Industry analysts frequently observe that “humanization” has been a hot trend in pet food for the past few years. The term is used to describe products containing ingredients that are popular in the human food industry, as well as those that are manufactured and/or packaged to resemble human food.
288
Both “humanizing” strategies – using trendy ingredients and making pet foods look like human foods – are being used with great success to market pet food. And nowhere is this strategy being used to greater effect than in the canned food category. Because – soup! stew! yum!
As always, you have to read the ingredients list to determine whether a product has received a flattering makeover, with label art and language that make prosaic ingredients appear better – or whether the food does actually contain whole, healthy, “real” food ingredients.
Don’t fall for pretty pictures of ingredients on the labels of pet food; be advised that the “chicken” that is used in pet food doesn’t look anything like those gorgeous whole roasted chickens you see on some labels. Beautiful photographs or illustrations of dewy spinach leaves and robust whole carrots, glistening slabs of beef steak, or fat cubes of chicken breast, don’t indicate that those ingredients are present in that form, amount, or proportion.
Similarly, don’t allow adjectives to influence your perception of the ingredients. “Poached salmon” and “baby carrots” sound terrific, but “salmon” and “carrots” are the same thing, and laudable in their own right. Also, watch out for the word “flavor” – it doesn’t necessarily mean the food contains whatever food the word “flavor” is attached to; it means only that the food contains a flavoring agent! I expect marketing efforts to be disingenuous, so I don’t take offense at these obviously manipulative tactics. However, there is one application of the term “humanization” that I find incredibly patronizing: when analysts credit humanization for the sales success of foods that contain genuinely top-quality, healthy ingredients, as if anyone who bought anything other than the least-expensive foods on the market was being silly and anthropomorphic.
Many of us buy pet foods with human-quality ingredients because we truly believe that fresh, clean, whole or lightly processed ingredients from reputable domestic sources are more likely to benefit our dogs and less likely to harm them than low-quality by-products from the other side of the globe – not because we want our dogs’ food to appear to be as good (or better) than ours.
Just as you should be going out of your way to introduce your pup to a variety of people, you should make an effort to expose him to a variety of other animal species. Use a leash or other barrier to keep both parties safe and untraumatized. Photo by Heather Houlahan
PUPPY SOCIALIZATION: OVERVIEW
1. Make a commitment to super-socialize your puppy, and then do it — early. Don’t procrastinate; you don’t have much time!
2. Stay aware of your pup’s body language and help him out of trouble if he looks stressed. Be prepared to take prompt remedial action it your pup has a negative experience during your socialization program.
3. Sign up as soon as possible for a well-run positive puppy class, where both of you can socialize and have a good time.
When it comes to puppies who don’t get lots of opportunities to interact positively with other dogs, new people, or novel situations, the end results are often messy.
Protect your pup! If you take him to a place where he’s likely to get swarmed by children (or even, in this case, dog-loving young adult athletes), be ready to intervene so he doesn’t get overwhelmed by the attention. (The owner can’t even see her pup in the middle of this scrum!) Photo by Nancy Kerns
While curiosity and the ability to learn don’t have expiration dates, young puppies have an important behavioral “sweet spot” between the ages of 13 and 14 weeks. During this critical period, your dog builds her impressions and attitudes about what is normal and acceptable. At this time more than any other, positive experiences with the world around her build a solid foundation for the rest of your dog’s life.
As recently as 30 years ago, trainers and owners didn’t talk much about puppy socialization. But today, most people know about the importance of making puppies well-rounded little Renaissance hounds. And as they have gotten busy signing up for puppy kindergarten and arranging play dates with the dog next door, a new concern has developed: Fueled more by enthusiasm than knowledge, some people expose puppies to the world in a way that emphasizes its dangers rather than its delights.
Like anything in life, it’s all about balance. Here are some tips to help you guide your puppy through this brave new world in a way that will broaden her horizons and build her confidence.
Keep Your Puppy’s Experiences Positive
Socialization isn’t just about exposing your puppy to new things. It’s also about carefully monitoring these interactions to ensure they are positive ones. Though puppies can seem precociously unflappable – especially when they are gnawing your ankles – they are sensitive souls who can easily become overwhelmed. Your job is to gauge the tenor of a situation by reading your puppy’s body language.
“If your puppy clings to you, if she’s yawning or turning her head away, she’s stressed. Forcing the puppy will just make it worse,” says trainer and author Teoti Anderson of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. “Puppy emotions can be so fleeting. If more puppy owners paid attention to that, and just let the puppy go at his own pace, they’d avoid a lot of problems.”
In the buffet of sensory stimulation that your puppy encounters, make sure his experience is a quick snack rather than a binge. A visit to your child’s soccer game, for instance, can do more harm than good if you are distracted, a pack of kids swarms the cute new puppy, and someone’s snarky Schnoodle meanders over to chomp instead of chat. Less really can be more.
“I like lots of frequent, short sessions. Some puppies shouldn’t go out every day, especially if you have a puppy that’s a little shy,” Anderson says. “Instead, find five friends of different ages and ethnicities and have them over for 10 minutes.” Your puppy will be exposed to a variety of new, interesting people, “and you’ve ended it before it can go badly.”
Be sure to monitor the humans in this equation, too, especially if they are not very dog savvy: Something as simple as holding a puppy incorrectly – letting his legs dangle without supporting his bottom, for instance – can make him feel unstable and unsafe.
An adult dog who is willing and able to play gently but firmly with a puppy is worth his weight in gold to the puppy’s owner. Ideally, he will tolerate a certain amount of puppy hijinks but won’t allow the pup to push or boss him around. Photo by Nancy Kerns
Expose Puppies to New People at Home
Speaking of the home front, that’s often one place that’s ignored as people rush out to take their new puppies to Home Depot parking lots and the Petco treat aisles, hoping to imprint them with a zest for the outside world.
“People take their puppies out into the world to socialize them, but they forget to bring other living beings into their home,” says trainer and author Pia Silvani, assistant vice president and behavior specialist at St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center in Madison, New Jersey.
This doesn’t just apply to other people and children; be sure to invite some canine guests, too. “Many dogs are just not used to having other dogs coming on their property,” Silvani says. “The risk is that they can become territorial in their own home” because they’ve simply never had the chance to learn how to politely welcome a visitor.
Socializing at Puppy Kindergarten
Puppy kindergarten classes are a great way for puppies as young as eight weeks old to meet other dogs and people, provided it is in a controlled environment. A good class will require your puppy to have at least one vaccine, and will disinfect the classroom space before puppies assemble to cut down on the risk of communicable diseases.
Before plunking down your cash and signing up, visit a session without your puppy. Watch and see how the instructors manage the class. Are they watching out for different breed-specific playing styles? (Pairing a mouthy retriever with a chase-motivated herder might not end well.) Are they intervening and redirecting behavior that might escalate to something unpleasant?
Above all, these classes should not be a no-holds-barred romper room. Even if they don’t know it, when human kindergartners play, they are being taught important social concepts like self-control and respect for others, and it should be the same with their furry counterparts.
“Some people have the misconception that they’re going to bring their puppy into class and it will be an hour of playtime. And they believe if they don’t have that their puppy is not getting socialized,” Silvani says. “But socialization can mean sitting next to another dog in a calm fashion – it doesn’t have to entail wild, frenzied play. That’s a part of it, so they learn to read body language – but it’s a minor part.”
Veterinarian, trainer, and author Sophia Yin, DVM, reminds that avoiding inappropriate friends is just as important for four-leggers, too.
“People just think all play is fine because that’s a dog being a dog,” she says. “But if you had a child, you wouldn’t let him play with a bunch of kids who are swearing and hitting each other. Puppies can learn all kinds of unwanted behaviors” – and start morphing into the canine version of a schoolyard bully.
“For dogs who are having fun, one of the worst things they can learn is to play too roughly and have no impulse control,” Dr. Yin continues. “By letting them play in an ugly way, they get more and more practice being overly aroused. Over-arousal and aggression are on a continuum. If dogs learn to have no self-control and react without thinking, they can become aggressive.”
The lesson that Yin wants puppies to walk (or bounce!) away with is that calming down has tangible benefits. “I want dogs to be able to come when called, focus on me, and the reward is that they can go play again. It teaches the dog that, ‘Hey, it’s not that I can’t have these things. I just have to have a little self-control and be polite about it.'”
Anderson adds that while puppy kindergarten shouldn’t be a mosh pit, it shouldn’t be “a glorified obedience class,” either. “Obedience is the easy part,” she says. “But the time for that puppy foundation is finite.” Baby puppies should be learning more general life skills, she says, like how to accept handling and grooming (including the oft-dreaded nail cutting or grinding), and bite inhibition.
When Puppies Meet Adult Dogs
As their name suggests, puppy kindergarten classes are full of, well, puppies. But trainer and author Trish King of Marin County, California, points out that even more than playing with their peers, youngsters need positive interactions with older dogs who will help them understand and respect boundaries.
While puppy play is a hugely valuable part of a puppy kindergarten gathering, the class should never be a free-for-all. Occasional breaks from the action help calm and re-focus the puppies. Photo by Nancy Kerns
“Sometimes it’s really hard to find appropriate adults for puppies to play with,” she says. As a result, “many puppies have trouble learning how to play appropriately, show deference to adults, and back off.”
At all costs, avoid play dates with Cujo wanna-bes, which sounds easier than it actually is. Some people are utterly clueless about their dog’s social graces, or lack thereof. “You have to screen the other dog and be realistic,” Anderson reminds. “If the adult has a history of not liking other dogs, introducing him to a puppy will not miraculously make it better.”
After asking how social the potential playmate is with other dogs, it’s also important to inquire about his play style. “Does he play roughly? Is he mouthy? Is he a chaser?” asks Silvani, adding that breed-specific temperament differences, as well as size differential, are important, too.
Finally, absolutely, positively no dog parks, which can be magnets for undersocialized dogs of all ages and their benign, but dangerously clueless, owners.
What Vets Say About Puppy Socialization
One of the biggest obstacles to proper puppy socialization can come from a seemingly unlikely source: veterinarians.
While no veterinarian wants to see a carefree puppy develop into a growling hermit, his or her primary focus is making sure that your puppy is not being exposed to infectious disease. As a result, many vets insist that their clients not take puppies out into the world until their booster vaccine series is complete and they are fully immunized, which is typically at 16 weeks – two weeks after the vitally important socialization window has closed shut.
Veterinary objections to even a nuanced approach to puppy socialization – arranging play dates with known, healthy dogs, and avoiding well-trafficked areas such as parks – are “huge,” Silvani says. “A lot of times I hear vets in Manhattan saying, ‘Don’t let your puppy hit the ground until he’s six months old'” – leaving legions of urbanites to paper-train large-breed puppies in postage-stamp-sized bathrooms or terraces. In private, she continues, many vets will acknowledge the importance of socialization, but will also voice concerns that they will be liable if something does go wrong.
King understands why many vets are so cautious in this regard, but points out that they could be unwittingly creating a situation that is just as life threatening: “The number-one reason dogs are surrendered to shelters is behavioral problems.” In other words, the odds are greater that a dog might be euthanized for a serious behavioral issue than coming down with parvovirus or kennel cough.
Dr. Yin says many of her veterinary colleagues also don’t realize that the science doesn’t support their concerns. She points to a recent study published this year in the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association that found puppies who had been vaccinated once and attended socialization classes were at no greater risk of parvovirus infection than vaccinated puppies who did not attend those classes.
Of course, says Dr. Yin, be sure the class follows good sanitary protocols: She knows of one that uses a steam cleaner on its floor several times a week to kill bacteria and other nasties. Requiring that puppies have at least one vaccination and be free from illness are other basic requirements.
Dr. Yin notes the American Veterinary Medical Association is working on a statement on puppy socialization. And the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior already has a position statement on the same topic, which concludes that the risk of contagious disease is the lesser of two evils compared to the effects of inadequate socialization.
“During [the first three months of life] puppies should be exposed to as many new people, animals, stimuli and environments as can be achieved safely and without causing overstimulation manifested as excessive fear, withdrawal or avoidance behavior,” the AVSAB paper says. “For this reason, the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior believes that it should be the standard of care for puppies to receive such socialization before they are fully vaccinated.”
Despite these welcome changes in attitude about the importance of socializing puppies, you might very well encounter resistance from your veterinarian. In the end, it’s up to you to weigh the pros and cons, sort out your level of comfort, and make the best decision for you and your puppy.
Safe Ways to Socialize Before Full Immunization
Even before your puppy is vaccinated, you can still provide opportunities for him to socialize. Here are some ideas.
– Invite your friends over. Children, adults, men, women, the UPS driver, the gardeners – have your pup see and experience these people in and around your home.
– Take your puppy to a trusted friend’s house. Just going into a new environment will offer your puppy lots of new experiences.
– Invite your friends’ healthy, vaccinated, and puppy-friendly dogs over for a play date. Playing with other dogs is important for puppies’ social development and to learn not to bite hard in play.
– Take your pup on a walk. Just don’t allow him to walk places where there might be feces or urine from other animals.
– Take a large blanket to the park. Let your pup watch the world go by on the safety of the blanket.
– Take your pup for car rides. Help him get used to the motion on short rides to the store or even just around the block.
– Visit businesses that welcome dogs or a sidewalk café. Carry your pup in – or in the case of a cafe, set him up on a mat – and let him take in the sights and smells.
Visit the Vet’s Office
When it comes to your veterinarian, don’t forget to socialize your puppy to that office, and its strange smells and sights, when you have no other reason to go there! Do Happy Vet Visits! “Don’t go there only when your puppy needs his shots,” Anderson advises. “Have the vet techs give him a cookie and leave.”
To make bona-fide visits go smoother, Anderson suggests accustoming your puppy to stand on a mat at home – a rubber-backed bath mat is fine – so you can transfer that surface to the vet’s office. Placing it on the scale or exam table will reduce your puppy’s anxiety, “like Linus with his blanket.”
Expose Your Pup to a Variety of Things
Socialization isn’t just about exposure to new people and places; it’s also about acclimating a puppy to all sorts of experiences: loud noises like hairdryers and fire trucks; things that move oddly, like people on crutches or skates; strange surfaces such as manhole covers, deep sand, and wooden bridges; and all types of weather. Here is a list of just SOME everyday things you’ll want to consider introducing to your puppy: “The Puppy Socialization Exposure Checklist“.
Anderson remembers babysitting a dog who would eliminate only on pine straw, because the only walks she had ever taken were in conifer-covered woods. “I had this huge, fenced-in backyard,” but her canine visitor insisted on pottying right next to the house – the only part of the property that had pine trees near it. Similarly, dogs who are accustomed to doing their business only on grass will be stymied when visiting a city and encountering blocks of pavement and blacktop.
Silvani makes sure to expose her dogs to cats and wildlife, taking puppies outside to watch a nearby herd of deer, and rewarding them for their calm behavior and attentiveness to her. “It creates a positive association with wildlife,” she explains. “This way you don’t have a dog who’s out there chasing chipmunks and squirrels, which can be a real danger.”
Conversely, make sure they are introduced to modern conveniences, especially those that involve movement, such as elevators and automatic doors. If you live in a rural setting, find safe and controlled ways to expose your puppy to traffic and the noise of suburban and urban settings – sirens, horn honks, rattling trucks. If you don’t have easy access to the real thing, invest in a CD of city sounds. And while you’re at it, you might pick up a recording of thunderstorms, another behavioral bugaboo that you can defuse with a positive association, such as feeding your puppy dinner while the recording plays.
Socialization to water can be a literal lifesaver. At five years old, Silvani was walking a dog she rescued when he became dangerously overheated. She remembers trying to walk him into a nearby stream to cool him off, but he refused – no amount of pulling or cajoling would make him reconsider. Silvani learned her lesson those many years ago: Today, she takes all her puppies for riverside romps where they play, get treats, and learn to love the wet stuff.
Never Force a Scared Puppy
Almost inevitably, eventually your puppy will encounter a situation or person that frightens him. The answer is not to force the puppy to “deal with it,” but rather to give him the space to come to terms with his fear on his own.
“If a puppy is running from a tall man wearing a hat, don’t put the puppy in the man’s lap and say, ‘He has to get over it.’ That’s overwhelming,” Anderson says. “But if you put the puppy on the ground, and the puppy chooses to go over and say hello,” that’s a better tactic. (Having the behatted man sit on the floor, with a pocket full of juicy treats, would nudge that encounter in the right direction.)
When a puppy is startled or concerned, some trainers advocate ignoring the fearful behavior and not comforting the puppy, lest you reinforce the reaction.
Knowledgeable behavior professionals know that kind of thinking is misguided – and that it misses the larger point. You can’t reinforce emotions, but you can encourage the pup to enjoy the experience. King says“You want to switch over the brain, so he’s not thinking about how afraid he is, but rather how much fun he’s having.” Like a child who’s skinned his knee, you can go over, console him briefly and make sure he’s okay – then change the subject to something fun so the sniffling stops.
Places NOT to Take Your New Puppy
As important as socialization is, it’s equally important to avoid places where there’s a high risk of endangering your baby dog’s health or safety, or giving him a negative association with his world. Here are just a few of the places where you shouldn’t try to socialize your pup:
1. Off-leash dog parks, until he is fully vaccinated.
2. Any place where he is likely to encounter stray dogs.
3. Any place where he is likely to encounter sick dogs.
4. Any place where he is likely to encounter aggressive dogs.
5. Any place where he is likely to encounter aggressive/rowdy/drunk humans.
6. Places where there is an accumulation of feces from unknown dogs.
7. Any place he is not welcome.
8. Any place where he would have to be left unattended, or in a hot car (no tying up outside the grocery store!).
9. Any place where he will be uncomfortable or frightened (sitting in the full sun while you watch your son’s Little League game, at a July 4th fireworks display, at a motorcycle rally, etc).
10. Any place where you won’t be able to devote enough attention to him to secure his safety, security and wellbeing.
Keep The Window Of Opportunity Ajar
While three-to-fourteen-week-old puppies are at the prime age for socialization, their ability to soak up new experiences doesn’t shut off like a faucet once they pass that landmark.
“Probably the most critical factor to me is, don’t stop after puppy class,” Silvani says. “Continue on in the first year” – especially into adolescence, when percolating hormones can create new behavioral challenges. “It’s going to benefit the dog for the rest of his life.”
Conversely, King notes that many people believe dogs can be socialized indefinitely, but at some point, it becomes an issue of reprogramming instead of programming, and changing habits is more difficult and time-consuming than preventing or short-circuiting them in the first place.
“The brain continues to grow for a while and then it stops – new connections aren’t made as fast,” she says. “Older dogs don’t learn as fast or take in as much.” By the time a dog is three or so, the odds of teaching him a new world view are not as favorable as they would have been when he was younger.
Just Do It
We’ve arguably never lived in more dog-friendly times, which should make socializing new puppies a snap. But ironically, it’s that very same modern lifestyle – with its competing demands and time-starved schedules – that can derail the best intentions.
“Puppies are so much work, and I think we are creatures of ‘there’s always time later,'” Anderson says. “People come home, and the cute puppy is now peeing and chewing on oh-my-God-my-favorite-shoe, and the kids have soccer this week, and I had to work late, so we’ll do it next week. And the next thing you know, it’s a six-month-old dog.”
It doesn’t take much to shape your new puppy into a worldly and well-adjusted canine citizen. With the right supervision, that unsocialized puppy can walk into a bar, and – after getting a few scratches behind the ear and a handful of Chex Mix from the bartop – saunter right back out, pleased as punch.
Price is the most commonly cited reason that people prefer to feed dry food to their dogs; canned food is far more expensive to feed than dry food. Owners of large dogs or multiple dogs rarely feed canned food as anything other than an occasional treat, for this reason alone.
288
Of course, there are other objections, too. Many dog owners report that they don’t like the odor of wet food, or the extra work involved in opening the container and serving an appropriate amount – and the hassle of having to store any amount still in the container in a refrigerator for the next meal. And a persistent minority of dog owners worry that dogs who eat only canned food will have more dental problems (such as a buildup of tartar and resulting gum inflammation) than a dog who eats kibble.
These concerns vary in validity.
It’s impossible to counter an objection to the high cost of wet food; it simply is far more expensive to feed canned food than it is to feed kibble. Wet food obviously contains a lot of water, so you have to feed more of it (in terms of weight and volume) than dry food to deliver the nutrients your dog requires. Because it’s so heavy, it’s far more expensive for the pet food companies and distributors to ship wet food than dry food, too.
That said, the cost of feeding top-quality canned food is comparable to the cost of feeding commercial raw frozen or dehydrated diets – and lots of people find a way to pay for those foods. I go into greater detail about this in The Whole Dog Journal 2013 Canned Food Review, WDJ December 2013.
I’m not sure I could sympathize very deeply with someone who didn’t want to feed wet food to a dog who would clearly benefit from that type of diet due to the off-putting aroma of the food, or the inconvenience of opening cans or storing opened-but-not-emptied pouches. Maybe if the owner was pregnant or chronically nauseated, and there was no one else to take over the dog-feeding job?
The dental objection, though: That one is bogus. I know that at least one of the dog food companies have conducted studies demonstrating that dogs who eat special “dental health” kibble end up with less tartar on their teeth than dogs fed another diet. But it’s pretty widely recognized that few (if any) dogs chew kibble well enough to scrape anything off their teeth – and especially off the exterior sides (cheek sides) of their teeth, where tartar is most likely to accumulate. If anything, crunching kibble can lodge pieces of the carbohydrate-laden food between the dog’s teeth, where those carbs get broken down into sugars and contribute to the development of dental plaque.
Wet food lacks any sort of abrasive material, but the better products also contain far fewer (if any) carbohydrates, the main contributor in a dog’s diet to the accumulation of dental plaque. Ideally, dogs chew and scrape their teeth clean by being given regular opportunities to chew appropriately sized fresh, raw bones in a supervised setting.
To continue reading this article or issue you must be a paid subscriber. Sign in
If you are logged in but cannot access this content, a) your subscription may have expired; b) you may have duplicate accounts (emails) in our system. Please check your account status hereorcontact customer service.
Immediate access to this article and 20+ years of archives.
Recommendations for the best dog food for your dog.
Dry food, homemade diets and recipes, dehydrated and raw options, canned food and more.
Brands, formulations and ingredients all searchable in an easy-to-use, searchable database.
Plus, you’ll receive training and care guidance to keep your dog healthy and happy. You’ll feed with less stress…train with greater success…and know you are giving your dog the care he deserves.
Subscribenow and save 72%! Its like getting 8 issues free!
I can’t hold it in any longer: I have the most photogenic dog ever. And now I get to celebrate his gorgeousness life-sized, forever.
288
There is a small chain of pet supply stores in Northern California called Pet Food Express. It’s my personal favorite, for many reasons. But one of its coolest innovations is something it calls its “My Mutt Program.”
If you donate $250 or more to a registered 501(3)c animal shelter or rescue in a given year, you can sign up for this program. You send the company proof of your donation, and fill out a form. Then they will:
1. Send a professional pet photographer to take a portrait of your pet
2. Have the best shot (you get to help choose) made into a gigantic poster, which is then professionally mounted on thick, rigid cardboard. If you adopted your pet from a shelter or rescue, the name of that place, or the organization you made your donation to, appears on the poster, along with your pet’s name.
3. Hang the poster in the Pet Food Express store of your choice for about six months.
4. At the end of this display period, you can have the poster to keep.
I do make donations of this size to my local shelter fairly regularly, but have never gotten around to applying for the My Mutt program – lazy, mostly. But early this year, some friends made a donation to my local shelter in my dog’s name, and as a gift, registered my dog for the My Mutt program!! What great friends!
This was their way of showing their appreciation for my help in locating and helping them adopt a wonderful little dog, Leroy, from my local shelter. They live 150 miles from me and have a much fancier shelter they can adopt from, but they wanted my help in choosing and evaluating a perfect candidate for them. They love their little dog, who appears to be a cattle dog/Rat Terrier-mix? He’s whip-smart and affectionate, easy-going with other people and dogs, and they love him.
In fact, they first showed their appreciation of the little guy by making a $250 donation to my shelter in Leroy’s name, and signing up for the Pet Food Express My Mutt program for Leroy! And they liked their poster so much, they decided to make another donation in Otto’s name, so I could have one, too.
It’s a smart way to inspire and encourage charitable donations to needy shelters, and a win/win/win. The shelter gets money. The owner gets an amazing poster. And the owner obviously visits the store a lot, both to see their poster on display (and point it out to friends – “That’s MY dog!!”) and has a warm, fuzzy feeling about the chain ever afterward. Plus, they get to brag to the Pet Food Express staff, “This is Otto; he was a poster dog in 2013. Perhaps you remember him; he was posing on a rock by the Bay?” And the staff is trained well enough to say, “Oh yeah! I remember him! He’s gorgeous!”
There is a Pet Food Express store in Alameda, where I used to live, but none near me, so I asked if Otto’s poster could first hang in Alameda. But I picked it up recently, and now I get to enjoy it. And I really, really do.
Thanks to Stephen and Scott; to the Northwest SPCA in Oroville, where I find all the best dogs (like Otto and Leroy); and thanks to Pet Food Express. The photography and posters cost far more than the minimum qualifying donations made to the shelters, and Pet Food Express doesn’t get a penny in direct compensation – just goodwill and, they hope, customer loyalty. Well, they’ve got mine, for good.
How do you reconcile that feeding trials are the best way, imperfect as they are, to determine if a food is nutritionally sound, with the fact that hardly anyone (or their foods) does AAFCO feeding trials? My favorite dog food companies (aka the ones I learned about through your yearly reviews, like Merrick) don’t seem to have any AAFCO feeding trials under their belt.
I’m not trying to question your knowledge or recommendations (because I love both), more just hoping I’m not the only one out there thinking about this stuff so much.
Thanks for your question! I’ve discussed feeding trials in a lot of different articles over the years, and I’m happy there are others “thinking about this stuff” as avidly as I am.
It’s true that in the article you mentioned in your note, I said that the “nutrient levels” method for establishing the nutritional adequacy of a food was flawed:
“Feeding trials are considered by most veterinary nutrition experts [emphasis added] to be the ‘gold standard’ for proving nutritional adequacy claims – superior to the ‘nutrient levels’ method of proof. That’s because it’s quite possible for a laboratory analysis to confirm that a food contains the amounts of various nutrients judged to be necessary for maintaining a dog, but for the product, in practice, to fail at that very job.
This is possible because not all nutrients may be in a digestible (‘bioavailable’) form. Most nutritionists agree that feeding trials offer the most reliable confirmation of a food’s ability to deliver nutrients in a form that will benefit the target species.”
However, as I’ve mentioned in many of my other articles on commercial diets, the feeding trial method of establishing nutritional adequacy is flawed, too.
The above-referenced article didn’t assert that feeding trials are the best way to prove the nutritional adequacy of a food. Its purpose was to clarify what feeding trials are, and describe conditions for dogs used in the studies.
In that article, I did call feeding trials “important” – and I still think they are. It absolutely is important to know whether a food that may well be fed to a dog every day for years on end is, in actuality, capable of sustaining dogs over time, without causing gross deficits leading to illness, weight loss, or abnormal blood chemistry.
I’m not going to go so far as to regard them as requisite, however, because they aren’t perfect. For one thing, they really aren’t long enough. Just because a diet can sustain a dog in a laboratory environment for about six months without causing illness or abnormal blood values doesn’t mean it will perform the same way for dogs who may lead a much more active and stressful life, and for years on end.
Also, as I explained in my 2007 dry food review (https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/food/whole-dog-journals-2007-dry-dog-food-review/ ), foods that acquire the right to use a nutritional adequacy claim based on feeding trials need not be formulated to meet the other standard for nutritional adequacy: the “nutrient levels” criteria. Here is an excerpt from the 2007 article – but I’m going to boldface and correct a big mistake I made there:
“Foods that pass feeding trials are not required to contain minimum or maximum levels of any particular nutrients. Therefore, it’s possible for a food to sustain dogs long enough to ‘pass’ the trial, but fail to demonstrate an ability (in real-world, long-term use) to promote optimum health. As one example, mineral excesses may take a year or more to cause noticeable health problems, but a food that claims to provide complete and balanced nutrition for adult dogs (a ‘maintenance’ claim) may have passed only a 26-week test.
“There is also an AAFCO feeding trial (at least 13 weeks long) for products intended for dogs during gestation and lactation and another that tests puppy diets (10 weeks). To earn the right to claim nutritional adequacy for dogs of ‘all life stages,’ a food must undergo all three trials sequentially, for a total of 49 (or more) weeks. [Actually, to earn the ‘all life stages’ claim, the food must pass the ‘gestation and lactation’ and then the ‘growth’ (puppy) trials, sequentially, for a total of about 23 weeks. The ‘maintenance’ trial is not actually included.] If it passes, its label can state, ‘Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that (name of product) provides complete and balanced nutrition for all life stages.’
“Many experts regard the ‘all life stages’ feeding trial as the best proof we have of a food’s ability to perform. But again: Even a year-long [nope, only six-month!] feeding trial may fail to reveal faults that can cause serious health problems if fed as a sole diet for a long period.”
However, as I said in the 2007 article, the “nutrient levels” claim is flawed, too:
“Foods that meet the ‘AAFCO nutritional profiles’ qualification can lack palatability and/or digestibility. If dogs don’t like the smell or taste of the food, they won’t eat enough of it to gain its nutritional benefits. Also, the nutrients contained in a product may not be present in a form that the dog can digest. The AAFCO nutrient profiles themselves contain a problem: Not many lay people are aware that the profiles allow for a wide range of values. Far from being some sort of industry ‘standard,’ or offering suggestions for optimum nutrition, they actually offer only broad guidance.”
“Many people consider AAFCO feeding trials as the ‘gold standard’ for confirming the nutritional adequacy of a canine or feline diet. However, because the products that met the ‘feeding trial’ test of nutritional adequacy do not have to meet the ‘nutrient levels’ criteria, there is the possibility that these products may contain excessive, deficient, or unbalanced nutrient levels that may contribute to the development of health problems if fed as a sole diet for periods that are in excess of the testing period. An ideal test would encompass both a feeding trial and meeting the AAFCO nutrient profiles, but no such standard currently exists [emphasis added].”
Veterinarians are taught in vet school (with texts underwritten by pet food companies) that only foods qualified by feeding trials should be fed, ever. And the vast majority of veterinarians believe this. Maybe it’s because of all the blood tests a dog in a feeding trial is subjected to . . . But six months! It’s not enough to base a lifetime of feeding on, in my opinion.
That’s why I don’t say in our pet food reviews that one ought to use the type of nutritional adequacy claim as a selection criteria. I do think, however, that this information is worth knowing –that dog owners should always keep in mind which test was used to prove the adequacy of their dogs’ food as they monitor their dogs’ health and condition closely. If it’s a “feeding trial” product – ask the maker (or better yet, look for yourself) to find out if it DOES meet the “nutrient levels” standards, or do some nutrient values deviate from the AAFCO Canine Nutrient Profiles? If it’s a “nutrient levels” product, ask the maker what sort of informal feeding trials they use, how long the diet is fed to its test dogs, and what sort of tools are used to monitor or evaluate the dogs used in the trials. Some companies use their employees’ dogs or the dogs in a shelter close to the company headquarters as informal test dogs, but don’t follow up with any sort of health tests. These informal tests really only give the company information about the palatability and digestibility of the product; they don’t address long-term health consequences. But then, neither do the AAFCO-protocol feeding trials, unless you consider six months to be “long term.”
You may have heard of the “Cave Man Diet” as it applies to humans, the theory being that unprocessed fresh foods high in protein and low in carbohydrates are best for people who evolved successfully over thousands and thousands of years consuming just such a diet. The concept of the “Canine Ancestral Diet” for dogs is similar in nature. Dogs and other canids evolved successfully through hunting and scavenging, consuming foods that were not at all like the kibble so many are fed today. Recent nutritional science increasingly supports an ancestral-type diet – high protein, balanced fats, and at least some fresh foods – as the healthiest approach to feeding most dogs.
While in theory one can feed a dog the ancestral diet, in practical terms – given modern lifestyles and busy schedules – it is just not realistic for the vast majority of pet owners. However, there are steps you can take to alter or augment what you currently feed your dog to make it more like the ancestral diet and thus improve the nutritional content of your dog’s diet.
The ABC way of feeding is based upon detailed analyses of the dog’s ancestral diet, supported by up-to-date nutritional science, and the author’s twenty years experience in developing foods for national pet food companies. The ABC plans focus first on correcting the weaknesses associated with modern dog food which generally contain not enough protein, too many carbohydrates, unbalanced fats, and lack the complete nutrition that can only be provided by fresh foods.
There is no need to dramatically change the type of foods you’re feeding. If you feed dry foods, for example, you can make significant nutritionalprogress if you make one day a week an ABC day. It’s easy, and you’ll probably see the difference in your dog within two to four weeks. If you are more ambitious, Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet includes additional strategies that involve preparing food for your dog that will take you even closer to the ancestral diet. Whatever you choose to do, the ABC way will help improve your dog’s diet and overall health.
Every year for the past seven years, I’ve experienced a Halloween preview that used to be more stressful for my pets than Halloween itself. I live across the street from a tiny YMCA; the facility is just one small building with a fenced play yard smaller than my own front yard. But every year on the weekend before Halloween, the YMCA hosts a huge haunted house in its building and yard. The event, a major fundraiser for the organization, draws hundreds and hundreds of adults, teenagers, and children, who will walk, intermittently screaming, through a winding path of scary sights and sounds.
This town is small, and nighttime family entertainment is scarce, and by the end of the weekend, I feel certain that every resident has been through the “spook house” at least once, and maybe twice. Which means they have also circled the block looking for parking – my street is usually deserted at night – and then walked by the front gate, lined up outside the Y, gone through the event (screaming), and then discussed it animatedly for a while outside. Which means every dog for blocks and blocks barks for hours those two nights, and every cat for blocks and blocks goes into hiding.
The preparations have been going on every night for a week already. The volunteers who put the event together first attach plywood and cardboard to all the playground fences, blocking the by passers’ view of the interior of the “set.” Every evening for a week, there are building crews and crews of volunteer actors inside the now-shrouded yard (but still outdoors), rehearsing their zombie walks, startling screams, and – get this – because we live in a rural area, menacing chainsaw action!
This has turned into a terrific annual opportunity for my dogs to practice quietly observing mayhem and odd human behavior, and to come inside and sit with me calmly when they are too overwhelmed to watch the action outdoors. Sitting on my desk, I have a bowl of kibble with some high-value treats (cubes of Natural Balance roll) mixed in; I intermittently reward them with a tossed treat when I hear an especially loud noise outside and see them sitting or lying down on my office floor.
But this year, Otto’s sixth witnessing this event and Tito’s third, I think I’m more agitated about the hubbub than they are! Which I’m going to take to mean that I ‘m a better dog trainer than I am a calm, patient person. The Halloween practice nights this year have me jumping up to close my office door (which goes out to the deck that overlooks the YMCA, and which I usually leave open as late into the evening as the temperature permit) and turning up my Internet radio to block the random screams of excitement and “spook practice.”
Well, all of this is also good practice for the actual Halloween event itself. I think we’ll all be exhausted by the time it gets here.
Speaking of getting ready for the big night itself: Here are some good ideas about Halloween safety for your pets.
Two nice dog walks this weekend, with two different friends and their dogs.
288
Saturday evening, my friend Leonora and I met at a local trailhead in a part of our local wildlife area at the same time as a carload of duck hunters – which is how we learned that the duck season opened locally that day. Whoops. Try telling five very excited dogs to get back in their cars at one of their favorite trailheads! Instead, we asked the hunters which way they were headed, and went down another trail. It’s an easy walk of about a mile to a particularly good spot for the dogs to swim. When the water level (in a manmade lake) is high, it has a nice bank for the dogs to jump off into the water; when the water level is low, it has a nice sand/gravel beach for them to swim from.
October is a lovely month where I live. It was still about 80 degrees at 5 pm, and given the dust raised by the ongoing rice harvest in this part (northeast corner) of the Central Valley in California, the light is particularly golden for the last two hours of the evening, and the low sun casts dramatic shadows across the dried amber grasses we walked through. We heard the distinctive sound of a male pheasant a good quarter mile away, and all the dogs stopped to listen. A few moments later we were rewarded with the sight of it, flying low above the field from one far-off spot to another a few hundred yards farther away and up a low hill. Otto took off like a shot after the bird, and while I could have easily called him back, given the great distance and his utter lack of hunting skills, I decided to let him have the fun. My friend and I enjoyed watching him fly across a plowed field, up and over the hill, missing the area where we had seen the bird land entirely. A few moments later, he ran back over the hill toward us, tail high, eyes shining. He seems to enjoy the chase, not a hunt, and has never stayed out of my sight for more than a minute; he’s got a little bird dog in him somewhere, but not too much, I think.
The two swimmers in our party (Otto and Lena) were swimming after one tennis balls, the tennis-ball-hoarder (Tito) was gloating over the other one we brought, and the two who don’t care about balls were exploring the shoreline when we heard a few distant blasts from the duck hunters’ shotguns. None of the dogs paid them more than a moment’s attention, but it put us on notice that the sun was getting quite low. We collected the tennis balls and headed back toward the cars. As we walked, several lines of waterfowl flew overhead, looking for good spots to land for the night.
On Sunday, I had an early morning walking date with another friend and her two dogs. One of them is Chaco, one of my former foster dogs, and it’s always fun to see her – although my friend doesn’t seem to be able to manage her dogs’ weight, and Chaco is way too fat. She’s happy as a clam, however, friendly, well socialized, and well behaved, so the heck with the lectures.
We walked in a woodsy part of the wildlife area, far from any ponds or lakes but not too far from the river, which we have to avoid for at least another month. Fat salmon have been spawning — and dying — in the river since late August, and the banks are littered with dead fish. The stench is awful, even a quarter mile away. Buzzards and other scavengers will have the carcasses picked fairly well clean by December, but for now, we have to keep clear. Raw salmon contains a parasite that is toxic to dogs if eaten – but I fear the prospect of a dog rolling in a dead salmon just as much. Otto did this once, a few years ago, and I walked him home in despair. I called a groomer and told her I would pay anything for her to wash him free of the smell. I would have walked him to the groomer, too, but fortunately we have a truck, and he rode in the back; there was no way I would have put him into our car. The groomer was successful at getting Otto to smell okay, but after three fruitless trips trough the washing machine and a soak in a bucket with water well-spiked with bleach, I threw his collar away; it still smelled like dead fish.
Fortunately, we have lots of other places to hike off-leash during these fishy months, and while the dogs would have strongly preferred us to take a trail toward the river, we went the other way. It was early, so it never got hot enough to make the dogs’ uncomfortable, even without a trip to the river or any of the ponds, which are brackish and low right now. We stuck to a path that took us through the woods, which in that area are mostly cottonwood trees, flapping now with bright yellow leaves, gorgeous against the bright blue morning sky.
I love the outdoors, but lack the discipline to get out there on my own accord. I could not possibly be more grateful for a life with such good friends, both human and canine. If I didn’t have them, constantly nudging me to get out and go for a walk, I’d surely miss most of these experiences most days.
I recently read about an owner whose middle-aged dog had never been vaccinated, given antibiotics or heartworm preventatives, received a flea or tick treatment, neutered, or microchipped. He eats a species-appropriate diet (based on raw meat and bones, prey-model). He’s pure! So pure, in fact, that he allegedly has never received chlorinated or fluoridated water. His owner is apparently under the impression these things will help the dog live forever.
288
Oh, where to start?
By all accounts, he’s a very nice dog, and that’s important, because if he bites anyone in an incident that gets reported, he’s dead. There isn’t a city or county animal control official anywhere who would fool around with quarantining a completely unvaccinated dog with a bite record. More likely, the dog would be seized by law enforcement, euthanized, and his brain sent for rabies testing. (Dogs with records of past rabies vaccinations, even outdated ones, would most likely be revaccinated and quarantined.)
If he’s been taken out in the world much, he has probably been exposed to kennel cough, and built up some immunity. Not a big deal if he gets kennel cough at his age. But it could be a very big deal if he happens to visit a park or neighborhood where some puppy with parvovirus or distemper had diarrhea on the sidewalk . . .
And what about injuries? I’ve had dogs cut their feet on glass, get punctured by sticks running in the woods, torn by discarded barbed wire – and of course, attacked by other dogs and punctured, necessitating drains and antibiotics. While herbal rinses and natural antibacterial dressings (like coconut oil, of which I’m a very big fan) are terrific, if an infection sets in, antibiotics are life-savers. Of course, they are over-prescribed sometimes. But I can’t imagine lumping them in with poisons.
And speaking of poisons, have I used, and will I use again, toxic topical flea- and tick-control products? Yes. Ticks are a big deal where I live, and I’ve already treated Otto once (with some of those horrid antibiotics) for a tick-borne disease (anaplasmosis). I comb Otto carefully after every walk in the woods, but even so, some of those damn ticks evade my efforts at detection and attach themselves. Generally, I find and remove them before they have been there long enough to transmit the pathogenic organisms that can cause Lyme, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, anaplasmosis, erlichiosis, and more – but obviously, not every time, given that Otto’s already been infected at least once.
And apparently the dog’s never been anywhere heartworm is an issue? In my county, not giving heartworm preventatives in mosquito season dooms a dog to a short life and a very unpleasant end, coughing, gagging, and out-of-breath. I know that some people feel they can build their dogs’ immune systems to the point that the dogs can destroy any developing heartworm larvae . . . but I’ve yet to see an arthritic, grey-muzzled fox or coyote on a similar raw diet and heartworm preventative-free protocol.
On the other hand, maybe this dog lives indoors! And never, ever gets exposed to anything that might possibly be injurious. But if that’s the case, I feel sorry for him.
Folks, this is going too far. I strongly advocate for home-prepared, biologically appropriate raw diets; I even think filtered water is a great idea for particularly vulnerable dogs. I think using vaccines, flea and tick pesticides, heartworm preventatives, antibiotics, etc. in a very limited way is smart. But going without? Extremist and irresponsible.
When experienced breeder Barbara Sorg noticed that Winks, one of her five 8-week-old puppies, was listless, not eating, and by nightfall was suffering from diarrhea, she hustled him off to her long-time veterinarian the next morning, a Tuesday. The vet suspected that Winks had not tolerated the dewormer he’d been given Sunday. Although he had never left her property and had no suspected exposure, Sorg asked that he be tested for deadly parvovirus; her veterinarian discounted the possibility. Wednesday he was doing much worse. By Thursday, Winks had lost a third of his body weight along with his will to live. The SNAP test her vet finally administered confirmed that he was a victim of parvovirus. Sorg made the heartbreaking decision to euthanize him.
The cost of saving the lives of these four puppies, who were infected with parvovirus, with intensive care in a veterinary hospital, was more than $16,000. Owners who can’t pay for this gold standard treatment now have an often-effective option other than euthanasia.
“He was just done,” she says.
By Friday morning, all his surviving siblings had begun to vomit; fecal testing confirmed that they were also infected. What was a dog owner of ordinary means to do?
The Scourge of Economic Euthanasia
When parvovirus first appeared in dogs the late 1970s, the new disease killed nearly every puppy and dog it infected. While researchers quickly got to work developing effective vaccines, veterinarians began evolving the supportive treatment protocols that would enable the majority of patients that were diagnosed and treated promptly to fight the viral infection, survive, and recover.
The standard of supportive care for “parvo puppies” is hospitalization with 24-hour veterinary care that includes intravenously administered fluids, antibiotics, anti-nausea medication, and electrolytes. The dogs who respond to treatment generally recover well enough to go home for continued nursing in five to seven days. Animals diagnosed, hospitalized, and treated before they are critically dehydrated and shocky stand an 80 to 90 percent chance of survival. That’s the good news from 30-plus years of veterinary experience.
The bad news: the cost of treating a single puppy or dog for parvovirus generally starts at around $1,200 in less expensive veterinary markets, and can rise to more than $5,000.
Owners of limited means with brand-new and very sick puppies, shoestring rescue groups, or breeders with four (or eight or twelve) vomiting pups and two kids in college are often offered two choices by veterinarians: A bill they cannot possibly pay, or “economic euthanasia.” Many find their hands forced to the latter option. The death rate from parvovirus among infected puppies and dogs therefore remains very high, even though “gold standard” supportive treatment is very effective at helping patients whose owners can afford it to survive.
An Effective Alternative?
A new treatment protocol that has been tested at Colorado State University is meant to correct that tragedy. Researchers at the CSU College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences Veterinary Teaching Hospital conducted a clinical study of an outpatient parvovirus treatment protocol that is aimed at permitting owners – including shelters and rescues – to treat their sick dogs at home, under veterinary monitoring and supervision. The study was funded by Pfizer Animal Health, which produced the antibiotic and anti-nausea drugs that were tested. (Pfizer recently spun off its animal health division and renamed it Zoetis.)
The protocol was tested on dogs and puppies whose owners were unable to afford “gold standard” hospital care at private practices in Colorado, and were facing the prospect of economic euthanasia. The 40 dogs were randomized into a control group that received the standard in-patient treatment, and a study group that were cared for by veterinary students in a simulation of outpatient supportive care.
After initial stabilization on admission, the 20 dogs in the outpatient study group received a single subcutaneous injection of the long-acting antibiotic Convenia (cefovecin), a daily subcutaneous injection of the anti-nausea drug Cerenia (maripotant), and subcutaneous hydration of a balanced electrolyte fluid solution three times a day. Dogs were syringe-fed as soon as they could keep food down, and given glucose syrup by mouth. Subcutaneous injections and subcutaneous fluid replacement are not difficult procedures, and most owners who are willing can learn to administer them effectively.
The results were dramatic. Ninety percent of the dogs in the control group survived with “gold standard” care administered at a veterinary teaching hospital, which is in line with usual expectations. The exciting news: 80 percent of the dogs in the study group survived, thanks to the new protocol, which can be administered by a non-veterinarian who is available for around-the-clock nursing care and willing to give injections. (One puppy worsened under the study protocol and was moved to the control group, where he received the conventional intensive care treatment and recovered.) Eighty percent is not as good as the hospital protocol’s 90 percent, but significantly better than the 10 percent survival rate of untreated animals, and the 0 percent survival rate of dogs who are euthanized due to lack of funds for treatment.
The cost of the drugs and fluids used in the outpatient study group is about $200 per animal, according to Lauren Sullivan, DVM, DACVECC, the principle investigator for the parvo study. However, these are not the only treatment costs that a pet owner will incur; Dr. Sullivan stresses that all the dogs in the study were stabilized with intravenous fluids and had their electrolytes evaluated before being placed in the study or control group. Owners will have to pay for a SNAP test to diagnose the disease, daily monitoring, and further testing to determine when the dog has ceased to be infectious after recovery. These costs will vary depending on the location and type of veterinary practice, but at the CSU hospital, Dr. Sullivan estimates that the total cost of treatment would be about $400. Contrast that with $2,000 to as much as $5,000 for the gold standard hospital treatment that she says would be her choice if her own puppy contracted parvo tomorrow.
Dr. Sullivan also stresses that the outpatient protocol may not be effective for the most vulnerable patients – especially young puppies of small breeds, who are less able to maintain cardiac stability and blood sugar levels, and require aggressive monitoring of both variables.
The Cost of No Options
Barbara Sorg’s four surviving puppies are fortunate little tykes. Yes, all four got treatment, and all four recovered.
While Sorg confronted the reality that she could not front the cash to treat Winks’ siblings, and prepared for a gut-kick of a decision, help came from unexpected quarters.
The expectant owners of one pup told her to start treating him – they would pay what it took to save the pup that they had never met. A family member offered her a loan, to be repaid when she could. Her friends in the agility community began an online fundraiser that was publicized on social media, and taken up by both agility competitors and members of her breed community. Not only friends and colleagues, but also strangers contributed toward the puppies’ care.
Barbara Sorg may not have had the cash up-front to save her puppies, but as a member of caring dog-sports and breed communities, she had unexpected resources – resources not available to a less-connected pet owner, or even many nonprofits. Sorg calculates that the cost to diagnose and treat all the pups in-hospital (a different clinic than the one that missed the diagnosis) has topped $16,000 – including the charges for Winks, the one who didn’t make it.
That new veterinarian told her that 90 percent of the clients whose dogs receive a parvovirus diagnosis at that clinic end up euthanizing their pets.
What’s Next?
The CSU study has been presented to the veterinary community and its protocol is online for any interested veterinarian to use with clients who cannot afford hospitalization, but the study has not yet undergone peer-review and journal publication.
It’s important to note that this initial study does not address one of the most important factors in any medical treatment – compliance. The “outpatient” protocol was administered by veterinary students in a supervised, clinical setting. Dr. Sullivan would like to see larger studies that examine the effectiveness of the protocol when owners administer it in their homes.
Pet owners, breeders, and shelter and rescue personnel will vary in their discipline and compliance, and the variation in their diligence will affect the outcome of treatment. Dogs treated with the outpatient protocol still require 24/7 nursing care. Owners who must work or attend to other commitments will be unable to provide this level of attention. Shelters will need to train staff or volunteers and set up shifts in order to ensure continuous care and maintain infection control.
Dr. Sullivan says that she has seen a lot of interest in the outpatient protocol from veterinarians serving impoverished communities, where a combination of chronic low vaccination rates and cash-poor owners means that parvo death rates are persistently high. Veterinarians on reservations and who do international work, who serve poor urban and rural communities, or who just have a middle-class client who cannot front the cost of a new Lexus to save a litter of 10 puppies, are “in the trenches” and want to be able to offer an effective alternative to nothing to their clients who love their dogs. – Heather Houlahan
Heather Houlahan lives on a small farm near Pittsburgh, where she has recently learned that one of the things one should not do while raising her SAR partner’s litter of beloved puppies is research and write about parvovirus.
More Info: The Colorado State protocol can be found here
Cornelia Guest doesn’t have a veterinary degree, but she does have decades of experience caring for animals. The renowned New York socialite, author, philanthropist, and businesswoman, the creative force behind a very successful line of designer vegan handbags, grew up riding horses and has always had a number of canine companions (she currently has nine!).
Madeline Yamate, DVM, uses traditional “dry needle” acupuncture, electroacupuncture, aquapuncture, and other Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) modalities in her practice, the Center for Integrative Animal Medicine, in Davis, California. Photo by and courtesy of jill quan, ciamvet.com
Guest has always had a passion for both animals and natural healthcare. She chooses natural healing modalities over Western pharmaceutical intervention whenever possible – for herself and her dogs. Guest entrusts the care of her nine dogs to Babette Gladstein, VMD, owner of
Animalacupuncture.net in New York, New York. Dr. Gladstein says she has treated Guest’s dogs for a variety of health conditions, including growing pains in her young Newfoundland, Cash; bladder stones in her German Shepherd Dog, Belinda; and arthritis in her 18-year-old West Highland Terrier, Arthur.
“I’ve tried many different veterinary modalities for my dogs, and acupuncture has been by far the most effective,” Guest says. “I’ve never seen the magic that happens with Chinese medicine – especially acupuncture – occur with conventional veterinary care.”
Guest is not alone in her endorsement of this ancient healing practice. The American Veterinary Medical Association’s (AVMA) House of Delegates approved veterinary acupuncture as an alternative and complementary modality in 1996, stating that it is an “integral part of veterinary medicine.” Its popularity among both pet owners and veterinarians has steadily increased.
“The increased demand for veterinary acupuncture mirrors its rise in popularity among humans,” says Deborah Prevratil, executive director of the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society (IVAS), which offers advanced acupuncture certification for veterinarians. IVAS has trained more than 6,000 veterinarians worldwide in animal acupuncture since its inception in 1974, and Prevratil says its membership has grown steadily in the past decade, with about 1,800 veterinary members today.
Acupuncture needles come in varying thicknesses, though most are much slimmer than needles used for “shots.” They are usually made of stainless steel, and are sterile (made for a single use). Here, Dr. Yamate uses a plastic guide tube to keep the needle from bending while it is inserted with the tap of a finger. Photo by and courtesy of Jill Quan, ciamvet.com
Simon Flynn, executive director of the American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture (AAVA), IVAS’s United States affiliate, also reports a growth in membership within the past decade. Flynn says that in 2012, the AAVA’s membership consisted of approximately 940 veterinary acupuncturists, compared with about 680 members in 2002.
“Many people view their pets as part of the family and want them to derive the same benefits from acupuncture that they’re experiencing with their own health, which is helping to drive this growth,” Flynn says.
Brian Husbands, DVM, a board certified veterinary oncologist (DACVIM) and certified veterinary acupuncturist (CVA) with BluePearl Veterinary Partners in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has seen similar rates of growth in his practice. “As a scientist, I did a lot of research before deciding to become certified in veterinary acupuncture,” Dr. Husbands says. “I’m glad I did, because my patients are benefitting tremendously.”
A BRIEF HISTORY OF ACUPUNCTURE
Acupuncture is one of the oldest recorded forms of healing. “Acupuncture” literally means to “puncture with a needle.” Acupuncturists insert very fine, solid needles made of stainless steel (some may be gold plated, or have handles that are wrapped with copper wire) into the skin at specific points on the body, to stimulate and create a physiological change.
In traditional acupuncture, only needles are used to stimulate the acupuncture points. Today, many practitioners also use electroacupuncture, wherein needles are inserted in the patient’s body in the usual way, and then attached by light wires to a machine that generates tiny electrical pulses. The frequency and intensity of the impulse delivered is adjusted depending on the condition being treated. Among the advantages of electroacupuncture are increased effectiveness of treatment and potentially fewer treatments required. Obviously, this is a modern innovation!
Acupuncture was developed thousands of years ago in China as a component of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which also involves natural healing practices such as herbal therapies and nutritional (food) therapy. The Nei Jing, the seminal Chinese textbook on TCM, which contains 81 chapters on acupuncture, was compiled between about 305 and 204 BC, but it wasn’t until more than 2,000 years later that acupuncture made its way West.
Acupuncture gained a serious boost of credibility in the U.S. when it became the topic of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Consensus Development Program. Initiated in 1977, the goal of the Consensus Development Program is “to consolidate, solidify, and broadly disseminate strong evidence-based recommendations for provider practice.” Consensus Development Conferences are developed when there is a strong body of evidence about the topic, but the information has not been translated into widespread clinical practice.
In November 1997, the 12-member review panel and 25 additional experts from a number of medical fields, presented scientific data on acupuncture’s efficacy to a conference audience of 1,200. According to the panel:
“Findings from basic research have begun to elucidate the mechanisms of action of acupuncture, including the release of opioids and other peptides in the central nervous system and the periphery and changes in neuroendocrine function. Although much needs to be accomplished, the emergence of plausible mechanisms for the therapeutic effects of acupuncture is encouraging.”
Based on its findings, the panel concluded that:
“There is sufficient evidence of acupuncture’s value to expand its use into conventional medicine and to encourage further studies of its physiology and clinical value.”
Acupuncture’s mode of action differs depending on whether you’re speaking with a practitioner trained in traditional Chinese medicine or a Western allopathic physician. The results, however, are the same.
Like most patients, Wyatt finds his acupuncture session extremely relaxing. Many dogs fall fast asleep during their treatments, even if they come into the clinic excited or anxious. Owners who are nervous about the needles also quickly learn that their dogs scarcely seem to notice their insertion.Photo by and courtesy of Jill Quan, ciamvet.com
According to the principles of TCM, all living beings are imbued with a vital universal energy, called “chi” (sometimes spelled “qi” but in any event pronounced “chee”). Chi flows in a precise manner along a network of channels, or meridians, that run deep within the body and connect to the major organs and systems. Meridians are mapped, however they do not exist in the physical sense, like the circulatory or nervous systems. Meridians are an invisible, energetic network that transports chi to every part of the body.
Dogs have 12 regular meridians, which run parallel in pairs along opposite sides of the body and connect to specific organs:
– Lung
– Large Intestine
– Stomach
– Spleen
– Heart
– Small Intestine
– Bladder
– Kidney
– Pericardium
– Triple Heater/San Jiao
– Gall Bladder
– Liver
They also have two special meridians, the Conception Vessel and the Governing Vessel, which are unpaired single meridians that do not connect to specific organs.
The Conception Vessel receives and regulates all the chi of the yin (soft, relaxed, feminine) energy meridians. It begins internally, with its first exterior point beneath the dog’s anus, and runs along the ventral midline of the dog’s body (closest to the abdomen), ending at a point on the lower lip. This vessel is important to all reproductive functions.
The Governing Vessel also begins near the base of the tail and runs the length of the dog’s body along the dorsal midline (closest to the back), ending at a point between the upper lip and gums. The Governing Vessel receives and regulates the chi of the yang (fiery, solid, masculine) meridians.
Each point on each meridian corresponds to a specific function. Points are labeled according to a numerical system in order to identify their exact location. GV 14, for example, represents the fourteenth point along the Governing Vessel, while LI 7 represents the seventh point on the Large Intestine. “This numerical shorthand enables practitioners to quickly and easily identify the points they have treated,” says Sandi Leonard, DVM, owner of Veterinary Alternatives in Kansas City, Missouri.
Although the regular meridians share names associated with Western-based organs, their function does not necessarily coincide with, and is not limited to, that organ. The spleen, for example, serves as an immune organ in Western medicine, but in acupuncture it is associated with transporting matter (such as food and drink) through the body, transforming it into chi, and moving that chi around the body as needed. “The connection between meridians and anatomical systems is complex, and acupuncture specialists trained in TCM spend many hours learning about these relationships,” Dr. Husbands says.
As chi flows along the meridians, its energy nourishes every cell in the body. “To maintain optimum health, chi must be able to flow freely. When chi becomes unbalanced or blocked, illness results,” Dr. Leonard says.
Acupuncture points are specific spots where the meridians surface just under the skin. By inserting needles into these points, practitioners can manipulate chi and unblock or rebalance it, stimulating the body to heal itself.
Western Interpretation
While Western medicine does not acknowledge the presence of chi or meridians, numerous scientific studies verify acupuncture’s benefits, including:
– Reducing inflammation. “Acupuncture increases blood flow, which stimulates blood cells that fight inflammation,” says Dr. Leonard.
– Creating a sense of well being by increasing circulating levels of serotonin and endorphins, neurotransmitters responsible for altering mood and brain chemistry. “These ‘feel-good’ chemicals are responsible for a wide range of positive emotions, including relaxation, happiness and even euphoria, while low levels are associated with sadness and depression,” Dr. Gladstein says.
– Reducing pain. The endorphins and serotonin produced during acupuncture also inhibit pain responses in the brain, while increased blood flow releases nitric oxide (NO), a chemical compound recognized for its analgesic (pain-relieving) and anti-inflammatory properties.
– Stimulating and enhancing the immune system, with measurable effects, such as improvements in leukocyte counts, and enhancement of leukocyte phagocytosis.
– Alleviating nausea. “Acupuncture supplies energy to nerves that affect the gastrointestinal tract, which in turn promotes good GI function,” says Dr. Husbands.
– Veins, arteries, and nerves are bundled together throughout the body, explains Dr. Gladstein. When you excite specific acupuncture points with needling, you accelerate their electrical conductivity, which increases blood flow and releases chemicals that promote healing.
Best Applications For Acupuncture
There are acupuncture points to treat just about any condition, from reviving a dog in shock to stimulating cranial nerves that enhance appetite.
– Gastrointestinal issues such as IBD, vomiting, or diarrhea
– Muskuloskeletal diseases such as arthritis, back problems, and hip dysplasia
– Nausea related to chemotherapy
– Neurologic conditions
– Reproductive issues
– Respiratory conditions
– Skin issues
– Stress
– Urinary conditions
In his oncology practice, Dr. Husbands uses acupuncture to improve the quality of life of patients undergoing chemotherapy. “Acupuncture is extremely effective at reducing nausea and vomiting related to chemotherapy, and to stimulate the appetite. So, while it may not cure the cancer, it can certainly make the dog’s life a lot more comfortable.”
Acupuncture can sometimes work in cases where Western medicine has thrown in the towel.
In 2006, Dr. Leonard used acupuncture to dramatically alter the fate of a German Shepherd Dog named Piper. At just 21/2 years old, Piper was an agility and herding dog with a bright competitive future ahead of her. But then she began having grand mal seizures. “It was very frightening and traumatic in the beginning. There was no history of seizures in her blood line or rhyme or reason for it,” says Steve Grace, Piper’s owner. He and his wife took Piper to conventional veterinarians, who diagnosed her with epilepsy.
The veterinarians prescribed phenobarbital and potassium bromide, but even on the medications, Piper continued to suffer from violent cluster seizures about every 10 days. “A veterinary neurologist told us that if we got the seizures down to three weeks apart, it would be a miracle,” Grace says. “Dr. Leonard was treating our dog Keiko for arthritis at the time, so we decided to have her try acupuncture on Piper. It was so bad that we were considering putting Piper down, so we figured we had nothing to lose.”
Dr. Leonard’s initial protocol began with twice-weekly treatments. Within a few weeks, Grace says the severity of Piper’s seizures decreased from a 9.5 to a 4 or 5 on a scale of 10, and the frequency reduced to once per month.
After a year and a half, Piper’s seizures decreased to a severity of about 3 and occurred approximately once every 45 days. The treatments were scaled back to every two weeks, and Piper remained on her medication. “The longer Piper was treated, the less intense the seizures became and the more time that passed in between,” Grace says. After a couple of years of acupuncture, Piper’s seizures decreased to once every 6 months, then once per year.
Piper recently passed away from cancer at age 11. She had not suffered from a seizure in more than two years.
Consult with a veterinary acupuncturist to determine if treatment is right for your dog, advises Dr. Gladstein. “Acupuncture is not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ modality. It is completely unique to the individual. Only after a thorough examination by a trained veterinarian can you determine if the treatment plan, cost and expected results are right for you and your dog.”
Dr. Sandi Leonard performs acupuncture on Piper, a German Shepherd Dog who developed idiopathic epilepsy. Medication reduced the frequency of her seizures, but once regular acupuncture sessions were added to her treatment protocol, the seizures reduced dramatically in severity and even more in frequency.
An immediate call might be warranted if your dog:
– Battles emotional issues such as fear or anxiety
– Experiences nausea related to chemotherapy
– Has a sudden-onset problem such as a muscle injury or acute nausea
– Needs a general boost to his immune system
– Suffers from side effects of a chronic illness, such as vomiting or diarrhea
– Takes long-term medications to treat inflammatory conditions such as chronic arthritis or gastrointestinal issues. “Acupuncture can help minimize or in some cases eliminate the need for prescription drugs and greatly improve the quality of life for these dogs,” says Dr. Leonard.
Contraindications
When shouldn’t a dog receive acupuncture? While acupuncture is considered one of the safest healing modalities for people and animals, there are a few instances in which it should be avoided or used with extreme caution:
– Bleeding disorders. “Acupuncture needles are inserted only superficially, however there still is a chance of bleeding or bruising, which is accentuated in dogs with bleeding disorders,” advises Dr. Leonard.
– Cancerous tumors. Since acupuncture improves blood flow, needling through or around a tumor could provide it with energy it needs to grow. “You can still do acupuncture on the patient as long as you stay far from the tumor,” says Dr. Husbands.
– Pregnant animals. Caution should be used to avoid stimulating premature labor.
– Skin infections. Needling an infected area could spread the infection.
Selecting a Practitioner
Deborah Prevratil of IVAS advises selecting a practitioner who has been certified by, or at least completed training through, one of the three main certifying organizations: the Chi Institute, IVAS, or the Medical Acupuncture for Veterinarians (MAV) program offered by the Colorado Veterinary Medical Association (see “Resources,” right).
Veterinarians trained by IVAS undergo 160 or more hours of acupuncture study and must pass written and practical exams, Prevratil says. “This training ensures the practitioner possesses a sound understanding of acupuncture principles, acupuncture points, and diagnostic techniques.”
Dr. Husbands points out that when practiced by a trained veterinary acupuncturist, the complication rate is very low, about 0.5 percent.
“Several papers in human medicine indicate that the only complications associated with acupuncture arise from unskilled practitioners,” he says. “This is the same with veterinary medicine, which is why it’s so important to choose someone who has taken the time to obtain specialized training.” He warns against allowing any non-veterinarian to practice acupuncture on an animal, regardless of state laws. “Even when practicing complementary medicine, you need to have a deep understanding of animal physiology so you can diagnose and treat the pet holistically.”
What can you expect?
Most dogs tolerate acupuncture well. “These are very tiny needles, so most of the time the dog doesn’t even notice when they’re inserted,” Dr. Leonard says. Dogs often relax and might even fall asleep during the treatment; however, some dogs will fidget, especially during the initial visit when they are unsure of what’s happening.
Veterinarians typically insert multiple needles into various acupuncture points. The number of needles, specific points treated, and duration of the treatment depend upon the individual dog and the condition being treated. Husbands says his average patient receives between 8 and 20 needles per visit, which remain in between 5 and 20 minutes.
Since relaxation is essential, the veterinary clinic may provide a special acupuncture room designed to promote a sense of calm – for both the animal and owner. BluePearl’s acupuncture treatment room includes carpeting, a couch, and cocktail lights that dim to create a soothing glow. Owners remain with their dog during treatment and are instructed to keep their dog sitting or lying. “We give them a bell to ring in case they need assistance,” Husbands says. “So far, no one has rung the bell.”
Other veterinary acupuncturists, such as Drs. Gladstein and Leonard, create the ultimate relaxation experience with in-home visits.
The most common side effect of acupuncture is relaxation. Some dogs experience temporary minor soreness from the needles, which Dr. Gladstein says subsides quickly. Risk of infection is extremely low, since sterile disposable needles are used.
Animals with acute issues, such as an injury or sudden nausea, typically require fewer treatments than those with chronic conditions. “Dogs who have rather sudden onset of a problem tend to respond really quickly and readily to acupuncture,” says Dr. Husbands. “Patients with problems that have been going on weeks to months will still benefit, but it might take longer.”
Treatment plans vary depending upon the individual dog and the condition being treated. Expect to begin with weekly or bi-weekly treatments that will taper down to a less frequent maintenance level as the dog improves. Older animals typically require more frequent treatments because their bodies break down endorphins – essential in fighting pain – more quickly than younger dogs.
Conventional medicine often condemns acupuncture as providing little more than a placebo effect, but Leonard points out that such criticism does not apply with animals, since animals don’t “know” they are supposed to feel better. “My first acupuncture patient was a 200-pound Mastiff who couldn’t walk due to a lame leg,” she says. “After about three months of treatment she was effortlessly walking up stairs, and you couldn’t tell which was the bad leg. This dog certainly didn’t ‘think’ herself better.”
Dr. Gladstein agrees. “If you understand neurology and how the various aspects of the body interrelate and ‘communicate,’ acupuncture makes perfect sense. Even thousands of years ago, the Chinese had it together.”
I’ve had a number of older owners book lessons with me lately—more than half a dozen individuals and couples in their 70s and even 80s, all wanting some training help with their new dogs or puppies.
