August 2004
Letters: 08/04
Subscribers Only Your vet should be a important member of your problem-solving team if your dog displays idiopathic aggression.
How to Wash a Skunked Dog
Subscribers Only We had not planned to review products that promise to remove skunk scent, but then, are skunk/dog conflicts ever planned? No, this was an emergency, and we dealt with it by running out the door to our local pet supply store and buying every odor-eliminating product on the shelves.
Using Glucosamine to Prevent Canine Osteoarthritis
In recent years, one nutritional supplement in particular has been embraced by competitive dog owners and veterinarians for its ability to meet that challenge. Glucosamine is the best known and most commonly used supplement for prevention of lameness due to osteoarthritis (a.k.a. degenerative joint disease) – a disorder of the joints characterized by progressive deterioration of the articular cartilage.
Canines Reaction to Being Touched
Subscribers Only A negative reaction to being touched is usually a classically conditioned response. With classical conditioning, the environment acts on the dog. That is, the dog’s brain contains a pre-programmed message that says, “Touch is BAD!” – and when the dog feels your touch he reacts, without stopping to think. The negative message could be a result of harsh handling and punishment, pain from a prior injury, or simply a lack of adequate handling and socialization when he was a pup.
Microchipping Your Dog - A Good Idea
Subscribers Only A lost dog’s chances of finding his way back to his concerned owner are vastly improved if he’s wearing a collar and identification. People may try harder to catch a stray dog who is wearing a collar and tags; they may feel he’s less likely to be abandoned and more likely to be lost. A collar gives a samaritan something to reach for. And, obviously, the identification makes it ridiculously easy for the owner to be immediately notified and summoned to reclaim his errant friend.
Service Dogs In National Parks
As one of the first people to hike in a national park with a service dog, I was very aware that Trigger and I had the responsibility to set a good example and to educate people about service dogs in national parks. Often when we stepped off the trail for a break or to let people pass, we got questions and I always took the time to answer them as accurately as possible. A lot of questions were about service dogs...
Understanding Canine Allergies
Over the years I have treated literally thousands of animal patients for allergic problems, using both Western and alternative medicine methods. The more I think I know about allergies, the more I read and learn about them, the more confused I get. Nothing I have tried therapeutically works with all my patients; some patients get better with hardly any effort on my part; others finally respond to my third or fourth treatment protocol (or 9th or 10th); and some never respond, no matter what I try.
No Nose, Good News
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