Best Pet Products of 2009
Pet expert Marty Becker shares his pet health picks for the best of '09.
Dec. 28, 2009— -- So you've given your family and friends their presents this holiday season, but did you remember your pet?
It's not too late -- most pets can't read calendars -- and "Good Morning America" Health invited pet expert Marty Becker to share his favorite pet products of the year.
The furry friends that appeared on "GMA" today came courtesy of the Humane Society of New York. Click here to learn more.
Becker's Picks: Best Pet Products of '09
Petmate Portable Pet Home
For the pet on the go, the Petmate Portable Pet Home is the perfect travel companion. It comes in six sizes to fit pets from 8 to 35 inches tall.
The home comes with a comfortable bed, ventilation panels to keep things breezy and pockets for all the doggy essentials, Becker said.
Click here for more information on the Petmate Portable Pet Home.
Companion Therapy Laser
According to Becker, this exciting new technology has been so successful in reducing pain, inflammation and wound healing for pets that the FDA approved its use on humans.
Here's how it works: the lasers energize the cells, which in turn boost DNA production and then increase the health of the cells. It can be used to help reduce pain to acute ear inflammation, all without medication or invasive procedures.
Treatments are done in participating vet offices and can cost as little as $15.
DermaPet's Trizchlor 4 Shampoo and Spray
The bacteria MRSA can cause skin infections in dogs, cats and horses and is resistant to many antibiotics. Humans can get it too.
But now there are steps you can take to reduce the risk of getting MRSA from your pet: Don't wash their dishes in your dish washer, wash your hands before and after playing with them and keep clear of their waste.
Another thing you can do is bathe and/or spray your pets with DermaPet's Trizchlor 4 Shampoo and Spray. Both are effective on the very tough fight with MRSA.
Click here to visit DermaPet's Web site.
Pogo Plush
When it comes to dog toys, durability is a big factor. The Pogo Plush from Premier Pet is built with an inner rubber skeleton that's covered with faux sheepskin, so it's soft enough to sink their teeth into, but strong enough to keep going afterwards.
Click here to learn more about the Pogo Plush.
Play-N-Squeak
For cats, there's a series of toys from Our Pets called Play-N-Squeak, designed to tap into your cat's natural hunting instinct. The realistic looking and sounding mice will have your cat thinking and leaping into action.
Click here to learn more about the Play-N-Squeak.
Web Extra: More Top Pet Products
Pfizer's Palladia and AB Science's Mastinib
These treatments, hailed as "anti-cancer" drugs, were the first canine cancer therapy drugs to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
Rather than poisoning cancer cells, these high-tech products aim to starve them by shutting down blood vessels that feed the cancer, Becker said.
Click here to visit Pfizer's Web site.
Click here to visit AB Science's Web site.
Pfizer's Convenia
Convenia is an long-lasting antibiotic from Pfizer. Even the most concerned pet owners can have trouble finding time to give animals daily oral medication when the furry friends aren't feeling well. In the veterinary industry, Becker said the practice is known as "Life happens ... doses don't."
Luckily, Convenia is an injectible antibiotic that keeps your dog or cat's system protected for two weeks. According to Becker, the product is safe, powerful and much easier to keep up with in the midst of busy lives.
ProLab's Lymphocyte T-Cell Immunomodulator (LTCI)
Feline immunodeficiency, or FIV, the cat's version of human's HIV, and feline leukemia viruses are the most common life-threatening infectious diseases affecting cats.
Like HIV, FIV surpresses the immune system and lowers the cat's ability to fight off infections, Becker said. ProLab's LTCI is the only drug approved by the USDA to fight the deadly diseases and extend the life of the cat.
Click here to visit the ProLabs Web site.
Idexx's Canine SNAP cPL Test
If your pet seems to be suffering from vomiting, anorexia, abdominal pain and diarrhea all at once, this test may be for you.
The Canine SNAP cPL Test can tell if the animal's pancreas could be the source of your animal's pain -- a common problem around the holidays when pet owners give their pets fatty meals like trimmings off the turkey or ham, Becker said.
Click here to visit the Idexx Web site.
PRN Pharmaceutical's Coproban
Coprophagia is a thankfully scientific sounding word for the less pleasant practice of some dogs and cats who eat their stool.
Copraban is an easy-to-use roast beef flavored soft chew that's used to deter your dog from partaking in coprophagia and can also be fed to cats to keep the dog from raiding the litter box.
Click here to visit PRN Pharmaceutical's Web site.
Petmate's LeBistro Electronic Portion Control Feeder
Becker said that pet owners should never overfeed their pets, but sometimes you're not around to do the feeding. That's where Petmate's LeBristro Electronic Portion Control Feeder comes in.
The feeder works like an alarm clock and dispenses preset portions of dry food up to three times a day.
Click here to visit the LeBistro Web site.
SentrX's Spray Gel and Corneal Repair Gel Drops
No matter how careful you and your pet are, sometimes they get some minor cuts and wounds. To help them heal, SentrX Animal Care created modified biopolymers to create a synthetic extracellular matrix -- like scaffolding for the skin -- to promote healing, Becker said.
In clinical trials they have been shown to speed wound healing up to 50 percent and cause a dramatic decrease in scarring.
Click here to visit SentrX's Web site.
Nina Ottosson Dog Tornado Food Puzzle
According to Becker, veterinary behaviorists say it's important to eliminate mind-numbing boredom from just eating food out of a bowl. Instead, veterinary experts suggest owners use food puzzles to stimulate the pet's mind.
This four-layer food puzzle will test your canine's IQ while giving him or her a tasty treat.
Click here to learn more about the food puzzle.
Durable Ideas' Dura Doggie Discs
Appart from giving the owner a serious case of alliteration, the Dura Doggie Discs are multi-functional toys for dogs. Created by college students for a class project, the durable discs can be used both as a dog bowl and as a chew toy, and its tough enough to survive your pet's repeated attacks, Becker said.
The company's slogan is "Try to Chew It Up. We Dare You!"
Click here to visit the Dura Doggie Disc Web site.
Tick Key's Tick Removal Keys
The Tick Key's Tick Removal Key is the only tick removal device that uses natural leverage to remove the entire tick from your furry friend, Becker said.
The anodized aluminum key is designed to fit on a key ring or the pet's collar for easy access for all your tick-removing needs.