Can you remind people about the danger of antifreeze? I lost my cat to it last winter. I think she got into it after my neighbor spilled it on his driveway.

Pet lovers have two ways to protect their animal companions from lapping away at deadly antifreeze – one relatively foolproof; the other not.

Not foolproof: Use a safer antifreeze made from a different formulation than the more popular variety, store chemicals properly, and wipe up spills promptly. While this should eliminate most of the risk for dogs, these strategies are not foolproof for free-roaming cats because you cannot control what your neighbors will do when it comes to using or storing deadly chemicals.

Foolproof: Keep cats inside. Free-roaming cats have relatively short life spans because the outside world is full of deadly hazards. To antifreeze, add cars, coyotes (even in cities!) and even cat-hating neighbors to the list of things that can kill a free-roaming cat.

If you even suspect that your pet has gotten into some antifreeze, get him to the veterinary clinic immediately. There's no "wait-and-see" period with this stuff.

– Dr. Marty Becker

We saw a dog fall out of a pickup truck on the highway. We couldn't stop, but I cannot imagine that the animal survived. Could you please tell people to put their dogs inside the truck's cab? Having the dog in the back is all-around dangerous.

Allowing a dog to ride without restraints in the back of a truck is never safe, which is why it's illegal in some states. Dogs who must ride in the back of a truck are best transported in airline shipping crates, properly secured to the truck bed.

A crate will keep the animal from jumping or being thrown from the truck and will provide some protection from the elements. While I'd personally rather see a dog secured inside a vehicle, a strapped-down crate in a truck bed isn't a bad alternative.

– Gina Spadafori

The buzz

Puppies should stay with siblings longer

Puppies removed from their siblings too soon are more likely to display problem behaviors as adults, according to a study in the journal Veterinary Record. Researchers compared puppies adopted between 30 and 40 days with those adopted after 60 days. Puppies kept with their littermates for 60 days were less likely to mature into dogs with chronic behavior issues. The authors believe some dogs may have a genetic predisposition to problem behaviors, and puppies that stay with their siblings longer are more likely to have those problems corrected.

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