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Cloudy Eyes in Dogs

By
Catherine Ashe, DVM
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As your canine companion ages, you might begin to notice some cloudiness in his eyes. This is a common age-related change in many breeds of dogs, but it can also indicate illness within the eye or within the body. It is important to know when you should be concerned about cloudy eyes in dogs and when a trip to the veterinarian is in order.

What Do Cloudy Eyes in Dogs Mean?

There are many possible ways in a which a dog’s eyes can look clouded. Often, you are seeing the cloudiness in the lens of the eye – an elastic, transparent structure that lies behind the iris (the pigmented part of the eye) and the pupil (the opening in the center of the eye). Tiny muscle fibers inside the eye contract and relax to makes the lens change thickness and shape; these movements help the dog change focus. As dogs age, certain changes cause the lens to turn white and become visible. When this ordinarily transparent structure develops a cloudy spot or section, the dog’s vision is compromised.

In some cases, however, the cloudiness is not related to the lens. It can be in front of the lens, in the anterior chamber of the eye. Deposits of calcium and fat can also occur in or on the cornea (the translucent dome of the eye).

old dog with cataracts

What Causes Cloudy Eyes in Dogs?

There are dozens of possible causes for cloudy eyes in older dogs. These are the most common:

Corneal Edema in Dogs

The cornea is the transparent dome that covers the eye’s colored iris. Edema (swelling caused by fluid retention) in the cornea can make the eye look hazy; this can appear as a focal area of white or spread to include the whole eye.

Corneal edema can occur following any inflammation or irritation to the cornea. Causes can include corneal ulcers, trauma, corneal endothelial degeneration (see below), and spontaneous idiopathic (no known cause) development. In addition, any of the following conditions can cause corneal edema; the cause of this condition should always be investigated by a veterinarian.

Cataracts in Dogs

A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye. Just as with humans, a dog with cataracts will have difficulty seeing at night and experience sensitivity to strong light and glare.

Cataracts progress through four stages of maturity: incipient, immature, mature, and hypermature. In early stages, it can be difficult to differentiate cataracts from another common condition called nuclear sclerosis. If you look closely at the pupil of an eye without cataracts, it will appear to be completely black. But as the cataracts continue to develop, it becomes easy to see clouding of that black dot, especially when the dog’s eye is dilated in low light; the cloudiness becomes more noticeable, then obvious, and will lead to blindness.

It’s important to have suspected cataracts checked out immediately. Catching them early increases the chances of successful management. As cataracts go through the early and then later stages, they can cause significant inflammation in the eye (called uveitis), as well as secondary glaucoma (a common eye condition in which the fluid pressure inside the eye rises to an unhealthy level and damages the optic nerve). Once this happens, those problems must first be resolved before cataract surgery can be attempted.

Once a cataract becomes hyper-mature (also known as a resorbing cataract), it is at risk for rupturing. Once ruptured, the lens material leaks into the eye and causes even more inflammation. This makes successful cataract surgery difficult.

Cataracts often develop as the dog ages, but juvenile and congenital forms do exist, as well.

There are there are dozens of possible causes of cataracts. The causes can be related to illness or be genetic. More than 150 dog breeds have been identified to have inherited forms of cataracts including the Cocker Spaniel, Bichon Frise, Smooth Fox Terrier, Havanese, Miniature Schnauzer, Boston Terrier, Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, and Poodle.

There are many systemic causes for cataracts with diabetes being the best-known. With diabetes, as blood sugar levels rise, water is drawn into the lens and causes clouding.

Other associated disorders include trauma, exposure to radiation, nutritional disorders, toxins, and inflammation within the eye.

nuclear sclerosis in dogs

Cataracts can be treated. In the case of inherited/genetic cataracts, the success rate for surgery is as high as 90 percent. During surgery for cataracts, the damaged lens is removed from the eye and replaced with an artificial lens. The surgery must be conducted with specialized equipment by a veterinary ophthalmologist (Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists or DACVO).

In cases of diabetic cataracts or other inflammatory cataracts, the prognosis decreases. It is highly dependent on the ability to manage the conditions that cause the inflammation. Controlling blood sugar levels in diabetic dogs will help to lessen the severity of cataracts early in development. In the later stages, the changes become permanent and require surgical correction.

Do “cataract drops” work?

If you do an internet search for “treatment for cataracts in dogs,” you may come across several eye drop products that claim to fix cataracts.

These products usually contain n-acetyl carnosine as the active ingredient. In multiple studies, these drops have failed to improve cataracts.

Newer drugs called “aldose reductase inhibitors” have been shown in a laboratory to delay or prevent cataract formation in diabetic dogs. Unfortunately, they must be given every eight to 12 hours, and if treatment is skipped or missed, complete/mature cataracts can form very rapidly. Due to this, marketing of this product has not been pursued.

cloudy eyes in dogs

At this time, no topical medication on the market will prevent or delay cataract formation. The only definitive treatment for cataracts is surgery.

Nuclear Sclerosis in Dogs

This is a benign, extremely common age-related change to the lens. It occurs in all breeds of dogs, and it does not inhibit vision. The cause is increased density of the fibers within the lens itself. Nuclear sclerosis generally occurs in both eyes at the same rate, whereas cataracts are frequently asymmetrical. There is no need to treat nuclear sclerosis, as it does not interfere with vision. Further, there is no known treatment for this condition.

Corneal Endothelial Degeneration in Dogs

In this condition, the layer of cells at the back of the cornea begin to degenerate. It can be inherited (as in the Chihuahua, Boston Terrier, and Dachshund), or it can be an age-related change.

Initially, the change is often noted as a grayish spot in the middle of the eye that begins to extend to the outer edges. Eventually, the whole eye will have a “white” appearance. It will cause blindness as it progresses. There is no specific treatment for endothelial degeneration, although several techniques have been tried to manage the resulting corneal edema.

Corneal Deposits in Dogs

These manifest as white spots or a white haze over the cornea. Corneal deposits can occur for a variety of reasons. Lipid keratopathy is a well-described condition in which cholesterol is deposited in the cornea. It can occur as part of an inherited disease (in the Airedale, Samoyed, Beagle, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, and Siberian Husky), be related to high blood cholesterol levels, or caused by inflammatory conditions of the eye. Rarely does this type of deposit affect vision, but monitoring by a veterinarian is important.

cloudy eyes in dogs

Deposits may also be calcium. These are poorly understood but often occur concurrently with an underlying disorder such as Cushing’s disease, kidney failure, or inflammation of the eye. Calcium deposits can irritate the eye and cause corneal ulcers, so treatment is generally aimed at management of the ulcer.

In some cases, an eye drop called sodium EDTA can help to dissolve the calcium deposits. This condition does not have a breed predilection but can occur as dogs age due to underlying systemic illness.

Uveitis in Dogs

This is a general term for inflammation within the eye. The causes are numerous and varied, including toxins, infections, cancers, and trauma. Uveitis may also be idiopathic.

Uveitis can cause a white haze to the eye called “aqueous flare.” It can also cause blood or pus to collect in the eye. Generally, there are other symptoms that occur with the uveitis; the eye will be red, swollen, and painful. Attention is directed at identifying the underlying cause and treating it. With treatment, uveitis will generally resolve.

When Should I Seek Treatment for My Dog’s Cloudy Eyes?

It can be very difficult to distinguish the different conditions from one another. Alert your veterinarian if your dog develops cloudy eyes or is having visual difficulties; a consult with a veterinary ophthalmologist may be in order. A thorough ophthalmic exam should include tear production measurements, fluorescein staining to detect corneal ulcers, measurement of ocular pressure, and a retinal exam. The veterinarian will also examine the eye closely with a bright light to determine where the cloudiness originates. Is it in the lens, the anterior chamber, or within the cornea itself?

With these tests, your veterinarian can generate a list of possible diagnoses and determine if this is a benign age-related change or something that will require medical or surgical therapy to prevent the loss of your dog’s eyesight.

The prognosis for cloudy eyes depends wholly on the underlying cause and whether it can be treated. Since eye conditions can develop and change rapidly, it is always best to consult your veterinarian when you notice anything unusual about your dog’s eyes.

Urinary Tract Infections in Dogs

By
Lauren Brower Wacholder, DVM, CVA
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Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the more common problems seen in small-animal veterinary practice. The definition of a UTI is a colonization of pathological bacteria in the normally sterile environment within the urinary tract. There are many medical conditions that make a dog prone to urinary tract infections, some of which can be prevented. Knowing how to recognize the problem is the first step to getting the proper diagnosis and treatment plan for your dog.

Can Dogs Get UTIs?

The urinary tract is comprised of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. Dogs have two bean-shaped kidneys located in the mid abdomen. The kidneys are responsible for filtering blood and excreting waste in the form of urine. As the urine is continually created, it exits each kidney via a small tube called the ureter. The ureters dive into the bladder, which is a muscular collection tank. When the dog is ready to urinate, the muscles of the bladder contract and the urine is emptied through a tube called the urethra, which transports the urine out of the dog.

Problems can develop anywhere along this path, but the most common area of concern is within the bladder itself. When referring to UTIs, veterinarians are almost always referring to infections within the lower urinary tract, or the bladder itself. Infections of the upper urinary tract, or kidneys, are more commonly referred to as pyelonephritis and are more serious in nature.

dog with urinary tract infection

Signs of a UTI in Dogs

Signs that your dog has a urinary tract infection can be quite variable. Typically, dogs with a lower urinary tract infection do not develop a fever and behave in a normal fashion, other than changing the pattern of their urination habits. Some dogs can be completely asymptomatic, while others show dramatic urgency or frequency while voiding very small volumes of urine. Some dogs will drink excessive amounts of water, and some will lick at their genital region, especially after urinating. Occasionally, an owner will notice hematuria (blood or blood clots in their dog’s urine).

It is important to note, however, that not all dogs with increased frequency, urgency, and hematuria have a urinary tract infections. There are other medical problems that can appear clinically similar, including sterile cystitis (inflammation of the bladder without bacteria), uroliths (bladder stones), and cancer. Therefore, it is very important to make a trip to your veterinarian if you notice any change in your dog’s usual urination pattern.

UTI Diagnosis in Dogs

Diagnosing a UTI is relatively straightforward. Your veterinarian will collect a urine sample and put it through a number of tests.

Typically, the urine is first evaluated macroscopically by analyzing its color and turbidity (cloudiness or clarity). Then the urine is tested for its specific gravity (concentration). Urine that is either too dilute or too concentrated can be an important factor to consider in the analysis of the other urine values and may be an important clue in an underlying medical disorder.

Then the urine is placed on a urine test strip, which checks the biochemical nature of the urine. The pH, protein level, presence of red blood cells, white blood cells, bilirubin, glucose, and ketones are documented.

The last step is to look at the urine under the microscope. Cytology (microscopic analysis) will confirm urine-strip findings and allow for the estimation of the number of red blood cells and white blood cells. Cytologic analysis will also look for the presence of crystals, casts, and bacteria, all of which are important in the diagnosis of a UTI and other urinary-tract disorders.

pee sample

A normal urine sample is sterile (does not contain bacteria). Typically, urine is a clear, light yellow color and microscopically there is very little sediment – no red or white blood cells and no bacteria present. Many parameters can change when a patient has a UTI, so all of the information from the urine test strip along with the cytology of the urine needs to be considered in the diagnosis.

By compiling all of this information your veterinarian will be able to conclude whether or not your dog has an infection of the bladder. However, she will not be able to identify the type of bacteria that caused the infection without further testing.

In order to identify the exact bacteria present, a culture will need to be performed. The urine will be collected in a sterile fashion via cystocentesis (insertion of a needle into the bladder to withdraw a small volume of urine). The urine is then placed into a sterile tube and sent to a laboratory for analysis.

At the laboratory the urine sample will be placed on a petri dish and allowed to incubate for several days. If nothing grows, then it is likely your dog does not have a bacterial urinary tract infection. If bacteria grows, the laboratory technician will identify the bacteria and give your veterinarian a susceptibility pattern, which will tell her which antibiotics will be effective for the present infection.

Pros and Cons of Different Ways to Collect Your Dog’s Urine

URINE COLLECTION TECHNIQUE PROS CONS
FREE CATCH SAMPLE
A clean dish is used to catch urine that your pet is voiding naturally. This is a non-stressful way to collect urine from a healthy pet for a screening analysis.

Normal bacterial flora can contaminate urine as it passes through the penis/prepuce or across the vulva.

Free-caught samples should not be used for culture.

If there is a problem with the urinary tract further down the line from the bladder (prostate or urethra, for example), there may be abnormal cells picked up as the urine leaves the body.
CATHETERIZATION
Urine is collected by insertion of a narrow, flexible tube into the urethral orifice; the tube is then fed directly into the urinary bladder and urine is drained through the tube into a collection syringe. This is a relatively simple procedure to collect urine if the patient is uncomfortable on his back or the bladder is too small to reach via cystocentesis.

The procedure may be slightly uncomfortable for the patient as the catheter is fed through the urethra.

Females dog are very difficult to catheterize.

Sometimes bacteria can be introduced into the bladder from the insertion of the urinary catheter.
CYSTOCENTESIS
Urine is collected via ultrasound-guided needle insertion into the bladder; this is the gold standard for sterile urine collection.

There is no chance for contamination from other parts of the urinary tract.

It allows for visualization of the bladder with the ultrasound, which can help identify bladder masses and uroliths (bladder stones) that may be missed with a free-catch sample.

This can be stressful for some animals because then need to be rolled onto their backs for proper restraint to perform the procedure.

There is a small risk for blood contamination of the urine sample if there is bleeding from the needle insertion site.

Causes of Urinary Tract Infections

A number of medical and physical conditions can make a patient prone to developing an infection in the urinary tract. Females are more susceptible than males for developing a UTI. Bacteria (often fecal contaminants) can more easily travel up the urethra in female dogs due to the relatively short urethral length compared to the male. Also, some female dogs have an anatomical abnormality called a “recessed” or “juvenile” vulva, where the vulva is tucked under an excessive fold of skin, creating a perfect environment for organisms to grow. If this is the case, a straightforward surgical procedure called a vulvoplasty can correct the anatomy to remove the excessive tissue and evert the vulva (make it turn outward).

dog ultrasound

In the male dog – especially the intact male – benign prostatic hypertrophy and prostatitis (infection or inflammation of the prostate gland) can make him susceptible to infection. Castration is often recommended for intact male dogs with recurrent urinary tract infections. However, sex and anatomy are not the only conditions that make dogs prone to infection.

Systemic disease and some medications can also predispose your dog to urinary tract infections. Diseases like diabetes, renal disease, Cushing’s disease, and neurologic disorders can cause UTIs. If your dog develops recurrent urinary tract infections, it may be worth investigating further to see there is an underlying predisposing medical condition. Certain medications, such as prednisone or other immunosuppressive medications, can also make a dog prone to urinary tract disease.

UTI Treatment for Dogs

Treatment for first-time urinary tract infections often involves treatment with broad spectrum antibiotics. However, as bacterial resistance becomes more commonplace in veterinary medicine, cultures are being recommended sooner than previously suggested. Checking a urine sample at the end of the course of antibiotics is wise to confirm the infection has resolved.

Following your veterinarian’s recommendations for treatment and finishing the whole course of antibiotics will help prevent against the development of resistant bacteria.

Occasionally, we see a patient with recurrent urinary tract infections. This can be very frustrating for both the dog owner and the veterinarian. Trying to identify and correct the underlying predisposition is the best course of action to prevent future recurrence. However, this is not always possible.

In these cases, supplementation is sometimes recommended. Other things you can do at home include encouraging water consumption by adding water to your dog’s food and allowing more frequent potty breaks to flush out the bladder.

Urinary tract infections, although common, are typically not very serious in nature. That said, they should never be ignored, as sometimes they are a clue to another, more serious underlying problem. Quick recognition on your part will help with a speedy diagnosis and treatment for your dog.

Supplements That Help Prevent UTIs

  • Cranberry and D-Mannose have been shown to inhibit certain bacteria from binding to the bladder wall
  • Probiotics help repopulate the gut and vagina with normal microbial flora
  • A good-quality diet will strengthen the immune system

Lauren Brower Wacholder is an integrative veterinarian at Canyon Animal Hospital in Laguna Beach, California. She practices both conventional and integrative medicine including acupuncture, herbal medicine and cold laser therapy.

Houseguest Etiquette for Dogs

By
Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA
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Those of us who love dogs tend to assume that everyone else in our circle of friends and family does, too. Sadly, that’s not always the case. In fact, even those who do share our passion for canine companions don’t always appreciate the over-enthusiastic attentions of a happy hound, especially when they are trying to enjoy the company of human friends in the comfort of a private home. Whether you are a visitor bringing your own beloved dog with you to someone else’s house, or a host greeting friends at your own front door with your canine family members milling about your feet, here are some tips to help you make sure your dog/human visits go well.

When You Are the Visitor

If you’re headed for a visit to friends or family and you plan to take your dog along, it’s important that you make sure ahead of time that she will be welcome – both now and in the future. Here’s how:

dog on the couch

Ask first!

It might be hard to imagine that any close friends or family members of mine would object to a with-dog visit, but it’s far better not to assume. There could be many valid reasons why your dog(s) might not be welcome, including (but not limited to):

• Lease provisions that prohibit the presence of pets

• Allergies by one or more residents in the home

• A dog in the home who is not dog-friendly

• Dog fears or phobias by one or more residents (human or otherwise) in the home

• Past bad experiences with visiting dogs (yours or others)

If your host-to-be expresses a strong preference to not have your dog visit with you, respect that wish.

Bring a friendly dog.

If you want to take your dog visiting with you, she should be friendly and well socialized. There is no excuse for bringing along an aggressive dog, thereby risking the safety of others as well as that of your own dog. You would feel awful – and would be legally and morally responsible – if your dog bit or mauled someone during your visit. Plus, many dogs who are forced into situations they cannot handle bite defensively and often end up with a “dangerous dog” label and are ultimately euthanized.

Have a clean canine.

A dirty, smelly dog who sheds all over the house is not a great canine ambassador. Make sure your dog is well groomed prior to your visit and be prepared to wipe paws clean before entering the home. If it’s the time of the year when shedding normally happens, or if your dog is a year-round heavy shedder, warn your host in advance, and offer to do fur clean-up duty at the conclusion of your visit before you leave.

Have a pest-free canine.

Fleas and ticks are even worse than a little doggy dirt and hair. Fleas can hop off your dog and infest a house (and other warm-blooded residents) even long after you are gone. Ticks, carriers of several significant zoonotic (transmissible to humans) diseases including Lyme, ehrlichiosis, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, can also drop off your dog and climb onto others – and bite or attach to them.

With today’s very effective flea-control products, there are no excuses for having fleas on your dog. Ticks can hitch a ride on your dog despite tick-preventive products (the products are supposed to kill them within 24 hours before they can transmit disease, but don’t prevent them from climbing aboard), so either avoid tick territory for at least 24 hours prior to visiting others, or do a very thorough check for ticks before you arrive.

Train your dog.

At the very least, your dog should be the graduate of a basic force-free good manners class or equivalent training program, be appropriately friendly and social with other humans and friendly with dogs and any other species that might inhabit your host’s home. Polite greeting behavior is a must. More advanced training is even better!

No house soiling or counter surfing allowed, or chewing on non-chew objects. Even if your dog is allowed on furniture in your own home, when your dog is in someone else’s home, getting on the sofas and other furniture should be by invitation only.

Manage your dog.

If your dog is generally social but isn’t yet solid on all her good-manners behaviors, then management is a must. The umbilical cord method is called for here, with you keeping your dog leashed and at your side to prevent any possible social lapses. Crates and portable exercise pens are options for those moments when you want to take a break from your own dog. The leash also allows you to restrain your dog while you inquire whether others want to interact with her, and gives you real-life opportunities to practice her polite greeting behavior. (See “Your Dog’s Behavior: When to Manage, When to Train“.)

If there are children present in your host’s home, you must supervise interactions between your dog and the young humans 100 percent of the time. Even if you are totally confident your dog is good with children, you never know; a child may not know how to be appropriate with your dog and do something that would cause any dog to snap. You must not only supervise, but also be keenly aware of your dog’s body language and intervene if you see any signs that your dog is less than delighted about the attentions of a child. (See “Listening to Your Dog’s Body Language“.)

dog on a doormat

© Damedeeso | Dreamstime.com

Potty Before Entering

When humans drive to the home of another human for a visit, they usually want to get out of their cars and go to their friends’ front door as quickly as possible, in a rush to greet their friends – although, sometimes the rush is to ask to use the restroom, especially after a long drive. People often forget that their dogs might also have to use the restroom after a drive, and shortly after they enter their friends’ homes, they are upset and dismayed when their ordinarily housetrained dog pees on their friends’ carpet. Whoops!

If you are going to visit a friend’s house with your dog, before approaching your friends’ front door, walk your dog up and down the sidewalk or in the front yard until she goes potty. Or, if she doesn’t do what you suspect she might have to do, keep her on a leash in your friend’s home and take her outside several times; don’t allow her to be loose or unattended in your friend’s home until you are certain she won’t have an accident. You never know; if your friend has a dog whose own housetraining is not perfect, your dog may detect the scent (perhaps undetectable to your nose) of a past “accident” and conclude that pottying indoors is okay. She’s much less likely to do so if she’s already empty.

Be doubly alert if your dog tends to urine-mark (lift his leg). Under the minor stress of visiting a home where other dogs live, he just might feel compelled to mark indoors, or in an outdoor location (such as on the corner of a nice wicker outdoor sofa or on the back porch rail) where your friend won’t appreciate this.

If you are the resident and your dog is prone to submissive urination or urinating in excitement when people arrive, try to take her outside to go potty as close as possible to the arrival time of your visiting friend. It might also be a good idea to bring her outdoors to greet your friend and his dog, so you don’t have to interrupt your greeting to clean up urine in the house.

When You Are the Host

When you are a dog-owning host, you have a different but similar set of responsibilities to ensure that your guests are comfortable with their canine encounters in your home:

Consider your dog’s needs.

You may have a lovely dog who just doesn’t do well with visitors. It will be challenging to fulfill your role as a host if you are constantly worried about your own dog’s behavior. If she will happily and quietly hang out in a bedroom while your guests are present, put her away so you can enjoy the occasion without stress.

Note: Do not crate or otherwise confine your dog where she will be forced to accept attentions of your visitors. A fearful or unsocialized dog who is crated or tethered might feel trapped and is likely to become even more defensively aggressive if confined where visitors will pass closely by, look at or speak to her, or even worse, poke fingers into a crate or attempt to touch her.

Frozen stuffed Kongs or other long-lasting food toys, with your dog crated if necessary to prevent guarding, can help keep her happy and quiet. If your dog won’t deal well with being isolated in another room, consider asking a friend or family member to take her for the duration of your guests’ visit, or board your dog at a well-researched force-free boarding facility. Note: If you put your dog in another room due to possible aggressive behavior, I strongly recommending padlocking the door to prevent accidental entry into the dog room with potential tragic consequences.

Consider your visitors’ needs.

As lovely as your dog may be, you might, on occasion, have visitors who just don’t appreciate canine attention, hair, or saliva. Perhaps your guest has significant allergies, or is very fearful of dogs.

If you don’t already know how they feel, ask your guests ahead of time if they are comfortable with dogs, and respect their wishes. If they have strong negative feelings, even if your dog is quite friendly, make arrangements as above for your dog to be elsewhere during the visit – either enclosed in another room, at a friend’s house, or boarded.

If you’re not willing to accommodate your guests’ needs by restricting your dog’s access, then don’t invite those guests to your home. Perhaps you can meet them at a restaurant for dinner instead.

Exercise your dog well prior to the arrival of guests.

I like to say, “A tired dog is a happy human.” Be sure to leave time during your visitor preparations for a good exercise session with your dog an hour or so before your company arrives. She may still be excited when guests first walk in, but with much of her energy recently expended, she will settle down and relax much more quickly – and so can you.

Orchestrate controlled greetings.

Even those of us who love dogs don’t necessarily enjoy being bowled over by an enthusiastic canine greeter. If you have one of those, you have several options for orchestrating polite greetings at the front door:

• Confine your dog away from the door until your guest is greeted and settled. You can close your dog in another room, crate her, use baby gates to block her access to the front door, or tether her near the door so she can watch the action but not participate until released. If you use baby gates or tethers, you can invite your guest to help with training by giving him treats and asking him to approach your restrained dog and give her a treat when she sits.

• If your dog has learned a default sit for a treat, you can ask your guests to do a “treat and greet.” Keep a waterproof container of non-perishable treats outside your front door, and ask your guest to help himself to several before he enters the house. When he does, coach him to hold the treat near his chest (or whatever body language signals a sit to your dog) and then give your dog a treat when her bottom is securely resting on the floor. Alternatively, you can have him play “Find it!” with your dog by tossing small handfuls of tiny treats on the ground, thereby redirecting your dog’s attention – and her energy – away from himself and toward the floor.

• Here is an alternative for dogs who will default-sit for a toy: Keep a basket of toys outside your front door. Ask your guest to grab a couple of toys on the way in and wait for your dog to sit; as soon as she does, have your guest toss a toy a good distance away. Your dog may run after it and play with it or bring it back to your guest. If she brings it back, he can prompt a sit with the second toy, and then toss that one. The dog will likely drop the first as she runs after the second.

• You can also use high-tech options like the Treat & Train or Pet Tutor. These remote-controlled devices can be used creatively to invite your dog away from the door as your visitors enter.

Train your dog.

Of course, good socialization and training are always your best options. At the very least, your dog should be the graduate of a basic force-free good manners class or equivalent training program, be appropriately friendly and social with other humans (and any other species your guests may be bringing with them). Polite greeting behavior is a must. More advanced training is, of course, even better! A well-trained “go to your place” behavior can be invaluable for helping your guests feel comfortable with your dog’s presence.

dog behind gate

Manage your dog.

As described in the “Visitor” section, if your dog isn’t reliably trained and generally well-behaved, or if you just want a break from dog-supervision duties, then management is a must. Leashes, tethers, baby gates, crates, and closed rooms are all viable management options to help keep things under control when guests are in your home. And, even if your dog is allowed on furniture, be courteous and give your guests the option of not sharing the sofa with your dog if they’d prefer not to do so.

If your visitors are bringing children with them, you must supervise interactions between your dog and the young humans 100 percent of the time, even if you are totally confident your dog is good with children. You must not only supervise, but also be keenly aware of your dog’s body language and intervene if you see any signs that your dog is less than delighted about the attentions of a child. Err on the side of caution.

And finally, do not rely on your guests to do the supervising. They don’t know your dog and may not be skilled at reading and understanding her body language signals of stress or discomfort.

dog on a walk

Fair Warning

Don’t take your friend’s dog’s training for granted. Perhaps your dog has been trained to never run out of your front door without explicit permission, but a door left open just for a few moments (say, to fetch more groceries from the car) might be the beginning of a tragic lost-dog saga if your friend’s dog lacks this training skill. Your cat or parrot might be safe from your dog, but can lose their lives in a matter of moments if your friend’s dog is more predatory and your unsuspecting pets were in harm’s way.
Though it’s hard to anticipate every potential tragedy that can occur with dogs in new places, alert your friend to the most likely dangers to her dog or to your family members. Let her know if your yard is not securely fenced, for example, or where your chicken or rabbit pen is located.

Keep in mind that a portable exercise pen is a terrific management tool that can be deployed to prevent lots of disasters. If your friend’s dog is a door-darter, you can set up a pen in an “air-lock” arrangement, so she can’t escape if the door is left open by accident, or so someone who is not savvy about the door-darter’s techniques can’t accidentally let her escape. You can also use an exercise pen to create a larger safe zone for your bird’s cage or your elderly cat’s food bowls and litter box.

We, the Dog Lovers

It really is incumbent on those of us who love dogs to make sure that others have good experiences with our canine companions, whether they are guests in our homes, or we are guests in theirs. Regardless of the circumstances, and regardless of your dog’s training and socialization, wherever you are you must always be on the alert for signs that your dog is stressed and needs a break, or that others are uncomfortable with her presence and you need to give them a break. Without that, our dogs will continue to find themselves less welcome and less appreciated by the rest of the world.

In contrast, though, every good canine ambassador will help open doors for dogs in the world, rather than closing them.

Author Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT‑KA, is WDJ’s Training Editor. She and her husband Paul live in Fairplay, Maryland, site of her Peaceable Paws training center. Miller is also the author of many books on positive training. Her newest is Beware of the Dog: Positive Solutions for Aggressive Behavior in Dogs.

Free-Ranging Dogs Give Us Insight on Canine Protein Preferences

By
Linda P. Case, MS
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Anyone who lives with dogs is aware that dogs are almost universally attracted to meaty foods and treats. Trainers use these preferences to select different levels of “treat value” for dogs and almost invariably, the treats that are of highest value to a dog are those that have a meaty texture, smell, and (we assume) taste.

It is also true that most dogs are highly attracted to and readily consume high-protein diets that include cooked, extruded, or raw meat of various types.

Are these preferences a vestige of the dog’s predatory past? If so, are such preferences something that dogs are born with, or is there a strong influence of learning and environment on our dogs’ apparent taste for meat?

A recent set of experiments conducted by researchers who study free-ranging dogs in India asked these questions and provide us with some new information.

mumbai street dogs

Aditi Joshi

Street Dog Diet Studies

Free-ranging dogs exist in numerous countries around the world, including Mexico, Italy, Nepal, Japan, many African countries, and India. They survive almost entirely by scavenging and occasionally augment their diet by begging and hunting small animals.

In India, the history of free-ranging dogs is well-documented, extending back to the 9th century BC and representing more than 1,000 generations of dogs.

Indian free-ranging dogs consume a diet that is rich in carbohydrate (biscuits, bread, and rice) and relatively low in protein. The protein that is consumed is in the form of scraps of meat or fish adhering to bones, decomposing meat, and carcass remains.

Domestic dogs are better adapted to scavenging and a diet that is higher in carbohydrate foods than were their wolf-like ancestors because of changes in foraging behavior (increased scavenging/decreased pack hunting) and an enhanced ability to digest starch (increased copies of the gene AMY2B, the gene that codes for pancreatic amylase; for more about this, see “Dogs and Carbs: It’s Complicated“).

However, just because dogs can consume and digest diets that contain a high proportion of carbohydrate (starches), it does not necessarily follow that they prefer such diets or that it is the healthiest or best way to feed them.

Although the study of these free-ranging dogs could shed light on many interesting questions, the two that the Indian researchers attempted to answer were: “Do dogs have a strong preference for meat in their diet?”  and, “If so, is such a preference innate (are puppies are born with this preference) or is it reliant upon or strongly influenced by learning?” 

In the first study, the researchers offered 30 free-ranging dogs a variety of food choices in four separate experiments:

• In the first, dogs chose between bread, bread soaked in water, and bread soaked in chicken broth.

• The dogs selected between bread, bread soaked in gravy, and cooked chicken in the second experiment.

• The third offered the dogs choices between dry dog kibble or bread soaked in varying concentrations of chicken broth.

• The final experiment offered the dogs varying combinations of bread and dog food kibble, soaked with different concentrations of chicken broth.

The purpose of this final set of choices was to separate the factors of meat smell from nutrient (protein) content, because dogs have been previously shown to be capable of self-selecting a diet according to its macronutrient (protein/fat/carbohydrate) content.

mumbai street dogs

Mumbai

Street Dog Study Results

The following preferences were found in the adult, free-ranging dogs:

Meat (smell) beats carbs. The dogs consistently chose bread soaked in chicken broth over dry bread or bread soaked in water, even though chicken broth contains only a small amount of actual protein. When allowed to choose only visually, they selected chicken meat over chicken-soaked bread or dry bread.

Smell beats all. When the dogs were offered kibble (high protein food) or bread (low protein food) soaked with varying concentrations of chicken broth, they consumed all of the foods equally, showing no absolute preference in terms of the quantity that was consumed.

However, the order of selection depended completely upon how much chicken broth was soaking the food, regardless of its nutrient content. In other words, the dogs chose according to smell, not in accordance with the actual amount of meat protein present in the food.

Rule of thumb: Choose the food that smells the most intensely of meat first. The cumulative results of the four experiments support the existence of the above rule of thumb for food choice. This means that the dogs preferred foods that smelled of meat (but that were not necessarily good sources of protein) over those that smelled less meaty, even when the less meaty-smelling foods actually contained more meat ingredients and a higher protein content.

This of course, makes sense, since in nature, a stronger meat smell is highly correlated with high meat and protein content and invariably predicts higher meat quantity. This relationship only becomes skewed when clever experimenters enter the picture and mess with it.

The authors concluded that while domestic dogs have adapted a scavenging lifestyle, they appear to have done so without giving up a strong preference for meat. They suggest that while the domestic dog has indeed evolved to more efficiently digest carbohydrate and exist on a carbohydrate-rich scavenged diet, they continue to be strongly attracted to the smell of meat and preferentially select meaty-smelling foods. (Not surprising at all to most dog owners; but again, good to have science backing up experiences and beliefs).

But wait, they’re not finished. The same researchers then asked, “Are domestic dogs born with a preference for meat, or is it a learned trait?”

The researchers conducted the same series of the experiments described above with the puppies of free-ranging dogs. The puppies were 8 to 10 weeks of age at the time of testing. Using a clever design, they found that:

Puppies do not discriminate. Unlike the adult dogs, puppies near weaning age showed no clear preference for foods that smelled strongly of meat and chose each food selection equally, regardless of how intensely the food smelled of meat.

Dogs use a sniff and snatch strategy. While the adult dogs tended to first smell and inspect all available food choices before choosing and consuming one, puppies did not show this behavior. Rather, they would smell a food, eat it, and then move to the next food, showing little to no preference. The vast majority (89 percent) of choices made by puppies followed this behavior pattern.

The authors speculate that because puppies consume a protein-rich diet in the form of their mother’s milk, there is little selective pressure for an innate selection bias toward the smell of meat.

It is only after weaning, when pups begin to scavenge, that preferentially selecting foods that smell like meat (and are correlated with a high protein content) becomes important. They suggest that, as has been shown in a number of other species, puppies learn their food selection preferences from the mother (i.e., cultural transmission of knowledge) and then as they mature and begin to scavenge, operantly.

Take-Away for People with Pet Dogs

The first study’s results with adult, free-ranging dogs tell us that the dogs in this set of experiments were selecting foods based primarily on smell rather than an ability to discern actual meat content. The adult dogs were operating under the (pretty efficient) rule of “If it smells like meat, eat it.” (We all know and love dogs who do this!)

This strategy is probably strongly selected for in environments where resources are limited, there are few energy- and protein-dense foods available, and competition between dogs is high. This is not really a surprising result – except for the fact that the authors found that the scent of meat was more important than the food’s actual meat (or protein) content.

Newly weaned puppies, in contrast, lack this choice bias and appear to learn to choose “meaty” foods after weaning, either from the food choices of their mother, operantly, or most likely, a combination of the two.

mumbai street dogs

India

So, what does this tell us about feeding our own dogs? These results suggest that while dogs are predisposed to enjoy the taste of meat ingredients and clearly prefer these foods, puppies do not appear to be born with an attraction to the smell of meat per se; these preferences are influenced by learning early in life.

On a practical level, these data, along with those of earlier studies of taste preferences in dogs, tell us that the foods that are offered to a puppy at a young age should be expected to strongly influence the pup’s food and taste preferences as an adult dog.

An Advocate for “Streeties” in Mumbai 

The photos we used to accompany this article were taken by Aditi Joshi, a street-dog advocate who lives in Mumbai, India, a city that is home to an estimated 250,000 street dogs. Several government agencies and NGOs are involved in vaccination and sterilization programs, as well as treating severely injured and ill street dogs, but they do not address everyday caregiving. There are adoption programs aimed at finding homes for these dogs, but the vast majority of dogs in the city continue to live as street dogs.

By last count, Aditi’s neighborhood is home to 76 “streeties,” as the dogs are affectionately called. Over the years, Aditi has worked to build a culture of stewardship that views the streeties as companions for which the community shares responsibility, thus helping to bridge the gap in the care they receive. She has built a loose network of people in her neighborhood – residents, shop owners, street vendors, domestic workers, garbage collectors, delivery personnel, dog walkers, and doctors – who assist in caring for these resident dogs in varying capacities. Through this network, she coordinates preventative health care (vaccinations and sterilization), provision of shelter and food, grooming, and emergency care in the case of injury or illness, both on site and in her home.

“When cared for, these healthy, settled dogs are the best buffer for minimizing human-animal conflicts and maintaining public health,” Aditi says. “This is also integral to keeping pet dogs in the community healthy, disease-free, and safe.”

Aditi’s biggest challenge is building positive human-animal relationships in a context where many people still fear and misunderstand street animals. Her current goal is to create a sustainable and scalable program to teach people about safely interacting with dogs, and to teach street dogs skills that would smooth their integration into human environments.

To help achieve that goal, Aditi is currently enrolled in the prestigious Academy for Dog Trainers (founded and led by Jean Donaldson) and is working on the development of curriculum for her street-dog education program. If you’d like to see a video about how Aditi trains street dogs, or to help support Aditi’s work for street dogs in Mumbai, see her GoFundMe page.

Cited Studies

1. Bhadra A, Bhattacharjee D, Paul M and Ghadra A. “The meat of the matter: A thumb rule for scavenging dogs.” Ethology, Ecology and Evolution 2016; 28:427-440.
2. Bhadra A and Bhadra A. “Preference for meat is not innate in dogs.” Journal of Ethology 2014; 32:15-22.
3. Hewson-Hughes AK, Hewson-Hughes VL, Colyer A, Miller AT, McGrane SJ, et al. “Geometric analysis of macronutrient selection in breeds of the domestic dog, Canis lupus familiaris.” Behavioral Ecology 2012; 24:293-304.
4. Roberts MT, Bermingham EN, Cave NJ, Young W, McKenzie CM and Thomas DG. “Macronutrient intake of dogs, self-selecting diets varying in composition offered ad libitum.” Journal of Animal Physiology and Nutrition; 102:568-575.

Linda P. Case is the owner of AutumnGold Consulting & Dog Training Center in Mahomet, Illinois. Linda is the author of Dog Food Logic, has a new book, Dog Smart, and writes The Science Dog blog.

The Trail Runner System: Whole Dog Journal’s Review

By
Nancy Kerns
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First, a confession: I do not walk my dogs on leash very often. I’m fortunate to live in a rural area with lots of open space and trails and not very many people. I rarely see another person when I’m out with my dogs.

But when I foster dogs who do not yet have reliable recalls, or I travel down to the San Francisco Bay to visit friends and we take our dogs for hikes in that area’s popular parks and on crowded trails, having a hands-free leash is a gift. Such a product allows you to walk or run with a natural arm and shoulder motion – something that is perhaps most appreciated by older athletes who exercise through the aches of age and former injuries – while maintaining control of your dog. You can even drink from the water bottle, take photos with your cell phone, or pick up dog poop without losing control of your dog or getting tangled in the leash.

Until recently, however, I hadn’t seen a hands-free leash-attachment product that was well-made, comfortable, convenient, and secure. But now there’s one I can recommend!

Ruffwear’s Trail Runner System

The Trail Runner System is comprised of a wide, lightly padded, adjustable belt that is fastened (with a wide plastic side-release buckle) in the front. (The belt fits waist sizes from 25 to 45 inches.) To secure the leash to the belt, you thread a separate strap through the hand loop in the end of a leash, and fasten it with a plastic cam buckle. The cam buckle is a safety feature; this type of fastener is secure, but in case of emergency, it releases instantaneously if the end of the strap is pulled backward across the buckle.

All the competing products I’ve seen employ a D-ring sewn onto the belt to connect your leash to the belt; you either use a snap or loop the leash through the D-ring. On some products, it’s clear that it wouldn’t take much pulling to rip the D-ring off the belt and release the dog. In contrast, both ends of the leash-attachment strap are well-sewn onto the belt of the Trail Runner.

ruffwear trail runner system

Ruffwear

The advantage of this strap versus a fixed D-ring is that the leash can slide from side to side across the front of the wearer’s body, helping prevent tangles and enabling the dog to be positioned on whichever side of the wearer that is preferred.

Though any leash can be used, Ruffwear’s Ridgeline Leash is included. This leash uses Ruffwear’s “Wavelength stretch webbing,” which is not made of fabric-covered rubber bands as in some stretchy leashes, but made of a unique woven elastic webbing. When relaxed, the leash is conveniently short (2.5 feet), but can be stretched to 4.25 feet to provide shock-absorption if your dog suddenly pulls ahead or one of you trips. (The Ridgeline Leash is also sold separately in a 3.3- to 5.9-foot length.)

Other Features

The Trail Runner has a few other features that add to its utility, but not so many as to make the product unwieldy. There is a zipped pocket that can hold even a long cellphone, with an opening for an ear-bud cord; inside the pocket is a sewn-in clip for a key-ring. A small stretch-mesh pocket holds a roll of poop bags.

Also included is a 21-ounce water bottle with a push/pull lid, which nestles securely in an angled holster on the back of the belt. The position and design keeps the bottle from bouncing on the wearer’s body, which can bruise and cause fatigue. These features actually make the Trail Runner useful on walks even if you don’t fasten your dog’s leash to it!

Are you looking for a great harness to attach the Trail Runner to? We reviewed the best.

Raised Right

By
Nancy Kerns
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About half of the litter of nine puppies that I have been fostering for my local shelter got altered and adopted this week; the other half are scheduled for surgery next week. I’m sure they are going to get adopted within a day or two; they are adorable, friendly, confident little things – right up there in the top three of the most charming litters of puppies I’ve fostered.

whole dog journal editor nancy kerns

Well, that begs the question: How many litters has that been? I’ve lost track. I’ll have to go through my cloud storage and look at the past few years’ worth of photos. I lose
countless hours trying to get good photos and video of all the pups.

Some of the most entertaining video footage I get every time I foster results from taping my one and only “foster failure,” Woody, as he plays with the foster puppies. Most of you must know the expression; it means I was supposed to only foster him and his eight siblings, but I “failed” by keeping one (him). When I count how many puppies I have fostered, I will have to run a separate tally for how many he has helped me with.

I posted a video of Woody playing with this batch of puppies on WDJ’s Facebook
and Instagram, and bragged what a good puppy-raiser he is – the best! One of my best
friends commented, “But what about Maebe?”

Ah, yes. Woody is the puppy-raising expert he is thanks to Maebe, the young adult Black and Tan Coonhound who helped raise him. About two and a half years ago, I was fostering Maebe for my local shelter when they called to ask if I could also take in a litter of nine three-week-old, pit-mix puppies. Maebe had been living with me for a month or two at the time; she was an extremely active, curious dog with a little bit of separation anxiety that was making it difficult to find her a home. She enjoyed helping entertain the puppies as they grew, offering them toys and then snatching them away, trying to bait the pack of puppies into chasing her.

I ended up falling hard for one of those pups – Woody – so Maebe got to raise him for a couple more months. She was brilliant with him: endlessly playful, kind, and generous.
They ate from the same bowls, chewed on the same bones, and slept draped all over each other. The whole time, I was training and promoting her. At last she found a home after the American Black and Tan Coonhound Rescue group posted a courtesy listing for me. Maebe was flown to southern California by a volunteer pilot from Pilots N Paws and picked up there by her new owner, who lives in Arizona.

Maebe’s owner and I have become fast friends through social media. I love seeing photos of them in Arizona – and was happy that Maebe’s owner got to see Maebe getting credit for Woody’s puppy-raising prowess! Best, she got a great dog, I got a great dog, and Woody gets to keep raising good dogs, too.

Download the Full August 2018 Issue PDF

By
Nancy Kerns
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  • Urinary Tract Infections
  • Good Petiquette
  • The Meat Of the Matter
  • Trail Runner System
  • I Can't Eat Another Bite!
  • Food In The Fridge
  • Cloudy With A Chance Of Blindness
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The Dogs We Love: Too Little Time Together

By
Nancy Kerns
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Social media has been an incredible tool for us dog owners. We can share photos, videos, and stories about our beloved companions, and our friends and relatives and even casual acquaintances can get to know our dogs – laughing at their cute or funny antics, commiserating with us over canine behavior we find problematic, or just smiling in recognition of those tiny moments that “dog people” savor: from the quizzical puppy head tilts to the senior dogs sleeping deeply, peacefully entwined with one another.

dog on lawn chair
Mike and Linda Cases, dog, Chip

But sometimes, our involvement with each other’s dogs means we also feel each other’s pain at the loss of a special canine friend. And if you’ve ever lost a “heart dog” of your own – and who among us haven’t? – the story of a friend’s dog’s death can hit you hard, bringing up echoes of your own canine loss or losses. You know exactly how your friends feel – bereft, hollow, aching – and all you can do is try to say something to let them know you are sorry for their pain.

collie holding a bone
Sarah Richardson’s Aussie, Rhodie

It’s been said before, but every time I have experienced the loss of one of my dogs, or have witnessed someone else’s, I think to myself: That this is the price of all that love we have for our dogs, and all the love and joy we’ve received from our dogs. If it seems too much to bear, well, remember that the amount of pain we are going to feel is directly related to the love. Those “heart dogs” – the companions we love as much as life itself? Well, their loss is going to hurt the most, the deepest, and the longest. Keep it in mind as you hurt; this is the price of all the happiness we had together.

dog looking at camera
Paul and Pat Miller’s dog, Bonnie

It’s easy to forget as we are enjoying our canine partners, playing, working, swimming, training, sleeping, and eating together. But, given our lifespans and their all-too-short ones, in the back of our minds we know that the price will have to be paid in our lifetimes. It’s a steep price – but also worth the pain.

To all my friends who have lost their beloveds, recently, and in the past year:

Lisa and Brad Waggoner, who just recently lost young Willow

walking a dog
Brad and Lisa Waggoner’s Aussie, Willow

Sarah Richardson, on the loss of Rhodie

Pat and Paul Miller, on the loss of their Bonnie

Linda and Mike Case, who lost their senior dog Chip

Nancy Tucker and her husband Tom, on the loss of Chili

chili the dog
Tom and Nancy Tucker’s dog, Chili

 

Dealing with Dogs on the 4th of July

By
Nancy Kerns
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One of my girlfriends called me on Monday, asking if she could come up with her dog and visit for a few days, to escape the barrage of fireworks in her Bay area town. She has a sort of high-strung German Wire-Haired Pointer (is that redundant?) and the seven-year-old dog was already a mess, shaking and panting, from the fireworks he had been hearing.

I said sure, because I would love to see her, but warned her that it might not be much better here in my rural northern state town. But I didn’t emphasize this too hard, because I thought a visit with her would be lovely. Also, in my office/house where she would be staying, there is an enormous old whole-house fan that is so loud, it would surely drown out the racket outside while cooling things off.

She arrived Tuesday, and we had fun hanging out. There were some intermittent fireworks cracking in town on Tuesday evening, and both Luke (her dog) and my senior dog Otto handled it about the same; if they heard the POP or BANG of some firework somewhere, they would turn their heads sharply, stop breathing for a moment, and then pant and shake for a minute or two. We were able to keep distracting them and, with the house fan and the TV volume on high, got through the night.

Neither Woody nor my tenant’s dog (whom I’m caring for during the week, since her owner will be away weekdays at his summer job at a summer camp) nor the last of the puppies (six) that I’ve been fostering, even seemed to notice. So the household count was eight calm dogs and two nervous ones. I thought we might make it through the Fourth unscathed.

nail aversion on dog toe

On Wednesday morning I left Otto and Woody at my house, and drove to my office/house where my friend was sleeping in with her dog (she likes staying there, rather than my house, as she sometimes has trouble sleeping, and when she stays in the house with no one else in it, she is more comfortable getting up and watching TV or something if she can’t sleep). I fed my tenant’s dog and the puppies, and let them run around the yard to play, before returning to my house to start preparing to have some family come over for lunch (my sister-in-law and niece, who live an hour away, and my sister-in-law’s mom, who is visiting from France.) When I got home, I started busying myself with neatening things up and finding extra chairs, etc. I noticed that Woody was snoozing on the big bed in the living room. I thought, “Wow, he’s really growing up! All that activity yesterday must have worn him out, and he’s napping!”

Wrong!

When my sister and her husband arrived, in advance of my other guests, Woody jumped up to greet them; he loves them! But when he was greeting them with excitement, it was then obvious that he was frisking about on three legs; he wouldn’t set one hind leg on the ground! My sister said, “Oh my goodness! What’s wrong with Woody?!” and I, idiotically, was like, “I have no idea!”

Fortunately, it wasn’t anything too serious… but I felt it necessitated at trip to the ER anyway (after lunch, after my guests left). Somehow (no clue how), in the hour I had been gone, Woody had ripped one of his toenails nearly all the way off (nail avulsion). The nail itself was cocked at a horrible upward angle, with the bloody, sensitive core of the nail exposed and obviously causing poor Woody tremendous pain every time he let that paw touch the ground.

I have had dogs do this before, but almost always when their nails were too long and it was always in a front paw. I don’t have any idea of how he did this in a rear paw, middle toe. He sure is special!

Once again, I’m fortunate to have good pet insurance – with a dog like Woody, I can’t imagine not having it – and a good 24-hour veterinary clinic about a half-hour away.  I left Otto home with my husband, and my friend and I got into the car with Woody and her GWP, and drove to the clinic. She generously was going to keep me company while we waited for treatment, and we hadn’t wanted to leave her dog home alone with the fireworks still being set off in town intermittently.

It was about 4 p.m. when we got there – and we were greeted by an unusual sight: an employee of the clinic, putting up a sign in the middle of the driveway entrance to the clinic. The sign read, “No parking except for veterinary clients.” It took me just a second to remember that the clinic’s back border is the city fairgrounds – where that town’s annual fireworks show is held. I started laughing. “Well, if we don’t get out of here by the time the fireworks start, at least they can sedate Luke for us!”

As with any veterinary ER on a holiday, the clinic was busy. We waited about two hours to see a vet, but fortunately she made short work of Woody’s nail. She administered a local anesthetic,  clipped away (or pulled off, I didn’t see) the hanging nail, thoroughly cleaned the whole area, and bandaged it all up. We were sent home with antibiotics and some pain relief (the ubiquitous carprofen) and on the way home by 7.

Back in my smaller town, it was sounding like the Civil War. As I hurried around, feeding and cleaning up after the foster pups, my friend’s dog started going into his full-blown panic state. My friend was prepared with a veterinarian-prescribed dose of alprazolam (Xanax), and she gave him his first dose then. (The blood levels of the drug take about two hours to peak, and start to wear off in about four hours, so he needed one more dose to get through the night.) Woody was resting on the couch, obviously having experienced some relief from the procedure at the vet, and oblivious to the fireworks sounds, still audible behind the sound of the house fan and the TV.

sleeping dogs

By about 8 p.m., I was ready to go home and see how my own fireworks-phobic dog was making out, but as I prepared to leave, my friend’s dog kept pasting himself to my side.  It was odd, because he usually doesn’t particularly seek me out for affection; he’s sort of intimidated by me, usually. But my friend was starting to get anxious about his anxiety, and I think that was making him more anxious! “Alright, you two,” I said. “Let’s all go home and stay at my house tonight.”

The rest of the evening, fortunately, was uneventful. A little wine for my friend and me, a little more Xanax for Luke, rest on the couch for Woody, a little pacing and comfort for Otto, and we finally all got to sleep. Thank goodness for modern medicine, and for pet insurance.

How did you all make out?

DNA Tests for Dogs: Fun, Interesting, but Probably Not Worth the Money

By
Nancy Kerns
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0

In the July issue of Whole Dog Journal, we have an article (“Dog DNA Tests: Mixed Results“) about the mixed-breed dog DNA tests that are available to dog owners for a fairly hefty price.

I have ordered a few of these tests over the years, gathering information about how they work and whether they appear to be all that helpful in identifying the breeds that have gone into a given mixed-breed dog.

In the above-referenced article, I shared the results from the tests I have ordered for my 10-year-old mixed-breed dog, Otto, over the years. All I can say about the results from the two most respected companies is that they mostly jibe with each other – and that both companies explain that dogs may not look anything like the breeds whose genes they contain!

whole dog journal woody

We didn’t have room in the article to share the results of the tests I’ve had done on Woody, my younger dog. One can see that Woody clearly has some sort of bully breed or breeds in his lineage. In my experience, none of the companies are all that good about sussing out one bully breed from another. I can’t say I blame them; neither am I. 

Here are Woody’s results from the two most reputable companies that provide these tests:

Wisdom Panel results (2016)

50.0% American Staffordshire Terrier

50.0% Labrador Retriever

whole dog journal woody

This is interesting: Both Wisdom Panel and Embark say they will occasionally update your results, so you should log in to their site from time to time. When we most recently checked Woody’s Wisdom Panel profile, we saw his results had been changed. Now Wisdom Panel says he is:

62.5% American Staffordshire Terrier

25.0% Labrador Retriever

12.5% (mixed)

Woody! Where has all your Labrador gone?

Embark results (2018)

40.8% American Pit Bull Terrier

30.3% Labrador Retriever

19.9% American Staffordshire Terrier

9.0% Olde English Bulldogge

Are there any bully breed experts who care to explain the possible differences between these results, as well as the mix of breeds reported by Embark?

The funniest results came from a much smaller company – one that returned some very silly results on Otto, too.

whole dog journal woody

DNA My Dog results (2016)

Staffordshire Bull Terrier (Level 2, i.e., between 37%-74%)

America Staffordshire Terrier (Level 3, i.e., between 20%-36%)

Pembroke Welsh Corgi (Level 4, i.e., between 10%-20%)

Pug (Level 4)

Given both his looks and the fact that Woody stands 24 inches at the withers and weighs 70 pounds soaking wet…I am not sure I can find any room in my heart to buy the idea that he has ANY Corgi or Pug genes.

Want my honest take on these tests? The results from the larger, more reputable companies are fun and interesting, but tend to either confirm that a dog is mostly what he looks like he is, or bring up a breed that one hadn’t considered before because the dog doesn’t look anything like that (like Otto containing either 12.5% % American Staffordshire Terrier [according to Wisdom  Panel] or 21.3% American Pit Bull Terrier  [according to Embark]- REALLY?).  I can’t honestly say the answers are all that satisfying, either way.

whole dog journal otto

5 Reasons to Feed Raw Honey to Your Dog

By
Nancy Kerns
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28
honey for dogs to increase energy
© Ksuksa | Dreamstime.com

1. Local Raw Honey Relieves Dogs’ Skin Allergies

Medical research supports the use of local honey for dogs to combat their environmental allergies. Note that we said local honey. A local product contains tiny amounts of the pollen in your area, so that when your dog ingests the honey, his body can adjust to the potential allergens gradually, which should help prevent a full-blown attack. Hint: Be sure you’re dealing with an environmental allergic reaction. Itching, scratching, and hot spots can also indicate a food allergy. See “Suspect Your Itchy Dog Has a Food Allergy?” for more info.

honey for puppy skin allergies
© Willeecole | Dreamstime.com

2. Raw Honey Helps Dogs with Kennel Cough

Honey is a time-honored solution for soothing irritated throats and coughs. For kennel cough, you can use local honey, but Manuka honey for dogs with kennel cough may be your best choice. Made by bees pollinating the Manuka trees in New Zealand and parts of Australia, Manuka honey has the highest antibacterial properties of any honey in the world. It’s also the highest-priced honey in the world, and may cost three or four times what you might pay for local honey.

honey for dog coughs
© Ankevanwyk | Dreamstime.com

3. Raw Honey Heals Minor Topical Wounds

Manuka honey is also a top choice for a natural wound dressing. In fact, Manuka honey is FDA-approved for use on human burn patients. But any raw honey will help keep the wound area clean and moist, which promotes healing. Honey’s natural antibacterial properties reduce the chance of infection and protect the injured area. After cleaning the wound, spread on a thick coat of honey and then apply a light bandage, if necessary. Of course, you may have to also use an Elizabethan collar or similar device to stop your dog from licking the area! Note: Deep, wide or puncture wounds should always be examined by a veterinarian before applying any medicine. See “How to Treat Dog Wounds” for more on this.

dog with wound
© Innaastakhova | Dreamstime.com

4. Raw Honey Reduces Gastrointestinal Upset in Dogs

Honey can be jelpful for a dog’s upset stomach or diarrhea that might come from something simple, such as your dog feasting on fresh grass, a couple of doses of honey may help quiet and soothe his GI tract. Some veterinarians suggest honey for dogs to help control minor stomach ulcers, since honey’s natural antibacterial properties can help destroy bacteria that may be causing the ulcer. Again, you need to be certain about what you’re dealing with, so seeking veterinary advice in these situations is wise.

dog eating honey

5. Honey Can Give Dogs More Energy

Honey is a sugar, and sugar boosts energy. Anecdotal evidence shows that honey helps many older dogs regain some of their former spunk and drive. Many owners of canine athletes use honey to promote energy, endurance and vitality.

The 10th Adoptaversary of My Dog, Otto

By
Nancy Kerns
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0
Otto on the day I adopted him, approximately 7 months old.

Above my desk, I have a five-foot by four-foot poster*, mounted on hard foam-core, featuring a fantastic photo of my dog Otto along with his name and his adoption date on the poster: June 16, 2008.

And yet, when I received a card in the mail earlier this week from a work colleague, someone who works on WDJ’s website and marketing team from our publisher’s headquarters in Norwalk, Connecticut, wishing Otto a happy 10th “Adoptaversary,” I was flummoxed for a minute. Oh my goodness! Did I actually miss the opportunity to celebrate the TENTH anniversary of the date I adopted my beloved Otto?? And how did my colleague remember when I did not? (I asked! The answer was, in a blog post about vaccinations some weeks ago, I mentioned Otto’s date of adoption, as it related to how long it has been since he has been vaccinated . . . and she actually took note of that date! And found a card that specifically mentioned the 10th “Adoptaversary” of a dog!! And sent it to me on time!)

otto from whole dog journal

The fact is, while I have definitely been counting the years that I have shared with Otto, I don’t think I have ever celebrated his “gotcha” date (as other dog owners I know call it). And that’s a shame, since I don’t celebrate his birthday (estimated to be sometime in November), either. And I treasure our time together; I really should be celebrating this date every year – and I’m putting it on my Google calendar so I won’t miss it next year. My sincere thanks to my colleague for the card and the nudge! What’s WRONG with me??

Do you celebrate the date that you adopted your dog? Or his or her birthday, if you know it?

* I got the poster from a chain of California-based pet supply stores, Pet Food Express. They have something called their “My Mutt Program,” whereby a person can send them proof that they have made a donation of $250 or more to a shelter or nonprofit animal rescue group, and Pet Food Express will send a professional photographer to take a photo of their pet, have a huge poster made, and hang it in the Pet Food Express store of their choice for about six months… And after the poster hangs in the store for a while, it will be taken down and the pet owner gets the poster to keep. Check out the link. It’s an absolutely great program that encourages more donations to needy shelters and rescues, and provides owners with stunning art of their pets. And it makes a great gift! You can make a donation to your local shelter in a friend’s name and let THEM receive the photography session and poster.

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