No, not really. There are a few simple facts to know.

Bundles of information
The colors of a cat’s coat are determined by genes that are carried on chromosomes, bundles of information passed on from parents to offspring.

Female cats have two X chromosomes, males have an X and a Y. Color combinations are linked to information on these sites.

A calico cat has almost always female, will have white fur and two other colors in her coat, most often orange and black. Sometimes the black and orange are muted, giving the black a grayish or blue-tinged shading.

If the colors are not seen in clear patches, but show up in a swirl of three colors, with much less white, you have a tortoiseshell cat.

In a rare occurrence, a double X chromosome present itself, in an XXY pattern. This will send a calico male into the world. He is sterile, and although not valuable in the financial sense of the word, is unusual and fun to show off to friends.

Calico cats have traditionally represented good luck. Japanese sailors often took a Mi-Ke (triple fur) cat to sea. Maryland’s state cat? You guessed it.

Calicos are not a specific breed but a color distribution — although many prized breeds have a calico representative, from the Japanese Bobtail to the Turkish Van. A Siamese with tortie points is spectacular to see.

Dispositions
As far as disposition is concerned, calico and tortie cats are bright and tend to feistiness. Specific health problems are rare, and longevity is generally very good. When calico cats have litters, we frequently see (depending on the dad’s coat) calico females, orange males, and the occasional orange female. The orange females, in my experience, tend to feistiness like their calico compatriots.

Of course, the orange males tend to sweetness (is that my personal opinion or a professional assessment?), but that’s a fact for a future column.

Dr. Ellen Friedman is in general practice at Newburgh Veterinary Hospital and All Creatures Veterinary Hospital in New Paltz.

I remember a high school friend who lived in an upscale neighborhood in Manhattan. She proudly informed us in 1971 that she had just gotten the very first Shih Tzu puppy to be brought to America.

I didn’t know quite what to make of the big hairdo and funny name. What a nice little dog.

The breed has its origins in China, where it was known as the lion dog or chrysanthemum dog. It was beloved by royalty and forbidden to be exported. In fact, the first Shih Tzu (the name is the same in plural) outside China were sent to Europe in 1930.

A bright, friendly dog with good social skills, the Shih Tzu is good with children and other dogs. It makes a good guard dog, alerting to intruders, but is likely to then make friends with anyone who comes into the house.

A very good advantage to the breed is excellent longevity — we routinely see very old Shih Tzu that are in fine condition at our hospital. The Shih Tzu is loyal and outgoing.

Grooming needs can be demanding. The show pet must keep the very luxuriant hair coat, but many owners of pet dogs choose to keep the fur short to avoid daily brushing. The topknot serves to keep hair out of the eyes, and as a way for preteen girls to use entertaining hair bows and clips.

Health concerns are not overwhelming in general. The young pup can be prone to a specific type of liver shunt, but this is not common. Adult dogs can suffer from spinal disk problems, as is common in long-backed canines. Low thyroid can be common, and is relatively easily treated. Dental disease is frequent, and can be addressed by brushing and oral hygiene, as well as dental cleanings annually. Your vet can advise you on this.

All in all, the Shih Tzu is deservedly popular, a great pet for an elderly owner, good for small properties or apartment living, and a fine friend for a lifetime.

Dr. Ellen Friedman is in general practice at Newburgh Veterinary Hospital and All Creatures Veterinary Hospital in New Paltz.

So what happens when Farrell goes missing? Or worse, when he spends a week in our hospital, sick as a dog?

We got the phone call from Brooklyn early in the morning. Farrell had been sick since the day before: lethargic, not eating and afflicted with terrible bloody diarrhea. Joey was dispatched to bring him up to us in Newburgh.

When they arrived, Farrell was depressed, feverish and had a painful belly. We admitted him, started IV fluids and medications, and waited for him to get better. But boy, he took his time. Three days in, he was not eating and was still a little pained and depressed. Texts, voicemails, phone calls from every member of Chez Dasaro, Brooklyn branch. How is he? Is he coming home soon? Can we come get him tonight?

We worried that something was really amiss. Would our dog nephew’s case go horribly wrong? Were we missing something? Reports of poison in the dog park, infectious disease at day care, toxic treats …what would all the testing show?

Finally, a week in, Farrell was eating, bright, better. We made the handoff at Woodbury Common and he returned in glory to Bay Ridge. It was the youngest nephew’s 18th birthday party, and all the Dasaro brood was assembled. But no one had eyes for Christopher; Farrell was the celebrity of the day. Joey and the family were overwhelmed with the separation and then the joyous reunion.

The Dasaro family gets it: A pet is to keep. But probably not to share bacon and eggs for breakfast with … and eat the roast beef leftovers … and a dozen bully sticks from a big-box store (suspected of salmonella contamination).

Just all in a day’s work.

They know it’s spring and are ready to wake up from a long, dispirited winter nap. It’s as if the winter makes them almost physically ill. They mope, they look miserable, they sulk.

Victor pushes a tennis ball around the garage half-heartedly. When we get home from work, it’s dark and too cold to go out for a walk, even a brief one.

Get outside and walk!
The last week, though, it’s been light so much later. Still too cold to stay out much, but the dog eyes brighten, and the footstep lightens just a little.

It’s a great time for you, dear reader, to start to get outdoors too. We always hear that exercise programs are more successful when undertaken with a buddy. So you and your dog — what’s more “buddy” than that?

Even if you’re beat at the end of the day, find 20 minutes to take your pooch outdoors. Throw the ball if she’s interested, just walk around if she’s old or unathletic. The air, the smells, the outdoorsiness of it all, will benefit both of you.

Cause for celebration
All the elderly dogs that have made it through a harsh, dangerous time of freezing cold and slippery footing can celebrate. All of us who work at challenging, tiring or just plain long-houred jobs can refresh ourselves just by having the wind in our face a little bit.

And I haven’t even gotten to the weekend yet.

Dr. Ellen Friedman is in general practice, with an interest in geriatric feline medicine, at Newburgh Veterinary Hospital and All Creatures Veterinary Hospital in New Paltz.

Handle with care
Proper handling is important, and children need to be taught the safe way to handle their new pet. Bunnies have a lightweight skeleton and extremely powerful, muscular hind legs. This enables them to kick with a huge amount of power. If a bunny is held improperly, a swift kick can break its back. When carrying your pet, you must always support her back end. Your veterinarian will show you the best way to restrain and carry your rabbit.

Rabbits can be adopted from local humane societies and rabbit rescue groups, or purchased at a pet store or through a breeder. Select a young bunny. The eyes and nose should be clear and free of any discharge that could indicate a respiratory infection. The pet should be curious and bright, in good body flesh and have clean ear canals. Ask for any health guarantees offered.

Diet is extremely important in a rabbit, and will be the subject of a later column. At his first veterinary visit, your doctor will discuss proper housing, nutrition, chew toys and more. Be sure you bring a fecal sample to check for intestinal parasites.

Never act on impulse
Acquiring a pet bunny is a serious responsibility and should never be done on impulse. For instance, it might seem tempting to get your kids a bunny to celebrate spring or Easter. But if you’re not properly prepared for the level of commitment required, sadly, the new pet can sometimes end up surrendered or worse, abandoned outdoors, where it is subject to predators, disease and traffic — quite an unhappy ending.

Remember to act responsibly and prepare properly for the new addition to the family.

Your first pet bunny will be a lot of fun for your family. And, of course, a rabbit is one of the prettiest pets around.

Dr. Ellen Friedman is in general practice, with an interest in geriatric feline medicine, at Newburgh Veterinary Hospital and All Creatures Veterinary Hospital in New Paltz.

Scientists think the contraction of laryngeal muscles cause vibrations of the airways as air travels in and out of the lungs. Certainly, purring is defined as the constant sound produced over a period of time with rhythmic air flow and vibration. The mechanism is the same in all types of cats. Other animals seem to purr as well — the raccoon, bear, guinea pig, and gorilla are known purrers.

When — and why — do cats purr?
Common to the domestic house cat is the setting in which the purr is heard — often during relaxing, eating, being petted. But cats are also known to purr when ill, injured, distressed or even dying. This leads to the theory that the act of purring releases brain hormones that aid in relaxation or even aid in pain control. Often purring is used to signal between a mother cat and nursing kittens.

Science weighs in
Ethologists have noted the different sound a cat makes when it is about to be fed — the typical purr has a higher frequency component, which increases its urgency. Other noted cat biologists think the high frequency sound can improve bone density and hasten healing. Scientists studying the biomechanics of astronauts in space are trying to apply this to preventing osteoporosis in the challenging conditions of zero gravity environments.

All of this sounds very serious and learned. What cat lovers do know is that the sound seems to signal contentment, good fellowship, a full tummy and a happy pet.

It is one of the most charming mysteries of our small furred friends and always my favorite sound to wake up to during the night.

Dr. Ellen Friedman is in general practice, with an interest in geriatric feline medicine, at Newburgh Veterinary Hospital and All Creatures Veterinary Hospital in New Paltz.

Veterinarians are “in the know.” We see, every day, the trouble your pets can get into. The daily grind for us is full of your worst nightmares.

So, you ask, what does your vet fear? What can your pet get into that only the vet (and sometimes, not even the vet) can get him out of again?

Dangerous for dogs

Dogs, of course, get into everything. But I worry about dish towels. Something spills on the kitchen counter, you grab a dish towel to mop it up, chuck the towel in the washing machine to wash later. And you don’t close the door to the machine. The dog comes by, smells the good foodish odor, and next thing you know, it’s a gastrointestinal obstruction.

And of course, you know to never keep sugarless gum in your car. Your dog could find a moment of free time to ingest a package and really get sick. Your pocketbook is another unsafe place.

Remember how your mother told you “Never run with scissors”? Well, how about “running with sticks in your mouth”? A patient of mine was running with a stick in her mouth, stumbled and ended up with a pharyngeal laceration that required a soft-tissue surgical specialist to repair.

 Trouble for cats

And what about cats? Yes, no strings or yarn. But what about sewing thread with needles attached? How about twist ties? We’ve removed them from the soft tissues of the neck, where they migrated after piercing the esophagus.

And what about beefy-flavored dog medications? We know of a cat patient who ingested an anti-inflammatory chew meant for a large dog and did not survive, despite treatment.

And of course I worry about shopping bag handles, a bad place for cats to get their necks entangled. And the nasty cords on venetian blinds — same kind of danger.

And the open door to the washer or dryer — another place a cat can wander into and get himself into a world of woe. It seems as if I could go on and on — but I’ve got to run. A cocker spaniel just came in — he got into the chocolate Easter bunny.

Dr. Ellen Friedman is in general practice, with an interest in geriatric feline medicine, at Newburgh Veterinary Hospital and All Creatures Veterinary Hospital in New Paltz.

This leads us to Richie the schnauzer and his parathyroid glands. Richie came to see us for some vague signs of indifferent appetite, a little lethargy and straining to urinate.

Ultrasound studies showed stones in both kidneys and in his urinary bladder. Our preliminary diagnosis was complete.

What else could be wrong?

But was there anything else? Richie’s lab tests showed a very high calcium level in his blood. This can be linked to multiple causes. Kidney disease is one, but so are certain types of tumors, and also, rarely, abnormalities of the parathyroid glands.

We were able to rule out kidney issues (other than the stones) and were happily unable to find any signs of cancer in his chest and abdomen.

More specialized blood tests pointed to primary hyperparathyroidism. This disease, rare in older dogs and exceedingly rare in cats, is caused by a benign growth in one of the four parathyroid glands.

These small organs are located in the thyroid gland tissue in the neck. They produce hormones that control calcium levels in the blood and bones, leaching calcium from bone when it is needed, and returning calcium to bone at other times.

A tumor will cause very high levels of blood calcium, which initially leads to vague signs of illness and will eventually cause weakness, depression, and death if untreated.

This tumor is not associated with problems with the thyroid gland and usually required ultrasound studies to diagnose it. In Richie’s case, the stones in the urinary tract were related to the overly high levels of blood calcium.

Richie’s folks chose to have the tumor surgically removed, as this was the only cure for his problem.

What happens next?

After surgery, it was necessary to carefully monitor Richie’s calcium levels for several days. Once the source of all the extra hormone was eliminated, Richie’s body couldn’t keep up with the new demands on production for a little while.

We supplemented calcium intravenously until finally Richie got it right. He went home on a prescription of Tums for a few weeks and just this week got the OK to discontinue them.

Richie is a new schnauzer, feeling bright and chipper. We got a chance to review our parathyroid notes, and all goes well. It’s nice when things work out just right, isn’t it?

Dr. Ellen Friedman is in general practice, with an interest in geriatric feline medicine, at Newburgh Veterinary Hospital and All Creatures Veterinary Hospital in New Paltz.

It’s March. My Labrador retriever’s got the winter blues. Actually, all three of them do. Why shouldn’t they? All they do is sleep the day away.

In the late winter, most dogs, especially the sporting breeds that are built for activity, are out of sorts, depressed, bummed out. Remember when you were a kid, before Facebook and Xbox? At the end of a winter weekend, you moped around the house, nagging your mom that you were bored. Well, your dogs feel the same way. And there aren’t any video games that can make up for the lack of exercise and mental stimulation that dogs need.

Dog’s well-being is up to you

In the wild, when all their needs are met (food, shelter, so on), dogs will play a little, then sleep until it’s time to go out and forage again. Nowadays, a dog’s needs are met — and exceeded — every single day. Once there’s an overabundance of kibble in the bowl, what else is there to do? That’s up to you, the owner. It’s time to figure out what kind of input your dog needs to feel mentally and physically well.

Many owners are stretched to their limits with work, commuting, foraging of their own, housekeeping, child care, and on and on. What can you do on a workday to keep your dog busy and engaged? Day care has become a popular option: Many veterinary hospitals offer daily and weekly rates to entertain your dog for you. At my hospital, dogs can have massages, run in an underwater treadmill, get aromatherapy, or just plain old one-on-one play time.

Imagine my mom and dad — “What? You have to take your dog somewhere to get it taken care of? Do it yourself!” Yes, but who has time or the energy to do so after a 14-hour day?

More tips

Other simpler strategies include finding a neighborhood teenager to take your pooch for a walk; running home at lunch to let your pet have some playtime; buying those clever gadgets that let you hide a snack or peanut butter in a hollow and make your dog work for food.

Of course, on the weekend you need to spend the necessary time to amuse your dogs and make sure they are tuckered out for the week. And soon we assume that good weather is coming, so maybe a walk before or after dinner, when the weather is warmer and the sun hasn’t set yet will be an option.

Or maybe we’ll just send Bibi, Victor and Marina to winter camp in Miami. Wait — what would my mom say?

Dr. Ellen Friedman is in general practice, with an interest in geriatric feline medicine, at Newburgh Veterinary Hospital and All Creatures Veterinary Hospital in New Paltz

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