweezers or a tick removal device at hand. If you find one of these blood-sucking arachnids, grasp it firmly with tweezers as close to the head as possible and pull straight up. The goal is to remove the tick’s body and mouth parts. Wear disposable gloves or wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after removing the tick. Place the tick on a strip of double-sided tape or a sticky lint roller so it can’t escape while you search for others, or immediately drop it into a container filled with rubbing alcohol for instant death.

What not to do: Don’t try to burn the tick off or smother it with Vaseline. Don’t think that bathing your dog will remove ticks; it won’t. Don’t flush or put it into the trash; ticks are survivors and will come back to haunt you if you don’t kill them — and flushing doesn’t kill them.

Do talk to your veterinarian about the best tick preventive measures for your pet’s lifestyle.

There’s more in Pet Connection, the weekly nationally syndicated pet feature I co-write with Kim Campbell Thornton and my daughter, trainer Mikkel Becker.

Very old black cat resting on hammock

What’s causing your cat’s diarrhea, and what can you do about it?

Pet Connection, Veterinary Medicine

Diarrhea is a non-specific medical condition. What that means is it can have many causes, some not too serious and others deadly. Here’s what I told a reader dealing with this problem in his cat.

Q: Why does my cat get diarrhea, and what should I do about it? Is it serious?

A: At one time or another, every cat owner experiences the foul-smelling loose stools produced by cats with diarrhea. It’s one of the most common problems seen in cats, but diarrhea has many different causes. If you’ll excuse the pun, figuring out the cause of diarrhea is a process of elimination.

Kittens often have diarrhea caused by intestinal parasites, such as roundworms. A sudden change in diet, eating rich foods, food allergies, gastrointestinal infections caused by bacteria or viruses, pancreatitis and inflammatory bowel disease are other common causes of diarrhea. Possible causes of diarrhea in aging cats include hyperthyroidism or alimentary lymphoma.

Occasional diarrhea usually isn’t serious. Whether a case of “the runs” warrants a trip to the veterinarian depends on several factors. If your adult cat who goes outdoors is eating well and acting normally, you can probably wait a couple of days to see if the situation improves. He may just have “garbage gut” from eating a dead mouse. Anxiety caused by guests in the home or other environmental changes can also trigger a bout of diarrhea.

If you have a kitten or a senior cat and diarrhea persists for more than a couple of days, or if your cat has bloody diarrhea, he needs to see the veterinarian. Very young and very old cats can quickly become dehydrated if they have diarrhea. You should also be concerned if your cat isn’t eating, seems lethargic and is vomiting in addition to the diarrhea.

With an examination and some detective work, your veterinarian can determine whether your cat’s diarrhea needs to be treated with antibiotics, a hypoallergenic diet or probiotics. A diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease may call for corticosteroid injections, while diarrhea caused by intestinal cancer may be resolved with chemotherapy.

There’s more in Pet Connection, the weekly nationally syndicated pet feature I co-write with Kim Campbell Thornton and my daughter, trainer Mikkel Becker.

Human Hand Gives A Treat Feeds A Ginger Maine Coon Cat, Cat Training

The easy way to teach your cat to do tricks

Pet Connection

A very brave reader wanted to teach her cat some tricks. Instead of telling her to run away from the idea, I got my daughter, trainer Mikkel Becker, to explain how to do it. And guess what? It’s easy!

Q: I want to teach my cat some tricks. What’s an easy one to start with?

A: Contrary to popular opinion, cats take well to training, and one of the easiest tricks to teach is “down.” In fact, you can teach it while you and your cat are lounging around.

Start in an area where your cat already likes to nap, such as the sofa or your bed. When you see her lying down or moving into a down position, use a clicker to mark the behavior, and reward her with a treat. If you don’t have a clicker, use your voice, saying, “Good!” followed by a treat.

The click or the verbal marker help your cat identify what you want her to do, and the treat helps her associate that behavior with good things.

As she begins to move into a resting position, give a cue — “down” — and mark it with a word (“good!”) or a click. Immediately follow with a reward. The cue helps your cat to learn the name of the desired behavior. Pairing the cue with the action of lying down teaches her to associate the word, the action and the reward.

With consistent training, your cat will learn the connection between cause (lying down) and effect (getting a treat). Repeating the sequence of giving the cue, marking the behavior and rewarding it sends the message that lying down is an action worth performing.

Increase the length of time your cat remains in a “down” by rewarding her intermittently as she maintains the position. To let her know it’s OK to move, teach a release word, such as “free.”

Keep training sessions short — one to five minutes — and offer ample rewards to keep her interested. Find more tricks to teach cats at fearfreehappyhomes.com/3-easy-tricks-to-teach-your-cat.

There’s more – including the truth about the “Great Pandemic Pet Return” – in Pet Connection, the weekly nationally syndicated pet feature I co-write with Kim Campbell Thornton and my daughter, trainer Mikkel Becker.

Demonstration and Review: Canine Food Puzzles and Games

Great Pet Products

These are the products I featured in my Facebook Live presentation featuring a roundup of dog food puzzles and games designed to give both their mind and body a workout! You can view the video here or at the end of this post.

The remarks below include information from the manufacturers as well as my own comments.

Note: I purchased all these products myself. Nothing was sponsored in any way. I haven’t linked to anything and receive no compensation of any kind if you decide to purchase one of these puzzles.

Trixie Flower Tower Dog Activity Center & Strategy Game, Level 3 ($31.99)

  1. Play tower comes with six cones
  2. Various ways to change difficulty using cones, slots and sliders
  3. The dog earns food rewards by opening the slots
  4. The rubber feet discourage sliding
  5. We also like the Trixie Pet Products Poker Box 2, Level 2

Trixie Gambling Tower Activity Center & Strategy Game, Level 2 ($15.59)

  1. Dog earns rewards by gently pulling on loops to open drawers in the correct order
  2. Can vary the number of drawers to increase difficulty
  3. Also has three cones to hide treats in the base.
  4. Design prevents cones from simply being knocked over because they must be pulled straight up to lift out

Green Interactive Feeder ($34.99) 

  1. Like a giant golf divot, this product slows down feeding to reduce the risk of bloat and increase enrichment
  2. Stimulates dog’s natural tendency to scavenge for food

Buster Dog Maze ($17.99 mini and $26.99 large)

  1. Available in five pleasing colors, this maze utilizes the fact dogs can both see and smell the food to get it out
  2. Make your dog a Houndini as they use “slight of paw” to eat

Kibble Nibble in Busy Buddy line of toys by PetSafe ($10.95 small and $15.95 large)

  1. Slows down eating by making mealtime playtime
  2. Holds up to two cups of food. You can trim the treat meters (flexible tabs) to decrease difficulty or accommodate larger sizes of kibble
  3. Stands up to heavy chewers and top-rack dishwasher safe
  4. To make the challenge even more enjoyable for the dog, you can use multiple Kibble Nibbles, split the food evenly between them, and hide them in the house, or in the yard

Paw5 Wooly Snuffle Mat ($33.00)

  1. Encourages natural foraging with dogs using their powerful sense of smell to find food
  2. Easy to clean, fully machine washable

Mighty Paw Dog Lick Pad ($14.99)

  1. Strong suction cups to attach to the floor, wall, or side of the bathtub
  2. Can use with canned food, peanut butter, EasyCheese, whipped cream, or yogurt
  3. What I like about this product is that you can use very little product to keep them occupied for a long time

Hot Bob-A-Lot treat dispenser by Starmark ($15.57 small and $26.84 large; two pack of large $39.68)

  1. Small holds one cup of food; large holds three cups of kibble
  2. Adjustable openings at the top and bottom accommodate most kinds of food and allow you to modify difficulty
  3. Weighted bottom makes the toy wobble erratically (like a Weeble Wobble), enticing your dog to engage in play
  4. Like the Kibble Nibble, split food between multiple Bob-A-Lots to make dog hunt for their meal…just like in the wild

Kong

This article wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the king of dog toys — yeah, King Kong!

These products in many different sizes, colors, and chewing strengths, and remain one of the most recommended and popular dog toys years after it was created more than four decades ago.

Now sold in over 80 countries, the classic Kong is a mentally stimulating toy that serves multiple purposes. Unpredictable action is great for play, and chewing on a Kong can help with oral health. The Original Kong can be stuffed with food and/or treats for a long-lasting meal. Here are some Kong toys specifically intended to be used as food puzzles and games:

Kong Genius Leo Interactive Dog Feeding Toys ($12.99 and up)

  1. Named in honor of Leonardo Da Vinci, this product interlocks with other Genius toys for an added challenge
  2. Great for reducing separation anxiety
  3. Available in three sizes: small, medium, and large

Kong Flipz Treat Dispenser ($17.49 small and $23.99 large)

  1. Kong Flipz pops up and over when dogs tap it, dispensing threats as it flips and wobbles, sparking natural foraging instincts for a mentally stimulating meal
  2. The unpredictable action and squeaker keeps the dogs interest as it stimulates all senses (smell, taste, hearing, touch)

Kong Tikr ($21.99 )

  1. Autorotating, timed release feeding
  2. Simply twist to start the timer; no batteries are needed
  3. The auto-rotating holes control the pace of dispensing and can be set for up to 45 minutes
  4. Rolling action rewards natural foraging instincts

Kong Gyro ($11.99)

  1. Dispenses food & treats
  2. Roll & flip action
  3. Dogs love the rotating ball inside the ring
  4. Not good for dogs who are heavy chewers

Kong Wobbler ($27.99 small and $31.99 large)

  1. This action-packed food puzzle feeds the body and the mind
  2. The Kong shaped toy sits upright until nudged by the dog’s paw or nose, dispensing treats as it wobbles, spins and rolls
  3. The unpredictable movements keep even the most season users, engaged and challenged

Eastern Fox Squirrel

How to stop your dog from chasing squirrels

Pet Connection

How can you train a dog not to chase squirrels? That was a question from a reader, and of course I had to turn to my daughter, trainer Mikkel Becker, to respond. Anyone who’s visited our home would know we failed miserably at accomplishing this with our own dogs. Physican, heal thyself!

Q: Our dog is obsessed with chasing squirrels! Is there any way to get him to leave them alone?

A: Dogs are indeed passionate about protecting their yards from the furry tree climbers.

Some are determined to find and eliminate squirrels, sniffing their trails hours after squirrels have returned to their nut stash. That can become hazardous if dogs escape the yard in pursuit of their prey. Dogs who can’t resist the urge to stalk squirrels need other ways to channel their predatory and chase behaviors.

There are a few ways to redirect your dog’s attention away from squirrels, and your success may depend on whether your dog is intrigued by the scent or the presence or motion of squirrels. Try the following methods to see what works best. And consider keeping your dog close to you on leash in the beginning to help him stay focused and not be tempted by the squirrels.

Scent games are one way to redirect your dog’s desire to pursue interesting smells. A simple version of “find it” is to scatter kibble in the grass and let your dog search for it. Doing this once or twice a day can help channel your dog’s focus away from squirrels, and give him something else to do when he’s in your yard.

If your dog’s favorite part of squirrel hunting is the chase, turn the sight of a squirrel into an opportunity to engage with you by immediately bringing out a toy such as a flirt pole. You can also use “come when called” to turn a squirrel sighting into a fun game of canine tag, followed by treats to reinforce the behavior.

If your dog’s chase behavior is becoming a concern, contact your veterinarian for guidance and potential partnership with a reward-based trainer or referral to a veterinary behaviorist.

There’s more – including all about cats and heartworm – in Pet Connection, the weekly nationally syndicated pet feature I co-write with Kim Campbell Thornton and my daughter, trainer Mikkel Becker.