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Splenic Mass in Dogs: What You Need to Know

By
Dr. Eileen Fatcheric, DVM
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44
splenic mass in dogs
This handsome Flat-Coated Retriever passed away at 8 years old of hemanglosarcoma - a malignant mass that, in his case, originated in the spleen. As is often the case with malignant splenic masses, this dog behaved perfectly normally in the morning, but died by mid-day, soon after his spleen ruptured.

The dog’s spleen is a highly vascular organ that sits behind the stomach. The spleen’s function is a red blood cell processing plant. It filters red blood cells, getting rid of old, damaged, or infected cells. It also stores healthy red blood cells, ready to contract and release these into circulation in the case of emergent need. The spleen is a very helpful organ! Unfortunately, in dogs, the spleen is also a common site for the development of tumors or masses. 

Not all tumors or masses are cancerous (malignant); some are benign (noncancerous). The prognosis for a dog with a malignant splenic mass is not good, but surgery to remove a benign mass is curative. 

Unfortunately, it’s exceedingly difficult to tell if a splenic mass is benign or malignant until the spleen is removed and submitted for biopsy. If your veterinarian detects a mass in your dog’s spleen, it’s likely that you will have to decide whether to go ahead with surgery to remove the spleen before you know whether the surgery can prolong your dog’s life.

What are the expected outcomes of a splenic mass in dogs?

The most fortuitous scenario involving a splenic mass occurs when the tumor is discovered by palpation on a routine veterinary physical examination. Benign tumors tend to grow to large sizes without otherwise causing problems, increasing the likelihood they’ll be picked up on physical exam. (This should underline the importance of annual or, even better, twice-annual physical exams for middle-aged and senior dogs.)

Discovering a splenic mass in this way, before it ruptures, gives you the opportunity to have an abdominal ultrasound performed. Ultrasound can confirm the mass is in the spleen and can be used to look for any evidence of metastasis (cancer spread) in the abdomen.

Chest x-rays may also be recommended to make sure there is no metastasis to the lungs. If the chest x-ray and abdominal ultrasound show no obvious cancer spread, surgery to remove the spleen should be considered.

How long can a dog live with a splenic mass?

If the splenic mass proves to be benign, the surgery will have extended your dog’s life. While benign masses won’t spread to other organs, they can still rupture and cause your dog to bleed internally, so their removal is necessary for your dog’s survival. A study published in 2018 in the Journal of Veterinary Science found that the two-year survival rate for of dogs who underwent a splenectomy for a benign mass was nearly 78%.

Another study published in 2016 in the Journal of the Veterinary Medical Association found that the median life expectancy of dogs with benign splenic masses was 436 days and that dogs with malignant splenic masses was just 110 days.

If those numbers don’t make it clear, I’ll clarify: Yes, your dog can live without a spleen. She may be more prone to certain infections and less effective at rapidly replacing red blood cells in a crisis, but for the most part, her other organs will step up and take over for the missing spleen.

More about malignant splenic masses in  dogs

Let’s go back a step. Say your veterinarian has detected a splenic mass in the course of a physical exam, follows up with an ultrasound, and finds that the mass has metastasized. 

Malignant splenic masses frequently metastasize to the liver or heart. Either one is bad news, but you may find comfort in the certainty of the knowledge that your dog’s prognosis is poor. Most dogs with malignant splenic masses succumb to their disease within a few months, sometimes even weeks, of surgery. Chemotherapy, used alone or in conjunction with surgery to remove the splenic mass, may slightly improve a dog’s prognosis, depending on the type of malignancy. 

There are tools (biopsy, fine-needle aspirate) that, theoretically, could be used in an attempt to determine whether a splenic mass that has not metastasized is malignant, but they are typically inconclusive and the risk of hemorrhage during and after the procedure is high. 

Signs of a Malignant Splenic Mass in Dogs
Cancer in your dog’s spleen is commonly caused by hemangiosarcoma (HSA), an aggressive cancer of blood vessel cells. Symptoms of a malignant splenic mass could include any combination of symptoms from general signs of illness such as lethargy, depression, dementia, inappetence, weight loss, constipation/unusual bowel movements, lameness, and decreased stamina, to more acute symptoms of fainting or weakness, lack of coordination, partial paralysis, intermittent collapse, seizures, abdominal swelling, nosebleeds, coughing, and increased panting. Learn more about hemangiosarcoma in dogs.

Most excruciating scenario for dog owners

Unfortunately, many splenic masses are not detected in the course of a routine exam, but are discovered while diagnosing a dog in the midst of an out-of-the-blue medical crisis. 

Here is an all-too-common scenario: Your happy and seemingly healthy 10-year-old Golden Retriever is out in the yard chasing balls with the kids, when she suddenly collapses. She looks confused, and though she is alert and responds to you, she is too weak to get up, and she is breathing faster than usual. 

You rush her to the emergency veterinary hospital, where the attending vet has a pretty good idea what’s going on as soon as she looks at her gums, which are ghostly white, and feels her abdomen, which has fluid in it. Bloodwork (showing decreased circulating red blood cells) and abdominal x-rays confirm the original clinical suspicion: Your dog has a splenic mass that has ruptured. She is bleeding internally, and without immediate surgery and blood transfusions, she is going to die.

In this scenario, there isn’t time to wait for the results of any tests that may determine whether the mass is malignant (with a poor prognosis) or benign (in which case, surgery may save your dog’s life); you will have to decide on the spot whether to give your veterinarian the go-ahead for emergency surgery to try to stop the bleeding and to remove the dog’s spleen, or to euthanize your dog. It’s a wrenching decision. 

A Potentially Helpful Tool

Researchers are working on ways to better determine whether a splenic tumor is likely to be malignant or not before surgery. A recent article published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association by Kristine E Burgess, et al., discussed an online calculator that your veterinarian can use to help predict the outcome for your dog. 

“Development and validation of a multivariable model and online decision-making support calculator to aid in preoperative discrimination of benign and malignant splenic masses in dogs,” described a model that uses several parameters including blood test values, ultrasound findings, size of the mass, and how much fluid is present in the abdomen to help predict how likely a tumor is to be malignant, thereby helping owners make the decision whether or not to operate. This online calculator can be found at T-STAT.org.

There’s no definitive way of knowing if your dog’s splenic mass is malignant or benign

Knowing if a tumor is malignant or benign before surgery would help a lot, given the grave prognosis associated with malignant tumors of the spleen. Unfortunately, at this time, there is no definitive way to answer that question preoperatively, although we may be getting closer (see “A Potentially Helpful Tool,” above). This leaves you facing a difficult decision for your dog, and makes one wonder – and fear – how many dogs with benign tumors are euthanized, when they might have been cured.

There are some generalizations that may help you make the decision to give your veterinarian the go-ahead for surgery or to euthanize your dog in order to prevent a traumatic death:

  • Large, non-ruptured splenic masses found on routine physical exam have the best chance of being benign.
  • Small-breed dogs with splenic masses have a better prognosis in general than the larger breeds.
  • About two-thirds of all splenic masses in dogs are malignant.
  • If you have an older large-breed dog with a splenic mass that has ruptured, the likelihood of this being a benign situation is very low.
  • Heritability contributes to the risk of malignant splenic masses; hemangiosarcoma is common in certain breeds, including Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds, and Portuguese Water Dogs. If a dog who is closely related to your dog has had a malignant mass, the chances are higher that your dog will, too. 

Tactical Extraction: Leash Pressure Dog Training

By
Nancy Tucker, CDBC, CPDT-KA
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0
leash pressure dog training
Teach your dog that pressure on the leash is a cue; it means he will get a reward if he moves to put slack in the leash.

Teaching your dog to “yield to the pressure” of the leash can help you safely and easily end an encounter between your leashed dog and another dog. When it comes to interacting with other dogs, your dog can learn that the leash signals “Not now!”

Though “yielding” sounds a little confrontational – as though we are going head-to-head with our dog until she gives in – it’s not at all like that. It’s not a battle of wills, and if it turns into an exercise that looks like a power struggle of some sort, something is terribly wrong and the elements of the exercise need to be adjusted.

Before they are taught differently, dogs naturally pull against the pressure of a leash, just as they will usually lean toward you, into your pressure, if you push against them as they are standing. Our goal is to teach them to reduce the pressure of the leash the moment they feel it on their collar or harness by moving toward us, yielding to the pressure. This skill is taught gently, starting with the easiest of scenarios.

1.  Build an association. The very first step is to help your dog build a positive association between the sensation of their harness being pulled and yummy food. (Yes, I know that this sounds counterintuitive, as if we are going to reward pulling. Stay with me for a moment.)

You’ll do this by standing or sitting calmly in a quiet indoor space with your dog, who’s wearing a collar or harness attached to your leash. Keep the leash short in the beginning.

Slowly, gently pull at the leash for a second or two, stop, and immediately deliver a treat to your dog. There’s no need to mark with a “Yes” or a clicker for this step. You’re simply pairing the two things together – in that order – to create a positive emotional response. Don’t wait for your dog to move or to respond in any way to the gentle pressure. Deliver the treat immediately after adding pressure, no matter what your dog is doing. Pressure = food, guaranteed. (To see a video of this, click here.)

2.  Entice your dog to move in order to reduce the pressure. This step involves some movement on your dog’s part. Pull very gently on the leash until your dog moves. The nano-second your dog moves to create slack in the leash, mark with a “Yes!” or a clicker, and deliver a treat. (To see a video of this, click here.)

Keep this easy! Be mindful not to get greedy at this point. Even a single step that reduces the tension in the leash is great; it’s all that’s required. Your dog doesn’t need to come all the way back to you. 

Do this several times until you feel your dog is responding more quickly to the pressure. You’ll know that has happened when it almost feels like you can’t practice this step anymore because your dog keeps moving with you! “I can’t seem to create any pressure on the leash anymore, she keeps following me.” Great! That’s because your dog is yielding to the pressure so quickly that you can barely feel it.

If your dog tends to just stand there and resist the gentle pull on the leash, take a step or two in the same direction that you’re pulling. This will often entice your dog to move with you. When she does, mark and treat!

3. Increase the challenge: Add a stimulus and reward the dog for orienting toward you. 

Once your dog understands that pressure on the leash is a cue that means. “Move to create slack in the leash”, you can use pressure on the leash to indicate that it’s time to depart from a sticky social situation.

Once your dog is consistently responding to pressure on the leash by moving to create slack, you can add a stimulus that your dog is interested in, like a toy or some food.

With your dog on leash and you holding the leash firmly (you can anchor your leash hand against your body), gently toss the toy or treat to a distance beyond the length of the leash. 

When your dog moves toward the item and the leash becomes taut, just hang on to it – try not to pull back on the leash. Brace yourself to prevent your arm or body from being pulled out of place – and wait for your dog to orient back toward you. When she does, mark and treat. (Having practiced the “check in” behavior before trying this step will be very helpful!)

Be patient and give your dog time to turn around on her own. You can stand still and wait for her to turn, or if you feel she’s a little too invested in the distraction, gently take a step backward to create a tiny bit of pressure that should entice her to turn toward you.

Try to remain quiet, but if you feel the leash is taut for a little too long, make a kissy sound to attract her attention. When she turns and begins to move toward you, enthusiastically mark and treat.

Remember, it’s not a battle of wills! If it feels that way, set your session up to make it easier for your dog to offer you the behavior you’re looking for. What you want is tons of opportunities to reinforce the right stuff, so make it easy for her to do it!

Also, keep in mind that you want the sensation of the pressure on her collar or harness to be the cue for your dog to reorient toward you. As much as possible, remain quiet and let the pressure speak for you. Use a kissing sound if things get difficult, and then adjust the exercise to make it easier next time.

4.  Keep this behavior fresh with practice. Preserve your dog’s reliable response of yielding to pressure on the leash by making sure that you frequently mark and reinforce the behavior whenever you notice it. 

While working on this exercise, DON’T:

  • Jerk, tug, or “pop” the leash.
  • Pull harshly.
  • Attempt to teach it while your dog is already pulling excitedly toward something or someone.

While working on this exercise, DO:

  • Begin teaching it in a very easy context, when your dog is calm.
  • Make it very rewarding for your dog to turn toward you or move in the direction of the pressure
  • Consider using a harness instead of a collar. Any kind of pressure on the neck is not good.

Dog On Leash Greetings

By
Nancy Tucker, CDBC, CPDT-KA
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22
dog on leash greeting
Trainer/author Nancy Tucker does allow on-leash greetings between dogs who know each other well and already have a friendly relationship, like these two buddies with the blurred tails and playful stances. But she recommends that dog owners try to prevent any other greetings between leashed dogs.

The modern dog owner spends a lot of time thinking about their dog’s social skills. We do what we can to ensure we make the most of our puppy’s sensitive socialization period; we seek out opportunities for our adolescent and adult dogs to spend time around other dogs, whether to play or to learn to ignore them. For those whose dogs react strongly to other dogs – maybe they bark and lunge – a lot of effort is spent either working on making encounters more pleasant or avoiding them altogether.

Should you allow your dog to interact with other dogs? It depends! It depends on where, and when, and with whom (for starters). Dog-dog interactions are perfectly fine under various circumstances. They can provide enrichment, a great opportunity for play and exercise, and when done well and regularly, they help maintain a dog’s social skills.

There is one particular scenario, though, that gives me a whole lot of pause. I’m talking about greetings between dogs who are leashed; I am not a fan of leashed greetings. I don’t allow dog-dog greetings while the dogs are attached to a leash – at least, not deliberately. Sometimes they’re inevitable, like when someone else allows their dog to drag them toward me and my dog despite my protests, and before we know it the dogs are nose-to-nose.

If this can’t be avoided without making matters worse, there are guidelines I follow to help the interaction go as smoothly as possible. I’ll share them with you here so you can prevent your dog from getting into a potential predicament. But first, let me tell you why I think this scenario can be a recipe for trouble in the first place.

REASONS TO AVOID ON-LEASH GREETINGS

Here are my top reasons for avoiding on-leash dog greetings: 

1. Most on-leash greetings are not consensual. When two dogs meet on-leash, there are actually four parties involved: The dogs, of course, and the humans they’re attached to. In my experience, it’s extremely rare that all four parties agree to – or are interested in – a greeting or interaction.

Not all dogs enjoy being approached by other dogs, and even if both dogs are usually very sociable, it doesn’t mean they like all other dogs or that they’re interested in greeting at this particular moment. 

The owners might have their own reasons for preferring to avoid interaction between dogs. There could be health reasons (the dog might not be feeling well, or he might be recovering from an injury or medical treatment), or behavior reasons (the owner knows from experience that their dog prefers not to greet other dogs).

Even if two owners and just one of the dogs are keen on letting a meet-and-greet take place, often, the humans fail to notice that the second dog is sending all kinds of subtle signals that mean “No, I’d rather not.” Humans are often not as skilled as they think at accurately reading dog body language, which can often be very subtle and understated. Trainers and animal behavior experts tend to see dog-dog interactions very differently than dog owners. For every five videos I see of dogs greeting on-leash, there are four in which one of the dogs is working very hard to make the best of an uncomfortable situation. That’s not ideal, and it’s completely unnecessary.

2. Humans don’t move quickly enough. Dogs don’t stand still, face to face, and shake paws to say hello. (In fact, if they’re standing still, face to face, and one is staring at the other, watch out!) Rather, dogs in a greeting scenario will be in constant motion. They move in a tight “smell-me, smell-you” circle, they hop back and forth, they angle their heads up, down, forward, and back, they create space between them and close it in again very quickly.

It’s an elaborate dance, and each movement is significant. Meanwhile, the humans usually remain still, clumsily trying to detangle the leashes. Or worse, they pull tightly on the leash and create pressure, preventing their dog from participating in the important social movements that make up a healthy dog-dog encounter.

3. Allowing on-leash greetings sets a precedent. Do you want your dog to be able to walk right past other dogs while staying engaged with you, or, at least, while moving in the same direction as you? It’s a common goal! In my experience, owners frequently complain that their dog pulls toward other dogs, or barks and becomes excited at the sight of another dog. 

Allowing your dog to greet other dogs while on leash, even if only occasionally, makes it more difficult to teach your dog to keep walking past other dogs. It’s much more difficult to extinguish a behavior that the dog enjoys but that is allowed only sometimes (what trainers call “on an intermittent schedule of reinforcement,” meaning that sometimes he gets to do the enjoyable thing, but sometimes he doesn’t). 

Also, because it’s not usually clear to your dog which encounters will result in being allowed to greet and which won’t, you risk creating what is commonly referred to as a “frustrated greeter.” These dogs may learn to pull, bark, jump up, whine, and generally become very aroused as they approach another dog. With enough practice, this type of arousal can sometimes cross the line into aggressive behavior, fueled by frustration.

4. Ending the interaction can escalate excitement. When people allow on-leash greetings, they often let them go on for too long, and then when they decide it’s time to move on, they end up tugging on the leash and dragging their dog away. Sometimes, especially if the greeting is laced with an element of tension between the dogs, pulling on the dog’s collar or harness can trigger a less-than-friendly response and, in a split second, one of the dogs being pulled away may snarl and snap at the other dog. 

GUIDELINES FOR ON-LEASH DOG GREETINGS

Contrast the previous picture of two dogs who know each other and are excited and happy to greet each other, with this: The Australian Shepherd does not know the big, excited dog and is signaling that she doesn’t wish to!

Sometimes a greeting between unfamiliar dogs is inevitable, like when you turn a corner and suddenly find yourself face-to-face with another on-leash dog, or if someone allows their dog to approach your dog while you’re standing still. Here’s how I suggest you handle these situations:

*Move with the dogs. Work quickly to follow their circular movement and keep the leashes slack. It’s not easy – especially if the other person is just standing there. Don’t be afraid to speak up and instruct the other person to move in order to avoid creating tight or interlaced leashes. The dogs’ movements will be fast, and the direction unpredictable. That means you and the other person should both stay focused on the dogs (rather than standing and chatting), and you’ll be criss-crossing leash handles over and beneath the leashes as the dogs move.

*Limit the encounter to less than 5 seconds. Just a quick sniff and then “Let’s go!” – it’s time to move away. This greatly reduces the chances of tension or excitement building between the dogs and creating that delicate split-second trigger moment I described earlier, when one dog can snap at the other if he feels the tension on the leash. 

Your dog’s ability to move away with you is a skill that needs to be practiced beforehand. Take the time to teach your dog that gentle leash pressure and a cue (like “Let’s go!”) means he should turn his attention toward you and move with you. (See “Tactical Extraction: Yielding to Leash Pressure,” below.)

If the greeting intensifies quickly, even if still in playful mode, and you’re having trouble keeping the leash slack, drop the leash. Naturally, this can be a very risky move, depending on your surroundings. I wouldn’t drop the leash on a busy street with lots of traffic! But I might do it if my dog finds himself in an unexpected greeting scenario on a walking path or on a quiet street in our neighborhood, especially if my holding the leash is creating a tangled mess that may cause the encounter to morph from playful to confrontational.

*Never allow greetings with a retractable leash. I advise against using retractable leashes in general, but I know they remain very popular and even if you don’t use one yourself, you will inevitably run into others who do. If a dog on a retractable leash is making a beeline for your dog, do your very best to avoid a greeting and move you and your dog out of the path of the other dog.

If you use one of these leashes yourself, understand how quickly it can become a dangerous tool when two dogs begin circling and moving together. You will almost certainly not be able to keep up (the handle is too bulky to make this possible), and the rope, cable, or ribbon can become extremely harmful in the blink of an eye. It can wrap around a human or canine limb and cause severe damage. 

Also, if the handle is dropped, the noise it makes when it hits the ground, followed by the sound it creates as it gets dragged and bounced around can startle one or both of the dogs, leading to panicked behaviors. There’s nothing quite as alarming as dogs in a panicked state who are tied to each other.

SOCIAL DISTANCING

If you decide you want to avoid on-leash greetings, but your dog has other plans and routinely pulls toward other dogs, you can teach her how to politely navigate the presence of other dogs through behaviors like checking in (see “Train Your Dog to Check In,” WDJ February 2017) and loose-leash walking (see “Loose Leash Walking: Training Your Dog Not to Pull,” March 2017). 

I much prefer to teach my dog how to keep a polite distance from other dogs and to accept their presence as just another part of their environment. Unless, of course, the leashes are off and the dogs are free to greet and interact safely in an appropriate location, without the restrictions imposed by leashes that can negatively impact how they communicate. 

Do Your Dogs Sense When You’re Leaving On a Trip?

By
Nancy Kerns
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24
"You're leaving us?"

They already know. Even before the carry-on suitcase comes out of the closet, they know.

I’m leaving town for a few days.

Is it the extra laundry? The new sneakers set by the door? The way I’m preparing and setting out my senior dog’s medication, in a foolproof organizational fashion for my husband, who is staying behind?

It’s likely all these things – certainly the cumulative effect of all of these things. The more things I do to prepare to leave town on a business trip (I’m going to Kansas City for Petfood Forum), the more depressed and glum-looking my dogs get – especially on these work-related trips where I leave my husband behind to take care of the dogs.

When the two of us take a trip together, often one of the first steps I take in preparation for leaving is to deliver my two dogs to their respective favorite caregivers. Senior Otto usually goes to my sister’s house, where he gets to play 70-pound Gulliver in the land of Lilliputians (my sister has three small dogs). Six-year-old Woody is the same size as Otto, but his playful demeanor and exuberant body language makes him a better fit with my friend Leonora, who owns Woody’s best puppyhood friend, 5-pound Samson. They are mismatched in size, but perfectly matched in energy and interests.

Both of my dogs begin looking joyful when we approach their respective caregivers’ homes. They leap out of the car with joy, and barge into their temporary homes as if they’ve just returned from their own too-long vacations.

But this is a work trip; they are staying behind with my husband. All they have to look forward to is mealtime. My husband’s motto? “Food is love.” Even though he never feeds the dogs when I’m home, he enjoys preparing lavish meals for them when I’m gone. The last time I left town without him, I came home to a refrigerator that contained none of the eggs, lunch meat, or bacon bits (which I enjoy sprinkled on my salads) that were there when I left three days prior. He had mixed all of those ingredients into their food while I was gone!

But these meals are clearly not on their minds (yet) as I pack my bags.  It seems as if they are focused solely on conveying how much they’d like to come with me (as evidenced by their following me from room to room, or parking themselves by the door and following me to the car with every piece of luggage) or demonstrating how miserable they are going to be while I’m gone (demonstrated with glum, sad-sack expressions and deep sighs every few minutes).

Do your dogs care about your vacation preparations or react to the sight of your briefcase being packed for a trip?

How to Choose Canned Dog Food: What You Should Know

By
Nancy Kerns
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4
canned dog food
Where should you start? How can you choose from among so many foods? On the next pages, we’ll tell you what to look for on the labels. That will get you into the ballpark; then you have to feed some of the qualifiers to your dog and see how she responds. If she reacts to the food by breaking out in hives or diarrhea, it doesn’t matter if we love the food or your vet recommends it; it’s your dog’s response that matters most.

“What should I feed my dog?” It’s the most common question that I am asked. I wish I had the ability to magically know what combination of ingredients and protein and fat levels are needed to nurture each one of your unique, individual dogs! 

Sorry, but nobody but you can answer that question, because only you can determine how your dog responds to different foods. And that is more important than my opinion or your veterinarian’s opinion or anything else. Your vet, trainer, breeder, or I could give you the names of our very favorite dog-food makers, but there is no guarantee that the products would “perform well” for your dog. 

What does it mean to perform well when it comes to dog food? It means it helps promote a healthy stool (not diarrhea or constipation), it maintains or improves your dog’s skin and coat, and it neither makes your dog fat nor thin. As a bonus, your dog should like the taste and be glad to get it!

SUBSCRIBERS ONLY: Click here to see Whole Dog Journal’s list of approved canned dog foods

LEARN THE CHARACTERISTICS OF BETTER CANNED DOG FOOD

What I can do, however, is help you identify things on the label so that you know what to look for and what to look out for, so you can choose the better options from among the products at your disposal, in a price range you can afford, and that work well for your dog. 

Note: Calorie for calorie, canned food is very expensive – perhaps the most expensive type of food to feed! While the cheapest foods are most certainly not the best ones for your dog, the price will, to a certain extent, indicate better-quality ingredients and, sometimes, more ethical ones (such as certified wild-caught fish, grass-fed meats, and cage-free poultry). 

That said, remember that the most expensive ones are not necessarily “best” for your dog, either! I’ll say it again: You have to feed what works for your individual dog, by trying foods and watching to see his response to them. 

1 – Start by looking for a food that is formulated for your Dog’s life stage.

Some foods do not provide all of the nutrients dogs need; they are not “complete and balanced.” If this is so, the label will indicate that they are “for intermittent or supplemental use only.” These products are fine for short-term use or as a “topper” on your dog’s complete and balanced diet, but they will not provide everything your dog needs over time.

This is not a complete and balanced diet

Growing puppies need higher amounts of some nutrients than adult dogs. Complete diets must state whether they have been formulated to meet the nutritional standards for “growth” (puppies) or “adult maintenance.” If the label says the food is for “all life stages,” it has met the “growth” standards. Throwing a wrench in the works, some foods are now using the phrase “growth and maintenance.” This is just another way of saying “all life stages.”

Do you have a large-breed puppy? Look for this nutritional adequacy statement

If you are feeding a puppy, you must check to see if the nutritional adequacy statement indicates the food is meant for dogs who are expected to mature to more than 70 pounds or less. (For more information about these statements and feeding puppies, see “Puppy Needs New Food,” WDJ September 2020.)

Do you have a lightly overweight adult dog? Look for a “maintenance” claim. These foods are generally lower in protein and fat than foods that make an “all life stages” claim.

If you are feeding an adult dog – especially an overweight one – look for a food that is formulated for “adult maintenance.” These foods are almost always lower in fat and protein than food that is formulated for puppies. An exception to this recommendation: dogs who train for or compete in active sports, or who are too thin. In that case, a puppy food (or one for “all life stages”) would be more appropriate. 

SUBSCRIBERS ONLY: Click here to see Whole Dog Journal’s list of approved canned dog foods

2 – Next, check the amount of protein and fat. Consider only those products that are appropriate for your dog.

You should have an idea of how much protein and fat you are already feeding your dog. Check the “guaranteed analysis” on the label of the canned food you have at home and compare it to any food you are considering.

If your dog is  overweight, look for a food with less fat in it than the one you are feeding (gram for gram, fat contains more calories than protein or carbs). If he’s too thin, look for a food with more fat than what you’ve been feeding. If he’s just right, try to find a food with the same amount of fat. 

Be aware that these values range widely in pet food; one can of food might contain three times as much protein or fat as another. 

 

If you’re not sure about the fat content, at least check the caloric content on both foods (the one you currently feed and the one under consideration).

3 – Finally, look at the ingredients.

The ingredients are listed in order of their inclusion in the formula by weight. If there are equal amounts of any ingredients, the manufacturer can list those in any order. 

Here’s a lovely ingredient panel (The Honest Kitchen’s Beef, Cheddar, and Farm Veggies Pate). Beef appears first – that’s super. The food contains just nine ingredients other than the mineral and vitamin sources.

Look for foods that have the animal protein source or sources high atop the list (water or broth may also be first or second, as water is often added as necessary for processing). 

Also, look for ingredients that are easy to identify as “food.” (Vitamin and mineral sources are the exception; even the most innocuous vitamins and minerals sound like toxic chemicals; look up any ingredients you’re not sure about!) 

Look for whole, named sources of animal protein (i.e., “lamb” rather than “meat”). The amino acid profile of animal protein suits dogs better than proteins from peas, potatoes, corn, soy, etc. If plant proteins are present, we’d like to see them play a minor role, appearing lower on the ingredient list – lower than the fifth or sixth position. When vegetables, fruits, grains, and/or other carbohydrate sources are used, we’d like to see them present whole as opposed to a “fraction” – wheat, for example, as opposed to wheat flour or wheat bran. 

Look out for unnamed meats (i.e., “meat,” “poultry”), generic fat sources (e.g., “animal fat”), and artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives (such as BHA, BHT, and/or ethoxyquin). None of these are needed or common in canned food.

Historically, we have rejected foods that are made with animal plasma or blood meal, in favor of more conventional animal protein sources – and we haven’t quite changed our minds about these ingredients yet. There is a case to be made for the nutrient value of blood  and blood-sourced products, and an environmental advantage in not wasting those nutrients. We recently met with a representative of a company that collects and processes porcine (pig) and bovine (cow) blood into feed-grade and biomedical products, who answered many of our questions about the safety of these products. We want to learn more, but for now, we’re still rejecting these foods.

If your dog has symptoms of allergy or intolerance – such as chronically inflamed ears or paws, or year-round itching – start trying to identify what ingredient or ingredients may be disagreeing with him. An elimination diet may be in order. Of course, once you have identified which ingredients are problematic for your dog, avoid foods that contain those ingredients in any amount or form. (For example, if he’s allergic to chicken, avoid chicken, chicken meal, chicken by-products, chicken fat, and chicken liver.)

SUBSCRIBERS ONLY: Click here to see Whole Dog Journal’s list of approved canned dog foods

Let’s look at a few canned food ingredient lists. You’ll see that it’s not that hard to identify quality.

Here is Pedigree’s Chopped Ground Dinner with Beef:

The list starts with chicken – but it’s steeply downhill from there. There is no animal species named in “meat by-products” and “animal liver.” Instead of wheat and rice, it contains wheat flour and brewers rice. Yuck.

Here is a doozy: It’s Cesar Wholesome Bowls Chicken Recipe:


The pet-food companies got the memo about the merits of “real chicken” being first on the ingredients list. But you have to look past that!

Take a look at this one; it’s a little tricky: 

This is Instinct Original Grain-Free Real Beef Recipe. At first glance, it looks like it doesn’t have that many great ingredients; it goes from beef, beef liver, and beef broth to tricalcium phosphate  a source of calcium. But this is exactly what to expect in a “98% meat” type of formula (this one is actually 95% beef and liver, according to the label).

However, you also shouldn’t be fooled into thinking that all of the amazing foods after the calcium supplement and the other vitamins and minerals are present in anything like a significant amount. At the end of the ingredients list, there are artichokes, cranberries, pumpkin, tomato, blueberries, and more! If the formula is 95% beef, liver, and water, everything else on that list, added together, is 5% of the total. In other words, those foods are there as a sort of window dressing. They sound great! But there couldn’t be enough of them to make one bit of difference in the formula’s taste, texture, or nutrient content.

SUBSCRIBERS ONLY: Click here to see Whole Dog Journal’s list of approved canned dog foods

 

Crate Training To Keep Your Dog Content

By
Stephanie Colman
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1
crate training
With the door fastened open (so its movement doesn't spook your dog, and she doesn't become concerned about getting trapped inside), feed her some high-value treats, one after another, through the back of the crate. If she exits the crate, just wait. If she re-enters, resume your praise and treats.

Having a dog who enjoys time in a crate is a beautiful thing. A crate can give a dog some peace and quiet when the house is abuzz with overwhelming activity. It can help keep a young dog out of trouble when you’re not able to supervise his activity. And often, dogs must be crated for their own safety when recovering from an injury or surgery, or during an emergency evacuation.

Even the most contented crate-trained dog can hit a snag, though, and make him feel that the crate is no longer great. Maybe your dog caught his foot on the way out. Maybe he hit the door and startled himself on the way in. Maybe the family decided to let him sleep loose for a few days and now he’s balking at the idea of returning to the crate. Whatever the reason, the following tips can help a dog return to cooperative crating:

*Treat party! While most people initially toss treats into the crate in the early stages of crate training, once the dog willingly runs into the crate, often, the treats stop. For some dogs, a simple return to tossing a couple of treats into the crate can improve how the dog feels about the situation. Consistent “crate cookies” are a nice way to say, “Thank you!” when your dog enters the crate at your request. 

*Meals in the crate. Feeding meals in the crate can also help rebuild a positive association with crating. Start with the food bowl just inside the crate; it’s okay if your dog only has her head inside the crate and the rest of her body is outside – she’s still partially in the crate! Over a few days, gradually move the food bowl deeper inside the crate.

Be sure to secure the crate door so it won’t move and potentially startle your dog as she negotiates the threshold during a meal; a bungee cord works well. 

Resist the temptation of closing the crate door as soon as your dog fully enters the crate. Using treats or a meal to entice the dog into the crate and then closing the door isn’t training – it’s a trap! Early training sessions should give a dog the choice to decline entry (which suggests we need to make the behavior easier) or to freely exit. 

If after a few days of open-door meals in the crate, your dog appears to have recovered from his newfound crate avoidance, it’s likely safe to close the door. If the dog continues eating with the door closed, you may have solved the problem. 

Continue feeding meals in the crate at least a few days each week and offer delicious “crate cookies” every time. Also, make a point to ask your dog to “Crate up!” or “Go to bed!” for varying amounts of time throughout the day and not just at night for sleeping or when you need to leave the house for an extended period of time. 

If your dog stops eating as soon as he realizes the crate door is closed, you’ll want to progress a little slower. Steps might include:

*Build duration. Once your dog willingly enters the crate for a tossed cookie or bowl of food, position yourself at the side of the crate and be ready with treats to feed through the bars, delivered at the back end of the crate. 

*Offer a steady stream of treats and praise as long as the dog remains in the crate. If the dog exits the crate, the treats stop. Give him time to think. When he re-enters the crate, resume the cookie stream. A loaded snuffle mat can also work to keep the dog happily occupied inside the crate for longer periods of time.

Crate Things to Remember

*Dogs are creatures of habit. If you’ve taken the time to crate train your puppy or dog, retain this valuable skill. Preventing crate problems is easier than fixing them.

*Some dogs grow leery of the crate when its only used for long periods at night or when leaving the dog home alone. Make crating a regular part of your dog’s life by asking him to “Crate up!” or “Go to bed!” randomly throughout the day, and for varying lengths of time (including some that are quite brief!).

*Consistently reward entering the crate and occasionally feeding meals in the crate to help maintain your dog’s cooperation with crating.

*Crate-training sessions should include the option to leave the crate – otherwise you risk the dog feeling trapped, which can make him even more leery of the crate AND of you and your offered cookies.

*Avoid using the crate as punishment. Even if you’re using the crate to contain the dog as you clean up a mess he made, keep your cool and offer a “crate cookie” as you direct him into the crate. 

*Desensitize to the door. For some dogs, closing the door is the trigger for unhappy feelings, either because they associate the crate with long periods of isolation or because they’ve been spooked by the door at some point. Pair closing the door with the delivery of treats; this can help change how the dog feels through a process called counter-conditioning. 

Toss a treat into the crate. As the dog enters the crate, position yourself at the open end of the crate and be ready with treats. As soon as the dog turns around, toss a few treats at his feet. When he eats the treats and looks at you expectantly, toss a few more. When he looks at you the next time, gently move the door back and forth a couple of inches – and then toss treats into the crate. 

*Practice daily, and be generous! Repeat this process over a few days, gradually adding more door movement as you work up to fully closing the door and tossing treats through the bars. This should look so easy for your dog that you’ll wonder why you’re even doing it. Don’t skimp here. Even if your dog isn’t triggered by the door, this process still helps build value for being in the crate.

If your dog continues to struggle, or is so avoidant she won’t even go near the crate, we recommend working with a positive-reinforcement trainer who can develop a training plan specific to your dog’s needs. 

Download The Full October 2021 Issue PDF

By
Nancy Kerns
-
5
  • WHOLE DOG JOURNAL'S 2021 APPROVED CANNED DOG FOODS
  • FIRST AID CARE FOR MINOR WOUNDS
  • CRATE REHAB
  • ON LEASH GREETINGS
  • SPLENIC MASSES
  • ALPHA MYTHS
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Dog Wound Care

By
CJ Puotinen
-
7
dog wound care
While chasing a squirrel, Woody failed to notice a wire fence crossing his path. He tried to jump it but hit the top strand of wire. The resulting wire cut was deep - but not deep or large enough to require stitches. The first treatment step was cleaning the wound well.

It’s a beautiful day and your dog is running, jumping, chasing, playing, and having so much fun that you feel happy all over. What could possibly go wrong? Actually, knowing dogs, all kinds of accidents can happen in the blink of an eye – cuts from broken glass or barbed wire, burned feet from hot pavement, scratches from briars or tree limbs, and more. 

While serious injuries require medical attention, many common problems can be treated on the trail or at home. Here are guidelines for dealing with many common minor injuries.

HOME TREATMENT DOG WOUND CARE

Most first-aid instructions for minor wounds involve these three steps:

*Rinse or wash the area, then blot or air dry. Rinse or soak burned paw pads in cool or cold water.

*Apply a first-aid salve or antibiotic ointment.

*If appropriate, bandage the wound for protection. Bandages should not be applied so tightly that they interfere with circulation, and they should be removed after a few hours, whenever wet, or whenever the wound’s dressing is changed.

CLEANING THE DOG WOUND

If your dog is limping, check his feet and paw pads for broken glass, thorns, or sharp objects by gently feeling the paws and inspecting them with a flashlight or magnifying glass. Remove any embedded item with clean, dry tweezers. If a cut is bleeding, press gauze against the wound to help slow and stop the bleeding.
Photo Credit: Susan Leggett/ Dreamstime.com

Because bacteria are everywhere, reduce the risk of infection by washing, rinsing, or treating the affected area. 

WDJ contributor Mary Straus cleans her dogs’ wounds with a blend of witch hazel extract and aloe vera, and lavender oil. “I make my own all-purpose soothing cleanser,” she says, “using 1/4 aloe vera juice or gel and 3/4 witch hazel. I mix it in a 2-ounce dropper bottle, along with a couple of drops of lavender essential oil, and shake it up before using. I’ve been doing this for 20 years and have found that it soothes any itch, and helps keep a dog’s mouth off any wound or abrasion. None of the wounds I’ve used it on became infected. I apply it with cotton balls and let it air dry.”

Witch hazel is rich in tannins – naturally occurring compounds found in plants, seeds, bark, and leaves – which are known to have antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. Look for products with no added fragrance (such as Thayer’s unscented Facial Toner Aloe Vera Formula) and that either contain no alcohol or are low in alcohol, such as Mountain Rose Herbs Witch Hazel Extract, which contains 14% alcohol. (Alcohol can help clean a wound but may sting.)

If you’re a fan of herbal teas, try making an herbal rinse by pouring 1 cup of boiling water over 2 teaspoons or 2 teabags dried herb. Brew larger amounts by pouring 1 quart (4 cups) boiling water over 3 tablespoons or 8 teabags of dried herb. Cover, let the tea steep until cool, strain, refrigerate, and apply as needed. Brewed tea will last up to a week in the refrigerator. If you’re in a hurry, double the amount of herb, brew the tea for 3 minutes, strain, and then dilute and cool it quickly by adding ice. 

Herbs known for their skin-healing properties can be purchased from natural markets and herbal tea companies. These include comfrey (Symphytum officinale) leaf and root, German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) blossoms, St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) blossoms, calendula (Calendula officinalis) blossoms, broad- or narrow-leaved plantain (Plantago spp.) leaves, and lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) leaves and blossoms. 

Comfrey is important for wound healing because it contains allantoin, a cell growth stimulant, but it works so quickly that it should not be applied to sutures that will have to be removed or to puncture wounds in which bacteria might be trapped by rapidly healing skin.

Apple cider vinegar has long been used for first aid. Applied to cuts, wounds, skin infections, and itchy areas, vinegar soothes skin and aids healing. To prevent the staining of white or very light coats, use apple cider vinegar sparingly or substitute distilled white vinegar.

Mineral-rich unrefined sea salt can be added to any tea that will be used to treat wounds. Add 1/8 teaspoon salt per cup of tea. To make an effective spray for any skin disorder, cut, or wound, combine 4 cups of any herbal tea, such as those described above, with 3/4 cup aloe vera juice or gel and 1/2 cup unrefined sea salt.

Even plain salt water is a wound-healing treatment. Years ago in my dog’s obedience class, a female German Shepherd Dog suffered from a sore that wouldn’t heal despite repeated veterinary visits and treatments over several months. When her owner applied a solution of 2 tablespoons unrefined sea salt in 1/2 cup water, the sore improved that same day and healed within a week.

CONTROVERSY ABOUT TOPICAL ANTIBIOTICS

In recent years, concerns have been raised about using topical antibiotic ointments such as Neosporin or other triple antibiotic ointments. Some people worry that these products can contribute to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria; others regard the use of products that contain petroleum to be unhealthy.

Neosporin ointment contains bacitracin (400 units), neomycin (3.5 mg), and polymyxin B (5,000 units) in a base of cocoa butter, cottonseed oil, olive oil, sodium pyruvate, vitamin E, and white petrolatum (petroleum jelly). Neosporin Plus (labeled Neosporin + Pain Relief, Maximum Strength Antibiotic) contains bacitracin (500 units), neomycin (3.5 grams), polymyxin B (10,000 units), and pramoxine HCL (10 mg) in a base of white petrolatum.

No published research has shown that bacitracin, neomycin, polymyxin B, or their combination contribute to the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, but it is a popular theory. 

In 2018, the journal Infection and Drug Resistance reviewed the use of topical antibiotics for the prevention of uncomplicated wound infections in humans and concluded, “Topical antibiotics are effective in reducing wound infections after surgical procedures, but the absolute benefit is small. Given the global emergence of antimicrobial resistance, judicious use of antibiotics is encouraged and use of antiseptics should be considered as a reasonable alternative to topical antibiotics.”

To use Neosporin, label directions say to cleanse the affected area with soap and water, then dry thoroughly before applying the ointment. Do not apply Neosporin over large skin areas, deep cuts, animal bites, serious burns, or injuries that bleed heavily. Apply one to three times daily, cleaning the wound and, if applicable, using a new bandage each time you apply the ointment. Use Neosporin for as many days as recommended on the label (usually 7) or by your veterinarian, even if symptoms improve sooner. 

In a 1989 study comparing dogs recovering from surgery, those treated with Neosporin’s ingredient bacitracin had fewer infections and fewer positive bacteria cultures than those recovering without bacitracin. This ingredient has been approved for use on animals.

Neomycin, another key ingredient, is used to prevent or treat skin infections caused by bacteria. Its topical application is considered safe for dogs.

The ointment’s third antibiotic ingredient, polymyxin B, reinforces Neosporin’s infection-fighting properties in case bacitracin and neomycin are ineffective. 

The topical analgesic pramoxine, an ingredient in Neosporin Plus, slightly numbs the skin, which helps relieve pain and prevent irritation and itching. This ingredient, which is considered safe for dogs, appears in anti-itch sprays made for animals.

Neosporin is labeled for external use only and should not be ingested, which is why wounds treated with Neosporin should be protected from a dog licking or swallowing the ointment. 

ALTERNATIVE DOG WOUND DRESSINGS

Those who prefer not to use Neosporin or other products with the same ingredients, which are widely sold under various brand names, have many alternative choices. 

Once the wound is clean and dry, apply a layer of protection. The following products are widely sold in retail stores, pet supply stores, and online. Note that several are sticky or greasy, so protecting the wound with gauze or a bandage can help prevent stains on fabric, floors, and furniture. Be sure to replace bandages as recommended in product label directions.

*Aquaphor is another topical agent in a petrolatum base. It also contains mineral oil, ceresin (a naturally derived wax used as a thickening agent), lanolin alcohol, panthenol (a moisturizing B vitamin), glycerin, and bisabolol, an ingredient that gives chamomile its anti-inflammatory action. Aquaphor is available in major chain stores such as Target, CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, and more.

In a 2011 study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, researchers compared wound-care treatments to learn whether antibiotic-based ointments improve outcomes. They concluded that the petrolatum-based skin protectant ointment Aquaphor from Eucerin provided the same efficacy for wound healing as a combination antibiotic ointment. 

Straus began using Aquaphor when her dermatologist recommended it to treat an abrasion, saying that it was better for the skin than an antibiotic ointment. “It’s also fine to use on dogs,” she adds. 

*Pet Magic Wound Care from The Honey Collection contains medical-grade Manuka honey (used by medical professionals for its antimicrobial properties), wheatgerm, chamomile, calendula, carrot, and beeswax in a pH-balanced cream. Apply with or without a dressing or bandage. This product is made in New Zealand and available from Amazon.com and Walmart.com.

*Absorbine Silver Honey Rapid Wound Repair Ointment from W.F. Young, Inc., combines medical-grade Manuka honey with micro-sized silver particles that, according to the manufacturer, out-perform colloidal or chelated silver in antimicrobial action. Additional ingredients (there are several) include shea butter and calendula flower extract. Silver Honey Hot Spot & Wound Care Spray Gel provides a hands-free application of the same ingredients to larger areas. See absorbine.com for a list of online and brick-and-mortar retail outlets.

*Restore Wound Care and Itch Relief Salve from Farm Dog Naturals contains cherry kernel, rose hip, almond, apricot kernel, pumpkin seed, karanja, and neem oils along with cancililia wax, unrefined shea butter, and essential oils. To use, apply generous amounts and let stand for 6 to 8 hours, then gently wipe the area with gauze and reapply. For more information, see farmdognaturals.com.

*HoneyCure Natural Veterinary Ointment from Enbiologics combines a natural gelling agent with medical grade Manuka honey, Simmondsia Chinensis (jojoba) oil, and Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) oil. Recommended for scrapes, cuts, burns, rashes, and hot spots, this product claims to prevent dogs from licking, biting, and scratching the affected area. See gethoneycure.com.

*Pitch from coniferous trees, which has antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties, is a centuries-old all-purpose healing remedy. In the 1970s, a retired logger founded the North American Tree Resin Company, supplying medicinal pitch from Pacific Douglas fir, yellow pine, and other conifers. Now known as Pruitt’s Tree Resin (themiraclesalve.com), the company’s product line includes a salve for pets made of resin in a base of petroleum jelly. Apply small amounts as needed, avoiding the eyes and mucous membranes. 

*EMT Gel from the Hymed Group, a medical hydrolysate Type I collagen product, acts as a tissue adhesive, reduces scarring, forms a semi-occlusive barrier that protects the wound, and conforms to any wound site. 

Unlike other first-aid products, EMT Gel can often stop serious bleeding. See hymed.com for more information.

*Collasate, another veterinary hydrolysate of Type I collagen from the Hymed Group (hymed.com), is available as a post-operative gel, spray, or silver-infused topical dressing. It’s recommended for surgical wounds, traumatic and superficial wounds, first- and second-degree burns, foot pad injuries, hot spots, and lick granulomas.

Minor wounds can be inconvenient, and if left untreated they can become serious problems. By knowing how to respond to your pup’s minor injuries, you can avoid complications and enjoy many more carefree outings with your best friend. 

Xylitol – Highly Toxic to Dogs

By
Nancy Kerns
-
20

A friend recently had a terrible scare with a dog who ate a homemade cinnamon bun and got hideously ill; it turned out that the glaze on the bun was made with an artificial maple syrup that contained xylitol.

You may have heard that xylitol is toxic to dogs, and that you should never leave sugarless gum or mints that may have xylitol in them anywhere dogs can get them. (This includes in your purse or backpack, in the car, on your bedside table, or anywhere else your dog may have access to.) But are you aware how many MORE foods, medicines, supplements, and oral health products contain xylitol?

Xylitol, also known as “birch sugar” or ”wood sugar” (it’s made from birch and other wood products), is more and more commonly used in products for humans. It’s used in candies and baked goods meant for diabetics, as it sweetens foods in a way that does not cause an increase in a human’s blood glucose or insulin levels. But its use is not always called out as being appropriate for diabetics; increasingly, it’s used in regular baked goods, because it’s heat-stable (it doesn’t caramelize like regular sugar does).

This information is on the website for Go Nuts Co., a manufacturer of craft peanut butter that uses xylitol in some of its peanut butter varieties.

It’s commonly found in:

  • Toothpastes, mouthwashes, breath mints.
  • Cough syrup and cough drops.
  • Children’s and adult chewable vitamins.
  • Supplements and over-the-counter medications. (One friend noticed it on the label of the melatonin supplement she takes to help her sleep; imagine if she left the bottle on her bedside table and one of her dogs helped themselves to the bottle?)
  • “Skinny” or low-calorie ice cream.
  • “Low-calorie” desserts of any kind (cookies, cakes, “energy” bars).
  • Peanut butters and other nut butters. (This last one is particularly scary, as many people use peanut butter to “stuff” their dogs’ Kong or other food-puzzle toys. Always check the label of nut butters and any other food you use in a Kong, Toppl, or other food-dispensing toy!)
This melatonin supplement from Costco contains xylitol. Of course, no supplement or medicine should ever be left where a dog could reach it, but who would have even thought that xylitol would be in such a supplement?

It also doesn’t take very much xylitol at all to seriously sicken or kill a dog. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, symptoms of xylitol toxicity in a dog include vomiting, followed immediately by symptoms associated with the sudden lowering of your dog’s blood sugar, such as decreased activity, weakness, staggering, incoordination, collapse, and seizures.

In dogs, xylitol is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, and may result in a potent release of insulin from the pancreas. This rapid release of insulin may result in a rapid and profound decrease in the level of blood sugar (hypoglycemia), an effect that can occur within 10 to 60 minutes of eating the xylitol. Untreated, this hypoglycemia can quickly be life-threatening.

The FDA advises: “If you think your dog has eaten xylitol, take him to your vet or an emergency animal hospital immediately. Because hypoglycemia and other serious adverse effects may not occur in some cases for up to 12 to 24 hours, your dog may need to be hospitalized for medical monitoring.”

Many of us carry mints that contain xylitol in our purses or have them in a compartment in our cars – where a left-alone dog can easily sniff them out and consume them.

Prevention is key

The best way to prevent your dog from an accidental poisoning is to not buy products that contain xylitol, so they just are never in your car or house. But if you do have mints, toothpaste, cookies, or anything else in your home that contains xylitol, you must manage its presence in your possession like you would a loaded gun in a house full of toddlers. Keep any item –including toothpaste! – in a closed cabinet where the dog cannot possibly reach, never just on a kitchen or bathroom counter that a dog might be able to jump up and reach. If your dog is not a “counter surfer,” you may tend to be casual about items like toothpaste in the bathroom or mints on the coffee table. But a guest’s dog may be different – and all counter-surfers start somewhere, with some food item. You’d hate for your dog’s first foray into helping himself to some xylitol-containing food or supplement to be his very last meal ever.

Lastly, bipartisan legislation (called the Paws Off Act of 2021) that would require manufacturers of any product containing xylitol to include a warning label has been introduced in Congress. You can find more information and support the Paws Off Act by contacting your representative here.

Community-Based Animal Shelters

By
Nancy Kerns
-
3

I’m thinking today about how communities interact with their local animal control/animal shelters and vice versa, and how shelters can most meaningfully affect the wellbeing of animals in that community.

This has been on my mind as I am fostering a mother dog and seven of her puppies, who all technically belong to a homeless person in my community. The mother was wandering in search of food, and was being repeatedly posted on a local “lost and found pets” page. I offered to foster the family, with the proviso that the mother get spayed and the puppies get turned over to my local shelter (where they would be vaccinated, spayed/neutered, microchipped, and adopted to qualified families), and through a third party, the owner agreed. I’ve got the whole family at my house for a few weeks, until the mom dries up and can have surgery, and the pups are old enough to be adopted.

Of course, I couldn’t do this without the support of my local shelter, the Northwest SPCA in Oroville, CA, who not only agreed to take on the chore of providing all the medical care and adopting out the pups when it’s time, but will provide the spay surgery for the mama, too. It’s a win for the community, as this wasn’t this dog’s first litter in our town; soon, there will be eight fewer potentially reproducing mixed-breed dogs in our community.

Many municipal animal shelters operate under contract to their host city, county, or both, to provide animal control services, such as taking bite reports, catching and holding stray animals (in hopes of reuniting them with their owners), taking custody of pets when their owners die or are indisposed by illness or have been arrested, picking up dead animals, and more. Some shelters are required by their contracts to take in animals that are surrendered by their owners; some don’t take owner-surrendered animals at all; and others take on this responsibility on a volunteer basis, sometimes picking and choosing which animals they will take.

Most shelters also maintain some sort of adoption program for unclaimed stray animals and owner-surrendered animals.

Some shelters invest a lot in community outreach. This often takes the shape of an annual or semi-annual vaccination and/or microchipping clinic, and/or lower-cost or even free spay/neuter services. These services are aimed at increasing the number of licensed, vaccinated, neutered, and microchipped pets in the community, with the long-term goal of reducing strays and unwanted litters.

Then there are the organizations that go the extra mile. Many shelters maintain some sort of account that can be tapped occasionally to pay for some extraordinary veterinary care for an especially needy and especially worthy shelter ward, and they may occasionally ask for donations to that fund. Sometimes, having the money and will to save an animal with extraordinary medical needs and a particularly poignant story is not just an investment in the animal, as well as the community of animal lovers who help support the shelter, but also the staff! It hurts to have to make hard decisions and be faced with overwhelming need every single day, and being able to help a worthy candidate recover and find a forever home, even if the medical bills cost thousands and thousands, helps reduce the pain of not being able to help every single one.

One organization I’m aware of is a paragon of providing services to the animals in their community – but it’s at least partly because they are not a municipal shelter, burdened with animal control services. Downtown Dog Rescue is a nonprofit organization that specifically supports low-income pet owners in under-served communities in Los Angeles County. They do anything they can do to help pets stay with their families. They sometimes build fences for people whose dogs keep getting out and who can’t afford the recovery fees and “dog at large” fines. They frequently give vouchers to homeless and low-income people so they can obtain needed veterinary care for their beloved pets. They maintain a special fund that pays for private euthanasia services at a veterinary clinic when a family has an old or sick animal in need of this service, so the pet doesn’t have to take his or her last breath in the back room of a shelter with strangers.

There isn’t a shelter manager that wouldn’t agree with me about the usefulness of these tactics. The trouble – usually – is funding. Often, shelters are already strapped for funds – they need donations to help cover the work they already do. The shelters or organizations that have the most success are those that have been able to find a social media or marketing manager to relentlessly raise funds, telling the stories about what great things they have been able to do for the community’s animals.

Again, Downtown Dog Rescue is a great example. On a daily basis, they post something on Facebook about what they are doing. They tell stories about the dogs and people they have helped lately. They ask for donations frequently, but they also let people see how they spend the money they receive and provide updates on the dogs they’ve helped. They are one of the few non-local animal welfare groups that regularly inspire me to send them money!

Is there something that your local shelter or animal welfare group does that serves your community in a particularly useful way? Share the story! And if you are aware of how they accomplish their mission, tell us that, too! Maybe another shelter can learn something that they feel they could take on, too.

The Importance of Crate Training Your Dogs

By
Nancy Kerns
-
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This is an emergency shelter set up during the recent Monument Fire in Trinity County, California. The county's own shelter had to evacuate due to the fire! Haven Humane Society, a shelter in neighboring Shasta County, California, helped the Trinity County shelter find a vacant storefront (with help from local Realtors) where they could shelter their wards until it was safe to return to Trinity County. I have to say, this looks a lot nicer and more spacious (with more room between crated animals) than the emergency shelters I have volunteered in. Photo credit: Haven Humane Society

Hey, it’s September! Long-time readers know what that means! It’s time for Nancy’s annual reminder to PLEASE habituate your dog (and cats, and other pets!) to being in a crate! Why is September that time? How about for these reasons?

International Fund for Animal Welfare deploys to Louisiana to help rescue animals from Hurricane Ida

Caldor Fire prompts hundreds of animal rescues in California

Sacramento SPCA takes in puppies, other dogs, to ease crowding at Dixie Fire-area pet shelter

September just seems like the time when the crises pile one on top of the other – the natural disasters stack up. And any natural disaster that affects people, affects people’s pets.

Hurricanes and flooding, wildfire, earthquakes, tornadoes – there really isn’t anywhere in the United States that’s completely safe. Anyone could be fine one day and forced to evacuate their hometown the next. And when people need to evacuate or take shelter somewhere away from home, the safest place for their pets is safely confined in a crate. 

So that brings me to my first recommendation: Have enough solid crates in an appropriate size for your dogs and other pets, in good working order, ready and available to you at the drop of a hat. NOT “Oh, I think there is one in the garage” (or barn rafters, or behind the shed). Not the one you brought the puppy home in and she barely fits in there anymore. I am talking about crates that are ready and tested, clean and not missing the parts they need to hold them together. (Although, if you are missing screws or bolts, heavy-duty plastic zip-ties work great for putting crates together fast in an emergency.)

Also, if you have three cats, including one who hates the other two, and two big dogs, you need at least four crates – and will they all fit in your car? With the humans who also need to evacuate if necessary?

Now, you may say, “If it’s a true run-for-your-life emergency, I will just stuff them in any dusty old crate and they will have to cope.” Okay, say you manage well enough in this configuration until you get to safety: Now what? Where will you stay while you are waiting days for the water to subside – or weeks while the wildfires keep your area off-limits to all but emergency personnel? Are you staying with friends or relatives? Will your pets be fine cohabitating with your hosts’ pets? Will you be staying at a hotel? Some may turn you away if you arrive with uncontained cats. If your pets are quiet and calm, and securely contained in crates that are large enough for their comfort, you will be a step ahead in finding a place to stay with them.

If your best plan is staying at a shelter, you may or may not be able to have your pets with you. Emergency shelters for natural-disaster victims vary. The best (in my opinion) will actually provide crates, litter boxes and litter, dishes and dog and cat food, and allow you to keep your pets with you, next to your Red Cross cot.

But in many emergency shelters, pets are not allowed – and if you have no place for them to stay, your dogs and cats will have to stay at an emergency animal shelter, where they will undoubtedly be living in crates. Volunteers will get them out at least twice a day to go potty, three or more times if your area’s disaster has been highly localized, as with a tornado or in an area where only one wildfire is burning. But if you live in one of the fire-stricken areas in northern California right now, you may discover that volunteers are stretched thin – there are multiple large fires that have evacuated millions of acres of land – and so the care for the animals may be minimal at best: your pets will be kept safe and fed, but dogs may have to endure cramped conditions and full bladders, or quite messy conditions in their crates, for longer than you can imagine.

I know: Nobody wants to imagine this. But a disaster is a disaster, and nothing is perfect in a disaster. The only thing that can make a disaster less disastrous is preparation: Having your family, human and nonhuman alike, ready for an evacuation at a moment’s notice. You can get started today – at least in compiling the things that you would need to stay away from your home with your pets for a few weeks, things like crates, food bowls, tethers and extra leashes and harnesses, pee-pads, any medicines they need, and so on. But to truly make them comfortable and secure, you need to practice putting them in the crates and teaching them to be happy in them.

If your dog is seriously crate-phobic, and you live in a disaster prone area (say, Louisiana during hurricane season or the western states during wildfire season), and a hurricane or fire is headed your way, get on the phone now to ask your veterinarian if you could get a prescription for medication that would help keep your dog calm if you had to evacuate. (Note: The October issue has an article that will help you retrain a crate-hating dog.)

Protozoal Infections in Dogs

By
Dr. Eileen Fatcheric, DVM
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Protozoal Diarrhea
This rain-flooded dog park is a protozoal-infection waiting to happen! The feces from just one infected dog anywhere close to that puddle can infect any number of other dogs who happen to run through or drink that water.

Diarrhea isn’t fun for anybody. When your dog gets it – and feeding boiled chicken or hamburger with rice doesn’t make it go away – it’s time to see your veterinarian. There are lots of different causes of dog diarrhea, including dietary indiscretion (also known as eating dumb stuff), viruses, stress, abrupt diet changes, food allergy, inflammatory bowel disease, and of course, intestinal parasites. Of the intestinal parasites, some are worms and some are protozoans.

Protozoans are single-cell microscopic organisms. These organisms are free-living in the environment. When they get inside a host and cause disease, they are considered parasites.

In dogs, the two most common protozoan parasites we see are Coccidia and Giardia. These parasites cause disease in the intestinal tracts of dogs, resulting in diarrhea. Both are contagious and hard to eliminate from the environment. Dog owners should be aware of these diseases, how their dogs may become infected, and what to do about it.

Coccidia in Dogs

There are many different species of Coccidia, also known as Isospora, but only four that infect dogs. Isospora protozoans are species-specific, which means the ones that infect dogs infect only dogs, the ones that infect poultry infect only poultry, and so on. As such, coccidiosis (an infection with Coccidia) in dogs is not a zoonotic disease, which means there is no need to worry about yourself or your family becoming infected, should your dog become infected. And your dog is not going to get infected by being around other species of animals.

How do dogs get Coccidia?

How is it spread? Infected dogs pass oocysts in their stool. Interestingly, these oocysts are not infectious until they spend some time in favorable environmental conditions (temperatures of 70° to 100° F and high humidity) and go through a process called sporulation. Sporulation can occur within hours of the oocysts being passed, and ingesting sporulated oocysts is how your dog becomes infected.

Ingestion doesn’t mean your dog has to eat poop. It can happen when a dog sniffs poop or a poop-contaminated area and then licks his nose! Walking through infected areas and later licking their paws, swallowing flies or other insects that have ingested sporulated oocysts, and eating infected mice are all ways your dog could pick up Coccidia.

Symptoms of Coccidia in Dogs

When this Great Dane and her puppies were surrendered to a shelter, staff members thought the dogs’ extremely low body weight was due to under feeding. After a few days in foster care, though, it was observed that the whole family had persistent diarrhea. Subsequent tests revealed that mother and babies were infected with Giardia and Coccidia. It took two rounds of treatment to clear the infections, but eventually they all thrived.

The most common sign in clinically affected dogs is diarrhea. For some dogs, the parasitic infection is self-limiting, and may not require treatment. These are the ones that get better with the hamburger and rice. For most dogs, however, treatment is required to resolve the diarrhea and eliminate the infection. 

Young puppies and stressed, debilitated, or immune-compromised dogs are usually the ones most severely affected. Some dogs with coccidiosis are asymptomatic (don’t show any signs of illness). This is a good reason to have stool samples checked regularly on your dog, so if a Coccidia infection is identified it can be treated before it gets worse. Treatment of oocyst-shedding, asymptomatic dogs also helps minimize environmental contamination and spread of the parasite.

Coccidia Diagnosis

Coccidiosis is diagnosed by a test done on a stool sample called a zinc sulfate fecal floatation with centrifugation, which identifies the oocysts. It’s usually pretty easy to diagnose. There is a chance, however, that symptoms may occur before oocysts are actively being shed. So, if your dog with diarrhea has a negative test, but continues having diarrhea, be sure to submit a second sample for analysis.

Coccidia Treatment

Treatment for coccidiosis in a veterinary clinic setting is typically a prescription medication called sulfadimethoxine (Albon, Zoetis). This medication is “coccidiostatic” – this means it doesn’t kill the protozoa, it just prevents their reproduction, thereby slowing the infection down and giving the dog’s immune system a better chance to clear the organism. Treatment is administered daily for an extended period, typically anywhere from five to 20 days. A fecal test should be repeated one to two weeks after treatment to be sure the infection has cleared.

Coccidiocidal drugs (those that kill Coccidia) are used frequently in horses, poultry, and livestock. Unfortunately, these drugs are not FDA-approved for use in dogs, which is why the coccidiostatic drug, sulfadimethoxine, is most often prescribed. 

Veterinarians have the discretion to prescribe medications that are not FDA-approved for dogs (i.e., “off-label” or “extra-label use” of an approved medication). The two coccidiocidal drugs most often prescribed off-label for treatment of Coccidia in dogs are ponazuril (Marquis, Boehringer-Ingelheim) and toltrazuril (Baycox, Bayer). These drugs are typically reserved for use in kennel or shelter situations, where coccidia can run rampant and be virtually impossible to eliminate from the environment.

As for prevention: Immediate removal of feces is the best way to minimize the potential for environmental contamination. When trying to decontaminate an infected environment, mechanical removal of all fecal matter is essential. Scrub surfaces thoroughly to remove any tiny particulate matter. Once all surfaces appear visibly clean, high-heat steam cleaning is recommended; it’s the most effective way to destroy the oocysts, which are resistant to most disinfectants, including bleach.

Giardia in Dogs

The protozoan parasite Giardia shares a lot of characteristics with Coccidia, but there are some important differences. 

As far as similarities go, they are both free-living and parasitic. They are both contagious, passed in the feces, spread by fecal-oral route, and difficult to eliminate from the environment. For those reasons they are both highly prevalent in kennel and shelter situations, especially when overcrowding is an issue. They both cause diarrhea in clinically affected dogs. They both cause clinical disease most often in young, debilitated, or immune-compromised dogs. With both organisms, infected dogs can be asymptomatic, and the disease can be self-limiting, requiring no treatment.

Importantly, however, Giardia is considered zoonotic, meaning your infected dog could infect you. Further, Giardia is shed in the form of both cysts and trophozoites (the activated, feeding stage of the Giardia life cycle), both of which are immediately infective in the form they are passed; they do not have to undergo transformation in the environment like Coccidia oocysts do. Dogs typically become infected with Giardia by ingesting fecal-contaminated water, food, or soil.

Giardia Diagnosis

Giardiasis is more difficult to diagnose by zinc sulfate floatation with centrifugation than coccidiosis, as the Giardia cysts are only intermittently shed. For this reason, when using this test, submitting three separate samples from different days is recommended to maximize the likelihood of finding cysts if they’re there.

The most accurate test for Giardia is done with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test. The ELISA test for Giardia can detect the actual presence of the trophozoites (the activated, feeding stage in the Giardia life cycle) within the intestines. 

Giardia in Dogs Treatment

Bathing your dog’s rear end is an important part of treating his Giardia infection, as the cysts and trophozoites that are present in his feces are immediately infective. If he like his anus, he can become reinfected.
Photo Credits: Markus Gann / Dreamstime.com

Treatment for giardiasis is geared merely toward resolution of clinical signs, as opposed to total elimination of the organism. Clearing the intestines of this organism can be difficult to impossible. For this reason, routine testing of asymptomatic dogs, while recommended for coccidiosis, is not particularly useful for giardiasis. Any dog with diarrhea, however, should be tested.

Giardia can sometimes be resistant to treatment, which is frustrating both for the pet owner and the veterinarian. Repeat treatments and combining drugs are sometimes required. Initial treatment is usually with an anti-parasitic medication called fenbendazole, daily for five days. If diarrhea persists, I repeat treatment with fenbendazole, in combination with metronidazole, for 10 days. Adding a probiotic is recommended as probiotics boost the gastrointestinal microbiome and local gut immunity, thereby helping the body resolve the diarrhea associated with this infection.

Another important aspect of treating Giardia infections is a bath on the last day of treatment, with extra attention paid to the anal area. Remember, the cysts and trophozoites are infective in the form they are passed. If there are any hanging out on the anus or in the hair around the anus, and your dog licks back there, he will immediately reinfect himself!

Testing after treatment that has resulted in full resolution of clinical signs is generally not recommended, as it is complicated and difficult to interpret. As previously stated, the goal of Giardia treatment is simply resolution of the diarrhea. Many dogs will continue to test positive long after resolution. These dogs do not require re-treatment. Some dogs will remain subclincial carriers forever. Try as you may, you will likely never clear these dogs of the organism. 

If a Giardia-positive dog continues to have diarrhea after treatment, testing can be helpful. If this dog still has a positive ELISA test, and you find cysts on the floatation test, Giardia is quite likely to still be the cause of the diarrhea, so re-treatment is indicated. Equally useful in this case would be a negative ELISA test. A negative test means Giardia is not the cause of the persistent diarrhea, and it’s time to look for other problems like inflammatory bowel disease or food allergy.

Preventive measures include immediate disposal of feces, bathing of soiled dogs, and denial of access to potentially contaminated food/water sources. For minimizing the human-health hazard associated with Giardia, good hygiene and frequent hand washing is recommended. 

As with Coccidia, deep cleaning with scrubbing of surfaces, followed by steam cleaning is the best way to destroy the cysts. Giardia cysts are slightly more susceptible to disinfectants, particularly ammonium-based compounds. Bleach does not work.

You may have heard at one time about a vaccine for Giardia. It didn’t work, and it is no longer manufactured.

Don’t Despair If Your Dog Has Diarrhea

Any time your dog experiences persistent diarrhea, especially after being in a boarding kennel, dog park, or other area where many dogs have been concentrated, see your veterinarian and be sure to bring a fresh fecal sample with you. If the protozoan parasites Coccidia or Giardia are diagnosed, you and your veterinarian should be able to get your dog feeling better soon. 

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