All posts by Dr. Marty Becker

sad looking dog

Will your pets be okay after you die?

Pet Connection

What can you do to be sure your pets will be cared for after your death? Here’s what I told a reader.

Q: We’re writing our will, and it occurred to us that we also need to have directives for our pets’ care if we are incapacitated or dead. What should we include?

A: You’re smart to be thinking about that. Disasters come suddenly and unexpectedly. Planning ahead will help ensure that your pets get the care they need if you’re not around.

First, choose a primary person and a backup person who are willing to take charge of your pets if necessary (maybe you can promise to do the same for them). They should have keys to your house and a folder containing pet medical records, instructions for regular medications, including where they’re located and how you entice your pet to take them, a copy of your pet’s license, your veterinarian’s name and contact info, pet insurance information if you have it (and you should), and photos and a physical description of your pets.

Make sure your veterinarian is familiar with the care plan and has the names of the persons you’ve chosen to care for your pets. You can arrange to have your veterinarian run a tab or put charges on a credit card you have on file with the clinic in case you are unavailable, with the agreement that you or your estate will settle the bills. Carry a card in your wallet stating that you have pets, how many and what kind, and the names and numbers of the people who should be contacted to care for them.

In your will, you can’t leave money directly to a pet, but you can put a certain amount in a trust to cover expenses the caretaker will have throughout the pet’s life. Your attorney can help you set this up in a way that is most beneficial for your pet(s).

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.

smiling dog

Is your dog’s collar out of date?

Fear Free, Pet Connection

Choke chains were once common in dog training, but we now know they’re harmful and ineffective. Here’s the word on why from my daughter, trainer Mikkel Becker, and me, in our joint response to a reader.

Q: What’s wrong with using a choke chain? It’s how I trained all my previous dogs, but the trainer I’m going to with my new puppy doesn’t allow their use.

A: We’re glad you found a trainer who uses positive reinforcement techniques. Choke chains, or slip collars, have been out of style in dog training for a while now, for a number of good reasons.

One is that they’re dangerous to dogs. People leave them on when they’re not walking or training the dog, and the collar rings can become caught on the tooth of another dog while they’re playing, on a fence or on some other item, and the dog chokes to death or, at best, is injured and traumatized.

Another reason is that they’re often used improperly. People don’t know how to put them on correctly or how to use them when they are on. If the moving part of the chain is under the neck, the chain doesn’t release easily when the leash is loose, meaning it is constantly tight around the dog’s neck. That’s ineffective and even cruel if the dog is pulling on the leash because he hasn’t been taught to walk on a loose lead.

We recommend collars that buckle or snap together for everyday wear, including for training. Your trainer will show you techniques that are both kind and effective, easy to accomplish by the average person and don’t require the tightening effect around the neck provided by the choke collar. For other dogs, a head halter or front clip harness can be helpful during training.

All of these options are unlikely to accidentally harm your dog, so feel free to toss your choke chain and go with your trainer’s recommendation. You can find more on collars and harnesses here.

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.

Young One -eyed Affectionate Playful Kitten

Losing an eye won’t slow a kitten down

Pet Connection, Veterinary Medicine

I hear from a lot of pet parents who worry a medically necessary eye removal might have an adverse impact on their pet. In my four decades of experience, that’s not what happens! Here’s what I told a reader.

Q: The kitten I adopted came with a bad eye infection. My veterinarian says it would be best to remove the eye, but I feel terrible doing that to him. Won’t he have problems getting around?

A: When we humans contemplate losing our eyesight, we think of all the ways it could affect us: We’d have to find new ways of getting around, reading, and enjoying funny cat videos. But a cat’s visual acuity is much less than that of humans to begin with, and cats rely much less on their eyesight than we do, surprising as that may seem.

Veterinarians and cat owners are often astounded by the abilities of blind cats, especially those who lose their eyesight early in life. Even if they lack both eyes, we’ve seen them chase toys down the hall, jump up on kitchen counters, catch bugs and perform acrobatic feats. They are fearless explorers.

Cats who lose their vision in one or both eyes quickly adapt, learning to rely on their senses of sound and smell, as well as the tactile cues provided by their whiskers. Cats are also very good at sensing touch and vibrations, as well as changes in air movement. And a kitten’s brain is very “plastic,” meaning that he can still forge new neural pathways that allow him to be just as able with uniocular vision or to make greater use of other senses to compensate for a complete loss of vision.

Adult cats may not have the same brain plasticity, but they can also adjust well. If they lose an eye to trauma or glaucoma, you may see that their balance is as good as ever, but they may take a little longer than a kitten might to adjust.

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.

Is anesthesia really safe for pets?

News

One of the biggest fears pet owners have is anesthetizing their pets. Here is what I told a reader.

Q: My dog needs to have her teeth cleaned under anesthesia, and I’m so nervous. Is it really safe?

A: No anesthetic procedure, medication or even natural remedy can have a 100% guarantee of safety, but the anesthesia protocols veterinarians use now with pets have substantially reduced the risks, even with pets who are seniors or who have chronic illnesses.

Today’s techniques emphasize safety and comfort before, during and after anesthesia. They include pre-op testing to ensure that pets don’t have any underlying conditions that could cause problems; monitoring by specially trained veterinary technicians; and improved anesthesia drugs and techniques.

Modern anesthesia involves an individualized combination of injectable medications (that often combine anesthetic drugs and pain medication), anesthesia-inducing gas and oxygen, all of which contribute to your pet’s safety and well-being.

Use of intravenous fluids helps to maintain blood pressure and hydration, as well as flush the anesthetic from the body after the procedure is completed. And having an IV line in place allows the veterinarian to react rapidly with appropriate medication if there’s an emergency. Warming procedures such as heated towels or pads — to maintain core body temperature, prevent organ damage and allow your pet to recover more smoothly — are another safety and comfort measure.

You can take steps on your end to protect your pet by following your veterinarian’s directions not to feed your pet or give water after midnight prior to the procedure. That helps to prevent aspiration of food into the lungs during the procedure, which can have serious consequences. If you forget, always let your veterinarian know so they can either make allowances or reschedule the procedure.

While there can always be some risk with anesthesia, don’t let your fears keep you from providing your dog with treatment that can dramatically improve her quality of life. You’ll both be happier. Learn more here: fearfreehappyhomes.com/pet-experiencing-dental-pain-how-to-know-and-what-to-do-about-it.

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.

SIberian Husky lying on his shed fur

Are you ready for your dog’s fall shedding season?

Pet Connection, Veterinary Medicine,

The fall shedding season is rapidly approaching. Your dog will soon start shedding his summer coat to make way for a heavier winter coat, especially if he’s one of the breeds with a double coat: think Siberian husky, border collie, Pomeranian or Labrador retriever.

To tame the onslaught of falling fur, start a regular schedule of brushing and combing to remove dead hair — and in the process keep it from landing on your clothing and furniture. Once the shed is in full swing, warm baths can help loosen dead hair for removal.

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.