It’s a beautiful morning. You roll out of bed, stretch, yawn, get up to make some coffee…and step in a puddle of dog pee. Now that you think about it, your dog has been having some accidents in the house recently. It’s not like your canine companion to suddenly have the urge to go wherever, whenever. Could your dog’s frequent peeing be illness-related?
Increased urinary accidents in the house can point to a health issue and should not be ignored. It could be something as treatable as a simple urinary tract infection or it could be more serious. When you notice that your dog is urinating more, it is important to observe what is happening so that a veterinarian can help you sort out the cause.
With that said, how many times a day should a dog urinate? The truth is, it varies. Large breed dogs may only go every 6-8 hours, while a smaller dog may need to pee more often. As a general rule, every 4-8 hours is normal. Most dogs can hold urine overnight.
Phawat Topaisan
What Causes Frequent Urination in Dogs?
To gain more information, watch your dog closely when outside on walks. Many of us let our dogs outside in a fenced yard without direct supervision. Walk with your dog and scrutinize urinary behavior. Is your dog squatting often but only passing a small amount of urine, or is it large puddles each time? Is your dog straining during urination? Is there blood? This information is very helpful in determining the cause.
After a few walks, it’s time to call the veterinarian. During an examination, several things will happen. Your veterinarian should take a thorough history on your pet that includes vaccination status, previous illnesses including urinary tract infections, any medications your dog takes (this DOES include over-the-counter supplements and non-prescription medications such as Benadryl), diet, and possible exposures to any toxins. After this, a head-to-toe examination is in order.
If the symptoms your dog exhibits are straining to urinate, frequent, small accidents or repeated, small puddles when going outdoors, a likely cause is a lower urinary tract issue such as a bladder infection, bladder stones, or cystitis (bladder inflammation). Diagnostics will include a urine sample, urine culture, and possibly x-rays of the bladder. Some breeds such as Schnauzers are more prone to certain lower urinary tract issues like bladder stones.
If the symptoms are large puddles of urine frequently with increased drinking, this is referred to as polyuria/polydipsia or “PU/PD.” These symptoms require a much more thorough diagnostic approach. Your veterinarian will likely recommend bloodwork, urinalysis, and abdominal xrays to start. PU/PD has a host of causes ranging from metabolic diseases like kidney failure or Cushing’s disease to toxin exposure and elevated blood calcium levels.
This isn’t an easy question to answer unfortunately. It does appear that there is a relationship between spaying (called an OHE) and the development of urinary incontinence. It tends to happen within about 3 years after the spay is done and in dogs > 45 lbs. (though any size dog can be affected). The exact cause is unknown. Age of the dog at OHE may play a role, but this is controversial. When deciding a time to spay your female, it is best to have a frank discussion with your veterinarian and weigh the benefits and risks of timing.
Is My Dog Urine Marking?
In some cases, urination in the house can be a marking behavior. This tends to be in unaltered animals, particularly males. It would be unusual for a neutered male or female to suddenly start marking territory, although it does happen – often with the introduction of new pets into the household.
Summary
A sudden change in a dog’s urinary habits is always a cause for further investigation. Monitor your dog’s bathroom breaks, then schedule an appointment. Your veterinarian will help determine the cause through a history and physical exam, as well as diagnostic testing. What may seem like a “wee” problem could be something serious, so speak with your veterinarian if you have any concerns.
For many of us who love dogs, our canine family members are a lot like potato chips – we can’t have just one. There are so many dogs out there, each with love to share and insights to offer, each needing love and care, that the idea of restricting ourselves to a single canine companion is simply unthinkable. Our four-legged pals complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and fill our hearts and homes with joy and love (and fur).
Of course, the joy of caring for and loving multiple canines brings with it a whole host of potential challenges as well. Fortunately, it’s possible to live with, manage, and/or overcome most of them.
Recently, for the first time in more than 40 years, my husband and I were unexpectedly a one-dog household. Kai, our Kelpie, seemed lost and confused at first, and then appeared to warm to the idea. No competition for resources – “The bed is all mine! The human attention is all mine! The chewies are all mine!” But for me, the house was painfully quiet and empty. My heart ached.
Then we added Sunny, a one-year-old Pomeranian-mix, to the family. Introductions went smoothly, and Kai, with his soft, deferent personality, soon resigned himself to the fact that he was going to be pushed around by this new upstart, who is 10 pounds lighter and three years his junior.
I was overjoyed to have another canine to have, hold, brush, feed, and train. I grin at the canine chaos in our barn as the two roughhouse in the aisle and chase each other in high-speed circles around our riding arena. I love having a dog to warm each side of me on the sofa.
Still, I had forgotten how bringing an additional dog into our home could complicate things. The baby gates came back out. We put up an exercise pen in the bedroom. I’m once again playing traffic cop at feeding time. We watch closely for any signs that the apparent harmony between the two (for which we are immensely grateful) might have fractures. We scratch our heads when there’s a break in housetraining and try to figure out who the culprit is. And we thank our lucky stars that things are going as smoothly as they are.
Managing Multiple Dogs
My husband and I have lived with as many as five dogs at various times, so a lot of the steps needed to ensure harmony among multiple dogs are second nature to us. For those of you who are newer to multi-dog living, or struggling with canine sibling issues, here are a dozen tips to help you and your dogs survive and succeed in a multiple-dog household:
1. Careful Introductions
If you are bringing a new canine family member into your home, careful introductions can set the stage for a successful future. If your dogs have a positive association from their first introduction, it greatly decreases the potential for future problems. If, however, that first introduction goes badly and your dogs have a negative opinion of each other from the start, you could be playing catch-up and repairing bridges for a long, long time.
2. Listen With Your Eyes
If you are a good observer of canine body language, you will be able to see subtle tensions between your dogs before they erupt into all-out war. It is much easier to de-escalate brewing trouble before it happens than to try to fix relationships after they are significantly damaged.
3. Manage, Manage, Manage
Again, prevention is a gazillion times better than cure. Until you are absolutely 100 percent sure your dogs are perfectly compatible, keep them separated when you’re not there to monitor their interactions. If they’ve gotten along well in the past but for some reason tension is starting to appear, keep them separated when you aren’t there to monitor – and take steps to figure out why the relationship is deteriorating. Add management measures anytime the need arises.
Management is for more than just tamping down the potential for aggression. Manage over-the-top play by giving your dogs time to enjoy freedom in the house in shifts. Manage the incidents of trash-trolling (especially when you don’t know which dog is responsible) by purchasing trash cans that can’t be opened by dogs. Prevent the possible destruction of your favorite shoes by always remembering to put your shoes out of reach of all the dogs.
4. Exercise!
Those rowdy play sessions and chewed shoes? They are often an indication that your dogs aren’t getting enough exercise and their unused energy is getting them into trouble. Take time to make sure each dog gets adequate, plop-on-the-floor-exhausted aerobic exercise, ideally every day.
You may be able to play with all of your dogs as a group, but it might be more beneficial if you do individual playtime with each one. Note that a walk on leash is not adequate exercise for most dogs; it is an exercise appetizer at best. With our two human legs, we are slow and boring to our dogs – if they were off leash they would run miles for every mile we walk!
5. Brain Games
Brain games can be every bit as tiring as physical exercise. Along with puzzle toys, cognition exercises are another great way to tire out dogs and help you survive and enjoy the multi-dog experience.
6. Scent Work
While dogs are masters at using their noses and most dogs really enjoy a good opportunity to sniff, it is also surprisingly tiring for them to use their superior olfactory sense. One more excellent way to use up canine energy!
7. Alone Time
When you have more than one dog, it’s easy to fall into the habit of doing everything as a group. It will enhance your relationship with each individual – as well as benefit their relationships with each other, if you make the time to work with each dog individually on a regular basis. They will feel less of a need to compete for your attention if they each get their share of time alone with you, even if it’s just for a ride to get coffee or a walk down to the mailbox.
8. Train, Train, Train
I can’t say this loudly enough – the more dogs you have, the more important it is that each one is trained to respond to a healthy list of good manners cues. (This is also a great opportunity to get your “alone time” in – two birds with one stone!)
With our previous family of five dogs, I could ask them all to “Wait” at the door, and invite by name the one(s) I wanted to accompany me outside, while the others politely stayed indoors. They responded to my signals at dinner time so we didn’t have food wars, despite our Corgi’s eager willingness to do battle over resources. And when separation was needed, I could easily send them to their respective crates – a true sanity saver.
9. Zen Humans
The calmer you are around your dogs, the more you encourage them to be calm. If you see tension brewing, take a deep breath and intervene gently and cheerfully. If you leap in with a loud, intense “No! No! No!” you are more likely to send someone over threshold and trigger a conflict. Instead, calmly ask the more intense dog to do a behavior she loves, such as “Touch!” to shift her brain away from tension and emotion into positive association and thinking.
10. Protect the Vulnerable
Very old, young, small, sick, or disabled members of your canine family may be unable to defend themselves, especially if one or more of your dogs are determined to commit mayhem. You must keep such fragile members physically safe by separating them from the rest of the pack. This may be a temporary solution until the invalid has recovered enough to rejoin the group, or it may be a permanent fix if the size/strength disparity between participants is long term or the conflict too serious.
Baby dogs can be obnoxious, and it’s common and appropriate for an adult dog to reprimand bad puppy manners. However, some adults are far too vigorous with their reprimands and should not be allowed to terrorize the vulnerable pup.
Senior dogs also need to be protected. It’s not unusual for an aging senior whose senses are fading to lose the ability to perceive signals from other dogs or to move quickly enough if they do see the communication. Older dogs are often attacked because of this. Your 14-year-old Aussie may need to be kept safely separate from the rest of the group when you aren’t there to monitor. Protect the vulnerable.
11. See Your Veterinarian
Medical conditions can create or exacerbate tense dog-dog relations. A physical condition or illness that causes pain or discomfort to your dog is stressful. Arthritis in an aging dog can make her cranky, and Lyme disease can make any dog achey and quick to aggress. Two dogs who normally play well may suddenly end up fighting if one is in pain and believes that the other dog hurt her, even if that’s not the case or it wasn’t intentional.
Other medical conditions may be less obvious but still contribute to tension in your canine family. Ask your veterinarian for a full thyroid panel for any of your dogs who seem particularly anxious and aggressive. Thyroid levels that are on the low end of the scale but still within the clinically normal range can contribute to aggression.
12. Consider Quality of Life for All Family Members
If dynamics among your dogs are stressing you or your canine family so much that your (or their!) quality of life is poor, and if your efforts to improve relationships aren’t helping, then it’s time to consider other options.
First, seek out the assistance of a qualified force-free professional. She may be able to help resolve the issues that are making life difficult, and/or suggest additional management solutions that ease tensions for all. She may also suggest asking your veterinarian to do a phone consult with a veterinary behaviorist to see if there are medications that can help the situation (many vet behaviorists offer this service to other veterinarians at no charge). Alternatively, she may refer you to a veterinary behaviorist for additional professional assistance.
Finding new homes for one or more of the troublemakers may alleviate the stress for the rest of the family, although finding homes for difficult dogs can be a challenge. You may choose to keep the more difficult one(s) and place one or more of the easy-going or vulnerable dogs with friends or family members. This could be a win-win for all, creating an extended family for your canine friends while making everyone’s life more peaceful.
All is Well
Dog lovers successfully care for multiple canines all the time, and much of the time it’s reasonably trouble-free. With good planning, good management, and good luck, you will hopefully find that is the case for your multi-dog household. It is always important to remember, however, that there is help available if it’s needed. In fact, I’m on my way out the door right now to see a client who is having challenges with her five-dog household, ranging in age from 15 weeks to 10 years. I’m looking forward to helping her find solutions that will work for her family.
Author Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT‑KA, is WDJ’s Training Editor. She lives in Fairplay, Maryland, site of her Peaceable Paws training center. Miller’s newest book is Beware of the Dog: Positive Solutions for Aggressive Behavior in Dogs.
The “Search!” game uses lots of energy and can tire out even very active dogs, and offers very practical applications as well. Start with treats, since most dogs will happily look for food. You can eventually ask your dog to look for hidden objects (favorite toys, your lost keys) and even hidden or missing humans! Here’s how to start:
Step 1: Have your dog sit and stay. (If he doesn’t know sit/stay, have someone hold his leash.)
Walk about six feet away, show him a treat, remind him to stay, and place the treat on the ground.
Return to his side (don’t let him get up yet!), turn and face the treat, then tell him “Search!” (If he won’t get up until you release him from the stay, say, “Search!” and then give your release cue.) He should run right out and eat the treat. Repeat a half-dozen times.
Step 2: Have your dog sit and stay.
Let him watch you “hide” a treat in plain view (next to a chair leg, by a waste basket, etc.).
Return to his side (don’t let him get up!), turn and face the treat, then tell him “Search!” He should run right out and eat the treat. Repeat a half-dozen times.
Step 3: Have your dog sit and stay.
Let him watch you hide several treats in plain view.
Return to his side (don’t let him get up!), turn and face the treats, rub one of the treats you’re using on a paper towel, hold the towel in front of his nose (don’t let him eat it!) and tell him “Sniff!” (Don’t worry if he doesn’t appear to sniff it.)
Then tell him “Search!” He should run right out and eat the treats. Repeat a half-dozen times, having him “Sniff” before each set.
Step 4: Have your dog sit and stay.
Let him watch you hide a treat where he can’t immediately see it (such as behind a chair leg). Note: It’s easier to find a treat on the ground and more difficult to find one on a raised surface.
Return to his side (don’t let him get up!), turn and face the treat, tell him “Sniff!” and then say “Search!” He may have more trouble finding this treat. Don’t help him! This is where he starts learning to use his nose. If you help him, he won’t use his nose. If he truly can’t find it, reset, and hide it in an easier spot. Make sure he watches you!
Repeat a half-dozen times. Gradually hide the treat in harder places, having him “Sniff” the paper towel before each set.
Step 5: Have your dog sit and stay.
Let him watch you hide two to three treats in somewhat easy places (behind a chair leg, etc.)
Return to his side (don’t let him get up!), turn and face the treats, then tell him “Search!” He may have more difficulty finding multiple treats. If necessary, indicate an area by spreading your arms and saying “Search here!” Don’t point to the treat! If he truly can’t find the treats, reset, and hide them in a slightly easier spot. Make sure he watches you!
Repeat a half-dozen times. Gradually hide treats in harder spots, having him “Sniff” the paper towel each time before you send him.
Step 6: Put your dog in another room.
Hide two to three treats in somewhat easy places.
Bring him back to the room, have him “Sniff!” the paper towel and then tell him “Search!”
Repeat a half-dozen times, doing “Sniff” each time.
Gradually hide treats in harder spots.
Step 7: Generalize his “Search” behavior to other objects as you desire, starting with a favorite toy. Rub the toy on the paper towel, and proceed as your dog needs. Start back at Step 1, placing the toy in plain view and move quickly through to Step 6.
Then use less favorite or neutral objects, starting at Step 1 and moving quickly to Step 6. For humans, have the object of your search rub a paper towel on his or her neck, and then have the person hide. Start with having the person “hide” in plain sight at first, and then in increasingly more hidden places. Start at Step 1, and move quickly through Step 6.
There are few things as frightening as watching your dog have a seizure. Yet seizure disorders are surprisingly common in canines. A seizure is defined as uncontrolled electrical activity in the brain. Seizures can run the gamut from very minor, focal seizures (a twitching of the face or a leg) to major convulsions in which a dog loses consciousness, may vocalize loudly, has uncontrolled muscle movements, and loses bowel and/or bladder control.
Types of Dog Seizures
A seizure or “ictus” is comprised of three phases. The pre-ictal phase can begin as much as 24 hours before a seizure and is not always obvious. Your dog may act strange during this period, but this is usually only recognized in retrospect. The second phase is ictus (the seizure itself). In the third, or post-ictal period, your dog is recovering from the seizure. It can be stressful and disturbing to witness, and it varies significantly between dogs. The post-ictal stage can include a deep sleep that lasts several hours to an entire day, confusion, and abnormal behavior, including ravenous hunger or complete anorexia, dilated pupils, and in some cases, blindness that will resolve. Your dog may be disoriented for a short time, but this period is otherwise not dangerous.
In the past, seizures have been categorized as grand mal (French meaning “great sickness”) or petit mal (“small sickness”). These terms are no longer used to describe seizure activity, as they are considered too vague. The more recent classifications are tonic-clonic, clonic, and tonic. Seizures can also be described as generalized, focal, or psychomotor.
In a tonic-clonic seizure, the first, very short phase is the tonic. The dog will suddenly stiffen and collapse if standing. Next is the clonic phase, in which the muscles contract and relax rapidly. This is the type of seizure with which most people are familiar. It is often called a convulsion and represents the most common, generalized seizure type in dogs.
A tonic seizure is usually brief (less than one minute) and involves a sudden stiffening of the muscles. This is a less common manifestation of a seizure disorder. A clonic seizure is rhythmic muscle jerking that generally starts in one area of the body. It is very rare and often associated with canine distemper virus. Both a tonic seizure and a clonic seizure can be generalized or focal.
Psychomotor seizures often manifest as unusual behavior, such as “flybiting” at the air or staring into space and not responding to cues. Sometimes, they are called “absence spells,” as the pet seems unaware and unresponsive to his surroundings.
Seizures can last from seconds to hours. When a seizure doesn’t stop after a few minutes, it is called status epilepticus. In this scenario, the body temperature will start to go up due to the repeated muscle contraction, and heat stroke can result. A dog’s body temperature can elevate to as high as 110 degrees or more if the seizure is not interrupted. Prolonged hypoxia (low oxygen) to the brain due to seizures can also cause damage. Status epilepticus is always an emergency.
Medical Emergency: Status Epilepticus
Status, as it’s commonly called, occurs when a seizure persists and will not stop without medical intervention. This is always an emergency and requires veterinary attention. Benzodiazepines like Valium will be given intravenously to stop the seizure. Your dog may need to be cooled to prevent heat stroke. He may need to stay on a continuous infusion of medications like Propofol (an anesthetic) to break the seizure cycle and allow recovery. This can take two to four days in some cases. The prognosis is guarded for recovery.
Dog Seizure Causes and Diagnostics
Causes of seizures can be divided by age group:
Dogs Less Than Six Months
A dog of this age with sudden onset of seizures likely has a congenital problem, infection with parasites such as Neospora, infection with a virus such as canine distemper or rabies, or toxin exposure. Epilepsy at this age is extremely rare.
The first step of evaluation is, as always, a thorough history. Puppies are prone to ingesting toxic substances such as rat baits and gum sweetened with xylitol. As a result, if your puppy presents with seizures, your veterinarian will recommend a thorough diagnostic work-up. This will start with a complete blood count (CBC) and chemistry panel, urinalysis, and fecal examination.
Bloodwork will evaluate for metabolic causes of seizures, such as liver failure, electrolyte abnormalities, or low blood sugar. A urinalysis will help determine how the kidneys are functioning, as well as look for evidence of any inflammation or infection within the urinary tract. Your vet may also recommend specific blood tests to rule out parasites such as Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii.
If those tests do not reveal a cause, your vet will refer you to a specialist for a cerebrospinal tap and imaging of the brain such as an MRI or CT scan. Because epilepsy is very rare in dogs this age, it is important to find the cause of the seizures. Without definitive diagnosis, the underlying condition is likely to worsen, as are the seizures.
If further testing is not financially possible, your veterinarian will start empirical treatment based on the suspected underlying cause. This may or may not be effective.
Dogs Aged Six Months to Five Years
Epilepsy becomes the most likely diagnosis in this age group when other causes are excluded. Epilepsy is not a disease per se. It is a description of seizure activity for which no underlying cause can be found.
A diagnosis of epilepsy cannot be made definitively until every other cause of seizures is ruled out. The tests needed to rule out an underlying cause can be expensive, however, so this diagnosis is often made based on breed, clinical signs, and response to treatment. Beagles, Schnauzers, Collies, Cocker Spaniels, and Basset Hounds are predisposed to epilepsy.
Your veterinarian will recommend the same set of diagnostic tests as for puppies and likely add a blood pressure measurement, thyroid levels, and x-rays of the chest and abdomen. If those are normal, the next steps are imaging of the brain as outlined above. In most cases, owners do not opt for the advanced testing and instead treat the suspected epilepsy with anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs).
Dogs Older Than Five Years
In dogs older than five, the most common cause of seizures is a brain tumor. These are generally benign tumors, such as meningiomas. Seizures can result from the tumor pressing on nearby structures as well as from swelling around the tumor.
The same diagnostic algorithm is followed as above, and again, many owners opt to merely treat the seizures without an in-depth exploration of the causes. While brain tumors are generally benign and can be removed via surgery, they are invasive and carry a guarded prognosis for recovery.
The causes of seizures are vast and varied. They can be broadly divided into extra-cranial (outside the brain) and intracranial (inside the brain).
Extra-cranial diseases include metabolic disease such as liver failure, toxin ingestion like xylitol or bromethalin rat poison, insulinoma (a tumor of the pancreas causing low blood sugar), infectious diseases like rabies and canine distemper virus, parasitic infection, and electrolyte derangements.
Intracranial causes are almost as varied and include cancer, inflammatory conditions such as necrotizing encephalomyelitis, previous head trauma leading to scar tissue formation within the brain, and vascular abnormalities like blood clots.
Dog Seizure Treatments
The first step in treatment may be nothing at all. If seizures are short and not frequent, treatment may not be necessary.
While they are difficult to witness, if the seizures are brief (under five minutes) and self-limiting, then they are not dangerous to your dog. In this case, your veterinarian may not prescribe medication but simply have you keep a “seizure journal.” This involves writing down when the seizures happen, what could have precipitated them (stress, anxiety, sleep), how long it lasted, and how long it takes your pet to recover. Your veterinarian will use this log to help dictate when to start treatment and what treatment to start.
In 2016, the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) released a consensus statement regarding when to start AED therapy. In general, if the seizures are mild and infrequent, therapy is not recommended. If they are severe and frequent, or the dog has a history of previous head trauma, or if there is an obvious lesion on CT/MRI (such as a brain tumor), AEDs should be started.
If the seizures are becoming a problem, medication is the first step. There are four commonly used AEDs in veterinary medicine, but more drugs are currently under study and are tentatively being used.
The most commonly prescribed first-line medication is phenobarbital, although this is slowly changing. “Pheno,” as it is frequently called, has long been used to treat seizures in humans and animals, so the effects and side effects are well-known, and the drug is readily available and inexpensive. It is also very effective. Unfortunately, it does have side effects such as sedation, weight gain, panting, increased appetite, and increased liver enzymes.
Phenobarbital is usually given twice a day and is a controlled substance under FDA regulations. It should not be stopped abruptly, as this can lead to more seizures. If you start administering this drug to your dog, make sure you are always prepared with refills before you run out! This will require at least a yearly examination with your veterinarian to maintain a valid client-patient relationship (VCPR).
Your veterinarian will also recommend monitoring of liver values and phenobarbital levels, likely on a bi-annual or annual schedule. This will help determine the effects that phenobarbital is having on your dog’s body. It will also assist your veterinarian in determining how much more (or less) phenobarbital your dog can receive.
About 30 percent of dogs will achieve good seizure control on phenobarbital. Greater than 75 percent will have a significant reduction in seizure frequency. About 30 percent of dogs will require an additional drug to control their seizures.
Historically, potassium bromide has been the next drug of choice. This is changing, as more and more veterinarians are becoming comfortable with and using newer AEDs. Potassium bromide also causes sedation and can be associated with pancreatitis, as well as a condition called bromism (bromide toxicity). It is being used less as newer drugs replace it.
The two newest AEDs are levetiracetam (Keppra) and zonisamide (Zonegran). Keppra has been used in humans in the U.S. for the past 10 years. It has very few known side effects and does not damage the liver. It is safe to use in patients with compromised kidney or liver function and does not generally cause drowsiness. It requires dosing every eight hours and can be expensive for larger dogs. An extended release formulation is sometimes available and can be given twice a day. It is also less cost effective. Unfortunately, there are few studies to evaluate how well it works in canines, so Keppra’s use is currently anecdotal. As time passes, there will likely be more evidence for its usage, more generics available, and a twice-daily formulation will become readily available.
Zonisamide is similar to Keppra. How it works to prevent seizures is not clear. It has possible side effects of sedation, decreased appetite, ataxia (wobbly walking), and might contribute to liver and urinary problems, though this has not been proven. It is also given twice a day.
In some cases, one drug can control seizure activity. In others, multiple seizure medications are needed.
Recently, a veterinary therapeutic diet was released by Purina that may significantly improve seizure control when given with medications. This diet uses medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) as the fat source. These MCTs have an anti-seizure effect and can improve control in conjunction with medication therapy.
Your veterinarian may send you home with an anti-seizure medication to apply into the rectum or nostrils if your dog has a seizure.
There are other, less mainstream treatment options such as vagal nerve stimulator implants. These are not commonly done and are only used in the most refractory cases.
Catherine Ashe is a 2008 graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. After nine years in emergency medicine, she now works as a relief veterinarian in Asheville, North Carolina.
I’m writing this post from Memphis, Tennessee, where I am attending the 25th annual educational conference and trade show of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT) – and where, tonight, the APDT is honoring Pat Miller with a Lifetime Achievement Award. The award honors APDT members who have made outstanding contributions to the association and to the dog training industry throughout their careers. Pat has been a member of the APDT since its infancy and was elected to its board in 2001 and as board president from 2002 through 2003. She’s also been a frequent presenter at its annual conferences.
I felt strongly compelled to make the journey to Memphis to see Pat honored in this way, because she’s been extremely important to WDJ from day one and remains so today. You can read more about her professional accomplishments in this press release from the APDT, but if you don’t mind, I’d like to tell you about why * I * appreciate Pat Miller.
I first “met” Pat in 1998 when I was helping the editor of an independent start-up publication called The Whole Horse Journal. Pat had written an article about using positive reinforcement – “clicker training” – to train horses. At the time, I was only helping the editor, Diana Thompson, with copyediting and production of the magazine, but I was impressed by Pat’s friendly, accessible, clear writing style and kind, humane advice about teaching new behaviors to horses. Her knowledge wasn’t just cutting-edge, it was light years ahead of most professionals in horse training, a field that has long been characterized by force-based training methods, passed down by tradition and, in 1998, rarely informed by scientific knowledge of learning theory or even basic animal behavior.
That same year, leapfrogging on the budding success of the Whole Horse Journal (no longer in publication), its publisher decided to launch a trial of something called the Whole Dog Journal. Since I had been working on Whole Horse Journal in an informal role since its beginning, the publisher asked me to edit the new magazine. I was flattered, but as I told him, “I’m really more of a horse person! I mean, I * have * a dog, but I don’t know that much about them!” My new boss helpfully pointed out that as a professional journalist, I ought to be able to figure it out.
Most of the “figuring it out” in the first few years of Whole Dog Journal meant leaning hard on truly qualified and knowledgeable experts in their fields and learning as much as possible from them. I needed someone to help educate the readers of WDJ (and me!) about scientifically sound, kind, and effective dog training methods. When I learned that the author of that clicker-training article in the Whole Horse Journal was actually a dog trainer (with a horse addiction), I was thrilled. I zeroed in on Pat as someone who could help me help WDJ’s readers learn to train their dogs in mutually fun and beneficial ways. At my request, Pat wrote an article for the very first issue of WDJ – and she has had an article in every issue save ONE since then. (That omission was my fault; I had her article, but bumped it from the issue for reasons I can’t remember now, but I don’t think Pat will ever let me forget it! I screwed up her perfect record!)
Pat was an extremely early adopter of dog-friendly and scientifically sound training methods. At the time that Whole Dog Journal was launched in 1998, I would characterize the dog-owning public (including myself) as innocently ignorant of the differences between military-style, force-based obedience and fun, family-friendly training.
It seems crazy now, given the happy prevalence of “positive training” today, but 20 years ago, the vast majority of professional dog trainers were openly hostile to “cookie tossers” and “weenie slingers.” But Pat was never defensive about promoting methods based on positive reinforcement; from our first collaboration, she showed me how the proof was in the pudding: happy dogs learning quickly and easily from astonished and grateful owners are the best advocates for this stuff.
In the beginning (as now), I relied on Pat to provide WDJ with informative, clear, sensible articles about basic dog-friendly dog training, which I knew nothing about in those early days. She pointed me toward educational opportunities such as the first APDT conference I ever attended in Ellenburg, New York, in 2001, so I could immerse myself in the topic of modern dog training and try to catch up a little.
Pat introduced me to leaders in the field such as Jean Donaldson, Patricia McConnell, Dr. Karen Overall, among others. Early on, I asked her to take the title of Training Editor, in recognition of her importance to Whole Dog Journal‘s development.
Pat also educated me about things as simple but profoundly important as the need for consistent use of modern language about animals. From the beginning, she gently but persistently convinced me about the need to use “him” and “her” when referring to animals – never “it.” It seems so basic, and yet – well, go read any other newspaper or magazine article about a specific animal. Also, thanks to Pat, we have always used the word “who” rather than “that” in sentences that refer to dogs, just as we would for humans. It’s not “Dogs that bark incessantly…” but rather “Dogs who bark incessantly…”. When we acknowledge the personhood of dogs (or any other sentient animals) in these basic ways, Pat taught me, the reader more readily recognizes the need to deal with them with the respect and kindness accorded to any human animal.
Pat has not only guided my education about canine behavior and training, she has also encouraged other trainer/authors and introduced them to me and to WDJ. Many of our training contributors are people who have either worked with or been one of Pat’s students (at one or more of her Canine Behavior and Training Academies) or who are colleagues that Pat admires and respects. You see, like the best educators, Pat is also a perennial student, always reading, researching, and learning about advances in the field of learning theory. Over the years, I have witnessed the fact that some trainers learn one technique and practice that technique and only that technique for the rest of their lives and careers. In contrast, Pat is always eager to learn something new, try it out on her own dogs, and if it proves to be fun, kind, and effective, she generously promotes the new technology as yet one more option for helping dogs and humans learn together.
Tonight, the APDT will be recognizing Pat for her professional achievements – her many books on positive training, her Academies for dog trainers, etc., etc., – but monthly, with every issue, I hope Whole Dog Journal readers recognize Pat’s contributions as well.
November can be a tough month. Many of my friends complain about feeling blue in November. The time has just changed. The days are short and cold and yet the ski or snowshoeing trails are not yet ready. Things can just seem overwhelmingly bleak in November.
I offer my friends the only remedy that has never failed me: I tell them to go take a hike! But they need to bring their dogs, too – and to try to find a place where they can really breathe some fresh air and escape from other people for a while. The absolute ideal is if they have access to a place where they can safely walk with their dogs off-leash, without endangering their own dogs or anyone else’s.
The place where I live in northern California is not the most beautiful part, and it’s far from anywhere glamorous or affluent – but I have access to unlimited amounts of open space where I can walk with my dogs off-leash. It makes me feel indescribably rich, especially because I hardly ever see anyone else out there. I work on my dogs’ recall daily to keep their responses quick and enthusiastic – and when they do stop on a dime and spin around to run back to me on cue, well, that in itself puts a smile on my face and warmth in my heart.
I have had friends say to me, “You are so lucky to have this space to hike in, and so lucky to have such good dogs!” I know what they mean, but luck has nothing to do with it. I moved here mostly to be closer to my father in his last year of life and didn’t think I would stay here after he passed away. But I ended up falling in love with the trails and open spaces, and have stayed a dozen years now. There a lots of things that I enjoy that I don’t have here – but on the other hand, I have never had access to this much off-leash space with so few other people sharing it. Our hikes help me stay fit enough to keep up with my very fit dogs and fine-tune our communication and relationship so they are keen to stay with me – no matter what long-eared, cloven-hoofed, or flapping and feathered temptations might jump up and run or fly away under their noses! Both are ongoing goals and constant sources of joy.
So, if you are feeling blue for any reason, here’s my advice: Go take a walk with your dog in the most open space you can find. Enjoy your dog and the air, and clear your mind. Trust me, you’ll feel better afterward.
October issue Correction:Our review of warm winter coats in the October issue misidentified one product we reviewed. The coat made by Mountain Mutts Dog Coats that we reviewed was the Powershield Winter Coat, not the Boulder Coat. Also, we neglected to note that the company will alter any coat that doesn’t fit your dog perfectly, at no extra charge. We were unaware of this service, and now that we are aware, we have increased our rating of the product. Please see the online version of the review, which has been corrected and updated.
Some of our readers are disappointed that we don’t rank-order foods. There are a couple of reasons for this. The most important: What is “best” for one dog may be disastrous for another. Every dog has to be fed with his or her unique needs and limitations in mind, just like humans. Everyone can’t eat the same thing and thrive! You wouldn’t insist on making your daughter with a serious allergy to shellfish eat pasta with clam sauce, just because the rest of the family is eating it. You wouldn’t serve rich, fatty dishes for every meal to your dieting spouse, forcing him to take only tiny portions to keep his caloric intake in check. So it doesn’t make sense for us to suggest that one company’s products are better than another company’s foods for every dog.
The second reason that we don’t rank foods has to do with a practical limitation: There is a correlation between expense and quality, but not everyone can afford to feed their dogs the most expensive foods. We think it’s far more valuable to teach you how to find the best products that are in your budget.
With these things in mind, let’s get started! We’ll start by discussing the act of walking into a pet supply store to start your search and then drill down into the finer points of comparing products and reading a food label.
The type of store where you buy dog food dictates the kinds and quality of products you will find there. More dog food is sold by grocery stores than any other type of store, but the quality of the foods in grocery outlets is usually low. The products sold in pet specialty chain stores may represent the widest range in quality, with both inexpensive and high-quality products on the shelves. Independent pet supply stores, especially those that are geared toward consumers who are looking for so-called “natural” or “holistic” foods, generally carry the highest quality and most expensive foods. We would not expect to find any products of quality in mass-market stores such as Walmart.
Be aware that many pet food companies pay for premium positioning in stores. In fact, the most prominent or centrally located products are likely paying or reimbursing the store for this placement; the store manager’s favorite products (best-value or best-sellers) will usually be located adjacent to the “best” spots in the store. Lower-quality, low-cost foods are generally relegated to the lowest and farthest shelves.
Canned food accounts for a small percentage (about 15 percent) of most pet food companies’ total sales volume.
Most wet dog food (more than 80 percent) is packaged in cans in the U.S., but pouches and tubs or trays are gaining ground, as consumers discover the convenience offered by the greater variety of sizes available in the plastic containers. A caveat: Check the price per ounce to make sure one container isn’t far more expensive than another (divide the price by the number of ounces for each product and compare the results).
Shopping online? Advantages include the ability to try a wide variety of products, convenience, and often, if you can get free shipping (via Amazon Prime or by spending a retailer’s minimum amount), competitive pricing. But if you have any sort of problem with the food – say, your dog hates it or gets sick from it – returning it for a refund might be difficult.
Canned Food Labels: The Big Stuff
There are eight things required by law on a pet food label. The front label must contain the brand and product name, species for which the food is intended, and the quantity statement (how much is in the can). The next five requirements may appear on the back or back and side labels.
Many consumers don’t think very critically when it comes to the front label. If they see beautiful roasted chickens or grilled steaks, and fresh-scrubbed carrots or glistening apples, they may imagine that’s what’s in the food. But you really have to compare the art with the ingredients list (discussed in detail below).
What’s far more important than the pictures is the verbiage used on the front. If the name of an ingredient is used in the product name (such as “Chicken & Rice Formula”), that named ingredients must comprise at least 70% of the total product by weight and at least 95% of the product not counting added water in the food. When more than one ingredient is in the name, no ingredient can be less than 3% the total product by weight. Because chicken is listed first in the name, there must be more chicken than rice in the recipe.
When the words “dinner,” “platter,” and “entrée” are used, a different rule is at work. The named ingredient in the phrase (for example, the “beef” in “Beef Dinner”) must comprise a minimum of 25% of the total ingredients.
If the word “with” is used (e.g., “Billy’s Dog Food With Chicken and Eggs”) the food is required to contain at least 3% of each named ingredient.
And if the word “flavor” is used, the requirement is that the food simply contain something that could convey that flavor; there is no minimum amount required.
The Fine Print on Dog Food Labels
The fourth requirement is the nutritional adequacy statement. Get out the magnifying glass! The “AAFCO statement” is very small on most labels, but contains very important information about which nutritional requirements the product has met.
AAFCO stands for “Association of American Feed Control Officials.” It is not a regulatory body, but it developed the nutritional standards used by all states. Somewhere on the label, usually very tiny, each dog food will state whether it is “complete and balanced” (or for “supplemental or intermittent feeding”), and whether this has been confirmed by a “feeding trial” or if it was formulated to meet certain nutritional standards. There are pros and cons of each method of confirmation.
Who is it for? The AAFCO statement will also specify who the food is meant for. All foods that are sold as “complete and balanced” must meet either the nutritional requirements for “growth and reproduction” (i.e., puppies) or the slightly lower requirements for “adult maintenance.” If a food says it can be fed to dogs “of all life stages,” it has met the higher nutritional requirements for a puppy food. Nutritionally, there is no difference between a food that meets the requirements for “all life stages” and a so-called puppy food – “all life stages” includes “growth and reproduction.” The kibble size of a “puppy” food might be smaller, but this is not a requirement!
However, if a food says it is complete and balanced for “adult maintenance,” it will not meet the higher nutritional needs of puppies.
Organic Dog Food
Organic claims are strictly defined. If the USDA Organic seal is present on the label, the product must contain a minimum of 95% organic ingredients.
The USDA’s National Organic Program regulates all organic crops, livestock, and agricultural products certified to the USDA’s organic standards. Organic certifiers inspect and verify compliance, and the certifier of each product must appear on the label, too. The USDA also conducts audits, investigations, and enforcement activities to ensure all products labeled organic meet its regulations.
If a product label says, “Made with organic ingredients,” the food must contain at least 70% organic ingredients, must state the certifier, and may not use the USDA Organic seal. If it specifies an ingredient that is organic (“Made with organic chicken”), all of the chicken in the product must be organic.
More Required Information
Dog food labels must bear the name and address of the manufacturer or distributor (requirement #5). We prefer the label to also contain the company’s phone number, but this is not required.
The “feeding directions” also must appear on the label (requirement #6). The statement must include the recommended amount of food to feed relative to the dog’s weight. This is calculated by a standard formula that says dogs require so many calories per pounds of body weight, but given the range of canine activity and metabolic rates, it can’t really be considered much more than a starting place. It is always necessary for owners to adjust their dogs’ rations based on how the dogs look and feel.
Dog Food Info That Matters Most: Guaranteed Analysis and…
The last two label requirements are the most critical. The “guaranteed analysis” (GA, requirement #7) gives you the minimum amount of protein and fat that are present in the food; they may be more, but there has to be at least that much. The GA also provides the maximum amount of moisture (water) and fiber that are present in the food.
Why the minimums and maximums? They use minimums for protein and fat because those are the most important values in a dog’s food; it’s what you are paying for. And they use maximums for moisture and fiber because this is not what you want to pay for – even though, with canned food, you actually are paying for a lot of it: Most canned dog foods contain about 78% to 85% moisture.
The fiber content of canned foods varies even more widely. Keep in mind that dogs have no dietary requirement for carbohydrates; they can live just fine on fat and protein alone. Canned foods that contain no carbohydrate source whatsoever will be pretty low in fiber – like, 1% maximum. In our opinion, there are better and far less expensive ways to supply your dog with fiber than in his canned food! It makes far more sense to use a canned dog food as a good source of protein and fat, and supply him with as much fiber as he may need to maintain a healthy weight and produce healthy stools through another source, such as fresh cooked or canned pumpkin, home-cooked grains (such as oatmeal, quinoa, or rice), home-cooked vegetables, or a dry dog food.
A final note on the GA: Manufacturers may (but are not required to) include other nutrient values on the GA. By doing so, they are literally guaranteeing those amounts in the food, and this is subject to testing and enforcement by state feed control officials. It’s a good way for a pet food maker to put their money where their mouths are concerning claims of special benefit from the inclusion of certain nutrients, such as DHA or glycosaminoglycans (e.g., chondroitin).
Ingredients, Ingredients, Ingredients
The ingredients list is the last legally required bit of information on the label. The ingredients must be named with regulated definitions – though a lot of manufacturers flirt with flowery adjectives meant to appeal to your palate, you know, your “farm-raised apples” and so on. (COME ON, people! Where else are you going to raise apples?!)
The ingredients must be listed in descending order of predominance by weight. Keep in mind that if an ingredients list starts with a fresh meat (which is awesome), water, and then a couple of carbohydrate sources – then, my dears, you are paying a lot for carbs.
One last note: Most canned foods contain “water sufficient for processing.” Canned foods do actually need a fairly high moisture content to mix and cook properly. We like it when a pet food company uses “broth” rather than water, but we are probably just getting hungry.
That’s it for the legal requirements; now, we’ll tell you what we look for when reading the ingredients label: WDJ’s canned dog food selection criteria. In order to appear on our “approved canned dog foods” list, a canned dog food must have the following:
Hallmarks of Quality Wet Dog Food
– A whole, named animal protein in one of the first two positions on the ingredients list. “Whole” means no by-products. “Named” means a specific animal species – chicken, beef, pork, lamb – as opposed to “meat” or “poultry.” Look for products with the highest possible inclusion of top-quality animal proteins; in other words, choose a product with the animal product listed first over a product that lists water (or broth) first and the animal product second.
– If a fat source is present, it must be named (“chicken fat” rather than “animal fat”).
– If vegetables, grains, or other carb sources are used, we prefer to see them whole, rather than by-products (for example, potatoes rather than potato starch).
Disqualifiers
We will not approve a canned dog food that contains:
– An unnamed animal protein or fat source, such as “meat,” “poultry,” or “animal fat.”
– Any meat byproducts or poultry byproducts.
– Any animal plasma product.
– Wheat gluten, which may be used as a cheap source of plant protein, a thickener, and/or a binder, holding together artificially formed “chunks” of ground meat.
– Sugar, molasses, or other sweeteners.
– Artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.
Attached is a list of companies that make canned foods that meet our selection criteria. Keep in mind that any manufacturer may make a product or two that does not meet our selection criteria. If you compare the ingredients with our list of criteria, you will easily identify the few products that contain some wheat gluten or pork plasma without our knowledge. Blech! But if they meet the criteria above, they fit your budget, and suit your dog, they have our blessing.
It wasn’t all that long ago that our dogs’ dental health was of little concern to veterinarians. Face-melting halitosis, loose teeth, and even missing teeth were considered part of “growing old.”
Fortunately, progress marches on, and veterinarians today are well aware of the importance of good oral health in dogs. A full oral health assessment is part of every comprehensive physical exam and any veterinarian worth his or her salt performs dental scaling, polishing, and extractions, and knows of a veterinary dental specialist nearby for more complicated problems. While your veterinarian might not have said much about your dog’s teeth 10 years ago, today, it’s likely at the forefront of discussion during your dog’s annual or semi-annual health exam. That doesn’t mean your vet is now a money-grubbing capitalist. It means that veterinarians have learned how important their patients’ dental health is and how better to address it.
Why Dental Health is Important for Dogs
One of the most critical things for dog owners to understand is that dental disease affects more than the dog’s mouth. Diabetes, heart disease, and sinus problems can all be affected by problems with the teeth.
We’ve long noticed the link between oral health and diabetes. Diabetic dogs with heavy calculus and periodontal disease are extremely difficult to manage. Without getting the dental disease under control, it’s almost impossible to control the diabetes.
Thickened valve tissue in the heart is a great spot for bacteria to gather, creating a condition called endocarditis. The bacteria that often finds its way there frequently comes from the dog’s mouth.
Small dogs who reverse sneeze or have eye drainage very often have significant sinus inflammation from severe periodontal disease. Our bodies are connected, so problems in one area often affect many others.
Secondly, and perhaps even more critically, dental disease is painful. Often, clients say to me, “He’s still eating, so his mouth is fine.” I take great exception to that! Dogs are animals. This means they cannot talk to us to tell us when something isn’t right. They have evolved quite far from their pre-domesticated days, but they have retained some instinctive behaviors, including the life-driving need to eat! An animal who does not eat will not survive. It’s really that simple. A dog who is eating is not saying, “I’m fine here! Nothing to worry about!” Rather, he is relying on his most basic instinct to survive.
If you’ve ever had a tooth abscess or dental problem, you know just how painful they can be. You probably still ate, drank, slept, went to work, but that didn’t mean you were comfortable! I can’t tell you the number of clients who have called after a dental to tell me that their dog is acting like a puppy again! It’s an amazing change – and horrible to contemplate how they must have hurt before.
Professional Dental Exam and Dog Tooth Cleaning
I love it when a client tells me she brushes her dog’s teeth at home. I even have some clients who can scale their dogs’ teeth at home. What good dogs! This is awesome and will definitely help maintain good hygiene – but that doesn’t mean their dogs will never need a professional cleaning. Only a thorough exam and cleaning by a veterinary professional can guarantee that the dog’s teeth and gums are truly healthy. It’s true that this service is likely to be pricey – at least a few hundred dollars and sometimes much more. What will your dog receive for that money?
To start, your dog will be fully anesthetized with gas anesthesia, a breathing tube, and (usually) IV fluids. Some clinics recommend but charge for the delivery of IV fluids as a separate option. I understand the urge to save money, but as an advocate for my patients, I have to say that this is not a time or place to scrimp. The placement and use of an IV catheter enables the veterinary team to deliver any needed medications to your dog in the fastest way possible. If your dog were to experience any life-threatening complications during his procedures, an IV would be the fastest way to deliver the life-saving drugs that could bring him back from the brink.
The IV is also used to deliver pain-control medications to keep your dog comfortable before, during, and after the procedure. (Some other pain-control medications may be administered orally and through local injection.)
During the procedure, a licensed veterinary technician will monitor your dog’s anesthesia, tracking his heart rate, breathing, oxygenation, and blood pressure, making sure your dog is safe.
Dental radiographs (x-rays) are another service that are usually charged separately as an option, but their value is so great that their expense is always worth it. Teeth can look perfectly healthy and also have an abscess lurking at their roots, and this is often revealed only by x-ray. Catching and treating this early can prevent the infection from spreading to the roots of adjacent teeth and compromising their health and stability. Undetected and untreated dental abscesses in the upper teeth can also cause sinus infections and even problems with the dog’s eye – so don’t opt-out of x-rays!
After the radiographs are taken, a technician will scale your dog’s teeth with hand tools and, usually, an ultrasonic scaler as well. Ultrasonic scalers use a high vibrational frequency to crush and remove dental calculus, and actually also create tiny shockwaves that disrupt bacterial cells that contribute to periodontal (under the gum) infections. Finally, ultrasonic scalers use irrigation to wash the periodontal pockets and root surfaces, flushing the bacerial debris away.
As the technician works to remove the tartar above and below the gum line, she will note any deep or infected pockets around the teeth, fractures, or any other problems as she goes. After she’s done with the cleaning, the veterinarian will review her findings and investigate the teeth.
In routine maintenance in a younger dog or in an early phase of dental disease, the teeth are likely to be healthy and the entire procedure will move quickly and smoothly. The result is teeth that look as clean as they did when they first erupted when your dog was a puppy!
Anesthesia-Free Teeth Cleaning
I want to take a minute to discuss anesthesia-free dental care.
At-home brushing, dental additives, and treats that are approved by the Veterinary Oral Health Committee, as well as groomer scaling (non-anesthetic dental scaling) may all have a place in your dog’s life. But anesthesia-free dentistry simply cannot address the vast majority of significant problems that are commonly found in a dog’s mouth. This is because dental disease is like an iceberg: What you see is only a small portion of what’s present. Even if your dog is in the early stages of periodontal disease, only a thorough exam and cleaning under the gum line can save his teeth (and your dollars) down the road.
Unless a dog is fully anesthetized, the cleaning under his gums just cannot be accomplished – not even with the most cooperative dog. Anyone who tells you differently isn’t telling the whole truth about the whole tooth. And sparkling-white tooth-tops aren’t nearly as important as clean surfaces under the gumline. In addition, dental x-rays and antibiotic prescriptions can only come from your veterinarian’s office. Do your dog a favor; engage only veterinarians to provide these critical services.
Finding and Dealing with Dental Problems
In contrast, as dental disease progresses, things start getting more complicated. Addressing any problems that are found requires skill and specialized equipment.
The most common problem encountered is an abscess at the root of a tooth. Depending on the tooth and the dog, the usual recommendation for this situation is extraction (removal). Extracting teeth involves varying degrees of surgery, with the little front teeth (known as incisors) being easiest to remove and the large carnassial teeth being much more complicated. This is where things can get expensive, quickly.
Dr. Kyle Grusling
Extracting a tooth is not as simple as when you tied a shoelace to a loose tooth as a kid. It involves carefully removing jaw bone to expose all of the roots (up to three!) of a tooth and then sectioning the tooth into pieces for safe removal. Then, the space left behind is frequently packed with bone matrix material and the gum tissue is secured back in place with individual stitches as fine as hair.
Usually, additional x-rays are taken after a tooth is removed to help to ensure that no pieces were left behind, as these pieces can cause major problems later. Sometimes, a tooth has an extra root or, when things are really diseased, a root can break during removal. The post-extraction x-rays ensure these things can be addressed immediately, preventing further problems in the future.
Other Dental Problems in Dogs
Sometimes, a dental procedure is recommended for reasons other than tartar and decay.
Retained Baby Teeth
In puppies – especially small-breed puppies – the baby teeth don’t always fall out the way they should. This is a condition known as retained deciduous teeth. When these teeth stick around longer than they should, it can affect the adult teeth. The most frequent culprits are the upper canine teeth, but any tooth can be affected.
When caught early, retained deciduous teeth can be removed before any harm is done, but if left untreated for even just for a few months, it can result in serious crowding and trapped tartar, which can affect eating, swallowing, and even closing the mouth. In some cases, the retained baby teeth can cause the adult teeth to erupt in an inappropriate spot, creating an abnormal alignment of the upper and lower teeth.
Misaligned Teeth
Remember middle school? That terrible time when everyone had braces or palate expanders and bite guards to fix teeth that came in wherever and whenever they wanted? Well, dogs can suffer from all of the same problems, requiring many of the same fixes. That puppy snaggle tooth might be cute, but it can also cause a host of problems and result in serious tartar and gingivitis.
Take Wesley, a puppy made famous by a practice in Michigan. When his adult teeth erupted, the tips touched and he could no longer fully close his mouth. Because of this, he had trouble eating. A veterinary dental practice placed braces (yes, just like the braces worn by humans) and his teeth were adjusted until he could eat normally.
Some early interventions for a misaligned bite can include using something as simple as playing with a tennis ball; the pressure from the ball’s shape encourages the lower canine teeth to shift outward and into a normal position for bigger dogs like Labradors.
When the problem is a bit more involved, a dental device called a wedge can be made to push the teeth apart as they finish coming in. When adult teeth have already come in, the solutions involve a little more; then, braces and selective tooth removal may be used to address crowding and poor alignment.
Fractured Teeth
Dogs can crack or break a tooth involving only the crown, making it just a cosmetic problem, or the crack can expose the sensitive nerves and blood vessels in the dental pulp, leading to infection and death of the tooth.
The teeth that are fractured most frequently are the canines and large carnassial teeth. These teeth are important for chewing, proper tongue placement, and prehension of food. Removal of these teeth functionally changes how a dog eats and can lead to chronic problems. Dogs without canine teeth sometimes have difficulty keeping their tongues in their mouths, which can lead to the tongue drying out and skin infections from constant drool.
Dr. Kyle Grusling
When an upper large premolar (the carnassial tooth) is removed, the dog will have much more difficulty with grinding kibble and other food. Dogs will adjust by chewing differently or not chewing their food at all, which can cause its own set of problems. Because of the importance of these teeth, root canals should always be considered when the carnassial teeth are involved.
A root canal involves removing the dead and diseased contents of the pulp cavity (or root canal) of the tooth. This canal is then filled in with inert material to keep bacteria out. This allows the tooth to remain in place, be pain-free, and avoids the pain and recovery associated with extraction.
In the event of a root canal, some owners choose to go a step further and pursue an implant or a crown. Medically, there is rarely a reason to place an implant or a crown, but it sure does look neat! In working law-enforcement dogs, I recommend crowns to maintain bite strength, but beyond that, it’s a cosmetic option. That’s not to say you shouldn’t consider it, but it definitely isn’t necessary after a root canal, so if you can’t afford the crown, don’t let that scare you away from doing the root canal!
When to Consult A Veterinary Dental Specialist
Much of what I have discussed above can be handled by your primary care vet, but there are specific times when it is advisable to ask for a referral to a veterinary dental specialist.
For example, any veterinarian should be able to extract a puppy’s retained baby teeth, as long as the puppy has an otherwise normal bite and can close his mouth normally. But if the pup’s mouth cannot close normally, his teeth are hitting one another, food drops out of his mouth when he’s eating, he becomes slow or reluctant to eat, or if opening or closing his mouth makes a noise, it’s time to consult with a specialist.
Sometimes a general-practice veterinarian will be in the middle of a dental cleaning and examination, with your dog under anesthesia, when she discovers a problem that she thinks might be better addressed by a specialist. Don’t be shocked if you get a phone call like this in the middle of a procedure! Your vet may want to give you the option of dealing with the problem right away, or having a specialist take a different tack at another time.
The classic example is with a broken or cracked tooth. The immediate approach would be to remove the tooth, but if it is one of those big carnassials or a canine that helps a dog hold or retrieve items, another option would be to leave the tooth and make an appointment with a specialist who could perform a root canal and perhaps place a crown on the tooth, preserving its use. The decision is yours; your vet is just making sure you have all the facts before making a decision.
Sometimes, it’s easy to see during a physical that teeth are going to need to be extracted. In that case, your veterinarian will make an assessment if this is something she is comfortable doing or if a referral is needed.
Small breed dogs can have severe dental disease leading to what are called oronasal fistulas – holes between the mouth and the sinuses from severe infection at the canine teeth. When this happens, dogs often sneeze or have snotty noses. Some primary veterinarians are comfortable repairing these and some are not. It involves a high degree of skill, so if your vet recommends you see a specialist, please consider this seriously!
Simple extractions, such as those involving the incisors, can typically be done by your primary vet. A lot of us are even comfortable with the more complicated removal of canine teeth, premolars, or molars. But there are times when I will look in a mouth and immediately recommend referral.
This was the case for my own technician’s dog Lenny, a St. Bernard with a special condition called CUPS (chronic ulcerative periodontal stomatitis). Without going into too much detail, CUPS is effectively an overzealous response to tartar, resulting in ulcers in the mouth where tissue touches it. This dog had huge teeth that were mostly healthy. Because of how long the procedure would take and how involved the extractions were that would be needed, Lenny was referred to a veterinary dental specialist, where it took four procedures and almost 10 hours of surgery to address the situation.
Ask Your Veterinarian Questions About Dog Teeth Cleaning Before Scheduling
Most veterinarians require that your dog has a brief examination in a short appointment before a dental cleaning is scheduled; some practices offer these visits as a free consultation. If the vet recommends a cleaning, this is your chance to ask a number of important questions about what it will involve.
Make sure you understand what sort of anesthesia monitoring will be used, who will perform the cleaning, who will perform any extractions that are needed, and if there is dental x-ray. You should always expect your veterinarian to examine the teeth and complete any removals or other surgical procedures that are required.
It is also wise to ask about root canals and other options to save a tooth (especially if it is a canine or premolar)if, during the cleaning, one is found to be broken. While root canals are more expensive than extraction, they save your pet from future complications.
If extractions are planned, be sure to ask about pain medication and any other recommended aftercare.
Teeth are Important!
We know so much more today about canine health than we ever have and perhaps one of the biggest advancements in recent years has to do with more aggressive promotion of dental health. Diseased and broken teeth cause so many dogs so much pain, and they aren’t necessary! Professional dental procedures are perhaps the most valuable tools in a dog owner’s arsenal for helping his or her canine companions live a long and comfortable life.
A 2011 graduate of Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, Kyle Grusling practiced emergency medicine for three years before switching to a general practice. Dr. Grusling works at Northland Animal Hospital in Rockford, Michigan.
Most of the time, when dogs do something we don’t want them to do (such as stealing our socks or jumping on our elderly aunt), the first thing out of our mouths is “NO!” We’ve all done it. But you may have had a dog trainer or two tell you not to use the word “no.” Why not? Shouldn’t you correct your dog if he makes a mistake?
First off, in most cases, simply saying “no” (even if you say it loudly) doesn’t work. (If saying “no” did work, I’m quite sure my phone would stop ringing and I’d be out of a job.) In addition, when we use intimidation to stop our dogs from doing a behavior we don’t like, we may damage our relationship with our dog. Lastly, saying no provides no direction to your dog; it does nothing to tell your dog what she should do instead.
So if saying “no” isn’t the answer, how do we stop unwanted behavior? Here is a formula that you can apply to almost any unwanted behavior for great results:
1. Start with liberal doses of management.
“Management” is dog trainer lingo for prevention. It means making sure your dog doesn’t have the opportunity to “practice” the behavior you’d like to stop. Whether that behavior is chewing your shoes, jumping on your kids, or barking as your neighbor’s dog walks by your house, the goal is to figure out a way to stop your dog from doing it until you can teach her what she should do instead.
This may entail getting creative – or at least putting your shoes in the closet. Use baby gates, crates, window blocks, and leashes. If you have a puppy, you may need to keep a toy in your hand when you pet your pup to keep her from mouthing. If your dog habitually barks at things she sees out the window, you may need to apply a visual block so she can’t see outside. If your dog jumps on visitors to your house, you may need to put up a baby gate so your pup can’t charge up to people when they come in the door. You get the idea. Once management is in place, you can move on to step two.
2. Remove reinforcement.
There is always a reason a dog does something that we don’t want her to do. It may be an expression of normal dog behavior and we need to provide other outlets for that behavior. The dog may be anxious and exhibits the behavior to alleviate anxiety. Dogs practice some behaviors we don’t like because they are fun (such as jumping on us), but sometimes these behaviors are an expression of frustration or fear (such as barking or tearing up the carpet).
Try to figure out why your dog does the behavior. Does jumping on you get your attention? Does getting into the garbage alleviate boredom? Will racing around the house with a sponge entice you to play the keep-away game? Does pulling on the leash mean the dog gets to drag you to and make you wait at the source of an interesting odor? Before you can effectively stop an unwanted behavior, you have to be able identify what is reinforcing the behavior and either remove that reinforcement or meet the dog’s need in another way.
3. Teach the dog what you want her to do instead.
Remember, saying no fails to tell your dog what to do instead. Teaching your dog what to do instead of (fill in your behavior issue here) is a major factor in successfully solving that problem behavior. For most of us, this is a huge change in our thought process.
Instead of jumping up, I would like my dog to greet people calmly with all four paws on the ground.
Instead of begging for food when we sit down to eat, I would like my dog to go settle on her bed.
Instead of barking out the window, I would like my dog to come and tell me if there is something to worry about outside.
Instead of lunging toward dog friends, I would like my dog to sit while I snap off the leash before play.
Instead of pulling on the leash when we walk down the street, I would like my dog to walk next to me.
Instead of running off into the woods, I would like my dog to stay within 30 feet of me on off-leash jaunts.
When we come up with something our dog can do instead of the undesirable behavior, we have identified an achievable goal. And from there we can lay out a training plan to meet that goal!
4. Use a positive interrupter.
Don’t we ever get to say “no” to our dogs? Setting limits and having boundaries (both physical and behavioral) are important in life, as well as with our dogs. It is okay to stop your dog from doing something that is unsafe or even just annoying. The key here is how you stop her. Clear and consistent feedback can be effective.
For example, if you can see that your dog is considering jumping on the couch and you’d rather she didn’t, you can calmly and consistently interrupt the behavior and redirect her to her own bed.
I like to use something called a positive interrupter (PI). There are different types of PIs. The one I find most valuable is a noise or word that means, “Disengage from whatever you are doing and pay attention to me!” It is remarkably easy to teach initially, but it does take a lot of practice to generalize it so that it will work in more difficult situations.
To teach a positive interrupt:
a) Choose a word or noise.
Many people use a kissy noise or tongue click. Some people say “Watch!” or “Look!” Alternatively, you can use a more traditional approach and say “Leave it!” or “No!” The word doesn’t matter; what is important is the way you say it and the meaning you give to the word. The word is simply a cue; it’s not meant to be used to threaten or intimidate the dog. Use it in a clear and cheerful tone, as you would with any cue.
This is extremely important if you choose a word like “No!” as your PI. Most humans frequently use “No!” as a stern command or a threat of punishment, and find it nearly impossible to always say it cheerfully and happily. Try to think of it as just another random cue and say it cheerfully!
b) Say your PI and then immediately give your dog an amazing treat.
This is a time to bring out the big guns: chicken, roast beef, or whatever your dog loves most. Say your PI cheerfully and immediately feed your dog several pieces of roast beef, one right after the other. Repeat this a dozen or so times, or until your dog looks expectantly at you when he hears your PI. You are using classical conditioning to build a conditioned emotional response (CER) to the word. This step will help your dog respond even around really tempting distractions later on.
c) Teach your dog to disengage and look at you.
Cheerfully say your PI when your dog is mildly distracted. If he has developed a CER to the word, he will look back at you expecting the roast beef. At this point, “mark” the moment when he looks back with a signal of some kind, such as the click of a clicker or the word “Yes!” and then give him several pieces of roast beef in a row. Repeat this step until your dog is happily and joyfully orienting to you each time he hears the PI.
d) Practice around distractions.
Start with easy distractions such as a piece of paper or a boring toy. Gradually work with more difficult distractions. For those really tough distractions such as a squirrel running in the trees, you may have to practice at a distance first. Keep reinforcing your dog when he orients back to you until he will do it in most circumstances. At that point, you can begin to use your PI to interrupt your dog when he’s doing something that you would prefer he didn’t do.
Interrupters work in the moment, but they don’t necessarily teach your dog not to do the behavior in the future. An interrupter is a temporary solution. If you consistently follow your interrupter with a cue for an alternative behavior, you are more likely to have long-term success. For example, if your puppy starts to chew on a table leg, you can say your PI and then redirect your pup to chew on a toy instead.
5. Use force-free corrections sparingly.
Yes, there are ways to “correct” a dog without resorting to pain or intimidation.
Timeouts are one example. A timeout removes the opportunity for reinforcement. If your puppy bites your hand in play, you can “mark” the moment the teeth touch your skin with an “ouch” or other noise and stop playing for five to 10 seconds – then resume play. When repeated several times in a play session, the puppy should figure out that his teeth on your skin makes the play stop – bummer! He will try to avoid mouthing you in the future in order to keep the play session going.
Other similar corrective measures include walking away from your dog, putting toys or treats away, or preventing your dog from engaging in an activity he would like to do. This approach can be successful at stopping behaviors that are reinforced by your attention.
That said, however, timeouts require very good timing and must be used consistently. If your dog is not clear about what is stopping the play, for example, he may just get frustrated, and frustration can lead to an increase in unwanted behavior. Use timeout techniques sparingly, if at all.
Customize the Plan
In most situations, the first three steps (putting management into place, removing reinforcement, and teaching an alternative behavior) will work to stop unwanted behaviors. Interrupters may help for behaviors that are more difficult to manage, and timeouts can be used sparingly for behaviors that are being reinforced by you.
Keep in mind that stopping unwanted behaviors doesn’t always follow a linear path. Sometimes you will need to reevaluate and rework your training plans until you find the right formula for you and your dog.
You take your happy, healthy puppy for a leisurely stroll in the park. It’s a beautiful day, and everything seems normal. When you get home, though, you notice that your pup seems to be limping a little. Worse, it seems he favors a different leg every time you look at him, plus he’s lethargic and doesn’t want to eat. What could be the problem?
These symptoms describe panosteitis (pronounced “pan-aw-stee-eye-tis”). It may also be referred to as eosinophilic panosteitis (“EoPan” for short), fibrous osteodystrophy, or enostosis. The cause of this disease is not yet understood. Current research points to the possibility that feeding high-protein, high-calorie foods to young, rapidly growing dogs may be related. Panosteitis most commonly occurs in young, fast-growing, large-breed dogs, with German Shepherd Dogs most frequently affected.
Symptoms of panosteitis in dogs can look like other conditions, so a thorough evaluation is needed. Other diseases that can mimic panosteitis include tick-borne illnesses (Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever), polyarthropathy (inflamed joints), sprains, and fractures.
Veterinary Examination
The first step is a thorough, nose-to-tail vet examination, including vital signs and most importantly a temperature, since dogs with panosteitis often have a fever. After the initial exam, your vet will watch your dog walk to locate the areas of lameness. With this condition, multiple legs are affected, and your dog may limp on different legs at different times.
After observing your dog walk, the veterinarian should palpate the long bones (the humerus, femur, tibia, fibula, ulna, and radius); these are the areas where panosteitis most commonly occurs. Your veterinarian may insist on a muzzle for this part of the exam. Don’t be offended! It is for the safety of everyone involved, as the pain of panosteitis is severe and can cause an otherwise well-behaved and friendly dog to cry out or bite.
The next step is diagnostic testing. This usually includes bloodwork and x-rays of the legs. Bloodwork is often normal, but in some cases, an increase in eosinophils is noted. Eosinophils are the white blood cells predominantly responsible for fighting off parasites. The cause of this elevation is not known.
Radiogaphs (x-rays) often clinch the diagnosis, but they must be of excellent quality and technique, as the changes can be subtle. Digital x-ray is best, especially since early in the course of the disease, the changes may be difficult to detect. As the disease progresses, a white patchy “haze” will appear in the medulla (center) of the long bones.
There are more complex tests, such bone scintigraphy, that can be done. However, the diagnosis is usually made based on a combination of signalment (age and breed), clinical signs and history, x-rays, and response to treatment.
Tincture of Time (and Pain Meds)
You may feel better once the diagnosis is made, but your dog may not; there is no cure for panosteitis. Generally, with time, the symptoms will resolve, typically around the time of skeletal maturity. It is rare to see this condition in dogs older than about 2½ years, but it can happen. Symptoms can wax and wane over the course of weeks to months. Management involves mostly rest/exercise restriction and aggressive pain control.
The latter is usually accomplished with non-steroidal medications such as carprofen, firocoxib, meloxicam, and similar medications. A newer drug on the market, Galliprant, has similar pain control effects with (theoretically) fewer side effects such as vomiting, diarrhea, and kidney damage. Other medications such as tramadol, gabapentin, and topical patches (lidocaine or fentanyl) may be administered if the pain is not controlled. A comfortable, thickly padded bed can be helpful, too.
Dr. Catherine Ashe is a regular contributor to Whole Dog Journal.
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A couple of days ago, I received a text from a dog-training client, wondering about a video she had just watched—and which she linked in the text. “Is meat meal bad for dogs?” she asked. She followed that message with, “I get that she’s selling her own pet food, but is it (meat meal) that bad?”
