All posts by Dr. Marty Becker

Santa Rita, Guam (October 27, 2006) ñ Petty Officer 2nd Class Blake Soller, a Military Working Dog (MWD) handler pets the head of MWD Rico, at the War Dog Cemetery located on Naval Base Guam Oct. 27. Soller is currently assigned to Naval Security Force Detachment Guam to the MWD kennel. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class John F. Looney

Remembering all the animals of war this Memorial Day

News

Monday is Memorial Day in the U.S., a day to honor those who have their lives for our country and for freedom around the world. Among that number were many who never volunteered but still served: the dogs, birds, horses, and mules of war.

Kurt

Most people are aware of the incredible work done by military dogs, but may not know the story of Kurt, a Doberman who saved the lives of 250 Marines before becoming the first military dog to die on Guam during WWII.

In this moving post from the Shelter Medicine Program at the University of Florida, you can read both the history of dogs and their handlers and the inscription on the memorial at the War Dog Cemetery on Naval Base Guam honoring Kurt and other fallen canine heroes

25 Marine War Dogs gave their lives liberating Guam in 1944. They served as sentries, messengers, scouts. They explored caves, detected mines and booby traps. – SEMPER FIDELIS

Kurt, Yonnie, Koko, Bunkie, Skipper, Poncho, Tubby, Hobo Ni, Prince, Fritz, Emmy, Missy, Cappy, Duke, Max, Blitz, Arno, Silver, Brockie, Bursch, Pepper, Ludwig, Rickey, Tam (buried at sea off Asan Point).

Given in their memory and on behalf of the surviving men of the 2nd and 3rd marine war dogs platoons, many of whom owe their lives to the bravery and sacrifice of these gallant animals.

The Horses and Mules of War

Somewhere around one million American horses and mules served during World War I. The Horse Heroes website, operated by equine charity Brooke USA, writes:

These animals carried men into battle and wounded men to safety. They carried food, water, medical supplies, ammunition, gun carriages and other supplies to the front lines across difficult terrain, in brutal weather, often surrounded by dead and dying men and animals.

For these animals, the sights, sounds, and smells must have been as dreadful as they were for the men. They provided immeasurable support to the military, and only 200 came home after the war.

Reading those words breaks my heart. Honoring them is the very least we can do.

Cher Ami

We rarely remember the pigeons without whom early wartime military communications would have been impossible.

Cher Ami was a pigeon and a WWI war hero, saving the lives of 197 American soldiers trapped between our own forces and a German battalion who were being hammered by friendly and enemy fire that had killed more than 300 men.

Cher Ami was released with a message begging the US troops to stop the barrage. He was fired on by the Germans and hit three times, but survived and got his message through.

The men whose lives he saved nursed him back to health, even making him a tiny wooden leg to replace the one he’d lost.

The French awarded him the Croix de Guerre medal for bravery, and Cher Ami was saluted by General Pershing himself as he boarded a military ship to return home to the US. He died there a year later. You can read more about Cher Ami here.

In honor of them all this Memorial Day,

Dr. Marty Becker
“America’s Veterinarian”

Cute little tabby kitten sitting in a travel crate on a blue blanket

Crate-train cats? Yes, you can

Fear Free, Pet Connection,

When a reader asked if it was possible to crate-train a cat the way you would train a dog, I immediately turned to my usual source of all things training, my daughter, trainer Mikkel Becker. And of course, she had the answer!

Q: Can cats be crate-trained the way dogs can?

A: Cats don’t need to be crate-trained for housetraining purposes, but they can absolutely learn to go into a carrier or crate and stay in it comfortably.

Crate-training has a lot of important applications throughout a cat’s life. Of course, it’s useful for taking the cat to the veterinarian, but also for road trips — if you’re moving to a new home, for instance — or if you have to evacuate because of a natural disaster. Having a cat who will quickly and willingly enter a carrier or crate can be a time-saver, stress-saver and lifesaver!

Pheromones, treats and time are all part of the secret to teaching cats to love their carriers. Treat the carrier with sprays or wipes that mimic the calming pheromones cats produce when they feel comfortable or safe. Hide treats in it or lay a trail of treats that leads inside the carrier to encourage a cat to explore it. Place meals inside the carrier. Leave the carrier out in an area the cat enjoys or where the family likes to gather. Any time you see the cat go in the carrier on her own, praise and reward her. All of these are ways to help the cat develop a positive association with the carrier.

Once the cat is comfortable hanging out in the carrier, practice closing it for brief periods, gradually extending the amount of time the cat spends in it. When you transport the cat in it, hold it in both arms so it’s not swinging at your side. At the vet or any new place, set it down gently and let the cat come out on her own instead of pulling her out. Bring treats or a toy to reward her when she exits.

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

A small kitty near the clock

How to prevent early-morning feline food demands

Pet Connection, Veterinary Medicine

It’s a cat’s world, and we just live in it. At no time is this more true than in the middle of the night when your feline family member decides it’s breakfast time. After all, you may have to go to work but your cat can catch a few ZZZs any time. Here’s my advice to a sleep-deprived reader.

Q: We took in a neighborhood cat. We love him, but he wakes us up at 3 a.m. every day wanting to be fed. Help! We need our sleep.

A: Cats are wonderful, but they have some innate body clock differences that can sometimes make them a challenge as housemates.

Cats are what we call crepuscular, a fancy way of saying that they’re most likely to be active at dawn and dusk. It sounds like your cat doesn’t even wait until dawn to do his hunting — i.e., demand that you feed him. And you’re not alone; this is a common problem for many cat lovers.

The good news is that pet experts and manufacturers are making great efforts to provide cats with toys and other ways to get food that don’t involve waking up their people at the crack of dawn, let alone earlier.

A cat’s normal hunting behavior involves multiple forays for prey daily, not all of which are successful. Simply setting down a bowl of food twice a day doesn’t present a cat with any challenge to brain or body. But puzzle feeders allow you to mimic a cat’s natural feeding behavior, from the hunt to the satisfaction of eating.

Whether you feed canned or dry food, you can find a puzzle toy that works with it. Experts at FearFreeHappyHomes.com recommend buying or making an assortment of food puzzles so you can continually challenge your cat’s hunting skills. Fill them with your cat’s normal amount of food for the day, and hide them around the house so your cat can use his nose and other senses to find food without gobbling it all up at once and then demanding more from you at 0-dark-30.

For more information about food puzzles, both homemade and commercial, check out foodpuzzlesforcats.com.

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

Happy Mother’s Day to the world’s best pet mom!

This and That

I still remember when my high school graduation speaker told the audience there were “10 Secrets of Success.” Secret number 10 was to both send your mother a card on Mother’s Day and tell her how much you love her, in person or on a call. Both. Always.

Well, dogs and cats most often don’t know who their real mother is, can’t drive to Hallmark to buy a card, don’t have pointy fingers to dial, and don’t have mobile phones. But they do know who their human mommas are and would love to give them extra attention and love on their special day. (And not even expect extra love or treats!)

For me, number 10 is set in stone and on Mother’s Day, I always remember multiple mothers. My beloved wife, Teresa. My late mother, Virginia. My mother-inlLaw, Valdie (still kicking at 94 years old). My daughter, Mikkel, mother of our granddaughter, Reagan. Cards are written and mailed (Mikkel) or ready to be handed out over Mother’s Day brunch (Teresa and Valdie). I’ll call Mikkel and talk with Teresa and Valdie, telling them how much we all love them. Emphasis on the all.

These amazing ladies are also caring, doting, loving mothers to the animals who share our lives. In the case of our three mothers: dogs, cats, horses, birds and fish, not to mention the wildlife we feed and care for. We give our dogs, cats, and horses sweet treats, sweet whispers of love, and massage (Teresa is a certified animal massage therapist). The birds get cuttle bones, fresh dandelion greens, toys, rotating branches, etc. The fish, well, not too much to talk about there beyond always having a really clean tank and sweet talk from Teresa that I’m not sure they can hear through the glass and filter noise.

But when I write my cards and sign them, I always include all of the pet’s names. And when I tell them we love, appreciate, and adore them on Mother’s Day, the message is not from “me” but from “we.”

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms (including pet moms) out there!

Why dogs vomit – and when it’s an emergency

Pet Connection, Veterinary Medicine,

Dogs vomit for all kinds of reasons, some serious, some not. When is it just something to watch, and when is it an emergency? Here’s what I told a reader who had questions.

Q: I took my dog out to potty, and a few minutes later he started hacking and vomiting up clear liquid. I don’t know if it was caused by something he ate outdoors, the half a pear core he had eaten a few hours earlier (and eventually vomited back up) or the antibiotic he started taking last night.

He seems fine now, but how do I know when vomiting is an emergency?

A: Dogs can throw up easily and for any number of reasons. Sometimes it’s because they get into the garbage or eat something they’re not used to (that pear core, maybe). They may down something disastrous, like rat poison or some other toxin. Internal parasites, certain diseases, stress and, yes, certain antibiotics can all cause your dog to upchuck.

Oftentimes, a dog’s stomach upset is the result of dietary indiscretion, but I never like to assume that. Foreign-body obstruction, ingestion of a rodenticide and bloat are all emergencies that can have fatal (or at best, expensive) results if you wait too long to treat them.

Call your veterinarian and describe what’s happening. The history of the problem gives your veterinarian clues as to whether the problem is urgent.

How do you know if a case of vomiting warrants a visit to the veterinarian? Puppies (and kittens), toy dogs and older animals are more prone to dehydration and may benefit from subcutaneous fluids, so it’s best to take them in sooner rather than later.

Other causes for concern are an increase in the volume or frequency of vomiting or diarrhea; the presence of blood in the vomit or vomit that smells like feces; and persistent retching without bringing anything up, which could suggest bloat. Take your dog in right away if he shows any of these signs.

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