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Heart of the Matter

By
Denise Flaim
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0

dogs exposed to mosquitoes

Heartworms might more accurately be called heart-and-lung-worms; these life-threatening parasites are almost as frequently found in the lungs of infected dogs as their hearts. But perhaps the term also references the owners of infected dogs, because when we learn our beloved dog has been diagnosed with these horrid parasites, our hearts are very much affected, if only figuratively. Treatment for heartworm can be risky, expensive, and inconvenient – altogether, quite a source of fear and anxiety for dog owners. The more information you have before initiating treatment, though, the better you will be able to support your dog through the process.  
Jennifer Dodge of Wichita, Kansas, knows that fearful, anxious feeling all too well. In 2010, she rescued Holly, who had been living on the streets for three years after her owners abandoned her. Wary of strangers and covered with mange, Holly was underweight and had a disturbingly deep cough.

When Holly’s heartworm test came back positive, Dodge was devastated. “I had never been through this before,” she remembers. “And I thought, ‘I just lost this poor dog.'”
After canvassing the Internet for as much information as she could find, Dodge started a Facebook page called Heartworm Survivor, where other owners of dogs who had gone through treatment for a heartworm infection could share their experiences and resources. Most people who post there have specific questions about heartworm treatment and potential alternatives. Most significantly, people who come to the page want reassurance that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Heartworm experts stress that when it comes to this disease, prevention is the best defense, because no treatment is without risk. But for those who are weighing the pros and cons of different treatment options, it is comforting to know that the choices have gotten better than they used to be.

How Heartworm Spreads

According to Dr. Stephen Jones of the American Heartworm Association, at least 1 million American dogs are infected with heartworm at any given time.

Heartworms are transmitted by mosquitos. When a mosquito bites and drinks the blood of a heartworm-infected animal (host species include dogs, coyotes, foxes, wolves, and ferrets), it also inadvertently consumes microscopic larvae. These larvae, called microfilariae, are little more than fertilized eggs that are produced by adult female heartworms after mating with adult male heartworms. The microfilariae circulate in the host animal’s blood, but can’t develop into adults in that host; they can develop further only in the digestive tract of a mosquito. It takes about two weeks of camping out in the mosquito that consumed them for the microfilariae to develop into their next life-form: infective larvae.

Once they have reached this stage, the larvae can abandon their mosquito host when it bites another animal, swimming out in the mosquito’s saliva. Once they have been deposited under the skin of their new and final mammal host, they develop into their next life stages. First, they transform into larvae that burrow through the animal’s muscle tissue toward the major blood vessels, a journey that takes about 45 to 60 days. Once there, the larvae develop into immature worms, and make their way through the circulatory system to the major pulmonary arteries. There they continue to mature and grow, reaching reproductive adulthood in about six to seven months.

The heartworm tests used in most veterinary practices detect hormones produced by adult female heartworms. This means it’s possible for a dog whose test is “negative” to be infected; if the dog was infected with larvae less than seven months prior to the test, his heartworms won’t be mature enough to produce the adult female hormones that the test is designed to detect. It’s also possible (though not common) for a dog to be infected with only male worms, who won’t, of course, produce those female hormones that the test looks for.  

“There are probably more false negatives than we realize,” says Dr. Jones, noting that some dogs carry antibodies to the antigen used in the heartworm test: Though these dogs may indeed be infected, their results will come back as clear. “There are ongoing studies now looking at shelter pets who have negative tests,” he says, “and they are finding a large percent of those samples are actually positive.”

Geography has always been a key indicator in heartworm prevalence: Those parts of the country where mild temperatures mean an extended, if not perpetual, mosquito season, such as the Gulf Coast, the South, and Hawaii, have long had endemic heartworm problems.

But increasingly, says Dr. Jones – who practices in Moncks Corner, South Carolina, itself a high-risk state for heartworm infestation – the disease has pushed out from those historic boundaries.

“Follow the Mississippi River up through Ohio, go to a big city like Chicago and other parts of the country that you might think would be too cold, and there are practices there seeing 100 cases of heartworm a year,” he says. And in locales where the disease is endemic, increased exposure raises the worm load that a dog might be carrying.
In addition to climate, sociodemographics can play a role in the spread of heartworm: Communities whose residents cannot afford monthly heartworm prevention often have reservoirs of infected dogs. Since wild canids can harbor the disease, growing populations in increasing proximity to human residences – in particular, the coyote boom – mean greater risk, too.

Arsenic as a Heartworm Treatment

Arsenic, that old favorite of surreptitious murderers in mystery novels, is the treatment of choice for heartworms, too. Today, veterinary medicine uses an analog of the notoriously poisonous metalloid: melarsomine dihydrochloride, sold under the brand name Immiticide, which was introduced to the market in 1995.

Compared to Caparsolate, the only other drug that has ever been approved to kill adult heartworms, Immiticide is a vast improvement. The use of Caparsolate gave rise to the sentiment that the cure for heartworm was arguably as bad as the disease itself; side effects were common and dramatic, and the drug wasn’t even that effective – it killed all the adult heartworms in less than half of the dogs treated with it.

In contrast, when used as directed, Immiticide kills 98 percent of the heartworms present, and is metabolized very quickly. “The dose administered doesn’t take long to get out of the body, and it doesn’t pose great risk to liver and kidney function,” Dr. Jones says. The injection needs to be administered deep in the muscle, and can cause soreness, pain and, sometimes, permanent lumps or abscesses at the injection site.

Typically, for a dog with “severe” disease (referred to as a “Stage 3 infection,”) veterinarians administer one injection of Immiticide, and send the dog home for a month, during which the owner is instructed to severely curtail the dog’s movements (more about that in a moment). Thirty days after that first dose, another injection is given, usually followed a day later by a third and final injection. Ninety-eight percent of dogs treated in this way (regardless of the state of disease) will be cleared of heartworms.

If the dog has Stage 1 or 2 disease (a mild to moderate infection), the vet may administer a second injection 24 hours after the first one. About 90 percent of dogs with Stage 1 or 2 infections will be cleared of adult heartworms by this protocol. A third injection would be indicated if the dog still tests positive four months after treatment. Because of the higher efficacy rate of the three-injection protocol recommended for Stage 3 dogs, many vets use the same protocol for even Stage 1 and 2 dogs.

Some (not all) veterinarians require overnight hospitalization after each injection so the dog can be monitored for adverse effects, especially if the test results indicated that the dog had a heavy worm burden (as indicated by high heartworm antigen levels).
The biggest problem with conventional heartworm treatment is its aftermath: The treatment kills the adult worms – and suddenly, the dog has a bunch of dead and decaying worms in his major blood vessels and lungs. It takes a bit of work for the body to clear out the dead worm corpses, which are protected by a tough cuticle surface. “When you kill a worm, it becomes a limp spaghetti noodle,” Dr. Jones explains. “It crumples into the artery, much like a spaghetti noodle in the sink drain. As the worms decompose, they can trigger blood clots, which can cause more blockage.”

During this time, dogs must be kept as quiet as possible and inactive, ideally in a crate or small pen. Most vets recommend that the dog be taken out to potty only on a leash, and then returned to a crate. Roughhousing with other dogs, or even a quick romp back into the house after pottying, can raise the heart rate and increase the risk of embolisms.

All dogs should be maintained on heartworm preventive medications throughout and following treatment, and tested four to six months after treatment, to ensure the infection has been completely cleared.

Irreparable Damage from Heartworm

The danger is greater for dogs who have particularly severe heartworm infections (many adult worms) or whose circulatory and respiratory systems have been damaged by a long-term infection. Some of the effects that can result from a severe heartworm infection include:

  • All sorts of vascular disease: thickened or damaged pulmonary blood vessels; thrombosis (clotting), nodules on the inside of the blood vessels (granulomas caused by a chemical reaction to the attachment of the worms), inflamed blood vessels.
  • Reduced cardiac output with resulting hypertension (high blood pressure), which can lead to heart enlargement and heart failure.
  • Fluid accumulation in peritoneal cavity and lungs, cough, shortness of breath, exercise intolerance.
  • Caval syndrome – typically associated with large numbers of adult heartworms in the pulmonary arteries, causing pallor, tachycardia, sudden collapse, as well as hemolytic anema (red blood cells are destroyed and removed from the bloodstream before their normal lifespan is over), hemoglobinemia (excessive amounts of hemoglobin in the blood plasma), and hemoglobinuria (when unusually high concentrations of hemoglobin are found in the urine).

To visualize the damage that heartworms do, Dr. Jones has necropsied more than three dozen dogs who had been successfully treated for heartworm, and all, he said, had noticeable damage in the pulmonary arteries as a result of the infection. “I still found dead pieces of mummified worms, thickening of the arteries caused by nothing other than heartworm,” he says. “I’ve never found a dog that didn’t have long-term disease, scarred lung lobes, vascular disease, or lung tissue damage. The scar tissue doesn’t go away.”

Dr. Jones notes that a dog’s body can do a tremendous amount to compensate for lost lung function. A heartworm-positive dog may appear clinically normal, perhaps only getting winded a bit early after intense physical exertion. “It’s really hard to clinically judge the real function of lungs and arteries in a dog who appears normal,” he says.

Mitigating Heartworm Treatments

Depending on the condition of the dog and the stage of his disease, stabilizing treatments may need to be administered before or concurrently with treatment for the heartworm infection. A dog with serious damage to his circulatory and respiratory systems may require therapy with corticosteroids (to reduce inflammation), diuretics (to reduce the excessive fluid in his lungs or peritoneal cavity and reduce that burden on his circulatory system), vasodilators (to improve blood flow), and/or positive inotropic agents (drugs that strengthen the contractions of the heart, so it can pump more blood with fewer heartbeats).

Dead worms don’t just disappear; it’s the disposal of their dead bodies, in fact, that causes the major difficulties of heartworm treatment. To understand why, remember how the heart works with the lungs: The gas exchange that enables life takes place in the tiny air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs, where carbon dioxide is released into the lung for exhalation, and oxygen is taken into the blood vessels for distribution throughout the body. The heart provides the driving force for this gas exchange, driving oxygen-rich blood from the alveoli out to the body, as well as driving the “used” blood, now full of carbon dioxide and other waste products from the various tissues of the body, back to the lungs for disposal. 

As the heartworms die and lose their attachment to the interior of the dog’s heart, lungs, and pulmonary arteries, and as their bodies are released into the bloodstream, the decaying fragments are deposited into the alveoli, where they can plug up the bronchioles and cause tissue death in the lungs. This, in turn, can cause fluid accumulation (as the lungs are overburdened by this new task), coughing, gagging (to the point of causing vomiting), and bacterial infections. 

Dogs should be closely monitored and supported through this process. They may feel so weak that they refuse food and water; if they don’t drink (especially if they develop a bacterial infection and resulting fever), they can become dehydrated, which can complicate their recovery further. Sometimes supportive fluids (IV or subcutaneous), antibiotics, and/or corticosteroids may be needed to address these secondary symptoms. 

In recent years, it’s become more common for veterinarians to pre-treat their heartworm patients (especially those dogs with Stage 3 infections) with doxycycline – sometimes, for as long as a month before the conventional Immiticide treatment. This pre-treatment reduces the occurrence of bacterial infections and adverse secondary symptoms once the Immiticide is administered.

How Heartworms Die

Jennifer Dodge says one of the most often asked questions on the Heartworm Survivor Facebook page is whether to consider the so-called “slow kill” method for heartworm infection. In this approach, instead of Immiticide, the dog receives a long-term program of ivermectin (the same drug used as a heartworm preventive drug) and daily doxycycline (an antibiotic). 

The ivermectin kills any larvae that have been deposited by mosquitoes (preventing the development of any more adult worms) as well as the microfilariae that the adult worms are producing (which interrupts the reproduction cycle and reduces the chance that the dog will be a reservoir to infect other dogs). 

The doxycycline accomplishes two things: First, it kills Wolbachia, a symbiotic rickettsial organism living inside the heartworms (yes, parasitic heartworms have their own parasites!), and the death of the Wolbachia seems to weaken the weakest heartworms. The doxycycline also renders the adult female worms unable to reproduce. Eventually, the worms die, but it is a process that can take 18 to 24 months.

Proponents of the slow-kill protocol say that it’s kinder on the body, allowing the worms to die gradually so they don’t burden the dog’s lungs by dying (and decaying) all at once. A 2008 study published in Veterinary Parasitology showed that after nine months, dogs treated with ivermectin and doxycycline showed a 79 percent reduction in worms (compared to 100 percent for those treated with Immiticide alone).

Still, many veterinarians, as well as the American Heartworm Association, caution against the approach. “It’s not the first line of treatment for heartworm disease,” says Herb Maisenbacher, VMD, of Veterinary Heart Care in Virginia Beach, Virginia. “Yes, it doesn’t sound good to inject a dog with arsenic, but in most cases the actual outcomes of conventional treatment are usually quite good, with fairly mild and manageable side effects. It really is the only way to kill adult worms in a reasonable amount of time.”

As its name suggests, the slow-kill method can take a year or two to totally eliminate all heartworms, as opposed to a few weeks or at the most months with Immiticide. And that’s precisely the problem, Dr. Maisenbacher says: “In that time, the worms are still there, still causing damage.” Also, some dogs experience serious stomach upset from doxycycline – severe enough to refuse to eat. And production shortages of the formerly inexpensive and abundant antibiotic have resulted in uncertain supplies and radically increased prices.

Dr. Maisenbacher says there are some cases where the slow-kill approach might be valid – for example, the dog is too sick to tolerate the arsenic-based drug, or the owners are unwilling or unable to pay for the conventional treatment, or restrict the dog’s activity. But it’s not his preference, by far; he’s had cases in his practice where dogs who were on the slow-kill method developed worsening heartworm disease in the interim.

Heartguard heartworm treatment

Betsy Harrison of Wimberley, Texas, a former veterinarian who decided to pursue a career as a homeopath, did treat some dogs with the “slow kill” method when she was practicing. She points out that the ivermectin stops new worms from infecting the dog, and “eventually the adults that are there will die of their own accord, and they’ll only die one or two at a time,” mitigating the risks of a massive die-off. As for concerns about permitting heartworms to continue to live in the dog while the long-term kill off takes place, she turns the table to ask: “How much damage is the arsenic doing?” (The counter to this argument is that the Immiticide is cleared rapidly from the body, whereas it could take years for heartworms to die.) 

Unlike some holistic-minded practitioners, Harrison does not have a problem with the judicious use of ivermectin, though she notes that care must be taken with those breeds, in particular collies and sheepdogs, that have a genetic sensitivity to the drug. “I don’t think it’s all that toxic,” she says. (Some veterinarians have an altogether different concern about using ivermectin to treat heartworm, arguing that it will lead to resistance to the drug over time.)

Harrison adds that constitutional treatment, to restore and bolster the vital force of the dog, would be the homeopathic approach. “From the homeopathic perspective, the issue is always the health of the overall system,” she explains, adding that a good, biologically appropriate diet is an important starting point. “Worms are kind of like a bacterial infection; they are a reflection of the animal’s state of health more than a disease in and of themselves.”

Surgical Intervention for Heartworm

In some advanced cases, surgery can be performed to remove the heartworms while they are still alive, eliminating the need for the body to clear out the debris from heartworm die-off.

In the procedure, similar in approach to an angioplasty in humans, the veterinary surgeon makes an incision over the jugular vein, then uses special grasping forceps to inch her way to the pulmonary arteries, where the worms are extracted.  

“You don’t damage the lungs themselves – you stay within the blood vessels,” explains Dr. Maisenbacher, who performed the surgery many times during his previous tenure at the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Florida in Gainesville. “The benefit is that the body doesn’t have to clean the worms out after they die off. But the downside is that it requires general anesthesia, which is much higher risk,” especially for dogs whose bodies have been compromised by a heavy worm load.

Because the surgery is highly specialized, requiring advanced imaging equipment and extensive post-operative care, veterinarians who perform it will likely be located at veterinary schools and large specialty hospitals. And the price tag is steep, potentially $2,000 to $3,000.

In the most advanced heartworm cases, the large number of worms in the pulmonary arteries reduces blood flow, and the dog may cough, be lethargic, and even faint and collapse. Inside the lungs, the worms begin to fall back through the vena cava into the right chamber of the heart, giving this severest form of the disease its name: cava syndrome. 

In these cases, worm die-off in the heart cavity is not an option; the worms must be surgically removed before they compromise cardiac function. Though this surgery is slightly less complicated than removing worms from the pulmonary arteries (the veterinarian goes directly into the right atrium of the heart), the prognosis is worse. “In dogs with cava syndrome, the liver, kidneys, and lungs are all compromised, and anesthesia alone can destabilize them,” Dr. Maisenbacher says. “In those cases, the survival rate is 50 percent – not good.”

Non-Active Duty

Pat Collins of Lapeer, Michigan, had two of her English Cocker Spaniels come up positive for heartworm last year after they spent time in Louisiana: 2-year-old Isaac and 3-year-old Jackie.

Collins opted to use the conventional Immiticide treatment, and her anxiety about the treatment centered around the injection itself. “That scared me,” she admits. “Jackie is very soft, and it scared me that she wouldn’t be able to handle the deep muscle injection next to the spine.”

Like any drug, Immiticide can cause allergic reactions, says Wendy Mandese, DVM, a clinical assistant professor at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine. “And like with any caustic substance, sometimes there’s administration error, like the injection being given too close to the surface of the skin.” Experienced veterinarians scrub the skin surface thoroughly, give the needle a half-turn before removing it to avoid tracking the drug up through the injection site, and hold their finger over the hole, creating pressure so the drug doesn’t travel upward through the needle track.
Collins’ fears turned out to be unfounded: Both dogs returned from the vet’s office with a few days’ worth of pain meds and no major side effects, basically sailing through the medical process.

Keeping her two dogs confined for two months was “extremely difficult for both them and me,” Collins says – in particular for the very active Isaac. While she took both dogs on frequent leash walks, “it was very hard to keep him from running and jumping up on furniture. I let him play with his toys a little bit, but I didn’t want him to get wound up and start panting.”

“We don’t want that heart pumping and blood flowing at a high rate while the worms are dead or dying,” Dr. Mandese explains. “Walking around the house and short, on-leash walks are okay. But you don’t want the dog tearing around.”

Creativity counts in situations such as these, and mental exertion is a must. Owners can use this time to fine-tune training and teach targeting, tricks, or other desired behaviors … anything that the dog can master, provided the training process doesn’t get him too excited. That old standby, the Kong stuffed with peanut butter, then frozen, can help wile away a few hours. So can puzzle-style toys, like the Buster Cube.
“We have on occasion prescribed sedation, just to take the edge off,” says Dr. Mandese, who has used Acepromazine and even Xanax to send a tough customer off to a dreamier place. Diffusing calming essential oils such as lavender, or pheromone-release products such as the D.A.P. diffuser, may also help.

Find a Heartworm Treatment That Works for Your Dog

As with all things in life, balance is important. Jogging with a dog undergoing treatment would be clearly dangerous and irresponsible, but, Sockness says, it’s important to remember that “emotionally you can’t shut down a dog, either, because that’s part of their immune system.” While a dog’s activity needs to be curtailed, “let them enjoy a lifestyle.”

She also cautions against taking a sky-is-falling approach. “If your dog tests positive for heartworm, don’t call 911 and freak out,” she says. “You have options. Heartworm is not a death sentence.”

Dodge – who says the day the results came back proclaiming her dog Holly to be heartworm negative was “the best day of my life” – also recommends taking the long view. “It is not the end of your dog’s life!” she echoes. “Search for facts, especially from your vet, and follow the instructions. Stay calm – if you are scared and nervous, the dogs sense it.”

No matter what your treatment approach you take, tender loving care is compatible with all of them. “Baby your baby, spoil him!” she urges. “Do anything to get both of your minds off what you and your dog are going through.” And, of course, the best cure for what ails them – and you? “Lots of kisses.”

Denise Flaim of Revodana Ridgebacks in Long Island, New York, shares her home with three Ridgebacks, 10-year-old triplets, and a very patient husband.

Save Your Dog’s Teeth with Home Care

By
Debi Davis
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3

[Updated December 18, 2018]

Cooper, my service-dog-in-training, trotted briskly at the side of my power wheelchair as we headed to the veterinary clinic, a mile from home.  He was overdue for a routine dental cleaning, and my regular veterinary clinic was not within rolling distance. I decided to take a chance on a new vet, since it was just a standard dental cleaning. I dropped him off and rolled back home, relieved that I was finally able to afford the procedure.

Papillon service dog
Author and retired service dog trainer Debi Davis had both legs amputated due to vascular disease, and requires a wheelchair for mobility. Her service dogs are a huge help to her – but the potential of her newest dog in training was recently in jeopardy due to problem with his teeth.

Later that morning, my cell phone rang. The new veterinarian called to let me know that Cooper, a 7-year-old Papillon-mix, had advanced periodontal disease, and needed 11 teeth extracted. Already numb with shock, I shuddered with disbelief when she added that six more teeth were starting to get loose, and would need extracting within six months.

Seventeen teeth? It was a death-knoll of hope for a service dog career, since his  primary job would be retrieving items for me. With 17 missing teeth, his career was ending just as it was starting.

How could I have not realized his mouth was in such poor condition? His breath smelled rank, but I thought it was just mild gingivitis. I’d noticed some redness and swelling of his gums, and a small line of tan plaque at the gum line. I had been certain that it was nothing that a professional cleaning wouldn’t take care of.  I had noticed he was no longer interested in playing with his soft toys, and that he was shunned dental chews, but I thought it was just because his gums were sore. The damage, however, had been happening beneath the gum line, where I couldn’t see.

How Cooper Got Periodontal Disease

I’d let his mouth go without a professional cleaning for a couple of years, because Cooper was the youngest and healthiest of my four dogs. I had three retired elder service dogs living with congestive heart failure, each of whom required expensive medications and blood work, which had depleted my bank account. My focus was on helping the elder dogs through the last years of their lives. They still were able to do retrievals for me at home.

Cooper’s teeth just before his first veterinary cleaning. They didn’t look so bad, right? Not great, but not horrible, either. And yet, the plaque under the gum line, where it can’t be seen, had caused serious damage.

My time with Cooper was spent training for public access, helping him to be stress-free and comfortable in every possible environment. Cooper enjoyed every training outing, and was quiet, biddable, and reliable in stimulus-rich environments. I’d planned to start his task-training once the elder dogs’ lives had ended.

I was finally able to schedule Cooper’s dental cleaning after the last of my elder service dogs had passed away. I had also started work on Cooper’s task-training. His personality and calm demeanor convinced me he’d be a fine service dog for me.

But my hopes crumbled like a stale cookie as the vet delivered the heartbreaking news that Cooper had advanced periodontal disease. I’d let my dog down in the worst possible way. And that $150 routine dental cleaning was now estimated at $1,200, with a recommended followup dental in six months estimated at another $1,000.

Like many people who’d struggled to care for multiple dogs in today’s tough economic times, I could see no way to stretch my budget any thinner. I told the vet that I could not afford the extractions at that time, and to just do the cleaning, root planing, and polishing. She replied the teeth were not abscessed, just loose from bone loss, and that some teeth would probably fall out on their own in a few months’ time. She agreed that Cooper could likely go six more months without being in tremendous pain, but would need to be put on a soft diet.

A Second Opinion Saved My Dog 

I had no idea what to do, so I called on a personal friend, a veterinarian in the process of retiring and closing her practice in another state. I explained my dilemma, and she told me to take a deep breath; she would help get me started on trying to save as many of Cooper’s teeth as possible.

These x-rays, taken recently, reveal that Cooper still has some pockets between his teeth and furcations under his teeth. But these gaps are starting to fill in with scar tissue – which doesn’t look as white as the alveolar bone does on the xrays. But Davis can tell it’s there; she says she used to be able to use brushes that are four sizes larger than the only ones that she can fit into those gaps to clean them.

My friend explained that she had saved many dogs’ teeth that other veterinarians had given up on, and that diligent mechanical care in brushing, combined with oral antibiotics, could do wonders, as long as there was enough bone left to hold the teeth in. She said that while the soft alveolar bone that held the teeth in the mouth would not grow back, she’d often seen enough fibrous scar tissue form to hold the teeth in place.

My friend further explained that it would require a twice-daily commitment to a strict home care regimen, but she felt that many, if not most, of the teeth could be saved with dedicated effort on my part.

My relief was palpable. I was willing to devote whatever it took to keep as many teeth as possible in Cooper’s mouth.

My veterinarian friend had already explained that an oral antibiotic was critical in helping save the teeth and stop the progression of periodontal disease. The antibiotics would work to keep the infection from restarting down deep in the pockets where the bone had been eaten away, and where a toothbrush could not reach. She also advised giving the antibiotics as “pulse therapy” – in which the antibiotics are given for a week to 10 days, then stopped for three weeks, and this on-and-off again regimen is repeated.

Armed with all this information, and filled with resolve, I contacted the young veterinarian who did Cooper’s dental cleaning. She was not familiar with antibiotic “pulse therapy,” and was skeptical about it. She said she normally only used antibiotics when teeth were extracted, but she finally agreed to prescribe Clindamycin, an oral antibiotic routinely used to treat soft tissue, dental, and bone infections, on my veterinarian friend’s recommendation.

Research on Canine Periodontal Disease

To help me feel comfortable that I was doing the right thing, I began researching canine periodontal disease. I read every website published by board certified veterinary dentists. I studied canine dentition, and learned a whole new vocabulary.

Unfortunately, the veterinarian who had performed Cooper’s cleaning did not have dental x-ray equipment, so I could not see the extent of the bone loss. I could only go by the chart she had provided that identified  each of Cooper’s loose teeth. Researching online helped me to see what I was up against.

One expert had a standout website: Dr. Jan Bellows, a board-certified veterinary dentist practicing in Weston, Florida. His website offered the most detailed information about canine dentistry and home care, with photos, illustrations, and x-rays. The “12 Steps of the Professional Teeth Cleaning Visit” page in particular provided  step-by-step instructions on how to perform the most effective home oral healthcare for pets.

I emailed Dr. Bellows, and he gave me permission to reprint anything on his website, explaining that he felt strongly that home healthcare was a key to a healthy mouth, and the more people who understood how to do thorough oral home care, the happier he’d be. He offered to answer any questions I might have on the information shared on his website. It was clear that he cared about all dogs, not just his own clients’ dogs, and he encouraged me to share the information.

interproximal brush for dog teeth
This is one type of interproximal brush that Davis used to clean between her dog’s teeth, and to enable the antibacterial rinse to reach every surface possible under Cooper’s gums.

Dr. Bellows’ clients are not just sent home with a pet toothbrush, toothpaste, and rinse after a dental procedure; instead, each client is given a hands-on lesson on proper brushing techniques with her dog, and how to treat problem areas. The client practices the brushing techniques under supervision before they are sent home with their dog.
Dr. Bellows mirrored much of the advice my friend had given me, and was also was an advocate for antibiotic pulse therapy to combat periodontal disease. I was on my way! Maybe I could save most of Cooper’s teeth. Maybe I couldn’t. But I was committed to the challenge, and I would give it my all.

Starting My Dog’s Oral Hygiene Routine

Twice a day, I brushed, irrigated, and rinsed Cooper’s teeth. I thought about how I might be able to get down into the pockets between the teeth, where the infection had destroyed the bone. I had used interdental (also called interproximal) brushes on my own teeth, to get into tight spaces to clean between them and under bridgework.

interdental brush for dog teeth
Davis uses an interdental brush between Cooper’s teeth, as well as in any exposed furcations (gaps under the teeth, between the tooth roots).

Interdental brushes are very narrow spiral bristle brushes, available in several shapes and sizes. I picked up a package of every size, to help get that antibacterial enzymatic rinse down into those hidden infected areas where bacteria multiplies and thrives. Normal dog toothbrushes cannot reach down that deep under the gum line.

Dr. Bellows’ website explained that the most critical areas are the upper back teeth on the outside surface, and to concentrate on keeping these areas especially clean.
I read that, “Proper technique involves applying the bristles at a 45-degree angle to the gingiva (gums). Use small circular motions around the outside of the teeth, being sure to get the bristles under the gum line. It is not as important to brush the inside of the teeth, as dogs do not have the buildup of tartar on the palatal or lingual (tongue) side of their teeth as people do.”

Cooper’s lower teeth were also a problem, with furcations already visible without probing. A furcation is the area between multi-rooted teeth where the bone has already dissolved, leaving a hollow area between the roots. This becomes an ideal environment for bacteria to thrive and quickly multiply, which rapidly destroys the bone.

Once the dental cleaning was completed, and Cooper’s gums were given a few days to heal, I was able to use the interdental brushes to keep these areas clean, allowing the scar tissue to help fill in the hollow areas where the bone had been destroyed.

The furcations and pockets between the teeth where bacteria multiply can be easily seen on the x-ray of a few of Cooper’s teeth. The dark areas show the bone loss. I’ve added a line where the bone should be, showing just how much bone loss is already present.

My Home Dental Kit

My home-care dental kit includes a long-shanked double-ended toothbrush made for dogs. The long shank helps reach the back teeth easier. I use the wide bristled end for all the teeth except the front incisors. I use the narrow end for cleaning the upper and lower incisors (front teeth).

The tools in Davis’ do-it-yourself dog dental care kit.

Cooper likes the taste of poultry- and meat-flavored enzymatic canine toothpastes. Human toothpaste should not be used on dogs, as it contains foaming agents that cause upset stomachs, vomiting, and diarrhea. Human toothpaste is meant to be spit out and the mouth rinsed with water afterwards. Toothpaste made for dogs is made for swallowing. There are many brands available at veterinary offices and pet supply stores.

Saliva is slick, and using fingers to pull back the lips can be difficult. A gauze pad, a small piece of terrycloth or a dental mirror can be used to make it easier to hold the lips away from the teeth so the brush can reach all the way back to the carnassials – the back molars.

I also have a three-sided toothbrush, meant to clean both the inside and outside of the teeth at the same time. It’s a U-shaped brush with bristles on the sides and bottom. I use this only once a week, knowing the tongue does a good job keeping the inside areas of the teeth clean.

An antibacterial enzyme rinse made for dogs is also an important part of my dental kit. I pour a bit of the rinse in a small bowl, and dip the toothbrush and interdental brushes into it, once I have finished cleaning the teeth with the toothpaste. I also use a small piece of terrycloth dipped in the rinse to wipe and polish the teeth at the end of the dental routine. Cooper likes the taste of this, and gets to lick the bottom of the bowl as a treat when we’re finished.

Finally, I keep a small bottle of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide in my kit to soak the brushes for a few minutes after each cleaning, as advocated by microbiologist Dr. Philip Terno, who also advises this for human toothbrushes.

In the beginning, I spent about 15 minutes twice a day working on Cooper’s teeth and gums. Now it takes about five minutes per session, as the scar tissue is filling in, and I don’t have to use as many different sizes of interdental brushes, only the thinnest one. I’m also building up more skill and facility at doing a thorough job in a shorter amount of time.

recovered canine periodontal disease
Cooper’s teeth six months after his first veterinary dental cleaning – and six months of assiduous home care, including brushing, interdental cleaning, and the use of antibacterial rinses. Sixteen of the 17 teeth that were loose six months ago are now held in place firmly enough to enable Cooper to retrieve items in his service dog capacity! He can also eat hard food again without pain.

Cooper’s Periodontal Disease Recovery

Cooper had a second dental cleaning done six months later by my regular veterinarian, Dr. Bullard, who owns the dental clinic where I normally have my dogs treated. He took a full set of x-rays to give me a “roadmap” of the problem areas. With these x-rays, I can easily see where I need to concentrate my cleaning efforts, and it will also be used to compare the x-rays that will be taken on the next visit, five months from now.

Dr. Ballard called me during the cleaning, and said there was only one tooth (a lower front incisor) that needed to be removed, as about 70 percent of the bone had been lost and the scar tissue was not holding it in firmly. He said the rest of Cooper’s teeth were stabilizing fine, and he found no tartar or calculus anywhere. He praised my home-care regimen, and told me I’d done a spectacular job, and that he’d never seen a cleaner set of teeth.

He removed the one very loose incisor, but said everything else looked very good, and he thought most of the teeth could now be saved, as long as I kept up my twice-daily regimen. I beamed with joy, not expecting to hear such great news. Home care was working!

Today, Cooper is again able to eat harder food without pain, and is carrying around soft toys, shaking and playing with them. I have not begun to have him attempt to hold harder objects yet, as I want to give the scar tissue a chance to continue filling in the areas of bone loss, for more comfort and stability.

I won’t be able to have him do any tugging using his front teeth, because even though they are stabilizing, there is not enough bone for the front upper and lower incisors to safely be used. Instead, I will train him to tug sideways, from behind the canine teeth on the premolars and molars. He’ll be able to open doors and drawers outfitted with a pull rope by grasping the rope in this crosswise manner.

Prevent Periodontal Disease for Your Dog!

Dr. Bullard said that by the age of two, 80 percent of the dogs he sees already show signs of periodontal disease. Starting a daily tooth brushing regimen can extend the time between professional cleanings, and can prevent periodontal disease when started on puppies.

Teaching a dog to relax, and starting the brushing slowly, a few teeth at a time in short sessions, helps the dog learn to accept cleaning without stress. Behaviorist and trainer Donna Hill has a very helpful video showing how to shape a dog incrementally to accept and enjoy tooth brushing, and includes teaching the dog rest his chin in the palm of her hand.  Donna’s YouTube video can be seen here.

If your dog has not had a dental cleaning recently, and you see any signs of swelling on the gum tissue, bleeding, plaque accumulation, or foul breath, then your dog needs a professional cleaning under anesthesia before you start a brushing routine. Without a thorough scaling to remove the hardened plaque (calculus), and polishing so that new plaque finds it harder to form, brushing will be painful to the dog, and could cause the dog undue stress over a daily procedure that should be painless and pleasant.

If you have multiple dogs, provide each dog with his or her own toothbrush, as contamination of bacteria can be spread from one dog to another.

This routine will pay off greatly in the dog’s senior years, when illnesses can prevent the dog from safely undergoing anesthesia. If the teeth are kept clean, senior “trash mouth” can be avoided.

Both my retiring veterinarian friend and Dr. Bullard note that small dogs with misaligned teeth are among those at greatest risk of having periodontal disease early in life, and worsening rapidly. I now realize that, to keep a dog healthy for life, daily tooth brushing is right up there with a healthy diet, exercise, mental stimulation, problem-solving games, walks and sniffs, training, and unconditional love.

The value of daily brushing is threefold: It will save money on dental cleaning bills, extend the time between professional cleanings, and it will save teeth and gums. It’s a winning trio.

Debi Davis is a retired professional calligrapher and service-dog trainer. She is a former faculty member of Clicker Expo, and has presented at service-dog training seminars and workshops.  Debi is an advocate for reward-based training, and enjoys being an informal ambassador of goodwill in the service-dog and disability communities. She currently lives in Las Vegas with her husband and service dog in training.

Benefits of Turmeric for Dogs

By
Lisa Lyle Waggoner
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Maybe you’ve heard about turmeric? It’s all the rage, you know. I’ve recently been exploring the 4,000-year-old history of human use of this plant product and what it can do for you and your dog. Though I’ve had turmeric sitting in my spice cabinet for longer than I can remember, it wasn’t until February of last year that I found out just how beneficial this plant-based substance can be for people and for dogs.

organic turmeric

My annual physical last year happened to coincide with a raging bout of tendonitis in my elbows. I could barely lift a pen, much less anything heavier. Thankfully my doctor practices integrative medicine. In discussing a variety of traditional and natural options to treat the tendonitis, she recommended that I add turmeric to my diet. “Turmeric?” I asked. She went on to explain how turmeric’s anti-inflammatory properties would likely benefit my arms. She was right. In less than two weeks my tendonitis had disappeared. And those niggly aches and pains of getting older? Yep, they seemed to disappear, too.

My success with turmeric got me thinking about the journey we began in 2012 to help Cody, our then-4-year-old Australian Shepherd, with his chronic lameness. In addition to his lameness, which seemed to move from limb to limb, Cody had pretty severe skin issues, and several bouts of fever of unknown origin – all seemingly unrelated. In an attempt to get to the root of what was happening, we visited 12 veterinarians and veterinary specialists in two years. After Cody was finally diagnosed with  autoimmune disease, we began treating him with both conventional and holistic veterinary medicine.

Cody had been on a daily low dose of prednisone for several months;  it had initially caused his limp to disappear, but to our dismay, it had recently returned. We were considering giving Cody an increased dosage of the steroid when the mention of turmeric by my own doctor caused me to remember that at least one of Cody’s 12 vets had suggested adding turmeric to his diet.

I keep a behavior and health journal of Cody’s treatments and results, so I know the exact date: we began giving Cody a half-teaspoon of organic powered turmeric twice a day on May 5, 2014. Twelve days later, on May 17, my notes show “Cody’s not limping at all today.”

Today, six months later, we’ve been able to cut his prednisone dosage in half and Cody remains agile, active, and limp-free. Because of the other health benefits of turmeric, especially its antioxidant properties, we began adding it to our other dog’s diet, too.

Turmeric as Medicine

Turmeric is derived from the root of the turmeric plant, Curcumin longa. It’s a perennial in the ginger family, native to south Asia, and has quite a long history of medicinal use. Curcumin is the most active component of turmeric. According to Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects (Taylor and Francis Group, 2011), the use of turmeric dates back nearly 4,000 years to the Vedic culture in India, where it was used as a culinary spice. “In 1280, Marco Polo described this spice, marveling at a vegetable that exhibited qualities so similar to that of saffron.” It was also used as a dye. The bright color of the powder was traditionally used to color the robes of  Buddhist monks.

Turmeric is a yellow-orange powder that has a slightly bitter, but also sweet taste. It’s oftentimes referred to as “Indian saffron” and is an ingredient in curry powder. It is also used in manufactured food products, such as mustard, pickles, yellow cakes, ice cream, cake icing, and cereals, among other foods. I frequently use turmeric in rice dishes, sauces, and marinades.

Human Health Benefits of Turmeric

Though anecdotal, my own experience with the use of turmeric certainly made me a believer in turmeric’s anti-inflammatory properties. It has been used for treating a wide range of health issues because of its qualities as an antibacterial agent, anticoagulant, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticarcinogen, and neuroprotector.

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, tumeric can be used for indigestion (dyspepsia or upset stomach), ulcerative colitis, heart disease (keeps the LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, from building up in the blood vessels), bacterial and viral infections, and uveitis (inflammation of the iris).

Researchers are looking at tumeric for both the prevention and treatment of cancer. The American Cancer Society has information about some of those studies on its website. Some studies have shown that turmeric can reduce the harmful effects of chemotherapy. Curcumin (the active ingredient in turmeric) has been shown to kill cancer cells in laboratory dishes and slows the growth of the surviving cells. A UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center Study by Marilene Wang, MD, and Eri Srivatsan, PhD, showed that curcumin can be used to treat human patients with head and neck malignancies and reduce activities that promote cancer growth.

Randy J. Horwitz, PhD, MD, medical director for the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, and assistant professor of clinical medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine calls turmeric “one of the most potent natural anti-inflammatories available.”

Turmeric’s Effect on Dogs

With all these amazing health benefits for humans, people were bound to try giving it to their dogs to see if might be equally beneficial for that species. There is abundant positive anecdotal information from pet guardians and veterinarians who give turmeric to dogs for a variety of conditions, but so far, few clinical studies on its use in canines. Those I’ve found have very small sample sizes, though one study worth noting does discuss an oral bioavailability problem – meaning that turmeric isn’t well metabolized when given orally.

According to Demian Dressler, DVM, co-author of The Dog Cancer Survival Guide (Maui Media, 2011) and dogcancerblog.com, the absorption issue  can be overcome by mixing turmeric with lecithin and water and making a slurry. Lecithin is very gooey. Dr. Dressler recommends mixing four parts water to one part lecithin to the turmeric; some low sodium bullion can be added to improve the flavor.

Other turmeric advocates suggest mixing the turmeric with coconut oil or olive oil. However, my husband and I don’t do anything other than mix the turmeric powder into our dogs’ food – and our dogs have definitely reaped the intended benefits.

I’m already on the turmeric bandwagon – for my own benefit as well as my dogs’. I know other pet guardians who have used it at the recommendation of their veterinarians for its anti-inflammatory properties. Todd Czarnecki, DVM and Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist at Hanging Rock Animal Hospital in Roanoke, Virginia, says he recommends turmeric for a variety of situations, but especially for dogs who have inflammation and stiffness that worsens in cold weather, and as an aid to circulation in general. Dr. Czarnecki says these dogs respond very well to the addition of powdered turmeric to their diet. He recommends mixing the turmeric powder into a home-cooked diet. If you feed dry dog food, he suggests softening the kibble with water before mixing in the turmeric powder.

As with any other dietary supplement, it is always wise to check with your veterinarian, especially if your pet has any pre-existing conditions or receives medication daily, but if your dog suffers from an ailment that causes chronic pain or inflammation, turmeric could be beneficial. The recommended dosage for dogs is 15 to 20 mg per pound of body weight.

Our own dogs don’t mind the powder mixed into their home-cooked diet, but some people tell me their dogs dislike its taste. If that’s the case, look for turmeric in tablet form or capsules, which can easily be disguised in a bit of peanut butter or cream cheese.

With healing herbs, we always suggest looking for organic sources. My husband and I use Organic Turmeric Root Powder from Starwest Botanicals. You can find organic powdered turmeric for $9 to $15 per pound. Light and heat affects the potency of the powder, so be sure to keep it in a cool, dry, dark location.

Contraindications of Turmeric for Dogs

Some studies suggest that turmeric may aggravate existing liver issues, so consult your veterinarian before giving the supplement if your dog has liver disease. Because turmeric is a binding agent – useful, in fact, for treating loose stools or diarrhea – be sure your dog always has plenty of fresh water available. We add a bit more water to our dogs’ meals to counteract any potential constipation. Turmeric is also an anti-coagulant, so it makes sense to discontinue the use before any surgery. And remember how turmeric was used to color the robes of Buddhist monks? Well, it will color nearly anything it comes into contact with, so be cautious and mix it well into your dog’s food or he will likely be sporting a bright yellow doggie moustache.

From 250 BC to 2014, this brilliant yellow spice has been helping people and animals. It certainly has spiced up the life of our guy, Cody. Seeing him once again streak across our pasture at full speed brings tears of joy to my eyes. Perhaps it’s time for you or your dog to give it a try!

Curious about how other popular spices work for dogs? Here is a great list from Dogster.com!

A passionate advocate for humane, science-based dog training, Lisa Lyle Waggoner is a CPDT-KA, a Pat Miller Certified Trainer Level 2, a Pat Miller Level 1 Canine Behavior & Training Academy instructor, and a dog*tec Dog Walking Academy Instructor. The founder of Cold Nose College in Murphy, North Carolina, Lisa provides behavior consulting and training solutions to clients in the tri-state area of North Carolina.

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Ways to Manage an Adolescent Dog

By
Mardi Richmond, CPDT-KA
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Adolescent dogs, those from about 6 months to 18 months old, are playful, emergetic, and full of curiosity. Try to enjoy this phase while it lasts!

[Updated December 10, 2018]

Is your once cute, cuddly, and well-behaved pup suddenly acting out? Is your dog ignoring you, taking off if he sees something interesting, and chewing on everything in sight? Did his once perfect “sit,” “down,” “stay,” and “come” seemingly disappear overnight? Are his friendly, social ways being replaced with rowdy, over-the-top greetings? Is he sometimes cautious or even suspicious? Does he occasionally look at you as if he hardly knows you?

If your dog is between six and 18 months old, he is in the adolescent phase of life – where his body looks full-grown but his brain is still developing. Many of the so-called problem behaviors seen at the age, such as chewing, overexcitement, and distractibility, are a result of normal physical and developmental changes. Along with the brain maturing, the adolescent body is also going through growth spurts, secondary teething, surging hormones, and fear periods.

The teenage months are often a dreaded stage in a dog’s development; many dogs are given up to shelters or rescues during this phase because they are destructive or out of control. But adolescence doesn’t have to be terrible. In fact, it can be an exciting and fun time. As with their human teenage counterparts, adolescent dogs can be energetic, playful, full of curiosity, enthusiastic about learning, and ready for just about anything.
These following tips will help you not only survive your dog’s adolescence, but also help you both thrive as you travel through this challenging age.

Teenage dog

 

1. Exercise your young dog.

Adolescent dogs seem to have unending energy and stamina. Even an hour-long on-leash walk may fail to make a dent in your dog’s energy. Leashed walks often need to be supplemented with dog/dog play, high-energy games of chase, swimming, and opportunities to run and explore new areas. The more physical and mental exercise you can give an adolescent dog, the better.

However, adolescent dogs need down time, too. Quiet rest for a portion of the day can help keep his stress hormones from soaring too high (which can contribute to overexcitement). Balancing rest, physical activity, and mental activity will help your dog behave his best.

Also, keep in mind that adolescent bodies are still growing and that joints are not fully developed. To reduce the risk of injury, wait until your dog is more than a year old before you start repetitive, joint-straining activities such as agility, Frisbee, or long-distance running.

2. Create positive social outlets.

During adolescence, it is imperative that you continue to provide positive social experiences with humans and other dogs. To keep up your dog’s social skills with humans, take regular walks in your neighborhood or other areas where you will see people. Invite friends to your home so your dog will continue to understand that people are welcome in your house. Practice “four on the floor” or “sit to greet.” When people come over, use a leash if needed to prevent your dog’s jumping – and of course, use treats, attention, and/or petting to reward appropriate interactions.

For socializing with other canines, identify your dog’s favorite playmates and arrange times for romps and rowdy play. Walk in areas where your dog will see other dogs. For on-leash walks, be sure your youngster learns how to pass by other dogs politely, without saying hello.

For the opportunity to meet and greet new dogs, try beaches and hiking paths where dogs are allowed off-leash. Help your young dog learn to greet briefly and move on by reinforcing him with especially high-value rewards (whether super yummy treats or your dog’s favorite toy) for continuing with you on your walk.

3. Keep up your training!

Previous training often flies out the window when a dog reaches adolescence. When you say “sit,” your dog may sniff the ground. When you say “come,” he may act as if he doesn’t hear you. His attention may be everywhere but on you. Try not to take it personally! Developmentally, adolescent dogs (like human teenagers) are learning about the world, their place in it, and their own limits. They may be less interested in you and more interested in friends and the environment. They are learning to think for themselves.

Continue to train – or get started training if you haven’t already. Make training fun, and mix play and training time to keep your young dog engaged. Practice in the real world, but in situations that are not too challenging for your dog, so that he can get a lot of successful practice. Gradually work toward more distracting environments.

In addition, balance “impulse control” behaviors such as sit, down, and stay, with fun and expressive activities such as tricks. Reward your dog generously when he makes good choices on his own, as well as when he appropriately responds to your cues. Use not only treats and food as reinforcement, but also attention, running together, games (like tugging), and the opportunity to explore.

Your adolescent dog’s reliability may be hit and miss. Keep working with him, but remember that he is still growing, developing, and learning.

4. Manage your adolescent dog’s environment.

One of the most important pieces of surviving adolescence is managing your dog’s environment in such a way that he simply cannot get into a lot of trouble. For example:

-Limit your young dog’s ability to be destructive when he is not actively supervised by confining him in a crate or puppy-proof area, with plenty of exciting “legal” chew items.

-If your dog is still learning to come, always use a leash or long line when you are out in the world, allowing him to be off-leash only in areas where he cannot get into trouble and where you can easily capture his attention (or capture him physically!) when play time is over.

Your young dog will not know how to handle the world! Help him make the best choices; use leashes, long lines, crates, and baby gates to help prevent him from practicing unwanted behavior. Remember that adolescent dogs often forget what they are supposed to do, or get too overexcited to do what was asked. Be ready to help them in those moments.

5. Enjoy your dog’s youth!

Your dog’s adolescent energy, enthusiasm, and excitement can be contagious. Take the time to appreciate what your dog is experiencing and learning. And keep in mind that everything is not always easy for the adolescent dog. Other dogs and people are often annoyed with them. The world is sometimes overwhelming or even scary. Adolescent dogs don’t always know how to behave and that is stressful for them, too.

Celebrate your dog’s adolescent antics – his frequent invitations to play, zoomies through the garden, and his delight over the smallest things. Consider looking at the world through your adolescent dog’s eyes – explore with him, and try to enjoy where he may lead you.

Adolescence is the time your dog is becoming an adult. It is also the time your relationship is growing, developing, cementing. Think past surviving your dog’s adolescence to thriving with him through and beyond this developmental period.

Writer and trainer Mardi Richmond lives in Santa Cruz, CA, with her wife and her Cattle Dog-mix. She is the owner of Good Dog Santa Cruz where she teaches group classes and provides in-home training. She enjoys working with adolescent dogs because they are so much fun!

5 Things To Do When Your Puppy Acts Out

By
Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA
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Whole Dog Journal

You thought you were doing a good thing for your mature dog when you adopted a new puppy. “She’ll love him!” you assured yourself. “It will keep her young and active.” Rather than loving him, however, your senior girl has let you know in no uncertain terms that this young upstart is a pain in her tail. What do you do when your pesky puppy or active adolescent is making life miserable for your sedate senior? Here are five things that can help:

1. Protect your mature dog.

To some degree, adult dogs can be allowed to appropriately let youngsters know when they are being obnoxious. If your dog thoughtfully reprimands your pup when he’s using her ears or tail as a chew toy, let her. If the pup fails to back off, however, or in general is just too wild and crazy for your mature girl, she is likely to escalate to an inappropriate level of aggression just to defend herself. This can frighten or injure the pup, and create a lifelong tension-filled relationship between the two. Always actively supervise when the two are together, and when the younger dog’s energy is too much, protect your senior dog by intervening so she doesn’t have to. Give the pup a five-minute timeout in his crate or exercise pen, and if he calms sufficiently, let him rejoin the fun. If he’s still too aroused, keep him away from her until he settles.

2. Manage the youngster.

Your adult dog may long for the days when she could laze around the house, stretched out in a sunbeam, without worrying about a 25-pound missile landing on her ribcage. Give that back to her by providing plenty of time when the two dogs are physically separated. They can have separate halves of the house (baby gates are a must-have for multi-dog management), or the youngster can be crated or corralled in an exercise pen if he’s not yet ready for house freedom. Even if you are home, keep them separated for your older dog’s peace of mind except when you are actively supervising.

3. Exercise the younger dog.

Your young dog will be easier to live with for you as well as for your adult girl if you keep him well exercised (i.e., tired). Well-matched canine playmates can do a superb job of keeping each other suitably tired. However, don’t expect your senior girl to be your young dog’s workout coach; she’s already telling you she’s had more than enough of his energy. Find another dog closer to your pup’s age and energy level, and arrange frequent playdates. Both households will be calmer and happier for it, and your mature dog will thank you.

4. Train him, too!

Of course your youngster needs training for his own sake, but teaching him good manners behaviors will also make life easier for your adult dog. You’ll be able to direct him to leave her alone with a cheerful “Go to your mat!” cue, and a good series of training classes will help your pup learn better impulse control and be calmer and better behaved all around.

5. Spend one-on-one time with each dog.

One of the motives for getting a second dog is often to provide companionship for the first. While that’s all well and good, it still shouldn’t take the place of your attention, especially for your original dog, who may be accustomed to – and cherish – her alone time with you. If you thought you were saving time by getting a second dog, think again. You now need to carve out one-on-one time for each dog – the first so she isn’t deprived of the special relationship you created in your years together, and the second so you can create an equally special relationship with him that you will cherish for many years to come.

Pat Miller is WDJ’s Training Editor. 

Hallmarks of Quality

By
Nancy Kerns
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Hallmarks of Quality

The following is our selection criteria – the things a canned dog food must have to appear on our “approved” foods list:

-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.” Because we are looking for products with the highest possible inclusion of top-quality animal proteins, we’d choose a product with meat first on the label over one that listed water (or broth) first and meat second.

-Named fat sources.

-If vegetables, grains, or other carb sources are used, we prefer to see them whole, rather than by-products (potatoes, rather than potato starch, for example).

Disqualifiers

There are actually far more traits that automatically disqualify a canned food from our consideration. Quality canned dog foods should not contain:

-An unnamed animal protein or fat source, such as “meat,” “poultry,” or “animal fat.”

-Any meat or poultry by-products.

-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 sweetener.

-Artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.

 

Courthouse Support Dogs

By
Lisa Rodier
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Blake works with children who have suffered physical and sexual abuse; his presence can help children “find their voices.” Photo courtesy of the Pima (Arizona) County Attorney’s Office.

His real name is Blake, but his nickname is Batman – a handsome gentleman, ready to swoop in on a moment’s notice to fight crime in his own special way. Blake is a gorgeous, three-year-old Labrador Retriever employed as a courthouse dog for the Pima County Attorney’s Office in Tucson, Arizona. Trained by Assistance Dogs of the West (ADW), and partnered with victim advocate Colleen Phelan, Blake provides support to victims and witnesses of crime as they navigate the vagaries of the judicial process.

Courthouse dogs are professionally trained facility dogs who provide emotional support to people throughout the criminal-justice system. They may begin working with clients upon reception into a safe house or child-advocacy center, or during the process of conducting forensic and medical interviews, or when the case gets to court. While a courthouse dog is not a service dog, per se – the dog does not assist a person with a disability, nor does the dog have public-access rights as would a service dog – courthouse dogs are nonetheless “graduates” of accredited service-dog organizations, and are paired with handlers who are working professionals in the criminal-justice field.

Blake’s Job

At age two, Blake was selected to work in the Pima County Superior and Justice Courts, as well as the Southern Arizona Children’s Advocacy Center. His handler primarily focuses on cases in the Pima County Attorney’s Office Special Victims’ Unit, which prosecutes sexually based offenses with adults and physical/sexually based offenses with children. Phelan and Blake assist individuals from infants to older adults in cases including child molestation, adults who have been sexually assaulted, and babies with injuries caused by traumatic abuse.

According to Phelan, in a very broad sense, Blake provides a basic level of comfort to his charges. When Phelan works with a child (in her role, she’s active during the prosecution phase), the child is more inclined to feel comfortable with her because she has an amazing dog alongside who trusts her. Typically, she says, as children pet the dog, the interaction calms them, and they begin to talk about the trauma they’ve suffered, revealing accounts of sexual or physical abuse. “We help kids get their voices – to feel like somebody’s going to listen. There’s a lot of sitting on the floor and petting the dog while talking to the attorney, whereas typically, pre-Blake, we’d be sitting at a desk more formally,” Phelan notes.

In the courtroom environment – and what is allowed in one courtroom may differ from what is allowed in another – Phelan and Blake may sit quietly at the back of the courtroom, but within a clear line of the child’s sight, while a child is on the stand testifying. Because of the child’s prior interaction with and trust of the team, the child feels a sense of comfort and empowerment while in a potentially terrifying situation.

“While that might look like ‘just a dog sleeping,’ a dog who’s sleeping innately tells us that the environment is okay,” says Jill Felice, ADW’s founder and program director. “Because humans have lived with dogs for the past 20,000 years, when we see a dog who’s relaxed, we know it’s safe. For that child, in that moment, seeing a dog lying there in the courtroom sleeping . . . they know that they’re safe. The way that the dog moves so easily through the process gives people a model to mimic. Everybody is just a little bit calmer, and a little more relaxed, in a situation that is never easy.”

Phelan, who takes Blake home at night, echoes that sentiment. “He teaches me about slowing down and taking my time. Blake is my balance. He helps me to get grounded again, both at home and at work.”

While Phelan is the first to say that her overall wellness has increased (emotionally, spiritually, and physically) because of Blake, she also points out that being responsible for a courthouse dog is an incredible amount of work. While she wouldn’t trade Blake for anything, she explains that her job went from an 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. work day to 24/7.

“Some days I feel a little like Kevin Costner in ‘The Bodyguard’ and Blake is Whitney Houston. He is noticed wherever we go and we are constantly ‘on.’ That took some getting used to, especially when one of us is tired or I am in a hurry.” But she’s quick to add that people are generally a lot nicer when she has Blake, which may seem silly, but is very noticeable!

At night, Blake goes home with his handler, and lives like any other normal dog. He’s seen here enjoying holiday treats with other family dogs at “Grandma’s house.” Photo courtesy C. Phelan.

Temperament and Training

Blake was tapped for this special job as a puppy, in part due to his extremely calm and patient demeanor. His ability to remain focused and “still” during court is critical to his success. Another aspect of his personality is his emotional confidence, or his ability to approach and “take care of” an individual who is crying or upset, while not taking on any of that emotion himself.

Phelan also appreciates Blake’s ability to weave through a courtroom. “While he’s interested in what’s happening, he’s not too interested; he won’t necessarily approach people freely, but if somebody’s interested in him, he likes to be talked to. His personality is like that of an English gentleman,” she says with a smile.

ADW dogs begin training at eight weeks of age, and are trained up until 18 months to two years of age, using positive methods including clicker training. Although the dogs live with professional trainers, the ADW approach is unique in that children help train the dogs in programs that take place in school, after school, and during the summer. In the process, the dogs learn how to respond to being in environments that are crowded with a bunch of children running around, with all the emotional “stuff” that goes on.

During their training, courthouse dogs learn cues that are both navigational and engaging. For example, the “visit” cue asks a dog to lay his head in a person’s lap, and remain still and in that position so that his head can be stroked. As opposed to a dog who jumps on a couch and snuggles up to someone who might not be prepared for that level of contact, the visit behavior and positioning is non-threatening, yet allows for touch.

When the dogs are ready to be placed in an organization within the judicial system, the dog is matched with primary and secondary handlers. The type of environment that is typical for the courtroom he’ll be serving is also taken into consideration when placing the dog. “We want to make placements that are good for the dog, the courtroom, and the person who handles him in that situation,” Felice says.

Therapy Dog?

When I first learned about courthouse dogs a few years ago, I wondered why therapy dogs couldn’t do the job; why a specially trained courthouse dog?

The Courthouse Dogs Founda-tion, a non-profit organization that promotes, educates, and advocates for the use of courthouse dogs in the criminal-justice system by criminal-justice professionals, stands firmly against the practice of using therapy dogs in court. They believe that courthouse dogs should be trained and placed only by accredited service-dog organizations, and handled by professionals in the legal field, since these individuals have an in-depth knowledge of the law and victims’ rights, and understand the confidentiality requirements of the judicial system.

“I love therapy dogs and all the work that they do,” explains Linda Milanesi, Executive Director of ADW. “The courtroom, however, is an environment that is very emotional, much heightened, potentially adversarial and, in a lot of cases, sad and demanding. If an individual doesn’t have the knowledge of the daily activities and workings of the judicial system, they could unknowingly, as a handler and her dog, get a case thrown out of court because of their behavior. It’s a scary place to be if you don’t know what you’re allowed and not allowed to do.” Case closed.

Lisa Rodier lives in Georgia with her husband and Atle the Bouvier, and volunteers with the American Bouvier Rescue League.

Tips for Giving a Dog a Bath at Home

By
Denise Flaim
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Tips for giving a dog a bath at home can help keep your dog calm and you a little bit dryer.
Consideration of your dogs needs can make bathing your dog at home a much more pleasant time for you both. Credit: adamkaz | Getty Images

Giving a dog a bath at home is sort of like mixing a cocktail, or hitting a golf ball: It seems deceptively straightforward, but you need a lot of background knowledge to really master it. Some dogs simply hate baths while others look forward to it. From what kind of shampoo to use to how frequently your dog should be sudsing up, there are all kinds of technical questions to consider before grabbing that spray hose and going to town. But there are also deeper issues at play: Nothing quite lays bare the state of your relationship with your dog like trying to negotiate that slippery expanse of porcelain together. Here are some tips for smooth sailing, at bathtime and beyond.

How Often Should You Give a Dog a Bath?

Groomer Anna Stromberg of Vista, New York, hears a lot of misinformation about canine cosmetology from new clients. One of the whoppers? That bathing your dog is not good for his skin.

Stromberg’s reply is always the same: “I ask them, ‘How would you feel if you didn’t wash your hair for three months?'” In response, her clients usually shift around and smile wanly: Itchy, uncomfortable, and out of sorts is the unspoken answer.

But how often to wash a dog is something that varies, depending on the dog’s coat and her activity level. Dogs who spend most of their time snoozing indoors might only need bathing once a month; those who like rolling in the dirt and mud might need weekly soaks. Stromberg says that, again, contrary to popular belief, “Washing your dog’s hair once a week with a good shampoo and conditioner won’t do her any harm.”

In fact, not bathing can have negative consequences, and not just for the dog.

“The cleaner the dog, the fewer problems for you and your family in terms of allergies,” Stromberg says. Smooth-coated dogs, she adds, often trigger more allergies in people – not because they necessarily produce more dander, but because they usually are not washed as frequently as their long-haired counterparts, if at all. “Approach the owner of a Boxer in a park, and ask when was the last time that the dog had a bath; chances are his owners will say, ‘Oh, we never wash him; we only have his nails cut.'”

At the other end of the spectrum are owners who are overzealous with their bathing techniques. “Some people think the more, the better,” Stromberg says, adding that using copious amounts of shampoo might very well irritate your dog’s skin – not the goal at all.

Washing Your Dog in the Bathtub

Unless warm weather prevails and they can move the waterworks outside, most do-it-yourselfers wash their dogs right where they do their own daily ablutions – in the bathtub or shower stall.

Before she became a professional groomer, Mary Oquendo of Pawsitively Pretty Mobile Grooming in Danbury, Connecticut, did just that. And she has some tips for rub-a-dub-dubbers.

“With my larger dogs, I would put on a bathing suit, and I got in the tub with them,” she says. This tag-along approach not only lowered her dogs’ stress level – they thought of it more as play time than a grooming session – but it also likely spared Oquendo a trip to the chiropractor. “If you’re bathing a long-coated dog like a Golden Retriever, that’s a half-hour bent over the tub,” she says. “Your back is going to kill you.”

When it comes to rinsing their dogs, some owners use a small container to repeatedly fill and pour, fill and pour. “Shower attachments are a whole lot easier,” Oquendo advises, adding that portable sprayers that attach to the tub spout are an inexpensive alternative.

Because tubs can be slippery, Oquendo recommends laying down a towel so the dog has better footing. And if you decide not to wade in yourself, she suggests putting another towel on the rim of the tub so you don’t slip on the porcelain surface as you lean on it.

If you don’t like the idea of turning your bathroom into a doggie spa, some stores sell portable “booster” tubs that can be set up anywhere there is a hose connection, such as your garage or basement. But Oquendo reminds that while the elevated tub will save your back, getting your dog up that high can take some effort, especially if he doesn’t think it’s such a great idea.

(If money is no object, pop over to Pinterest and type in “dog bathtub.” There are plenty of photos of custom-made grooming stations in laundry rooms, including ones with cabinet doors that pull out to reveal built-in stairs.)

As for toy and similarly sized dogs, you already have a handy, appropriately raised bathing receptacle: It’s called the kitchen sink. That’s where Oquendo’s two “Chi-wees” get their baths, even though she has a fully equipped grooming van parked outside.

Use Pet-Safe Shampoo

Kirstine Reynolds of Groom with a View in Draper, Utah, runs a page on Facebook for groomers. And one of the most hotly discussed subjects these days is the labeling of ingredients – or, more precisely, the lack of it – on shampoos and other grooming products.

“Pet shampoo is not regulated, so manufacturers don’t have to list ingredients,” says Reynolds, who maintains a list of companies that disclose all of the ingredients in their products. Some shampoos contain ingredients that sensitize skin and can cause irritation; others use problematic preservatives such DMDM hydantoin, which controls microorganisms by releasing formaldehyde, a neurotoxin and carcinogen.

Reynolds uses brands such as Isle of Dog and Chris Christensen, though she notes that they have preservatives in them, too. “Shampoos have to contain preservatives,” she explains. “Otherwise, they grow mold and bacteria.”

Oquendo also pays close attention to ingredient lists. She avoids products that take what she calls a “dodgeball” approach, using amorphous terms such as “shampoo-based” or “proprietary mix of essential oils” without more specific information. Oquendo wants to know what ingredients are in her shampoos, and where those ingredients are sourced. “I personally can have a reaction to melaleuca, or tea tree oil,” she says. “I need to know if a product has tea tree in it. My next question is, ‘Where did you get it?’ Because there is some tea tree oil I can use, and it comes down to the manufacturer.”

If you find yourself in a pinch, without any kind of dog-formulated shampoo whatsoever, don’t use your own, which likely contains perfumes that can irritate a dog’s skin. Provided the dog is in good health, bathed regularly, his skin accustomed to being shampooed, and you do an extremely thorough job rinsing his coat, “whatever you use on your children is fine for your dog,” Stromberg says. “You can use Dawn dish soap, too – it’s used on seabirds to get oil from spills off them.”

Dilute That Soap!

According to Oquendo, one of the biggest mistakes people make when bathing their dog is “oversoaping.” Across the board, professional groomers stress that diluting shampoo before applying is the unqualified key to success. Because of its thickness, full-strength shampoo tends to cling to the top of the coat, resisting even distribution and not penetrating to the undercoat and skin beneath.

Oquendo pre-mixes her shampoo in an empty two-liter soda bottle: She adds about a half-inch of shampoo and then fills the rest with water.

Making sure the dog is totally saturated before applying the shampoo is another must. “The wetter the dog, the more the shampoo will mix into the coat,” she says, adding that she starts at the top, with the dog’s back, and then works her way down the sides.
With most dogs, once it not enough: Reynolds says when groomers hand-wash their charges, they shampoo them twice. “Lots of times, on the first shampoo, you won’t get the coat as wet, and it won’t get wet through.”

And don’t forget a good-quality conditioner. “A lot of people think their dogs have allergies when actually the skin is dried out from washing,” Reynolds says. “I condition every dog I bathe – even the short-haired ones.”

Dilute the conditioner just as you do the shampoo, and let it sit on the coat for a minute before rinsing.

Rinse Your Dog Well

That brings us to another important part of the bathing routine that many owners bungle. Residual soap in the coat can irritate the skin, leading to itchiness, flaking, hotspots, and other skin problems.

“Rinse, rinse, rinse,” says Stromberg in the dog groomer’s version of that old “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” joke. “You need to rinse until you don’t see any more suds.” Then, after you think you’re done, “rinse for another three minutes.” Just to be sure.

Washing Your Dog’s Face

Many owners avoid washing their dogs’ faces, and that’s understandable: Shampoo that inadvertently gets into a dog’s eyes creates just as painful and burning a sensation as it does for we humans. “And you can actually cause ulcers to the eyes if you get shampoo in them and don’t rinse it out,” Reynolds says.

But the solution isn’t avoidance: It’s using the right technique and product.
“I put my hand over the dog’s face and cover the eyes,” whenever washing or rinsing in that area, Oquendo says. “And I tilt the head downward so any soap will run down rather than sitting on top of the head.”

There are a variety of face washes that are specially developed for cleaning this part of a dog’s body. Reynolds recommends South Bark’s Blueberry Facial, which can also be used as a full-body shampoo.

Brushing Up

With a long-coated dog, the best time to brush and comb the hair is while it is still wet, not dry. “If you have a longer-coated dog that has more hair, like a Shih Tzu or a Goldendoodle, the best time to comb them out is when the hair is damp,” Reynolds says. “That’s when hair is flexible, and it’s easier to see where the tangles are.”

But if you haven’t been regularly brushing and combing your dog, don’t expect a bath to miraculously leave her looking like a Breck Girl. In fact, if you bathe a longhaired dog whose grooming has been neglected – Oquendo’s rule of thumb is that a dog with a coat more than an inch long should be groomed every day – you will be doing more harm than good. “It’s like washing a wool sweater,” Reynolds says. “It just causes the tangles to get even tighter.”

If your dog has an unkempt and possibly matted coat, immediately head to a professional groomer to have it taken care of. Do not attempt to yank or cut out the mats yourself: The aftermath just might land your dog at the vet’s office.

Oquendo reminds that brushing and combing have different functions: The brush is the advance man, loosening up the coat to make it ready for the more narrowly spaced tines of the comb. If the comb begins to meet resistance, don’t try to force it through. Instead, return to the brush until you’ve made enough headway to start combing again. (Note that the tines on either end of the comb are spaced differently. At the start of your combing session, start with the wider end. As the coat gets smoother, switch to the narrower side.)

“Combing is really important,” Oquendo says. “And that means getting that comb right down to the skin. Otherwise, it’s just surface brushing, and if you part the coat, there are mats beneath.”

Not surprisingly, the quality of the brushes and combs you use is very important. “Basically, the more you spend, the better the quality,” says Oquendo, who has paid as much as $85 for a comb. Cheap-quality brushes have tines that are simply cut, as opposed to rounded, and will scratch the skin.

Manage Your Own Expectations

Get a bunch of dog groomers together for coffee, and chances are the talk invariably turns to the “Doodle” explosion among their clients. Their gripe isn’t with the dogs themselves: It’s with the owners who have selected a particular type of dog without understanding the grooming – and, often, temperament – issues that come with it.
“Doodles are one of the hardest dogs to wash because their coats are so dense,” Stromberg explains. Thanks to the designer dog’s mixed heritage – a Poodle typically crossed to a Labrador or Golden retriever – “you’re dealing with double, curly coats with undercoat. And with hyper dogs – a dog who has lost his patience by the time you’ve wetted him down.”

The kind of coat your dog has will help you determine how much bathing and grooming she needs, and what products will work best for her. And while there are general rules of thumb (“Nine times out of 10, a German Shepherd will shed more than an Afghan Hound, and a German Shorthaired Pointer will shed less than a Lab,” Stromberg says) there can be big variations among dogs of the same breed or type.
Bathing does cut down on shedding, but “some dogs will never stop shedding, even if you bathe them once a week,” Stromberg says.

Of course, you love the dog you love. But if you decide to buy a purpose-bred dog, seek out a reputable breeder who pays attention to coat quality, especially in breeds with long or distinctive coats, such as terriers. Dogs with poorly textured coats are much more difficult to keep clean, bathe, groom, and maintain.

Drying Off Your Dog

Once a dog is properly bathed, getting him dry is the next step. As you might expect, towels are a must – lots and lots of towels. “Absorb as much as you can after you’ve rinsed your dog well,” Reynolds advises. “The more moisture you absorb with the towel, the faster they dry.”

Consider investing in a drying towel, which has an absorbent, deep-pile surface that wicks water away from your dog’s coat, like a shammy cloth.

A good toweling and brisk romp through the backyard (weather permitting, of course) is likely all a short-coated dog needs to get dry. But dogs with double coats, such as Akitas or Samoyeds, require extra help.

“Undercoat is designed to insulate, and when that insulation is not needed, it comes out – all over your house,” Reynolds explains. When professional groomers dry double-coated dogs, they use dog-specific dryers that blast room-temperature air at such high velocity that the downy undercoat is loosened and pushed out. That, in turn, significantly reduces the amount of shedding – those tumbleweed-like tufts that can turn your living room into a convincing approximation of an Arizona ghost town.

Drying a dog with a hand-held blow dryer takes a lot of time (especially if you use the lowest possible setting to prevent unintentionally burning or overheating the dog), and it does nothing to remove the undercoat. While high-velocity dryers are available to non-professionals, they require skill and experience to operate safely.

“They can be really dangerous in the wrong hands,” Reynolds warns. “You could literally blow a Yorkie across the room with one.” If not placed properly, high-velocity dryers “can pop an eardrum or even a lung,” she adds. “They are great equipment, if someone takes the time to learn how to use them properly.” You should never use a high-velocity dryer around the head, and using a product like a Happy Hoodie (see happyhoodie.com) is a good idea: It not only safely covers the ears, but it also applies calming pressure, because force-drying is very often a stressful experience for a dog, especially one who is new to it.

Some owners might decide that all this bother isn’t worth it, and so they opt to shave a dog like a Golden Retriever to eliminate the problem. But this has its quandaries as well.

“The mechanics of a double coat are that the undercoat keeps the dog cooler in summer and warmer in winter,” Reynolds explains. “When you shave off that double coat, you’re also removing the dog’s means of regulating his body temperature. Shaved dogs are more susceptible to bug bites and sunburn, and shaving off the top coat will make the undercoat shed more.” As a result, Reynolds rarely recommends shaving, except in cases where the dog is severely matted.

Calming Your Dog’s Nerves

More than having a super-clean dog, Stromberg stresses that the goal is having one who is safe, too.

For instance, dogs can break legs from jumping out of tubs and sinks. While you can try to foil escape artists by keeping your dog restrained while bathing – Reynolds suggests investing in a detachable grooming loop that suction-cups to the side of tub – just as important is making sure that your dog is comfortable with the whole process to begin with.

Because prevention is worth a pound of cure, start teaching your dog from puppyhood that the bathtub is a fun place where extraordinarily good things happen. Periodically leave treats on the edge of the tub; once your puppy is big enough to hop over the sides, place the goodies inside the empty tub. The idea is to program your dog to want to investigate the tub, and then get comfortable with the idea of jumping into it, which is often the biggest hurdle to bathing. If you get really ambitious, you can practice stand-stays in the tub whenever you are passing by.

When it’s bath time for real, have lots of treats at the ready. “I go really slowly,” Reynolds says, adding that some dogs find the sound of the spray nozzle to be very disconcerting. If that’s the case, she switches to a small bucket to hand-pour the water.

Bath water should to be warm to the touch, about 85 to 90 degrees for a dog with normal, healthy skin. If a dog has allergies or any type of skin irritation, the temperature should be a bit cooler.

The Once-Over

Use bath time as an opportunity to check your dog over carefully and notice minute changes that might not be readily apparent from just looking.

Oquendo greets her regular four-legged customers by rubbing her hands all over the dog’s body, checking for anything out of the ordinary.

“I’m feeling for lumps, bumps, cysts that may have popped, injuries, and huge matted spots,” she says. “I’m also checking for body language. If as I’m coming down the back leg I feel the dog stiffen, it might mean that the dog is dealing with arthritis or an injury.”

Oquendo also lifts the dog’s lips to make sure the gums are rosy and healthy-looking; she has sent dogs to the vet because she found gums that were pale, a sure sign of illness.

Rock On

Because grooming can be stressful for even the most well-adjusted dog, Oquendo uses crystals to help center her canine clients’ emotions.

“I have a big hunk of rose quartz that sits in my tub,” she says. “It has very calming, gentle energies.” Cleansing stones of accumulated energy is important, and because Oquendo’s rose quartz is constantly being showered with water, that does the job nicely.

She also will use clear quartz, an “amplifying” stone that is often helpful with elderly dogs who need an immune boost. (But she tucks it away when she’s grooming naughty or headstrong dogs, who definitely do not need those qualities amplified!) Another favorite grooming stone is amethyst, an “all-purpose stone that’s really good for animals and children.”

Oquendo suggests that owners do as much as possible to the bathing environment to reduce stress and make it pleasant for the dog. In her grooming van, she plays chakra-balancing music. And while she is a Reiki practitioner, she usually prefers to keep Reiki treatments separate from bathing and grooming, unless a dog is grieving or very arthritic.

Oquendo believes in making grooming time the best it can be for the individual dog, and she promotes this philosophy through an organization she is helping found called the Society of Holistic Pet Stylists. “It’s about being mindful of the animal,” she says, which includes making the experience as low-stress as possible, and using products best suited for each dog, whether it’s a mineral-salt or essential-oil shampoo, or a medically formulated one to address a specific skin condition.

It’s not only the dog who benefits from this sort of approach. “A nicer experience for the dog becomes a nicer experience for me,” Oquendo says. Bath time doesn’t just have to be a chore; if you approach it correctly, it can be a rich time for connecting and bonding with your cherished companion.

Denise Flaim of Revodana Ridgebacks in Long Island, New York, shares her home with three Ridgebacks, 10-year-old triplets, and a very patient husband.

How a Mother’s Stress Can Influence Unborn Puppies

By
Jessica Hekman DVM, MS
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Can stress in pregnancy affect dogs?
CYNOCLUB | Dreamstime.com

Can a highly stressful environment during pregnancy affect how puppies turn out? Imagine this: A young dog goes stray and lives on urban streets for two months, in almost constant fear. Kids chase her down a street, throwing rocks at her; she is attacked by another dog; and she struggles every day to scavenge enough to eat. At last she is apprehended by an animal control officer and brought to a shelter. Here she finally gets enough to eat, but she’s still not able to relax; the shelter is full of strange smells and loud noises, her run is small, and the floor is hard. After she’s been at the shelter for a few weeks, a shelter staff member realizes that she is pregnant and due very soon. The shelter puts her on the waiting list for a foster home, knowing that puppies don’t do well when they grow up in shelters.

A few days before her puppies are born she gets into a foster home with an experienced dog owner, and her life suddenly improves tremendously. Her puppies are born small but healthy, and her new foster mom does everything right for them, exposing them to lots of positive experiences. When they are two months old, they are put up for adoption and are quickly adopted into new homes.

But a few months later, reports come back to the shelter that the puppies are all skittish and easily alarmed by new situations. The shelter staffers conclude that the problem must be with the puppies’ genetics, because their early environment was superlative. But the puppies’ tiny brains were already developing before birth, and their hormonal systems were being tuned to make them ready to face the world that their mother had been experiencing.

Such hormonal tuning may be an important survival tactic. For animals born into harsh environments full of threats, where fearfulness is justified, a highly reactive stress response is critical and may make the difference between life or death. But a highly reactive stress response is also energetically very expensive, so for animals born to gentler environments with less to fear, energy is better spent on other systems, like growth or reproduction. In such environments, extreme fearfulness may actually be a bad strategy, resulting in the loss of opportunities to find food or mates. Mammal mothers pass information to their offspring about what sort of world to expect – and they do so as early as possible, to provide maximum time for appropriate development.
When our shelter dog was harassed and hungry on the street, her stress system would have activated strongly, increasing her cortisol level. This hormone tells the different tissues in her body to prepare to deal with a threat, tamping down luxury systems like digestion and reproduction and pulling extra energy from storage.

Normally, an enzyme inactivates cortisol at the placenta, protecting the fetuses from the level of cortisol that the mother is experiencing. But when the cortisol level is extremely high, some passes through the placenta to the developing puppies. They receive the extra cortisol as information: The world is scary. We should be prepared. This message is thought to inform the puppies’ bodies about what to expect from life, and allows them to develop an appropriately tuned stress system and metabolism.

Dog Studies Lacking

The effects on babies who were born to mothers who experienced psychological stress have been well studied in laboratory rodents. When pregnant rats are subjected to acute stressors (such as restraint in a clear plastic tube for an hour a day), their offspring grow up to be less resilient to stress themselves.

Rats normally avoid open areas where predators can find them, and this preference is even more pronounced in rats who were stressed prenatally.

Moreover, the rats who were born to the stressed mothers possess stress systems that are more reactive than average; their cortisol levels increase more in response to stress and take longer to decrease than do the cortisol levels of rats born to mothers who were not deliberately stressed. Essentially, these fearful rats have a stress system that is tuned higher, as if they are prepared for stressful events that never come.

This effect has been observed in humans as well, most famously in the Netherlands after a winter of famine at the end of World War II.

The effect of the intra-uterine environment hasn’t been studied in dogs, but there is no reason to think that it works any differently in dogs than in humans or rodents. We have to assume that canine mothers also pass along information about their environment to their pups in utero. And sometimes that information is wrong, predicting a life of stress and hardship when the puppy instead ends up loved and coddled. Such a puppy would be tuned to react strongly to stressors. This programming could save an animal’s life if she lived on the streets, but it’s less appropriate for life as a pet – and it could result in an anxious or fearful dog.

How often does this happen? We don’t yet understand all the things that affect a dog’s adult behavior, and research studies to piece out the different mechanisms are hard to do without subjecting dogs to aversive situations. So it’s impossible to say, but I don’t think it’s that unusual.

Preventing Stress When Possible

We can take preventive measures, though; we can do our best to make sure that mom’s environment while she’s pregnant predicts the environment in which her puppies will be raised. So, avoiding extreme stressors in pregnant dogs is a good idea.

Normal life stressors, including going to the veterinarian for checkups, are probably just fine; after all, this is the sort of thing the puppies are going to encounter in their own lives. A shelter situation, however, is probably something to avoid for a pregnant dog. Many shelters do an excellent job of getting moms and newborn puppies into foster care, and could extend that protocol to pregnant dogs before they give birth. It may also be a bad idea to transport pregnant dogs long distances, such as shipping pregnant females overseas.

We don’t know how strong the effect of the intra-uterine environment is, but if we are going to work so hard to properly socialize puppies after birth, why not before birth as well?

Too Late to Avoid Stressors?

What if you don’t know anything about the environment that was experienced by the mother of the puppy you are thinking about adopting? Should you pass on that pup? No! That would rule out far too many (if not most) adoptions. Go ahead and adopt – but make a point to provide the growing youngster with as many positive social interactions and as much low-stress, safe exposure to the world as you can. Keep in mind that your pup may have this unseen impediment to developing normal confidence, and take it upon yourself to “super-socialize” him, just in case.

By the time most people adopt puppies, there are only a few weeks left in the ideal period in which to socialize them, so you may not be able to entirely make up for any deficits. You can, however, be alert to signs that your pup is going through a “fear period” (which can happen multiple times throughout his puppyhood). Make extra efforts to protect him from overwhelmingly scary experiences and address his fears with behavior modification during those times. And seek the assistance of a qualified positive behavior professional sooner rather than later if you notice unusual fear or reactivity in your adoptee.

Finally, keep in mind that shelters are always looking for competent foster homes. Fostering a pregnant dog allows you to help contribute to building the solid temperaments of her puppies!

Jessica Hekman, DVM, MS, completed her shelter-medicine internship at the University of Florida’s Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program in 2013. She now studies the genetics of dog behavior in Illinois, where she lives with her husband and three dogs. Check out Dr. Hekman’s blog, dogzombie.blogspot.com, a blog about dog brains and behavior (and sometimes shelter medicine), or follow her on Twitter @dogzombieblog.

The Effects of Male Womb-Mates

By
Nancy Kerns
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If a mother dog’s hormones can affect her fetuses in-utero, what about the hormones of their siblings? The effects of in-utero testosterone on females with all male siblings are well documented in rodents and cattle, and debatably exist in humans. These females undergo physical and behavioral masculinizing effects.

This effect is not believed to extend to dogs. The likely explanation?

There are three types of mammalian placentas:

-In primates (including humans) and rodents, blood exchange occurs directly from sibling to mom to the next sibling, allowing the indirect transfer of blood-borne testosterone between siblings.

-In ruminants (including cows), there is no direct blood exchange between mom and fetus, but blood vessels within an inner membrane can connect siblings to each other, allowing direct exchange of blood-borne testosterone.

-In carnivores (including dogs and cats), there is neither direct blood exchange between mom and fetus nor directly between two fetuses.

Therefore, there is no known mechanism for hormone-exchange between fetuses in dogs. However, anecdotal reports exist of masculinized female puppies in otherwise all-male litters. Is there some other mechanism we haven’t discovered? Or is this due to the post-natal environment of growing up with a bunch of brothers? We don’t know!

The First Week with a New Puppy

By
Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA
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Puppy in play pen

It’s one of the best feelings in the whole world — those first few hours with your new puppy when everything is perfect and anything is possible. It doesn’t take long, however, for that bubble to burst. It could be the very first day, when you step in that pile of puppy poo on your Persian carpet, or find deep puppy tooth gouges in your treasured pair of Jimmy Choo shoes. It might be that first night, when you pop your pup into his crate for the first time and crawl into your bed, only to be treated to a few pitiful whimpers, then a chorus of cries, and finally a non-stop serenade of screaming as your pup broadcasts to the world how lost and lonely he is.

The better prepared you are to do things right from the start, the fewer “What have I done?” moments you’ll have, and the more possibilities you and your dog will be able to realize as you travel together through life. Here’s a guide to getting off to the right start with your new pup.

Pre-Puppy Prep

If you would like to prolong that initial warm, fuzzy, oxytocin-rich, “anything is possible” period, set the stage before your puppy’s arrival so you are setting up him, and yourself, for success. One of the basic tenets of positive reinforcement training is that you put in place management measures so your dog can’t find reinforcement for unwanted behaviors. That goes triple for puppies. Put the following management measures in place before you bring your puppy home, and you’ll be miles ahead of the game.

1. Crate.

This will be your puppy’s bedroom. I recommend crating him in your own bedroom so he has the comfort of your presence; it will help to ease the pangs of loneliness he’s likely to feel upon separation from his mom and litter mates. Although you will both be sleeping (I hope), it still gives you valuable time together. It also enables you to hear him so you can take him outside when he wakes up and cries at 4:00 a.m. because he has to potty, until he’s able to hold it all night.

Your pup’s crate should be just large enough for him to comfortably stand up, turn around, and lie down. Some wire crates come with a divider that you can move as the pup grows, to give him only as much space as he needs. Otherwise, plan on getting a series of increasingly larger crates as your pup grows.

2. Exercise Pen.

Like a playpen for a young child, an exercise pen gives your puppy more room than a crate but still keeps him safely confined and out of trouble. You will use the exercise pen if you have to be gone longer during the day than your pup can be expected to “hold it,” as well as times when you are home and can’t supervise him as closely as you would like. Use pee pads or newspapers to create a potty corner in the exercise pen so your pup has a “legal” place to go to the bathroom.

3. Supervision.

Plan on lots of “eyeballs on the pup” time – direct supervision – so you can reinforce desirable behaviors and prevent reinforcement for undesirable ones. You can use the “umbilical-cord approach,” in which you leash the puppy to your person to prevent him from wandering off and getting into trouble, or you can close doors to keep him in the room with you and make sure you keep a very close eye on him so you can intervene as needed.

4. Tether.

Another way to keep your pup close and out of trouble is to tether him in the room with you, so he can share your company without being directly under your feet.
An excellent resource for cable tethers is BADDogsinc Family Dog Training and Behavior (pettethers.com or 951-283-2101). Their cables come in 2-, 3-, 4-, and 6-foot lengths with snaps at both ends for easy securing around the leg of a heavy piece of furniture or clipping to an eyebolt screwed into the wall. They also have lighter-weight tethers for very small dogs, and tethers with a PVC cap attached to one end that you can slide under a door to hold the dog.

5. Puppy-Proofing.

Having a puppy in your home is a lot like having a toddler. He may not be able to stick his fingers into electrical outlets, but he can and will get into everything within reach of his teeth. Puppy-proofing keeps him safe from things like chewing on electrical cords and keeps your valuable possessions safe (like shoes or prescription glasses).

Puppy-proofing also prevents your pup from having the opportunity to learn that undesirable behaviors are fun (reinforcing). You never want him to have the chance to learn, for example, that if he chews up a sofa cushion, he will get to play with the stuffing. Put all your possessions up and away. Keep closet doors closed. Put electrical cords out of reach or, alternatively, run them through PVC pipe. Put baby latches on cupboard doors. Don’t leave food on surfaces that he can reach, lest he learn to counter surf. And supervise, supervise, supervise.

6. House Rules.

Consistency is a linchpin of successful puppy raising. If one family member invites your pup to share the sofa while another yells at him for getting on that piece of furniture, your puppy will be stressed and confused. Sit the family down and agree on house rules before those first puppy paws hit your kitchen floor. It’s fine to let your dog on the furniture if everyone in the household is comfortable with that. Sleeping on someone’s bed is fine if everyone approves. Resolve differences before your pup arrives so he doesn’t suffer from family conflict.

7. Professional Service Providers.

Research and select your pup’s veterinarian, groomer, pet sitter/walker, and training professional well in advance. If you’re scrambling at the last minute, you’re likely to settle for someone who doesn’t necessarily share your philosophies of dog care and handling. If you want to feed raw and take a holistic approach to your dog’s veterinary care, find a veterinarian who will support you in that. If you are committed to positive-based training, find a trainer who not only claims to be positive, but also can define “positive” to your satisfaction. (Some trainers who claim to be positive use shock collars!) Your groomer and veterinarian should allow you to be a full participant in your dog’s procedures, and not insist on whisking him away to a back room. Don’t settle; find the best for your pup.

First Weeks with Puppy

The stage is set. You’re ready for the exciting event. You’re headed to the shelter or rescue facility to pick out a puppy, or to the breeder to pick up the pup you selected long ago. Your first days and weeks with your new pup will greatly influence the next 10 to 15-plus years you share with your new family member. Your goal is to make those the best years possible. Here are some very important pieces of the foundation to make that happen.

Socialization.

Let’s assume you’re adopting an 8-week-old puppy. Five of the dozen or so weeks of his prime socialization period (three weeks to fourteen weeks) are already water under the bridge, so your first assignment is to take full advantage of the remaining six to eight weeks.

In the best of possible worlds, whomever he was with for the first eight weeks took the time to begin the socialization process. If the pup you choose is happy, friendly, and outgoing, you’re on the right road, and you just need to continue normal socialization efforts.

Here’s a pro tip: specifically look for a puppy like this to adopt. If your heart gets the better of you and you fall for the shy puppy hiding in the back of his kennel, you will need to begin work immediately to help your timid puppy learn to be brave. It won’t happen just because you love him, and it won’t be easy. Adopt this puppy only if you are prepared to invest a lot of time and possibly money into doing behavior modification with your pup. (See “Trials of the Timid,” WDJ August 2008.)

The term “socialization” means exposing your puppy to a lot of people, places, and things, and making sure he has good experiences with them. All too often, puppy owners miss the “good experiences” part and end up creating fearful puppies. To avoid this critical mistake, control the environment around your puppy. For example, don’t let your son’s entire soccer team rush up and overwhelm him; do calm, one-at-a-time greetings. Make a commitment to give your puppy at least one new away-from-home positive socialization experience every day.

Housetraining.

Notice we are not “breaking” anything; we are training our puppy to eliminate where we would like him to. To have that happen, you must prevent him from eliminating where you don’t want him to go. This means taking him outside to his designated potty spot more often than he has to go (start with every hour on the hour, then increase the time between potty sessions when he shows you he can hold it longer); waiting with him until he does go; reinforcing the behavior with a click (or “Yes!”) and treat; and then spending some fun time together outside so he doesn’t think eliminating gets punished by going back inside immediately after.

If he doesn’t go potty when you take him out, don’t play; take him back inside and keep him under tight supervision (for example, leashed to you or in his crate) until his next potty break, so he can’t wander off and soil the carpet. (For more information about potty training, see “Potty Time,” June 2013.)

A general rule of thumb is that a puppy can hold it (crated, for example) for about one hour longer than his age in months, so, for example, your two-month-old puppy can possibly be crated for up to three hours at a time. That means at least two trips outside while you are gone during a normal workday. If you can’t arrange for someone to get him outside during the day, keep him in an exercise pen with a bathroom in the corner.
Be prepared to get up at least one time at night, at least for a few weeks. Some pups can hold it longer overnight sooner, because they aren’t as active as they are during the day.

Important note: Do not punish your pup for accidents in the house. If you find one after the fact, it’s far too late to do anything, and you will only frighten your pup if you drag him back to the spot and yell at him. If you throw a fit when you “catch him in the act,” you will teach him to go eliminate where you can’t see him. Simply interrupt him with a gentle “Oops, outside!” and take him out to the proper spot to potty. Reward him if he resumes his “business” in the right place.

Training.

You will have already located the positive-training professional with whom you would like to work. Get your pup into a puppy training and socialization class as soon as possible.

Some veterinarians unfortunately still advise owners to wait until their pup is fully immunized to attend class, but those vets are far behind the times. (See “Veterinary Behaviorists Agree: Get That Puppy into a Class,” on right.)

A good puppy-class instructor can help guide you through the challenges of house-training, puppy chewing, mouthing, and other baby-dog issues, as well as offer a well-managed venue for socialization with other puppies and humans. Additionally, she will help you teach your pup his basic good-manners behaviors, such as sit, down, walk politely on leash, come when called, and much more. This is the foundation of your pup’s education, and will open the door to a fascinating array of training options that could include rally, agility, scent work, herding, dock diving, Treibball, and much, much more.

Whether you train with a clicker or not, make a commitment to use force-free training and handling methods with your dog throughout his life. If any training professional tries to convince you that pain and coercion are necessary components of training, or that “electronic” (shock) collars don’t hurt, run away fast. You are your dog’s advocate and protector; don’t let him down. He will thank you for it.

Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, is WDJ’s Training Editor. She lives in Fairplay, Maryland, site of her Peaceable Paws training center, where she offers dog-training classes and courses for trainers.

 

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