If you’ve never had to deal with that alarming moment when your beloved dog snaps at a guest in your home, you are fortunate. I hope you never do. But just in case, it’s good to know that, first, you’re not alone – lots of dogs have snapped at guests in their homes (or worse!). Second, it’s not the end of the world; it doesn’t mean you need to euthanize your dog and it doesn’t mean your dog will inevitably maul someone. It is, however, an important heads-up for you. How you handle the situation can often determine if your dog’s aggression toward visitors escalates or diminishes. So if it happens, here’s what you need to do:
1. Calmly remove your dog from the situation.
No scolding, no yelling, and no physical punishment. Gently take hold of her collar, lead her to a quiet room away from the action, and leave her there with a bowl of water and a chew toy. Your visitor may expect you to punish your dog, even “alpha roll” her, if he’s watched a certain television show. Don’t let your guest pressure you into doing something you know is wrong and that you will regret later. Your dog is your dog!
2. Calmly apologize to your guest.
Of course you will make sure your guest wasn’t injured (“snap” implies no actual contact). But then it will suffice to say, calmly, “I am sorry Missy snapped at you.” Your guest doesn’t need an anxious, shrill litany of “Omigosh Missy has never, ever done anything like that before! I am so, so sorry she did that to you! I can’t imagine what got into her! I hope we don’t have to get rid of her!” Histrionics will inflame the situation and can turn a minor incident into a major event.
3. Ask questions about the incident.
If this is new behavior on Missy’s part, you want to identify what might have happened so you can take steps to make sure it doesn’t happen again. (If it is not new behavior, shame on you for allowing it to happen again!) Quietly ask your guest some version of these questions in a non-accusing manner:
– Can you tell me what happened?
– What were you doing when she snapped at you?
– What was she doing just before she snapped at you?
– Did you see any signs that she wasn’t comfortable with you?
4. Make notes of the dog snapping.
As soon as you are able, write down everything you can think of about the incident. Describe the person she snapped at in detail – age, gender, race, size, unusual features (beard, glasses, etc.), what the person was wearing, if there was anything in his hands, and yes, what he was doing.
Include information about where the incident happened, the weather, and any unusual occurrences in the dog’s world over the previous two days (for example, she killed a bunny yesterday in the yard, there was a thunderstorm last night, she didn’t eat her breakfast this morning). Because stress is cumulative and aggression is caused by stress, this may help you come to understand why this out-of-character behavior happened. If additional incidents do occur in the future, you will have a good record to share with the behavior professional you enlist to help you.
5. Closely monitor your dog’s behavior around future guests and other humans in any context.
Watch carefully for signs that she is stressed, including the dog lowering her body and tail, turning her head, averting her eyes, pinning her ears back, panting, licking her lips, avoiding contact, rolling over, and more. (For more information about recognizing signs of stress in dogs, see “Listen by Looking,” WDJ August 2011.) Manage her carefully to avoid putting other guests at risk. Remove her to a safe place if she appears anything but relaxed and happy with visitors. If you continue to see signs of stress or distress around visitors, keep taking detailed notes, and seek the assistance of a positive behavior professional who can help you help her become safer and more comfortable with humans.
Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, is WDJ’s Training Editor. Pat is also the author of many books on positive training.
Summer! It’s the perfect time for dock diving. In this canine sport (also known as dock jumping), the participating dog jumps off an elevated diving platform into a portable pool and the dog with the longest jump is deemed the winner. I think dock diving is possibly the best canine sport for spectator enjoyment. And, if you decide to compete, you can easily redline the FUN meter! Besides the joy of hanging out with my dog by a cool body of water, the one thing I love about the sport is that with just a few dog and handler skills, any person and any breed of dog and size of dog can participate.
Photos by Tom Feist
I never meant to get involved with the sport, but thanks to a bit of synchronicity, life presented me with the opportunity to discover dock diving with my then-new Australian Shepherd puppy. Because I happen to love the water, I wanted Willow to enjoy the water, too. She loved the shallow creek beside our house, but wasn’t too keen on immersing her entire body into a pond or a lake, so I used Willow’s favorite toy, a Bumi (a floatable toy made by West Paw Design), to encourage her to put her paws in the water. I also took advantage of a trainer friend’s water-crazy Labrador Retriever, Daisy, to increase Willow’s comfort with water through social facilitation – where the intensity of a behavior can increase due to the presence of another dog performing the activity.
Voila! Before long, Willow was easily and happily following Daisy into the water. I added a doggie life jacket as insurance to make sure Willow would be totally comfortable when she took her first few forays into deeper water.
Next I took Willow to watch Daisy perform some fine launching off the dock at a lake for a water toy thrown by her owner, Bob Ryder, CPDT-KA, PMCT, of Pawsitive Transformations in Normal, Illinois. Even though Willow was hesitant to jump off the dock, having a front-row seat for all of Daisy’s fun helped her forget her misgivings about the dock. We practiced sit/stays and down/stays, always reinforcing with food or the chance to fetch her water toy on land. In no time at all, she eagerly followed Daisy off that lake dock – and I was getting hooked.
Not long after, I attended my first dock-diving event, and witnessed firsthand the fun that competitors and dogs have on the dock. I was a goner!
I continued working with Willow’s water skills slowly and steadily. Willow made her first jump off a regulation dock just a year ago. You surely heard this trainer exclaiming with excitement! In only her second dock-diving competition three months later, she earned her DockDogs National Junior Big Air Title, in recognition of attaining five jumps between 10′ and 14′ 11″.
Require Skills For Dock Diving Competition
There are a number of dock-diving organizations (see sidebar, next page), each offering distance jumping competitions, generally referred to as Big Air. DockDogs also has the high jump (known as Extreme Vertical) and the speed retrieve (known as Speed Retrieve, which is sort of a misnomer as it’s really a quick jump, swim, and grab of a bumper on the opposite end of the pool; the clock stops at the release of the bumper).
Willow and I compete in the Big Air competition in which there are two different styles of getting your dog down the dock and chasing a toy into the water.
In the “place and send” method, the handler walks with the dog to the end of the jumping platform and the dog is restrained while the handler tosses the toy. The dog and handler then return to the starting point and the dog is given the release cue to go get the toy. This is a nice way to begin if your dog hasn’t yet achieved a formal wait or stay.
When using the “chase method,” the dog is placed in a stand/stay or sit/stay while the handler walks 40 feet to the end of the jumping platform on the dock. The handler poses with the toy held high in the air and at the handler’s release cue, the dog races down the dock and the handler tosses the toy (also known as the chase object) at just the right moment in an attempt to keep the toy in front of the dog’s nose all the way to the water. Because Willow loves to chase moving things, I chose the chase method.
No matter what method you use, as with any other canine sport, teamwork is the key component of dock-diving training. Both handler and dog need certain complementary traits and skills in order to be safe and enjoy the sport. Let’s start with the dog’s required skills:
Enjoyment of the experience – It’s imperative that your dog truly enjoy the total experience. I’ve seen a few handlers on the dock who were having fun, but whose fearful dogs would have been more comfortable left at home.
Love of the Water – If your dog already loves the water, fantastic. If not, find a lake or pool with a shallow area and bring out the fun! Pair the new experience of two or four paws in shallow water with an enjoyable game of tug or feed your dog high-value treats while her paws are in the water.
But please don’t ever push or throw your dog in the water. You don’t want to end up with a dog who is afraid.
Ability to swim (natural or taught) – Some dogs seem to take to swimming naturally. Not so with our Australian Shepherds; I’ve had to teach both my Aussies how to swim, although you wouldn’t know that to watch them now.
A canine flotation device can help a dog who is learning to swim feel more comfortable. There are a variety of well-made dog life jackets available. I personally use the Hurtta jacket because of its secure fit, multiple buckles for adjustment and wide, stretchable belly band. As with many dog life jackets, the back of the jacket is made with a sturdy handle that allows the handler to easily guide the dog in the water or lift the dog out of the water. To teach swimming skills, once Willow was comfortable wading in shallow water, I entered the water and cradled her under her belly, let her dog-paddle for a few seconds, then quickly set her back down where her paws could touch bottom. I also used other friends’ water-loving dogs to encourage Willow into the water. It’s important to work at your own dog’s pace.
Good Physical Conditioning – As with any athletic endeavor, your dog should be in good physical condition before beginning training. Playing fetch, swimming, doing agility for fun, tricks training, and using balancing discs can aid you in conditioning your dog.
Bonita Ash
Stay – Willow already had a solid “stay” before we started dock diving, though this skill was enhanced when the reinforcement for staying changed from food to a toy. I use a sit/stay on the dock, as it’s easier for a dog to launch and gain speed from a sit than a down.
If your dog needs work on stay, select a reinforcer: either tasty treats or a toy. Ask your dog to sit, then cue her to stay. If she sits still for even one second, mark that behavior (the stillness) with a verbal “Yes!” and give your dog the treat or throw the toy. Slowly work up to longer periods of stillness by ping-ponging (randomly longer and shorter) the length of time you ask your dog to stay.
Desire to Chase a Toy – If your dog already loves chasing a thrown toy, great! If not, you can build desire by making the toy mimic prey. Shake the toy and move it rapidly near the ground and in front of your dog’s front paws. When she appears to be really engaged and excited, throw the toy a short distance and wildly praise her for going after it. If your dog is hesitant to give up the toy after the chase, use a second toy or yummy treat in trade for it. (When using two toys, it sometimes helps if the toys are identical, so the dog doesn’t refuse to trade for her “favorite” toy.)
Retrieve –A retrieve isn’t necessary for competition, as there’s always a person with a skimmer pole (long pole with a net on the end) to grab the toy. However, a retrieve is certainly important if you’re practicing at a lake by yourself. Before Willow had a formal retrieve, I lost more than a few toys during winter training when she wouldn’t bring it back and I was too wimpy to jump in the cold water to retrieve it myself.
Many trainers use “backchaining” to teach a formal retrieve (by teaching your dog to first hold the toy, next to drop it, and continuing to work backward training each step through to completion). Another way is to build desire for the toy, and then toss the toy only a few inches so the dog can easily reach and grab it, making it easy for her to return to you for another round of the game.
Jumping – The jumping skill a dog needs for dock diving is similar to the human long jump. The dog needs lots of speed, as well as a very strong launch, in order to gain distance. With practice, the dog actually learns to gauge her run so that her back paws hit and push off of the very edge of the dock in order to most powerfully propel her body forward. The angle of the jump is also important and aided by the handler’s throwing skills.
I first began training Willow to jump off the bank of a lake, transitioned to a very low wooden dock on a lake, and moved to a higher dock on a lake before moving to a regulation dock. The transition to the regulation dock was interesting for Willow, as the clear water allowed her to see the bottom of the pool and made her a bit leery. Please take your time with your dog during this phase of training. You don’t want to push or shove your dog in the water and end up with a dog who is afraid. Game over!
Crate Training or Settle on a Mat – As with any canine sport, there’s plenty of down time while you’re waiting for your turn to jump at a competition. Also, your dog needs rest in between periods of jumping. Her ability to deeply relax in a crate or while settled at your feet on a mat is important. Teach and practice this skill at home, and then move the “relax” training sessions out into the world, until your dog can chill out on cue, even on event sidelines.
Conditioning to Noise – Dock-diving competitions are noisy, with loudspeakers playing music in between announcements, introductions, and comments on the teams.
Long before you ever compete, classically condition your dog to a variety of noises and loud sounds by pairing the new experience with high-value food or playing with her favorite toys. Visit a dock-diving competition or other festival environment; position yourself at the outskirts of the area, and pair the experience with yummy food, fun games, and/or positive training of exercises your dog already knows and loves. Insure your dog is comfortable at the outskirts before moving in toward the busier, noisier areas.
Traversing Stairs – The platform from which the dog jumps is attached to a long trailer, is elevated, and has stairs. Most competition docks have aluminum stairs with an open riser design. Your dog should be comfortable walking on aluminum and moving up and down the open staircase design. If you can find aluminum or metal steps (perhaps in a warehouse store?), practice there.
I helped Willow get used to walking on metal by using the moving metal carts at Home Depot and Lowes stores, and paired the experience with her favorite yummy treats.
Dog Handler Skills
Of course, you, too, need to have a few skills in order to train your dog for dock diving:
Patience – Training at a slow pace will insure that your dog is truly comfortable with each phase of the training before proceeding to the next.
Throwing Ability – The handler throws a floatable toy (her dog’s favorite) as her dog is racing down the dock. The accuracy and timing of the throw aids the dog in gaining speed and momentum in order to maximize the distance of the jump.
When your dog isn’t with you, practice your throws by tossing a toy or other object into an empty bucket or other target. You can also play dry land throw/chase games with your dog. The goal is to have her catch the toy in the air.
Be Your Dog’s Advocate – On any given day or any given moment, be ready to let your dog relax or head home if she doesn’t seem to be having fun. It’s important that she’s happy and enjoying the experience.
Ready To Get Invloved?
There are a number of sanctioning organizations that organize competitions (see sidebar) and hundreds of regional clubs throughout the country where you can take advantage of local or regional events. Most all clubs have practice events or training classes for a small fee. I’ve found that experienced dock-diving handlers are eager to help you and your dog succeed.
Summertime is one of the most enjoyable seasons to get started in this sport, so find a nearby lake or pond, insure your dog enjoys the water, and start having some dock-diving fun! Whether or not you ever step foot on a competition dock, there’s loads of fun to be had doing recreational dock diving in a nearby body of water. However, if you do decide to enter a competition, I’m certain that you’ll go home with a ribbon. In this sport, everyone who participates is considered a winner. How great is that? Get up, get going, and get set to get wet! And, as they say in the sport, “See you on the dock!”
Dock Diving Organizations & Competition Details
Dock jumping first came on the scene in 1997 at the Incredible Dog Challenge. There are now several organizations that run jumping competitions, and each organization has its own rules, regulations, and standards for its trials. Events are listed on each organization’s website. Competitors work their way up and compete in world championships or other major national events.
The dock is about 35 to 40 feet long by 8 feet wide and 2 feet above the water surface, though this differs slightly from one organization to the next. Any body of water or pool that is at least 4 feet deep can be used. The dock’s running platform is covered with artificial turf, carpet, or a rubber mat for better traction and safety for the competitors. Handlers may use any amount of the dock and they may start their dogs from any point on the dock when competing.
Scoring may be scored by eye (two certified judges watching the measuring marks on the pool) or with digital scoring equipment. National events most often have the digital equipment to accurately measure each jump. The distance is measured from the jumping-off point of the dock to the point where the dog’s hind end enters the water.
Dogs of any breed who are at least 6 months of age can participate. Each dog/handler team has two tries in a round-robin format. The best distance of these two jumps is the team’s score for the round. Dock Diving competitions divide the dogs into a variety of classes, primarily based on size and length of jump, and sometimes age or size (“veteran” classes for older dogs, “lap dogs” for smaller dogs). Each organization also has special rankings for youth or junior handler teams.
Distances for each group’s classes are detailed below:
Novice: 1′ to 9’11” Junior: 10″ to 14’ 11″ Senior: 15″ to 19’ 11″ Master: 20″ to 22’ 11″ Elite: 23″ to 24’ 11″ Super Elite: 25′ & above
DockDogs also has Extreme Vertical (a high jump competition) and Speed Retrieve, which involves running, jumping, and swimming, to complete a triathlon-type sport called Iron Dog.
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. She is the founder of Cold Nose College in Murphy, North Carolina, and enjoys providing behavior consulting and training solutions to clients in the tri-state area of North Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee, as well as offering educational opportunities for dog trainers and dog hobbyists throughout the U.S. Stay tuned for Lisa’s Dock Diving DVD from Tawzer Dog, which will be available before the end of 2014.
I grew up with a storybook grandmother, “Nana” to my sister and me. Nana was a great cook and regularly expressed her love through sumptuous meals and comfort foods. Her home was definitely the place to be on all food-oriented holidays, including the ultimate all-American food holiday, Thanksgiving. Like many Americans on this day, my family gorged on all that Nana placed on her overloaded dining-room table – mashed potatoes, stuffing, butternut squash, warm rolls, salads, corn casserole, and, of course, the mandatory roasted turkey. Following this annual feast, my sister and I would fall into food-induced stupors, sleeping off our over-indulgence for several hours before rousting ourselves to eat one more piece of pie.
A number of years later I learned that my post-feast drowsiness was presumably caused by a specific nutrient in turkey, the amino acid tryptophan. This theory, first put forth by a nutritionist, proposed that turkey meat contains unusually high levels of tryptophan.
Once absorbed, tryptophan is used by the body to produce serotonin (a neurotransmitter) and melatonin (a hormone). Melatonin helps to induce feelings of drowsiness (i.e., enhances sleep) and the neurological pathway through which serotonin works has anti-anxiety and calming effects. Therefore, the theory goes, after consuming a high-protein meal, in particular one that is high in tryptophan, the body’s production of melatonin and serotonin increases, which in turn causes drowsiness, reduced anxiety, and a calm state of mind. Presto – the post-turkey coma!
The tryptophan/turkey theory became so popular and widespread in the early 1980s that nutrient-supplement companies decided to bypass the turkey part of the equation altogether and began producing and selling tryptophan supplements (L-tryptophan). These were initially promoted as sleep aids and to reduce signs of anxiety. However, as is the nature of these things, the promoted benefits of L-tryptophan rapidly expanded to include, among other things, claims that it would enhance athletic performance, cure facial pain, prevent premenstrual syndrome, and enhance attention in children with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder. (My personal favorite was the promotion of L-tryptophan as a treatment for Tourette syndrome.)
L-tryptophan enjoyed a robust reputation as the nutrient for “all that ails ye'” until 1989, when it was found to be responsible for causing eosinophilia-myalgia in more than 5,000 people, killing at least 37 and permanently disabling hundreds. The US Food and Drug Administration quickly banned its import and sale as a supplement. Although the problem was eventually traced to a contaminant in a supplement that was imported from a Japanese supply company (and not the L-tryptophan itself), the ban remained in effect until 2009. Today, L-tryptophan is once again available as a nutrient supplement, but it has never regained its earlier popularity as a supplement for humans.
Tryptophan and Dogs
It’s odd that L-tryptophan was largely ignored by the dog world until a research paper published in 2000 suggested that feeding supplemental L-tryptophan might reduce dominance-related or territorial aggression in dogs1 (see references on page 10). The researchers also studied dogs with problem excitability and hyperactivity, but found no effect of L-tryptophan on either of these behaviors. However, the paper led to the belief that tryptophan supplementation was an effective calming aid in dogs (which it definitely did not show in the study) and as an aid in reducing problem aggression.
Today, a number of L-tryptophan supplements are marketed for reducing anxiety and inducing calmness in dogs. Interestingly, none of these product offer pure L-tryptophan; all of them include other agents that are purported to have a calming effect on dogs, such as chamomile flower, passionflower, valerian root, or ginger.
So, what does the science say? Does eating turkey or taking an L-tryptophan supplement reduce anxiety and induce calmness? Can it be used as an effective nutrient supplement to reduce anxiety-related problem behaviors in dogs?
The Turkey Sleepiness Myth
It is a myth that consuming turkey induces drowsiness or reduces anxiety. The theory fails on several counts. First, turkey meat does not actually contain a uniquely high level of tryptophan. The amount of tryptophan it contains is similar to that found in other meats and is only half of the concentration found in some plant-source proteins, such as soy. Do you get sleepy after gorging on tofu?
Second, researchers have shown that the amount of tryptophan that is consumed after a normal high-protein meal, even one that contains a lot of tryptophan, does not come close to being high enough to cause significant changes in serotonin levels in the blood or in the synapses of neurons, where it matters the most.
Third, to be converted into serotonin (and eventually into melatonin), tryptophan that is carried in the bloodstream following a meal must cross the blood-brain barrier and enter the brain. This barrier is quite selective and only accepts a certain number of amino acids of each type. Tryptophan is a very large molecule and competes with several other similar types of amino acids to make it across the barrier. Following a meal, especially if the meal is high in protein, tryptophan does increase in the blood and is pounding at the blood-barrier door for access. However, it is also competing with other amino acids that are also at high levels (and turkey contains all of ’em). As a result, very limited amounts of tryptophan make it into the brain for conversion following a meal that includes lots of other nutrients.
So, why so sleepy? The real explanation for the drowsiness and euphoria that we all feel following a great turkey dinner at Nana’s house is more likely to be caused by simply eating too much (which leads to reduced blood flow and oxygen to the brain as your body diverts resources to the mighty job at hand of digestion), imbibing a bit of holiday (alcoholic) cheer, and possibly, eating a lot of high-carbohydrate foods such as potatoes, yams, and breads, which leads to a relatively wider fluctuation in circulating insulin levels. Whatever the cause, don’t blame (or credit) the turkey or the tryptophan.
Tryptophan: Flying Solo
That established, the erroneous focus on turkey did have some positive consequences in that it led to a closer look at tryptophan’s potential impact on mental states and behavior when provided as a supplement. As a serotonin precursor, tryptophan (and its metabolite 5-hydroxytryptophan, or 5-HTP) has been studied as either a replacement or an adjunct therapy for serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRRIs), medications that are commonly used to treat depression in people and are sometimes prescribed as treatment for anxiety-related behaviors in dogs.
Although limited work has been conducted regarding the effects of tryptophan supplementation in dogs, several informative papers did follow the initial dog study of 2000:
Tryptophan and Anxiety
Researchers at Wageningen University in the Netherlands studied a group of 138 privately owned dogs with anxiety-related behavior problems2.
Study design: Half of the dogs were fed a standard dog food (control) and half were fed the same food, formulated to contain supplemental L-tryptophan. Neither the owners nor the researchers were privy to dogs’ assigned groups. In other words, this was a “double-blind, placebo-controlled study” (see my book Dog Food Logic for more about studies), the “gold standard” of research designs. Dogs were fed their assigned diet for eight weeks, during which time the owners recorded any behavior changes they observed. At the end of the study, the researchers also performed a set of behavior evaluations to assess the dogs.
Results: Although blood tryptophan levels increased significantly (by 37 percent) in the dogs that were fed supplemental tryptophan, neither the owners nor the researchers observed any difference in behavior between the supplemented group of dogs and the control dogs. There were moderate changes in behavior over time in all of the dogs, but this change was attributed to a placebo effect (more about placebos in next month’s column). Overall, supplementation with L-tryptophan demonstrated no anxiety-reducing effects in the dogs enrolled in this study.
Tryptophan and Abnormal/Repetitive Behaviors
A group of 29 dogs was identified3, each presenting with a form of abnormal-repetitive behavior, either circling, anxiety-related lick granuloma, light chasing/shadow staring, or stool eating. (Note: One might question the inclusion of stool-eating in this study, since many pet professionals consider eating feces to be a form of scavenging behavior that is normal and common in the domestic dog.)
Study design: This was another double-blind and placebo-controlled study. In addition, the researchers used a “cross-over” design in which half of the dogs are first fed the control and the other half are first fed the test diet for a period of time and are then all switched to the alternate diet for a second study period. This is a well-accepted study design that is helpful when a researcher has a limited number of subjects; it also helps to control for the placebo effect.
The dogs were treated for two-week periods and the frequencies of their abnormal behaviors were recorded daily.
Results: The researchers reported no effect of supplemental L-tryptophan on the frequency or intensity of abnormal/repetitive behaviors. Although the owners reported slight improvements over time, this occurred both when dogs were receiving the supplemental tryptophan and while they were eating the control diet (there is the insidious placebo effect again).
Limitations of this study were that it was very short term and it targeted uncommon behavior problems that are notoriously resistant to treatment. Still, this study did not provide any evidence to support a use of tryptophan supplementation for repetitive behavior problems in dogs. (So, to all you folks who live with poop-eaters: sorry, no easy answer here with L-tryptophan.)
Tryptophan-Enhanced Diet and Anxiety
Dogs with anxiety-related behavior problems were fed either a control food or the same food supplemented with L-tryptophan plus alpha-casozepine, a small peptide that originates from milk protein4.
Study design: This was a single-blind, crossover study in which only dog owners were blinded to treatments. All of the dogs were first fed the control diet for eight weeks and were all then switched to the test diet for a second eight-week period. Because the treatment group always followed the control in this study design, it is impossible to distinguish between a placebo effect and an actual diet effect in this study. (Note: This is a serious research design flaw that the study authors mention only briefly.)
Results: A small reduction in owner-scored anxiety-related behaviors was found for four of the five identified anxiety problems. However, in all of the cases, the initial severity of the problems was rated as very low (~1 to 1.5 on a five-point scale in which a score of 0 denoted an absence of the problem and a score of 5 denoted its highest severity), and the change in score was numerically very small, though statistically significant. This is not surprising since there is not very much wiggle room between a score of 1 and a score of 0. Finally, given that the food was supplemented with both L-tryptophan and casozepine, conclusions cannot be made specifically about L-tryptophan.
Take-Away Points for Dog Folks
First, forget the turkey. While it can be a high-quality meat to feed to dogs (especially if you select a food that includes human-grade meats or are cooking fresh for your dog), turkey contains no more tryptophan than any other dietary protein. Feeding turkey to your dog will not promote calmness (unless you allow him to stuff himself silly along with the rest of the family on Thanksgiving Day – a practice as unadvisable for him as it is for you).
Second, keep your skeptic cap firmly in place when considering the effectiveness of supplemental L-tryptophan or a tryptophan-enriched food as a treatment for anxiety-related problems. The early study in 2000 reported a modest effect in dogs with dominance-related aggression or territorial behaviors but found no effect in treating hyperactivity.
Subsequently, two placebo-controlled studies reported no effect at all, and the single study that reported a small degree of behavior change could not discount the possibility of a placebo effect.
Human nature encourages us to gravitate toward easy fixes for all things that ail our dogs. Hearing about a nutrient supplement or a specially formulated food that claims to reduce anxiety and calm fearful dogs is powerful stuff for dog owners who are desperate to help their dogs. These types of claims are especially appealing because anxiety problems can have a terrible impact on a dog’s quality of life and are often challenging to treat using the standard (and proven) approach of behavior modification.
An additional risk that must be mentioned regarding our inclination to gravitate toward unverified nutritional “cures” is that well-established approaches such as behavior modification may be postponed or rejected by an owner who instead opts for the supplement, wasting precious time that could actually help a dog in need. Until we have stronger scientific evidence that demonstrates a role for L-tryptophan in changing problem behavior in our dogs, my recommendation is to enjoy the turkey, but train the dog.
Linda P. Case, MS, is the owner of AutumnGold Consulting and Dog Training Center in Mahomet, Illinois, where she lives with her four dogs and husband Mike. She is the author of a new book, Dog Food Logic, and many other books and numerous publications on nutrition for dogs and cats. Her blog can be read at thesciencedog.wordpress.com.
Cited References:
1. DeNapoli JS, Dodman NH, Shuster L, et al. Effect of dietary protein content and tryptophan supplementation on dominance aggression, territorial aggression, and hyperactivity in dogs. J Amer Vet Med Assoc 2000; 217:504-508.
3. Kaulfuss P, Hintze S, Wurbel H. Effect of tryptophan as a dietary supplement on dogs with abnormal-repetitive behaviours. Abstract. J Vet Behav 2009; 4:97.
4. Kato M, Miyaji K, Ohtani N, Ohta M. Effects of prescription diet on dealing with stressful situations and performance of anxiety-related behaviors in privately owned anxious dogs. J Vet Behav 2012;7:21-26.
According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, between five to seven million companion animals enter animal shelters in the United States every year, and three to four million are euthanized. Of the dogs entering shelters, about 60 percent are euthanized. Some lose their lives due to old age, illness, or injury, others as a result of shelter crowding, but behavioral problems are most frequently cited as the major cause of relinquishment or euthanasia.
Shelter statistics alone are only part of the picture; dogs with behavior issues are also euthanized by veterinarians upon owner request, as are many other dogs who display undesirable behaviors surrendered to rescue organizations. Some difficult dogs are abandoned to the streets or wilderness areas.
While genetics always plays a role in behavior, many serious behavior issues in dogs are a result of inadequate socialization or other environmental factors. The use of ineffective training methods, frightening or traumatic experiences, insufficient physical and mental exercise, neglect, and abuse are all additional stressors that affect behavior adversely, often profoundly.
Appropriate training can often modify problem behavior, and for more serious behavior issues, behavior-modification medications used in conjunction with training may also be helpful. But what if the underlying cause of a serious behavior problem is an undiagnosed medical condition? Behavior-modification training and medications for behavior will likely have little effect unless the medical condition is also addressed.
When to Consider Medical Involvment
If the family dog’s behavior changes enough for concern, a possible medical cause for the behavior change may not be considered by either the family or the trainer hired to “fix” the problem. And while some veterinarians are knowledgeable about the potential links between medical pathology and behavior, some are not. It’s a heartbreaking tragedy when dogs are relinquished to a shelter or euthanized for a behavior problem caused or aggravated by an undiagnosed, treatable medical condition.
The majority of abnormal canine behaviors are likely caused by environmental stressors. Illness, disease, and injury are far less often associated with behavior change, and as a result, may be the last factor to be considered, if considered at all.
While we don’t want to become hypochondriacs when it comes to our dogs, a possible medical cause for a behavior change should be first on the checklist of considerations, even if only to check it off in favor of a more obvious one. This is especially important when the behavior observed is uncharacteristic for the dog, and the change in behavior is sudden.
Sometimes the connection between behavior change and a medical condition is obvious. If a dog frequently shakes his head, scratches his ear, and repeatedly growls, snaps, and bites his owner’s hand when she reaches to pet him on the head, the owner will probably suspect an ear infection is causing the behavior and bring her dog to the veterinarian. But what if the dog demonstrates the same uncharacteristic behavior of biting her hand when she reaches to pet him in the absence of any other obvious, observable symptoms of a possible medical issue? The owner is not likely to think, “I better get Max to the vet. This could be the result of thyroid disease. Or perhaps his spine needs an adjustment. Or maybe he’s losing his sight.” She may assume that the problem is merely behavioral in nature and be more inclined to call a trainer, who may or may not be familiar with medical rule-outs for this sudden behavior change. If the dog has an undiagnosed medical condition that causes him pain or discomfort leading to biting humans or other animals, his life may be in jeopardy.
Sudden onset behaviors that indicate anxiety, fears and phobias, compulsiveness, depression, disorientation, moodiness, erratic temperament, and/ aggression warrant a trip to your vet’s office.
As a dog owner, you cannot be expected to be familiar with all the medical rule-outs for dozens of abnormal canine behaviors. But a general understanding that a medical condition may be at the root of your pet’s behavioral change may prompt you to see your veterinarian for possible early diagnosis and treatment before behavior deteriorates further or dangerously escalates.
It is neither a trainer’s job to be fluent in medical causes for abnormal behavior, nor legal for her to make a diagnosis. It is important, however, for a trainer to know when to refer her clients to her medical colleagues. The more knowledge a trainer has of medical rule-outs for abnormal behavior, the better equipped she will be to help her clients recognize when a visit to the veterinarian is needed – a visit that may heal the family’s relationship with their dog, and save the dog’s life.
Abnormal Behaviors and Medical Rule-Outs
In her comprehensive reference book1, Manual of Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Dogs and Cats, author and veterinary behaviorist Dr. Karen Overall devotes a full 137 pages to addressing abnormal canine behavior and behavior pathologies. In the manual, Dr. Overall divides the behavioral conditions affecting dogs into two chapters: those conditions involving aggression, and those not primarily involving aggression (allowing that the two may occur simultaneously). Included in her discussion of each abnormal canine behavior and behavioral pathology are rule-outs for the conditions, both medical and non-medical. The manual is an indispensable guide for many veterinarians and behavior professionals.
Table 1 and Table 2 (at the top right) summarize the behavioral conditions identified by Dr. Overall as having possible medical rule-outs, and are based on information provided in her book. Dr. Overall organizes her discussion of the behavioral conditions by actual diagnostic categories. As non-veterinarians we are not qualified to make medical or behavioral diagnoses, so the behavioral conditions in the tables are listed descriptively, by observable behavior (rather than diagnostic category), with corresponding medical rule-outs.
Current research stresses the importance of exploring medical components of what are commonly thought of as strictly behavioral problems. In 2012, two studies by researchers at the University of Montreal Veterinary Teaching Hospital investigated medical causes for two compulsive behaviors in dogs: excessive licking of surfaces and fly biting (defined by the authors as the dog appearing to be staring at something and suddenly snapping at it).2,3 The research suggests that gastrointestinal disease can cause the repetitive behaviors of excessive licking of surfaces and fly biting, and medical treatment for the GI issues significantly reduced these behaviors. Based on the results of this research, future studies evaluating medical causes for other repetitive behaviors, such as spinning and light chasing, may prove worthwhile.
A Trip to the Vet
If you suspect your dog’s behavior change may have an underlying medical cause, your vet can determine what tests are needed. A medical evaluation should include a complete medical history, thorough physical and neurological exam, lab testing of blood counts, blood chemistry, and urinalysis. Additional diagnostic tests may be indicated based on your dog’s symptoms (complete thyroid antibody profile, x-ray, ultrasound, etc.). If all test results are negative, evaluation by an experienced, qualified behavior professional is recommended.
Even if a medical issue is found to be at the root of a dog’s behavioral change, treatments and medications alone may not eliminate undesirable behaviors completely. There is a learned component to many of these behaviors, and, depending on how long they are practiced, behavior-modification training may be required.
For example, a dog who frequently attacked a canine housemate for months prior to diagnosis of hypothyroidism is not likely to immediately become best friends with the dog he attacked once he’s been given hormone-replacement medication. While the medication may make this dog feel much better and less irritable within a few weeks, the negative association that developed over time toward the other resident dog (as well as the other dog’s fear and response to his attacker) may require behavior-modification training to restore harmony. If, however, the diagnosis of thyroid disease happened early in the dog’s history of aggressing toward his housemate, after only one or two minor incidents, hormone replacement alone may resolve the problem.
The Take-Home Message
If a medical cause for a dog’s unwanted behavior remains undiagnosed, the risks to the health and welfare of the dog can be devastating. Undesirable behavior can lead to injury to humans and other animals, relinquishment, deteriorating physical health of the animal, punishment or abuse of the dog by the owner, overwhelming owner stress, and damage to the human-animal bond. Seek an evaluation from your veterinarian to rule out medical involvement. It may save your dog’s life.
Trainers Weigh In
Dog Gender Identity Issue
The client contacted me about a 4-year-old Heeler-mix who suddenly began attacking one of the owners. The owner was bitten several times and required medical care. The dog appeared to give no warnings and the behavior was unpredictable.
The dog had been neutered at nine months and was identified as a hermaphrodite by the veterinarian. Only one testicle had descended and the vet found an undeveloped ovary during surgery. At my suggestion, the owners brought the dog for an evaluation with a vet I recommended. Tests showed the testosterone level of the dog was extremely high (“off the charts,” according to the vet). An ultrasound revealed a mass and surgery was performed. The “undeveloped ovary” was actually an undescended testicle, the source of the excessive testosterone production. Once removed, the aggression ceased.
– Kim Kilmer, Kim Kilmer Consulting
Punished for Pain
My story of heartbreak was an aged Aussie (13 years old) who was referred to me for separation anxiety. I will not horrify you with all the insane advice the owner was given, including using punishment on this dog, which was so very, very wrong for so very many reasons. The bottom line was that the dog had a metastatic bladder cancer. I still have nightmares about how much this dog suffered.
– Leslie Sinn, DVM, CPDT-KA, Behavior resident, ACVB
He’s Back to Being Good
A woman called me for help with her normally friendly dog, who suddenly and aggressively began guarding his food bowl. I suggested she first get the dog checked by her vet. Three weeks went by without news, so I called her. She said her veterinarian (who was also a chiropractor) had found an issue in the spine (something out of alignment). The dog was adjusted and there were no further incidents of aggression.
– Shannon McCauliff, PMCT, CPDT-KA, Diamond in the Wruff
Don’t Stop Investigating
An unspayed puppy had periodic housetraining lapses during her first year, despite being a natural at house training from an early age. All urinalyses came back negative for UTI, but when the owner pressed the vet to do an exam, the dog was found to have a severely inverted vulva that was causing painful urine burns and repeated vaginosis. She had a vulvaplasty and never had another issue.
– Jessica Miller, PMCT, ANWI, Go Pawsitive, LLC
Suddenly Uncharacteristic = Trouble
A co-worker at my “other job” came to me about her mixed-breed, middle-aged female dog who was suddenly displaying uncharacteristic behaviors. Previously housetrained, she was peeing inappropriately in the house. She was also jumping onto tables, as well as “zoning out,” bumping into things, and seeming to forget where she was. I suggested a trip to the vet to look for the usual and to check for vision or neurological issues. The dog was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and sadly, was euthanized a few months later.
– Jenny West Schneider, PMCT, CPDT-KA, Camp Canine USA
CASE EXAMPLES from Among My Clients (and Family)
I’m a trainer, and was fortunately educated to be alert to the possibility that a medical problem may be contributing to my clients’ dogs’ behavior problems – or behavior issues in my own dogs! The following are just a few of the cases I’ve personally encountered.
Pain In the Neck
My client scheduled a behavior consultation because her 14-year-old male Spaniel had become increasingly aggressive over the last couple of years toward her and a female housekeeper, resulting in bites to both. When I arrived at the home for the appointment, the owner’s four barking dogs clamored around the door. I watched through the door window as, one by one, she removed the dogs from the room so that I could enter by grabbing their collars and dragging them, still barking, behind a closed door to the dining room. My inquiries regarding the incidents of aggressive behavior revealed that all took place when the dog was approached in circumstances where he was commonly re-located by grabbing his collar and dragging him. The owner reported that the behavior had escalated from growling when he was grabbed by the collar, to growling simply when she or the housekeeper approached, and biting when either one reached for his collar. The dog began to growl in the presence of the owner and housekeeper at other times as well, leaving the housekeeper afraid of him and the owner distressed enough to seek help from a behavior professional. Suspecting possible arthritis pain was triggering the veterinarian for an evaluation. Medication for arthritis pain, stopping the collar dragging and teaching the dog to follow the owner and housekeeper on cue prevented any further bites.
Not Just Happy to See You
On my first visit to the client’s home, her 14-week-old Golden Retriever puppy peed on the kitchen floor shortly after we began training, despite having been outside just prior to my arrival. At the time, I assumed it was due to excitement about someone new and the increase in activity. But at our next appointment, the puppy had another accident in the house about fifteen minutes after she urinated outside. The owner also complained that housetraining, despite following a normally effective housetraining protocol, was not going well, with frequent accidents in the house. I suspected a possible urinary tract infection (UTI ) and recommended an examination by the veterinarian. A UTI was diagnosed. After treatment with antibiotics, the infection seemed to clear, but she rebounded quickly. After a second course of antibiotics with another rebound, the
veterinarian discovered the recurring infection was due to a congenital bladder defect. The puppy’s urine was leaking into the area between the interior and exterior wall of the bladder, and urine retention in the tissue caused pressure, stretching the bladder. Surgery to repair the defect was successful, and after recovering, she was quickly and successfully housetrained.
Ain’t That Gland
I adopted Amber (in this photo on the left) when she was three years old. For the first year in our home, she was very friendly with our other two Ridgebacks (both males). Then there were three incidents of aggression toward the boys within two days, each occurring when I was petting her and one of the boys approached. The first time she growled and raised a lip, the second time she lunged, and the third time she attacked (no injuries). I separated her from the other dogs, and brought her to our vet the next day for an evaluation, requesting a complete thyroid antibody profile. The results were positive for hypothyroidism. She began a twice daily dose of supplemental thyroid. I kept her separated from the other dogs for about two weeks, and then began reintroducing them, watching for any signs of conflict. Amber is now 10, and with the exception of the behavior recurring briefly when her dosage needed to be adjusted, has remained her friendly self for the past six years with her “brothers.”
If you’ve lived your life with dogs, chances are you’ve cared for one with a bladder infection. The normal urinary bladder is sterile, meaning devoid of bacteria. Infection occurs when bacteria find their way into the bladder and set up housekeeping. Bacterial cystitis (medical-speak for a bladder infection) is a common diagnosis in the canine world. The term urinary tract infection (UTI) is often used synonymously with bacterial cystitis. Technically speaking, a UTI can mean infection anywhere within the urinary tract, and is not specific to the bladder.
Bacterial cystitis occurs most commonly in female dogs. This is attributed to the fact that, compared to males, female dogs have a shorter urethra, the conduit through which urine flows from the bladder to the outside world. With only a short distance to travel in female dogs, bacteria have an easier time migrating from the skin surface up into the urinary bladder.
There is no breed predisposition for bladder infections. However, small-breed dogs are more susceptible to some of the underlying causes of infection described below.
Causes of Bladder Infection in Dogs
While not always easy or even possible to diagnose, there are several underlying issues that make it easier for bacteria to colonize and thrive within the urinary bladder. Anything that disrupts the normal architecture of the urinary tract or reproductive tract (the two are anatomically connected) predisposes to infection. Examples include:
1. Stones within the urinary tract
2. Tumors or polyps within the urinary or reproductive tracts
3. Foreign body within the urinary or reproductive tracts
4. Anatomical birth defects within the urinary or reproductive tracts
5. Prostate-gland or testicular disease
6. Vaginal, vulvar, or uterine disease
Urine that is less concentrated (more dilute) than normal creates an environment that is bacteria-friendly. So, it’s not unusual for bacterial cystitis to accompany diseases associated with increased thirst and increased urine volume, such as kidney failure, liver disease, and some hormonal imbalances. Bladder infections occur commonly in dogs with diabetes mellitus, a hormonal imbalance that creates dilute urine. The sugar in the urine of diabetic dogs creates an ideal growth media in which bacterial organisms absolutely thrive.
Suppression of the immune system caused by disease or medication also promotes bladder infections. Prednisone, a commonly prescribed steroidal anti-inflammatory medication (NSAID), causes urine dilution along with immunosuppression. Not surprisingly, about one third of female dogs receiving prednisone develop spontaneous bladder infections.
Symptoms of Bladder Infection in Dogs
If ever you’ve experienced a bladder infection, you know just how miserable the symptoms can be. Dogs vary a great deal in terms of how dramatically they show evidence of a bladder infection. Some exhibit every symptom in the book, while others demonstrate none whatsoever. Additionally, symptoms can arise abruptly or gradually. Every dog reads the textbook a little bit differently!
Symptoms most commonly observed in association with canine bladder infections include:
– Straining to urinate
– Urination in inappropriate places
– Increased frequency of urination
– Blood within the urine
– An unusual odor to the urine
– Urine leakage
– Increased thirst
– Excessive licking at the penis or vulva
It is unusual for plain and simple bladder infections to cause lethargy, loss of appetite, or fever. Such “systemic” symptoms, in conjunction with documentation of bacteria within the urinary bladder, create suspicion for infection elsewhere within the urinary or reproductive tracts (kidneys, prostate gland, uterus).
It’s important to remember that dogs are creatures of habit, and any change in habit is a big red flag beckoning you to take notice. Filling the water bowl more than usual? Is your girl squatting more frequently than normal on her morning walks? Is she waking you up in the middle of the night to go outside to urinate? Has your well-house-trained dog begun urinating in the house? All such symptoms are worthy of medical attention. For your dog’s sake, please don’t blame urinary issues on negative behavior before first ruling out an underlying medical issue.
Collection of Canine Urine Samples for Testing
If a bladder infection is suspected, testing the urine will be one of the first steps your veterinarian takes. There are a few different ways to collect urine from a dog.
A “free-catch” sample involves catching some urine in a container as the dog urinates. The presence of bacteria in a free-catch sample is nonspecific, meaning the bacteria might have originated anywhere en route to the collection container, including the bladder, urethra, vulva, prostate, and even the hair around the opening of the penis or vulva. In other words, bacteria found in a free-catch sample may not be all that meaningful. Other possible downsides to collecting free catch urine samples are a wet hand and suspicious looks from the neighbors.
Urine can also be collected via a plastic or rubber catheter, inserted into the end of the urethra and advanced forward into the urinary bladder. Once in the bladder, the catheter withdraws the urine. There are a few drawbacks to this sampling method: Most dogs experience some discomfort with the process. Additionally, it is tricky business finding the opening to the urethra in female dogs. And because the catheter comes in contact with the urethra and reproductive structures (vagina, penis, prostate gland) before reaching the bladder, one cannot be certain as to the origin of bacteria found in the sample.
The preferred method of urine collection is a technique called cystocentesis. This involves introducing a small needle directly into the urinary bladder. Urine is collected into a syringe attached to the needle. Other than the stress associated with restraint, there is typically no more discomfort for the dog than would be associated with a vaccination. The beauty of a cystocentesis sample is that, if bacteria are detected, one can be certain they were living in the bladder.
Diagnosis of Canine Bladder Infection
A bladder infection is definitively diagnosed when bacteria are identified within a urine sample that has been collected via cystocentesis. Supporting evidence of infection includes the presence of red blood cells and excessive white blood cells, and/or protein within the urine. Keep in mind, these ancillary abnormalities can occur with a variety of urinary-tract diseases other than infection.
Bacteria in the urine can be documented by two tests: urinalysis and urine culture. The combination of the two is always ideal.
A urinalysis measures urine concentration and pH, screening for red blood cells, white blood cells, and protein, and viewing the urine sample under the microscope. While this test is relatively reliable, it can produce false negative results, particularly if the urine sample sits for several hours prior to testing (certainly the case when samples are sent to a commercial laboratory rather than tested in house). Over time, the bacteria have a way of disappearing from view. Additionally, if the urine sample is dilute (more water than sludge), small numbers of bacteria can readily be missed during the microscopic evaluation.
The gold-standard method for documentation of bacterial infection is a urine culture. Urine is inoculated onto agar (a sterile growth medium) and incubated for 48 to 72 hours. There, the bacterial growth can be documented, and their identification and sensitivity testing can be performed. These tests clarify the species of bacteria as well as which antibiotics the bugs are sensitive to. This is important information, particularly when treating dogs with recurrent bladder infections.
Managment of First-Time Bladder Infections
For dogs experiencing their first bladder infection, the treatment of choice is a 7 to 14 day course of an antibiotic. Performing a urinalysis and urine culture is ideal, but antibiotic sensitivity testing really isn’t necessary with first timers as it is unlikely that the bacteria will have developed any antibiotic resistance.
The antibiotic chosen should be one that is known to be effective against the most common urinary-tract bacteria. Successful treatment is defined by the resolution of symptoms along with normal urinalysis results and a negative urine culture performed two to three weeks following completion of antibiotic therapy.
Managment of Repeated Bladder Infections in Dogs
Sometimes, the minute a dog with a bladder infection completes a course of antibiotics, his or her symptoms begin all over again. With these dogs it’s important to do dig deeper, diagnostically, to identify and eliminate the underlying cause of their recurrent infections.
In addition to the urine testing described above, this investigation begins with an extremely thorough physical examination (including a rectal exam) looking for any abnormality that might predispose the dog to bladder infections. In males, these abnormalities include an enlarged prostate gland or an infection within the sheath (pouch surrounding the penis), or in females, an infection in the skin fold covering the vulva.
If the physical exam and urine testing are not revealing, next is blood work (complete blood cell count and chemistry profile). Specific testing to rule out Cushing’s disease (a hormonal imbalance commonly associated with recurrent bladder infections) may be recommended. Abdominal ultrasound comes next. This test allows inspection of the kidneys, prostate gland, and urinary bladder, in search of stones, tumors, polyps, and/or anatomical defects.
Unfortunately, unless they are significantly diseased, ultrasound does not do a good job imaging the “three U’s”: the uterus, the urethra, and the ureters (structures that transport urine from the kidneys to the bladder). Ultrasound creates no discomfort for the dog, so sedation is usually not needed. Clipping the hair over the belly is necessary for good visualization (something the dog could care less about, but the human often objects to).
Buyer beware: the information gleaned from ultrasound is extremely user-dependent. This skill has a steep learning curve, and the more experience the ultrasonographer has, the greater the likelihood the results will be meaningful.
If all of the above testing does not reveal the underlying cause of recurrent infections, the final diagnostic steps are contrast studies (urethrogram, pyelogram) in which dye is used to visualize portions of the urinary tract not seen with ultrasound. These studies are performed using x-rays or computed tomography (CT scan).
Antibiotic Therapy for Canine Bladder Infections
The ideal way to manage recurrent bladder infections is to define and remove the underlying cause. In some cases, this underlying problem is not definable and/or treatable. When this happens, the judicious use of antibiotic therapy is key to keeping the dog comfortable and preventing issues that can arise secondary to chronic infection (bladder stones, spread of infection to the kidneys or bloodstream).
Choosing the most appropriate antibiotic regimen relies on multiple urine-culture results including bacterial identification and antibiotic-sensitivity testing. Just as in human medicine, some urinary-tract bugs manage to develop a resistance pattern to multiple if not all antibiotics.
Patients with such resistant infections are tricky to manage. They may need big-gun antibiotics (many of which have significant potential side effects) or, if feasible, some “time off” from any antibiotic exposure with hopes that the bacteria will revert back to a more normal pattern of antibiotic sensitivity. If your dog has recurrent bladder infections, anticipate multiple urine cultures over time. Without these results a veterinarian is treating “in the dark,” and this is definitely not in the best interest of the patient.
For dogs with recurrent bladder infections, there are a two ways antibiotic therapy is typically managed:
Long-term, low-dose therapy – An antibiotic is selected based on urine-culture results and the dog is treated at the standard dosage for 14 days. After 14 days, the total daily antibiotic dosage is reduced by 50 to 75 percent and is administered once daily at bedtime. This time of day is chosen because it precedes the longest stretch of urine retention (assuming the dog does not work the graveyard shift).
This regimen will continue for months or even years, following a strict schedule of recheck urine cultures to verify the absence of bacteria. Long-term, low-dose antibiotic therapy is a safe and often effective means to manage recurrent bladder infections.
Pulse therapy – An antibiotic is selected based on urine-culture results and the dog is treated at the standard dosage for 14 days. Just as with the protocol described above, a urine culture is repeated 7 to 10 days after treatment begins to make sure that the antibiotic has successfully eliminated the bacteria. If not, a different antibiotic is chosen and the process begins again.
After 14 days, therapy is discontinued for three weeks, and then pulse therapy is begun. This involves treating the dog with the antibiotic (at the standard dosage) for one week each month. There should be three-week, treatment-free intervals between treatment weeks. Pulse therapy may be continued for months or even years. Periodic urine cultures determine if a change in treatment is needed.
Additional Therapies for Bladder Infections
Cranberry extracts may help prevent recurrence of some bladder infections. Cranberries contain compounds called proanthocyanidins (PACs) that prevent bacteria from adhering to the inner lining of the bladder wall. If the bugs can’t adhere to the bladder wall they are incapable of colonizing, multiplying, and causing infection. This PAC effect works only against E. coli, the bacteria most commonly cultured from canine bladder infections.
Be aware that not just any cranberry formulation will do. Essential for success is the presence and bioactivity of PACs within the product. If interested in using cranberry extract, be sure to check with your veterinarian for his or her product and dosage recommendation. By the way, the notion that cranberries prevent infection by acidifying the urine is nothing more than an old wives’ tale.
Probiotics may help prevent recurrent bladder infections. This is based on the notion that altering bacterial populations in the gut will alter bacterial populations in the feces. Given that fecal microorganisms that linger on the coat may be the source for some bladder infections, probiotics may (emphasis on “may”) have a beneficial effect. If you decide to try a probiotic, get the most bugs for your buck by purchasing a product with the highest concentration of microorganisms.
Methenamine is a drug that may help prevent bladder infections. It is converted to a dilute formaldehyde product within the bladder, where it acts as an antiseptic. Methenamine is effective only in a very acidic environment (the urine pH must be low). For this reason, it is often administered with a urinary-tract acidifier.
Cleansing the skin area surrounding the vulva two to three times daily provides benefit for some female dogs with recurrent bladder infections. I recommend using baby wipes for this purpose. The hope is that the concentration of normal bacteria hanging out on the skin surface will be lessened, thereby lessening the likelihood of bacterial migration up into the urinary bladder.
If your dog continues to experience recurrent bladder infections despite your family veterinarian’s best efforts, I encourage scheduling a consultation with a veterinarian who specializes in internal medicine. Visit the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine to find such a specialist in your neck of the woods.
Nancy Kay, DVM, DACVIM, is the author of Speaking for Spot: Be the Advocate Your Dog Needs to Live a Happy, Healthy, Longer Life, and Your Dog’s Best Health: A Dozen Reasonable Things to Expect From Your Vet. She lives in North Carolina. You can read her blog at speakingforspot.com/blog.
Over the course of 20 years, the physical-rehabilitation department of various healthcare facilities became my second home as I groaned, stretched, and struggled my way through physical-therapy sessions following the gradual deterioration and the amputation of my lower legs (due to vascular disease). I was highly motivated to get my body working efficiently again, and I knew the sessions were necessary for physical improvement, but I found the endless repetitive exercises boring to do. Why couldn’t physical therapy be more fun and interesting?
A decade later I was asked to participate in the creation of a new animal assisted therapy (AAT) program at a local hospital’s physical-rehabilitation department. My service dog Peek, a 10-pound Papillon, enjoyed interacting with people without soliciting their attention, and he had become bombproof in public. It seemed like a perfect fit for both of us; he enjoyed active participation and tasks, and I enjoyed bringing laughter into the physical-therapy department.
Peek and I had been through therapy-dog training and testing with Pet Partners® and were registered and insured to do both Animal Assisted Activities (AAA) and Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT). In AAT, the dog is an actual part of the patient’s individual treatment plan as a clinical tool, and the dog’s work is documented and kept as part of the patient’s medical records.
Peek enjoyed visitation, but he really came to life when allowed to do more physically interactive exercises and use his growing skill set. Common service dog tasks – such as retrieving, holding items, carrying items from one person to another, pushing and pulling objects – all became skills the physical therapists (PTs) could use to help make therapy sessions more enjoyable, and break the monotony of repetitive exercises. PTs found that patients doing their exercises while interacting with dogs were much more motivated to attend, and actually looked forward to their therapy sessions. Patients worked more diligently and tried harder when working with a dog.
Dogs working in physical-therapy sessions can help patients increase their strength, balance, mobility, flexibility, memory sequencing, reflex response, range of motion, endurance, and gross motor skills. As one therapist said, “Dogs help the grumpiest patients play longer and more complex therapeutic games.”
Because Peek and I enjoyed canine freestyle (dancing with dogs), this activity gave me another skill to help reward extra efforts of the patients who liked dogs. I’d taught Peek to respond to either voice or hand signals. I would show the client how to give the signal for Peek to stand up on his hind legs and turn around in a circle: “Pretend your finger is a spoon and you are stirring your coffee.” Then I’d show them the hand signal for a quick drop into a down position. The patients loved to end up their therapy sessions with a bit of dog dancing and fast drops.
Memorable AAT Dog Clients
Peek and I assisted in the rehabilitation of dozens of patients with a range of physical challenges and treatment goals, including:
Jenna was recovering from a stroke, and needed to do lots of gross and fine motor skill exercises. Instead of just squeezing a soft foam ball while the therapist watched and counted the repetitions, Peek would hold the ball while Jenna got a good grip on it, then he would stand patiently while Jenna squeezed the ball 10 times; then Jenna would throw it for Peek to retrieve. Exercising with resistance was done by having Jenna and Peek play tug and release. The dog would hold steady pressure on the rope as many seconds as planned by the therapist, and I’d cue him to release when the exercise was finished. Those ball-squeezing, resistance, and ball-tossing exercises were a whole lot more interesting with a dog.
Jenna also had to do exercises to restore hand facilitation and strength. Learning to manipulate buttons, snaps, clasps, and zippers again was much more fun when she could put clothing on Peek, and fasten and unfasten the closures. She also enjoyed learning to grasp and move a brush, by brushing Peek and learning to stroke the brush on his hair in a rhythmic fashion. At the end of her first therapy session with Peek, she said, “I never looked forward to therapy before. Now I can’t wait to get here!”
Joe had suffered a head injury in a farm-equipment accident and had to learn to use his legs and arms again. A ranch hand, Joe used to be a horseshoe-tossing ace, and his favorite therapy exercise was tossing rubber rings onto a board affixed with wooden dowels to catch the rings. Instead of the therapist gathering the rings and taking them back to Joe to be tossed again, Peek became the ring gatherer, and brought each rubber ring back and placed it on Joe’s lap after it had been thrown. Joe stepped up his pace and worked hard to get those rings on the pegboard, because he loved watching Peek jump up to retrieve them.
Joe also needed to do balance and stretching exercises. The PT would give me positioning points, and Peek would stand quietly in that position, so that Joe could stretch toward and try to reach Peek’s back. Peek would be directed to move around Joe’s wheelchair at various positions and angles so that Joe could reach and stretch to each side and the front of his chair.
Mr. Jenkins was learning to walk again, and had graduated from wheelchair to walker. He would push the walker and take a couple of steps while holding onto the dog’s leash. Peek would adjust his pace to Mr. Jenkins’. Each time Mr. Jenkins would stop for a little rest, he’d reach over and pat the dog, and say, “Just give me a moment, boy, and we can go another lap down the hallway.” What was once just a boring exercise had become fun and interactive with the dog at his side.
Is This An Activity For You and Your Dog?
Which skills are needed to work in a physical-therapy department with your well-mannered, well-socialized dog? The dog should be able to work off-leash, and do basic loose leash walking on both sides of your body, as well as next to a wheelchair, walker, cane, or crutches.
A trip to a local senior center or hospital can offer many opportunities to help your dog gain confidence around medical equipment. You can work your dog outside, practicing sits, downs, and standing in position until cued to do another behavior. Automatic doors that whoosh open and close, people pushing IV poles on casters go by, wheelchairs, walkers, and crutches are also abundant. Vehicles may pull in at the door to unload passengers from lift-equipped vans. People will exhibit lurching gaits, and the scent of disinfectant, alcohol, and other chemicals used inside hospitals and rehab centers will waft through the doors and linger on patients’ clothing.
Working outside a hospital emergency room can condition your dog to sirens, people rushing, and carrying in people on gurneys. I like to bring along a tin pan of some type, a book, and an umbrella. Dropping the book and the pan, letting the dog get used to the thump and clatter that is a normal part of any hospital rehabilitation unit, is very helpful. Open and shut an umbrella in every possible place, so the dog gets used to quick changes in the appearance of objects. You may also use this to help teach directions – right, left, and around – in a stimulus-rich environment.
With so many people enjoying dog sports and other activities with their companion and competition dogs, it might be worth evaluating how any of your dog’s current repertoire of behaviors might be turned into a skill that could help motivate and engage people in a physical-therapy setting. Of course, a dog with a good retrieve will always be in high demand, as there are so many ways to integrate retrieval games into physical-therapy exercise plans.
You can always start with core canine good citizen behaviors and refine and shape new behaviors as needed. A dog working in any AAA or AAT setting should be comfortable with people of all ages, sizes, cultures, and races, and not be stressed by busy, noisy environments.
A calm, relaxed, friendly dog who can walk on a loose leash and be comfortable being handled, groomed, and interacting with strangers will have what it takes to start a career as an animal-assisted physical-therapy dog. The dogs who already have obedience or rally skills will be in high demand. Off-leash work is also highly coveted. It’s a chance to show off your dog’s skills while doing something to help others. It can be as nourishing and fun for the dog and handler as it is for the patients who are fortunate enough to get to work with them.
Attributes of an AAT Dog
A great animal assisted therapy (AAT) dog can be of any breed or mix of breeds, and either sex. What’s important is that the dog is able to respectfully interact with all people without exhibiting stress. I’ve worked along side 3-pound Yorkies and 180-pound Mastiffs. Some patients will prefer to work with smaller dogs and some with larger ones. There will always be people who are not comfortable interacting with certain breeds, no matter how friendly and well mannered the dog may be. I recall a Holocaust survivor who loved dogs, and wanted to be part of the AAT physical therapy program, but was uncomfortable working with any dog resembling a German Shepherd, because it reminded her of the dogs used in the concentration camps. Some people view bully breeds as threatening, and others have been bitten by small dogs and cannot relax in their presence. It’s important that the handler not take it personally if a patient is uncomfortable working with a specific type of dog.
The personality of the AAT dog requires a dog who is comfortable being handled and interacting with people of all races, cultures, sexes, and ages. The dog should be friendly, sociable, and reliable in distracting environments. In addition, the AAT dog must be able to interact comfortably with other dogs (and sometimes cats!) working in the same room. The therapy room can get quite congested at times, so the dog should be able to remain calm and focused in crowded areas.
While AAT dogs should be friendly and sociable, the dog should also have acceptable public behaviors, and not sniff, jump, lick, paw at people, or coerce attention. The dog must also be confident enough to be handled awkwardly, and be comfortable being touched on all parts of the body.
The handler’s communication with the dog is equally important. Because physical-therapy dogs often work off-leash, the handler directs the interaction with the patient, and will cue the dog from different positions. The dog-handler relationship is one of trust, and the dog will be expected to interact with a stranger as directed by the handler, under the physical therapist’s guidance. Just as the dog is expected to remain focused on the tasks at hand, the handler must remain focused on the dog, and ready to give a cue to change from one behavior to another.
The more behaviors the dog has on cue, the more creative the therapist can be in including the dog in the patient’s treatment plan. Being able to respond to direction changes, position changes, sits, downs, and doing retrievals is extremely helpful. However, it’s not mandatory.
If your dog has good manners, is comfortable being handled and interacting with new people, isn’t stressed around medical equipment or crowds, and responds to basic obedience cues, then the dog may well enjoy doing AAT work.
It’s a team effort, however. The handler is as important as the dog, and should know how to read her dog’s stress signals and know when the dog may need a short break to just relax, sniff outside and eliminate. Though therapy sessions are normally only a couple of hours at most, it’s intensive concentration for both the dog and handler. Knowing your dog’s needs sets up both the handler and dog for success.
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.
Im afraid Ive heard this story more times than I can count anyone who has been involved in rescue for long has heard it, too: Family wants to do the right thing and adopt a shelter or rescue dog; family waits for just the right dog to come along to the shelter/rescue; family is matched with/meets dog, falls in love; family takes dog home . . . and somewhere in the first week, or even the first DAY, the dog is inadvertently given an opportunity that the family, who has been filled with anticipation for weeks or months, just didnt expect the dog escapes and disappears. Was it a stop at the gas station on the way home, when little Billy got out of the car to use the restroom and left the car door open for a minute? When the family thought the dog would follow them into the house when they arrived home with the dog and just let her out of the car? When a visitor who came over to the house lingered too long in the doorway, without thinking to block the dog from slipping outside?
However it happens, losing the new dogs is usually a huge disappointment for the family, who has waited so long. But its often an even more wrenching disappointment for the group or person who fostered the dog; they may have invested weeks or years in saving and rehabilitating the dog, providing medical care (something as simple as spay/neuter, for example, or as lengthy and involved as treatment for demodex or heartworm), and perhaps helping the dog make a transition from being a neglected dog on a chain, to learning to live with and enjoy humans and fellow companion animals inside a home, with a family. To learn that a dog you invested money and time and love has gone poof! Just heartbreaking.
I fostered an obese and anxious Labrador a couple years ago; she had been surrendered by an older man who had gone into long-term care (without hope of recovery), and had never spent more than an hour without him in her three-year-old life. She liked people, and was very jolly and friendly with me, and seemed perfectly content to hang out with me, but her constant panting and tense ears belied the jolliness. Her tension was confirmed the first time I unclipped her leash and let her out the back door of my house unbeknownst to her, into a very securely fenced backyard; she ran like a demon was chasing her. Only when she discovered there was no way out no open gate, no low or rickety fence did she turn back toward me, smiling as if that little escape effort hadnt happened.
Who knows why dogs do this? Why cant she see that we love her and want to provide everything for her? Shes been so abused why cant she see what a nice home this will be for her?
But most dogs arent looking at every new person or place like an orphan who has been spoon-fed fantastic stories about how great her new life is going to be with her new family. All they know is that they have been taken away by strangers once again, and even if the strangers are very nice, this isnt home. The instinct for the dog to find something familiar (even if what was familiar for the dog was not so nice) is VERY STRONG.
I guess its understandable that people look at the whole thing from a human perspective, but you have to TRY see it from the dogs point of view; dogs havent been anticipating and visualizing their new lives with a new family the way the new family has been imagining how the dog is going to complete their lives. You have to keep the dog long enough to bond to you before you can trust him not to bolt at the earliest opportunity.
It’s frustrating at best, dangerous at worst, when you can’t get your dog to come to you. Indoors, he may be suspicious that you’re going to do something aversive, such as treat his ear infection, or put him in his crate. Outdoors, he may also have an aversive association with coming to you, or he may just be having entirely too much fun. Whatever the cause, here are five tips for handling the crisis:
1. Stop calling the dog
Seriously. If he’s already not coming, calling him again isn’t going to miraculously make it happen. In fact, you’re likely to make your tone more commanding or angry, which is even less likely to make him come. So stop calling him and do something else.
2. Cue your dog for a different behavior
Does he love to target? Give him your touch cue and offer your hand as the target. It just so happens he has to come to you to touch your hand! Is his favorite cue “Find it”? Toss treats at your feet and give him the cue. There he is, gobbling them up right at your feet. Do his eyes light up when you ask him to weave?
Ask him to start weaving – lo and behold, he’s right under you! Does he drop like a rock on his “Down” cue? Cue him to down and stay – and then walk up to him with a happy smile and lots of treats. Is a car ride his idea of heaven? Open the car door and ask him if he wants to go for a ride. Got him! And, yes, now you have to take him for a ride or he might not come the next time you use this ploy.
3. Invite your dog to play.
Grab your tennis ball collection and ask him to start fetching. Pull out his favorite toy and offer to tug with him. Start swinging his flirt pole. Squeak a squeaky toy. Roll around on the ground. Blow bubbles. Show him his favorite puzzle toy and invite him to play with it. If you have more than one dog, play with your other dog to spark his interest. Whatever games he normally loves to engage in with you, start playing!
4. Run the other way.
Dogs love to chase things that move. Try running in the opposite direction instead of chasing after him. Yell “Hey, hey, hey!” or blow a loud whistle to get his attention and when he glances in your direction, run as fast as you can away from him. This works especially well if you incorporated “run away” in your training to get an enthusiastic recall.
5. Use an emergency recall cue.
You may already have one of these and not know it. Your emergency cue is a word that has a 100 percent positive association for your dog. Perhaps it’s “Cookies!” or “Dinner!” Stop and think; is there a word you have used with your dog that always means something wonderful? If so, you can use that word carefully as an emergency recall cue.
A caveat: If you use your emergency word and then do something aversive to your dog, you’ll “poison” it and lose the power of that word, too. If you haven’t created one accidentally already, you can train an emergency recall cue by associating your new chosen word (or a very loud whistle) with spectacular treats and play. Just remember to always follow it with fantastically positive stuff.
And, finally, I don’t think I have to say this to WDJ readers, but here I go anyway: Don’t ever punish your dog when he finally comes to you, no matter how aggravated you are. Put on your best happy face, tell him how wonderful he is, and give him all kinds of positive reinforcement. If you are angry with him when you finally get your hands on him, it will only be that much harder to get him to come to you the next time.
Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, is WDJ’s Training Editor. Pat is also the author of many books on positive training.
Listen to Susan Paulsen’s story, and you’ll never look the same way again at your dog diving into your swimming pool or a glistening lake, or biting playfully at jets of water from your lawn sprinklers or garden hose.
Earlier this year, Susan was poolside at her home in Morgan Hill, California, tossing a ball for her water-loving Papillon, Kinetic. The 3½-year-old dog was a top-ranked agility competitor, with whom Susan planned to compete at elite agility events around the globe this year. Susan routinely cross-trained the little dog in the pool to build her muscle strength. Kinetic had just learned how to leap straight into the pool, and absolutely loved diving into the big blue expanse for her toy.
Susan was always careful to prevent Kinetic from overexertion; the dog’s name reflected her exuberant attitude about everything she did. So after the usual 20 minutes, Susan called a time-out for Kinetic to rest.
A half-hour later, Susan found her dog motionless on the couch. Kinetic was so lethargic and weak that her head bobbed and she urinated uncontrollably when Susan picked her up. In the car on the way to the emergency vet, things got worse: Kinetic started to foam at the mouth, her lips turned blue, and she passed out, lapsing into a coma from which she would never awaken. As the veterinarian did bloodwork, noting that her sodium-potassium levels were off, Kinetic slipped even further away. Her brain started to swell, and her organs began to fail. At 2 am, the veterinarians took Kinetic off the respirator.
In the space of six hours, Kinetic had gone from being an active, vibrant, butterfly-eared blur to a memory.
“She was fine,” Susan says, still in disbelief. “We didn’t do anything excessive, and she wasn’t exhausted. I had no clue that this could happen.”
The culprit was water intoxication, a relatively rare but frequently lethal condition that results from the body taking in more water than it can handle. When this happens, sodium levels outside the cells are depleted, a condition called hyponatremia. In an effort to rebalance itself, the body responds to the low blood sodium by increasing fluid intake inside the cells. Some organs, such as the liver, have room to accommodate the size of their swelling cells, but others – in particular the brain, which is encased in unyielding bone – cannot.
Signs of water intoxication include lethargy, bloating, vomiting, loss of coordination (stumbling, falling, staggering), restlessness, increased salivation, pale gums, dilated pupils, and glazed eyes. As the pressure in the brain increases and its cells begin to die off, the dog may have difficulty breathing, develop seizures, and lose consciousness.
Water Intoxication in Dogs is Frequently Misdiagnosed
“I think water intoxication is much more common than we think, and it’s often misdiagnosed,” says veterinarian Janet Dunn of Hollister, California, who owns some of Kinetic’s siblings and has made it her mission to find out just how much – or how little – veterinarians know about the syndrome that took Kinetic’s life.
Kinetic presented symptoms that were absolutely “classic” for cases of water intoxication, Dr. Dunn says, and yet, some of the first guesses at the veterinary emergency clinic about what was wrong with Kinetic included head trauma, hypothermia, and overexertion.
“I think the number-one problem is that many vets don’t know that water intoxication exists,” Dr. Dunn continues, adding that a dearth of published literature on the condition is partly to blame: One of the only scholarly works she found about it was published in 1925.
When a curious veterinarian asked about water intoxication on the Veterinary Information Network (VIN, an online community for veterinary professionals), Dr. Dunn noted that even internal-medicine specialists seemed perplexed at how a water-logged canine body can turn on itself. “One wrote and said, ‘I’d have guessed that as long as the kidneys are working, excess water should not be a problem.'”
Lower-than-normal sodium levels are a telltale sign of water intoxication, but they can also be misinterpreted, Dr. Dunn notes. “It’s not only how low the sodium falls, but it’s how quickly it falls.” By the time a dog gets into a vet’s office, the intake of water has stopped and blood-sodium levels may be starting to normalize. But the cellular damage has already been done.
In medicine, the saying goes that 75 percent of diagnosis is history, Dr. Dunn says. But with water intoxication, “I think it’s 95 percent. If a dog has neurological signs, anywhere from wobbling to seizures, and if the owner knows enough to say, ‘My dog was playing with the hose or was jumping in the pool,'” then water intoxication should be considered.
In theory, water intoxication can happen to any dog who ingests too much water, too fast. The condition advances more quickly in small dogs, simply because their bodies may be more easily overwhelmed by the excess fluid. But Border Collies and other high-drive dogs – including Jack Russell Terriers and Papillons like Kinetic – seem more likely to develop it than other breeds.
In July 2012, Megan Miller of Folsom, California, lost Kai, her 2½-year-old Border Collie, to water intoxication: It happened after a 45-minute fetching session in a lake they visited almost every day during summer. Because a friend had a Papillon who survived water intoxication several years before, Megan suspected what was wrong, but even prompt veterinary intervention and an accurate diagnosis couldn’t save Kai: She was simply too far gone.
“I think in the agility community we’ve got more dogs who are more prone to water intoxication because our dogs don’t have much fat on them – there’s not much extra tissue to take on that extra fluid,” Megan says. “And even if they’ve swallowed a bunch of water and feel sick, they’ll still work.”
High Drive, High Risk
Dr. Dunn agrees that super-focused, high-energy dogs may be at greater risk, simply because of their personalities. “We breed high-drive dogs for agility, and these dogs are obsessive about doing what they do,” she says. “It can be any breed of dog, but it’s usually the driven dog who wants to jump in a lake for a toy, or the obsessive-compulsive dog who just bites water over and over again.”
Water-centric sports such as dock diving might seem to pose a higher risk of water intoxication, but dog trainer Sally Saxton, KPA CTP, CTDI, of Performance Pups in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, says she hasn’t seen any cases at the freshwater lake where her dock-diving students have their lessons. Even so, she says, “I share the message of what to look for and how to combat it” – including taking breaks from swimming and using a flat toy for water retrievals so the dog’s mouth doesn’t gape open.
Perhaps another reason for the low incidence that Saxton sees is that in dock diving, dogs catch their toys in mid-air, and have their mouths closed around them by the time they hit the water. Also, their time in the water is limited, and they have plenty of opportunity between runs to rid their bodies of any extra fluid.
Dogs bred for water work or retrieving, such as Labrador Retrievers, Newfoundlands, and Chesapeake Bay Retrievers (to name a few), don’t usually come up in anecdotal discussions of water intoxication on the Internet. This may be because for generations these dogs have been bred to move through the water with their mouths tightly closed, creating as little surface disturbance on the water as possible in order to best do their work.
You May Have Heard of Water Toxicity (in Humans)
Dogs aren’t the only ones who can get ill or die from imbibing too much water: Human endurance athletes can also develop “exercise associated hyponatremia” (EAH), when their bodies expel sodium through perspiration and, super thirsty, they guzzle down too much water or sports drinks too quickly.
In perhaps the most high-profile case of water intoxication in people, suburban Sacramento mother of three Jennifer Strange died in 2007 after competing in a radio contest called “Hold Your Wee for a Wii.” In a bid to win the gaming console, the 28-year-old drank almost two gallons of water in little more than three hours. She died in her bathroom just hours after winning second place and a pair of concert tickets. A wrongful-death lawsuit was filed against the station, and a jury awarded Strange’s widower and three children $16.5 million.
Salt Water Toxicity in Dogs
The opposite of water intoxication is salt-water toxicity, in which a dog ingests large amounts of water with a high saline content. The initial symptoms of hypernatremia, or salt poisoning, include vomiting and diarrhea, which can then progress into neurological symptoms such as lack of coordination and seizures as fluid is drawn out of the brain and severe dehydration begins. As with water intoxication, careful administration of IV fluids to help restore electrolyte balance is required. As a precaution at the beach or seaside, offer your dog fresh water, and give her frequent and shady rest breaks.
Treatment and Prevention
Dr. Dunn notes that mild cases of water intoxication may simply resolve themselves without the owner noticing. “The dog might come out of the water staggering, and then become undiluted by producing urine,” which helps remove extra fluid before the body is overwhelmed.
Because water intoxication involves a lack of sodium, carefully replenishing that important mineral is crucial. Treatment includes administration of moderate levels of electrolytes (super-concentrated sodium can cause severe neurological problems in its own right), drugs such as Mannitol (to decrease intracranial pressure), and diuretics such as Lasix (to help speed the removal of fluid).
“Really severe cases probably won’t survive because their brain stem dies, which controls respiration,” Dr. Dunn says. “When they get that bad, there’s too much permanent damage.”
Owners of dogs who have survived water intoxication sometimes report varying degrees of brain damage as well.
Megan’s new Border Collie, Reckon, swims just like Kai did. “She holds her head very low in the water, and she’s definitely a candidate” for water intoxication, Megan says.
“We still go to the lake, and we still play, and my dogs now are still addicted to swimming,” she continues. “But I won’t throw a toy more than five times, and then I give them a 5- or 10-minute break.”
Megan no longer throws tennis balls (“The dogs’ mouths are so wide open, I can see water go in”), instead preferring flat toys like West Paw Design’s Bumi, an S-shaped floatie that also works for games of tug; and Chuckit’s Heliflight, a triangle-shaped flexible flyer. The latter gets in the dogs’ line of vision when they are retrieving it in the water, she adds, “so they feel like they have to hold their head up to see.”
Dr. Dunn stresses that the best way to deal with water intoxication is to not let it happen in the first place.
“Just pay attention,” she warns. “I promise you, it is out there.”
Precautions to Take
With its rapid onset and dismal prognosis, water intoxication is certainly something to be concerned about anytime your dog gets near the wet stuff. But it shouldn’t mean that you swear your dog off any contact with water. Just take adequate precautions, including:
Choose flat rather than round objects to retrieve. It makes sense: A dog who is retrieving a round object like a tennis ball has to keep his mouth open wider than a dog who has closed his mouth around a flatter object.
Know your dog. Being aware of how your individual dog interacts with water is key. Some dogs are very careful swimmers, keeping their noses pointed toward the sky and their mouths clamped shut. But others are more enthusiastic. Does yours like to splash in the pool, or bite at the stream of water from the hose or sprinkler? Then she’s likely at greater risk than another dog who is more reserved.
Discourage diving for toys.The key to avoiding water intoxication is curtailing any activity that can lead to water intake. Biting the water from a hose is also a no-no: Because that water exits under such high pressure, and it’s so fun (read, rewarding) your dog could ingest far more than is good for him.
Take frequent breaks. Regular time-outs on terra firma not only interrupt any ingestion of water, but also give a dog the opportunity to rid her body of extra fluids by urinating. Also, tired dogs tend to swim lower in the water, and may inadvertently take on more water than their better-rested counterparts.
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.
We’ve all seen dogs who exude impulse control – the ones who are calm in the face of excitement, and patient when it comes to getting what they want. Of course, we’ve all seen those dogs who are lacking impulse control, too – dogs who can’t seem to handle excitement and become overexcited, pushy, or reactive. Sometimes that lack of impulse control results in problem behaviors such as chasing cars, barking for balls, and jumping to say hi. Can dogs who are lacking impulse control learn this important life skill? Absolutely!
I recently had the pleasure of watching an Aussie-mix pup learn about impulse control from another pup. The 14-week-old Aussie started out pouncing and biting a little too hard for his Spaniel-mix playmate. The Spaniel started calmly stopping the play each time the Aussie went over the top, and inviting play when the Aussie calmed down. With each repeated stop and start, the Aussie began to pay attention to his body, his enthusiasm, and his teeth! He began approaching more slowly, pouncing more softly, and keeping his mouth open rather than clamping down. This lovely young Aussie learned about impulse control through a totally fun play session. (And the Spaniel obviously enjoyed the interaction, too!)
These pups clearly demonstrated that the key to learning impulse control is through experiences and actions . . . and the consequences those actions bring. They also showed that impulse control can be learned quickly when the consequences involve fun.
All types of consequences (both positive experiences, such as invitations to play, and negative experiences, such as the play ending) influence the development of impulse control. Fortunately, most dogs can learn this important skill from us as well as through their interactions with other dogs. A very effective way to help your dog learn impulse control is through a variety of enjoyable games and interactions.
Relaxing Is Rewarding
Many dogs who have trouble with impulse control really don’t understand that being calm is an option. For these puppies and dogs, learning that they can settle and that calm behavior is rewarding is the first step. Here are two activities you can incorporate into your daily life to help your dog learn that a calm, relaxed state is always a good option.
First, simply catch your dog in the act of being relaxed, for example, when she has settled on her bed or is sunning on the patio. When you see your dog settled, approach calmly with quiet praise or a gentle touch, and then drop a treat right near her paws or nose.
The first few times you do this, your dog may get up and follow you around to see if more treats might be forthcoming. If she does, simply go back to what you were doing without giving her more attention. After a few repetitions, your dog will learn to settle right back in after being rewarded.
A second activity is to reward your dog for relaxing at your feet. Start with your dog on a short leash so he can’t wander off or engage in another activity. Go to a nice quiet place. Stand or sit and wait for your dog to lie down. Please don’t cue your dog or otherwise encourage him to lie down. You may have to wait a long time – longer than you’d like to! – but just keep waiting. (This game is also a good way for people to practice impulse control; it really is best to wait for the dog to offer the behavior!)
When your dog offers the down, calmly say, “Good dog” and drop a treat between his front legs. You can offer additional treats to help your dog stay relaxed and settled.
Tips: Don’t use a clicker or other reward marker for this exercise, as this may encourage excitement instead of calm. If your dog is staring at you, do not treat. Wait until he is no longer thinking about the food before you drop another treat at his feet.
Waiting Is Worth It
Sit and wait is one of the most common impulse-control exercises because it works! Impulse control is in action as the dog learns to hold the sit or stay seated while you move away. Impulse control can be reinforced by generously rewarding when your dog stays sitting, even in the face of increasing distractions.
To make sit and wait fun, try adding “sit for everything” into your daily life. More specifically, ask your dog to sit before he gets anything he finds fun and valuable: Sit before walks. Sit to start tug, fetch, and chase games. Sit for treats and dinner. Sit before snapping off the leash for a romp in the woods. Whatever your dog gets excited about, have him sit and wait before doing it. Your dog will soon associate sitting and being patient with the opportunity to have fun and engage in enjoyable activities.
Tips: At first, simply request a brief sit from your dog before releasing him for fun or food. What if your dog doesn’t sit when you ask? Put more distance between your dog and the source of the excitement and try again. Gradually work closer to the excitement and extend the time your dog sits. Be sure to reward your dog when he starts to anticipate the sit and offers it without your asking. This is impulse control at work!
Get High and Settle
An important skill for impulse control is the ability to settle in the face of excitement. My favorite game for helping dogs learn to quickly calm down when they are super “high” is a tug/down/tug game. To play this game, your dog will need to understand a “Drop it” cue, a “Down” cue, and a release such as “Okay” or “Free.”
When you first play this game, do so at an intensity level that is low enough to keep your dog calm. Initiate a game of tug with whatever cue you use, such as “Tug!” or “Get it!” After just a few seconds, use your cue for asking your dog to drop the toy. When he drops it, immediately say “Okay” or use your release cue, and then start the game again. Repeat this first step a couple of times until your dog gets the idea that dropping the toy is what keeps the game going.
Next, begin the game of tug, ask for him to “Drop it,” and then cue your dog to “Down.” As soon as your dog hits the ground, give your release cue and start the tug game again with “Tug” or “Get it!” After a few repetitions of this, ask your dog to drop the toy and then wait for your dog to offer a down. Your dog may experiment or try something else – keep waiting. When your dog finally tries the down, immediately release him and initiate another great game of tug!
When your dog quickly offers the down, you can start to extend the time he stays down before you release him. At first you might just wait two or three seconds, but gradually wait to release him until he shows some sign of calming. For example, I look for my dog’s excitement to drop a notch as evidenced by a change in her breathing or eyes softening, and then I resume the tug game.
Over time, you can increase the intensity of the game so that your dog learns to listen, play, stop, and settle even in the face of increasing excitement.
Tips: If your dog gets overexcited in this game, play a very calm version of it with just a moment or two of tug. If your dog does not like to tug, try another similar “get excited and settle” game such as running around together with a stop and settle. Or, play with a flirt pole (a toy on the end of a rope, which is fastened to a pole) to get your dog running, and then incorporate the stop and settle.
Leave It Alone
Leave it (sometimes called “Off”) is a very powerful impulse-control exercise. It involves having the dog turn away from something that he is interested in and make eye contact with you instead. My favorite way to jump-start this behavior is through a “Doggy Zen” exercise. (Doggy Zen: In order to have the treat, you must leave the treat.)
Have a handful of super-exciting treats and one rather boring treat available. Put the boring treat in one hand and the good treats in a pouch or container behind your back. Present the boring treat to your dog in a closed fist (so she can smell it, but can’t get to it). Allow your dog lick and sniff your hand, and try to get to the treat.
The moment your dog backs away from your treat/hand a tiny bit, mark the moment with the “click!” of a clicker or with a verbal marker such as the word “Yes!” and give your dog one of the super-good treats from your other hand. Be very patient; the first try or two can take several minutes before a dog gives up and backs away.
Once your dog understands the game and quickly backs away from the treat in your fist, change it up a little by switching which hand is holding the boring treat. Again, reward with the yummy treat from your other hand.
Once your dog easily backs away from a boring treat in either hand, pause a moment after your dog backs away from the treat (without immediately marking or rewarding the behavior). Watch your dog carefully; almost always, after a few moments of not getting the expected reward, dogs will look at your face for information, trying to figure out why they haven’t been rewarded yet. The moment he offers that eye contact, click (or “Yes!”) and reward him.
When your dog easily backs off a treat and subsequently makes eye contact with you each time, add a verbal cue such as “Leave it.” Present the treat first, and when your dog takes notice, say “Leave it,” and click/”Yes!” and reward when your dog makes eye contact.
Tips: Be patient when waiting for your dog to back off from your fist; let your dog figure out what finally earns him the reward. To take this game to the next level, you can advance from holding the treat in a closed fist to an open hand, to putting the treat on the floor, or using a toy instead of a treat. By gradually increasing the difficulty of the “Leave it” task and rewarding your dog generously, he will learn that leaving something alone is more exciting and interesting than going for it!
Tricks for Tosses
Most dogs love to chase, run, and play. As with the “sit for everything” exercise described earlier, you can ask your dog to do another behavior before you start any active play-and-chase games.
With this game, instead of having your dog sit and wait, ask your dog to do an activebehavior – something that makes your dog move – before you toss a toy or release him to run with his pals. Some behaviors to ask your dog for include hand-targeting, spins, leg weaves, fall in to heel or go behind to heel, or coming to you from a short distance. By asking your dog to do something active, he will learn to pay better attention to you when his arousal level is still high. This helps your dog learn to “listen” to you even when he wants to chase, run, or play – a real challenge for some dogs.
Tips: Make it easy for your dog at first and ask for a behavior he knows very well. Some dogs will love this game from the start and consider the tricks all part of the fun; others may become frustrated by having to do something to make the ball fly. To keep your dog’s spirits and interest in the game high, try asking for just one trick and reward with several tosses.
Be Rewarding!
Building impulse control can take time and energy, but it can also be a totally fun way to spend time with your dog. Rather than making it all about self-containment, make sure your dog understands that calm and focused behavior is the way to keep fun happening, and a great way to keep rewards of all types flowing.
Because impulse control is challenging for some dogs, it’s important to make sure all of your impulse-control games and activities are offset with plenty of activities where your dog can let loose and have some uninhibited fun. In fact, to keep a dog enthusiastic about offering impulse control, balance every minute or two of impulse-control activities with several more minutes of fun.
For example, if you are playing the tug/down/tug game, every minute or so, take a quick break and simply toss the toy and let your dog have it, run around, and be goofy. The formula I use with my dog is that for every minute of impulse-control games, I incorporate five minutes or more of active, expressive activity.
Building impulse control can take time. Some dogs pick up the skills quickly, but some need a little more assistance. Just as the Aussie and Spaniel pups showed, experimentation, consequences, and having fun are the keys to successful impulse-control training.
Author/trainer Mardi Richmond, MA, CPDT-KA, lives and works in Santa Cruz, California. She shares her home with a wonderful partner and a joyful Cattle Dog-mix. Mardi is the owner of Good Dog Santa Cruz, where through classes and private training she helps dogs learn impulse control and other things.
It’s always been interesting to me that few people know why young puppies have to be vaccinated several times, a few weeks apart – and yet, few question the practice. There’s a term for it: puppy shots! The concept is widely accepted – and rarely explained. In my experience, when people ask why a puppy needs repeated vaccinations, they are told something vague and inaccurate, such as, “It takes a few shots to build the puppy’s immunity.”
It’s a similar situation with annual or semi-annual so-called vaccine “boosters” – not many people know much about their dogs’ vaccination status, so they take their veterinarians’ word that their dogs are “due” for more vaccinations.
The truth is, there is no single vaccination protocol that will protect all dogs for all things, without over-vaccinating most of them. Vaccination really ought to be determined on a case-by-case basis, because each dog’s risk factors are unique, based on his age, genetic inheritance, current health, geographic location, and lifestyle.
That said, there is a very useful tool that can help an owner gain solid information about whether her dog is likely to be protected against the most common infectious diseases: the vaccine titer test. Positive test results can also give a dog owner some solid ammunition for countering those who blindly promote (or require, in the case of some boarding or training facilities) so-called “current” vaccinations, which can mean many different things to different people.
Core Canine Vaccines
The closest thing that there is to a universal list of recommendations for canine vaccinations in North America is produced by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). The veterinary medical experts who have contributed to the AAHA’s recommendations agree that there are a handful of infectious diseases that pose a threat to all dogs and that all dogs should receive vaccinations for those diseases; these are commonly referred to as the “core” vaccines.
Core vaccines include:
Canine distemper virus (CDV, commonly referred to as distemper)
Canine parvovirus (CPV, parvo)
Canine adenovirus (CAV, better known as canine hepatitis)
Rabies
Among healthy dogs, the first three “core” vaccines are expected to induce a protective immune response lasting at least five years. However, much longer protection from these vaccines has been demonstrated in dogs in many studies – sometimes, even as long as the dogs’ lifetime.
Rabies is a slightly different case. Because the disease poses a significant risk to human beings, it’s the only vaccine that is required by law to be administered to dogs. Each state has its own legal requirements for rabies vaccination. Some require annual rabies vaccinations; the rest require the vaccination be given every two or three years (depending on the state). There is ample evidence that rabies vaccines confer protection from rabies for longer than three years, but given the public health risk to humans, there is considerable pushback from public health officials to the idea of extending the legal requirement for rabies vaccines.
Noncore Vaccines
There are also a number of vaccines for infectious diseases that can pose a risk to some dogs, depending on individual risk factors and geographic location. These are called the “noncore” vaccines, and they include:
Bordetella bronchiseptica (Bb, kennel cough)
Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease)
Canine coronavirus
Canine parainfluenza virus (CPiV, parainfluenza)
Leptospira spp. (leptospirosis)
Measles virus
Most of these vaccines are useful in certain circumstances, but the evidence falls short of proving that they are helpful to all dogs everywhere. Further, there is proof that some of the noncore vaccines can be harmful to certain dogs. For these reasons, the AAHA recommends that the administration of these vaccines should be decided on an individual basis by a veterinarian familiar with the puppy or dog and the local risks.
As just one example, Lyme disease is prevalent in some parts of the country, and quite rare in others, and it is transmitted by tick bites. Also, some dogs can suffer serious side effects from the vaccine. So if a dog lives in a part of the country where Lyme is not common, and/or if you have a dog who has very little exposure to environments where ticks are likely, the risks of vaccinating that dog for Lyme outweigh the potential benefit.
A Test of Protection
Let’s go back to the diseases that every dog should be protected from; these are the ones that are most likely to appear on the reminder postcards sent out by your veterinarian – and the ones that you will experience the most pressure (from your veterinarian’s staff) to repeat in order to keep “current.” Depending on your vet, “current” may be defined as annually, every three years, every five years, or longer. As little as 20 years ago, it was widely thought that annual vaccinations “couldn’t hurt, and might help,” and most veterinary practitioners recommended that their clients vaccinate every dog annually. But today, we understand that canine vaccines don’t “wear off” or “become due” in any standard amount of time. Also, it’s better understood today that randomly stimulating the immune system can have negative consequences that we don’t fully understand, so we should be more discriminating about vaccinations.
Let’s put a fine point on it: The core vaccines are an important and life-saving component of responsible dog care when administered properly – neither too frequently nor inadequately. Which brings us back to the original question: How do you know when your dog is protected – or unprotected – against the core diseases?
The best tool at our disposal today is something called a vaccine titer test, and in our opinion, every dog should be tested at least once, and again every three years or so.
When we vaccinate a dog, we administer disease antigens (in a weakened, modified, or killed form that can’t cause disease) in order to stimulate the dog’s immune system to produce antibodies, molecules that are produced to recognize and neutralize that specific antigen, should they ever cross paths. A vaccine titer test checks for and quantifies the amount of antibodies to specific diseases that a dog has circulating in his blood.
The technology exists to detect any specific antibody for which we may have vaccinated a dog; we can test whether a dog possesses circulating antibodies for any disease. But as it turns out, that’s not necessary.
There are two types of antibodies that are highly predictive of the competence of a dog’s overall immune response to vaccines: distemper and parvo. If a dog has been vaccinated against distemper and parvo, and develops antibodies to these diseases, the odds are very good that he has developed antibodies for any other core disease for which he has been vaccinated.
In other words, a positive vaccine titer test for parvo and distemper can put your mind at ease – and should put your veterinarian’s mind at ease – that your dog is adequately immunized against the core disease vaccinations he has received.
The AAHA – and vaccine-savvy veterinarians – recommend that puppies receive a vaccine titer test about two weeks after they have been given their final puppy core vaccinations (which should occur when the puppy is about 14 to 16 weeks old). Again, a positive result for both distemper and parvo antibodies indicates that the puppy is properly immunized. The AAHA’s recommendation is that adult dogs are tested about every three years, to ensure that they still possess circulating antibodies for the core diseases.
Negative Results
What about when vaccine titer tests come back negative for distemper and/or parvo antibodies? The significance of this result depends on a few factors, including the dog’s age and vaccination status, and the vaccine used.
If the test was for a puppy who recently completed a series of core vaccines, he should be revaccinated promptly, and then a titer test run again about three weeks later. The most likely explanation is that something called “maternally derived antibodies” (MDA,antibodies he received via colostrum from his mother) were still active in his bloodstream when the vaccines were given, and they neutralized the antigens present in the vaccines.
Maternal antibodies don’t last forever, however; they “fade” at an unpredictable rate. The maternal antibodies can fade quickly (or may be absent) if a pup’s mother was unvaccinated, or he received very little or no colostrum from his mother. If his mother had an unusually high antibody titer herself (the highest levels result from surviving an infection with the disease itself), her pups’ MDAs might take longer than usual to fade. This would render all of the puppy’s early vaccinations useless; only vaccinations given after the MDA faded would stimulate the puppy’s own antibody production.
However, if the puppy was undoubtedly more than 20 weeks old when he was vaccinated the final time, and his vaccine antibody titer test results (from a sample taken three weeks after the last vaccination) were still negative, it could indicate that he was a “non-responder” – a dog who could not be properly immunized.
It’s been estimated that 1 in 1,000 dogs are not able to respond to the canine parvovirus vaccine; those dogs will be at a lifetime risk of contracting the disease (though the risk if greater when they are puppies; adults are more likely to pull through with prompt and dedicated care). Far more rare are dogs who cannot respond properly to the distemper vaccine antigen; this is estimated to occur in about 1 in 10,000 dogs.
The third possibility for the dog’s failure to produce antibodies in response to vaccination: bad or improperly stored vaccine. In this case, a different vaccine should be used, and the dog re-tested a few weeks later. According to the AAHA guidelines, “If, after one or more attempts at revaccination with a product different than the one originally used, the dog fails to develop an antibody response” to distemper or parvo vaccines, the dog should be considered a nonresponder.
Canine vaccine experts agree that if a dog previously had a positive antibody titer for both distemper and parvo, and upon later titer testing is negative for one or both antibodies, he should be revaccinated with the core vaccines, and another titer test should be ordered about three weeks later.
There are people who disagree, however. The antibodies may no longer be in circulation, but if they had been present earlier in the dog’s life, the dog should have immune memory cells – that we can’t detect with lab tests – which should, if a dog is exposed to the disease antigen, recognize the antigen and re-start production of the appropriate antibodies.
It’s a valid theory . . . but the most-respected small-animal vaccine expert in the country, Ronald D. Schultz, PhD, of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, disavows the wisdom of the practice. Dr. Schultz has studied animal vaccines for decades, and as a consultant and researcher, has helped develop many of the ones on the market. “You have to consider a dog who has no detectable antibodies against disease to be unprotected for that disease,” he says firmly. “I would revaccinate the dog. The risks of contracting the disease are far greater than the risk posed by vaccines – particularly in a very infrequently vaccinated animal.”
Titer Caveats
I can tell you from personal experience that it can be difficult to be the first in your veterinarian’s practice to ask for a vaccine titer test in lieu of automatic revaccinating. The staff may not understand which test to order; a practice manager once told me it would cost $50 – $100 for a test of each vaccine in the combination shot the vet wanted to give my dog Otto. I actually helped them find and order the appropriate test from their laboratory catalog, but switched veterinarians shortly afterward.
During my second visit to the next veterinary clinic I tried, one of the practice owners spent 20 minutes arguing with me about the value of titer tests. “There is no way to know what titer numbers are protective,” she stated, and added that “even dogs with positive titers can contract disease.”
Those statements are both technically true – but it’s very, very rare for a dog who has any circulating antibodies to a disease to become infected with that disease upon exposure. Practitioners who make statements like this are unlikely to add the corollary to this – that dogs who do not have detectable antibodies to a specific disease may be able to fend off a challenge (exposure) to that disease, again, thanks to as-yet immeasurable “cell-mediated immunity.”
I want a collaborative professional relationship with my dogs’ veterinarian. If we have very different opinions about something as basic as vaccination, the chances are we will butt heads over other treatments, too. I advise looking for a new doctor to work with if your vet is resistant to running a titer test in lieu of needless and potentially harmful overvaccination. In my experience, veterinarians who are either under 40 or interested in holistic medicine (or both) will readily and with professional curiosity order a titer test for your dog.
The veterinary medical laboratories that provide vaccine titer tests all offer a combined canine distemper/parvo vaccine titer test that is less than the cost of running two separate tests. The price you pay will vary, depending on which lab your vet uses and how much your vet charges for taking a blood sample for your dog and sending it to a lab; your veterinarian may also mark up the cost of the test.
The labs founded by veterinary vaccine experts Jean Dodds, DVM (Hemopet) and Ronald Schultz, PhD (CAVIDS Titer Testing Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin-Madison) charge a flat fee for the tests, but you still have to pay your veterinarian for taking and shipping the blood sample. The CAVIDS Titer Testing Laboratory has the lowest-cost test of $40; this price is partially underwritten by Maddie’s Fund, as the samples submitted become part of ongoing studies in vaccine research.
The large national labs charge different prices depending on the size of the local market and the volume of tests (all the lab tests, not just titers) ordered by your individual veterinarian.
Some vets now offer in-office vaccine titer tests, such as the Synbiotics TiterCHEK® CDV/CPV test. This can be run while you and your dog are in the clinic for an examination, making it possible for you to follow up on the spot with a vaccination if your dog has a negative result. Again, the price charged by your own veterinarian will vary for these tests.
I adopted my mixed-breed dog Otto from a local shelter in June 2008. He was estimated to be about 7 months old and had been turned into the shelter in early May, about six weeks before I adopted him. At the time I adopted him, he had been vaccinated five times already, with four combination vaccines and once for rabies.
Given his estimated age when I adopted him – at least 6 or 7 months old – I felt confident that no maternally derived antibody would interfere with any of those vaccines, and that Otto was more than adequately immunized. (In fact, it’s likely that he was overvaccinated, a practice that is typical in shelters.) Had he been younger, so that maternally derived antibodies could have nullified his vaccinations, I probably would have ordered a vaccine titer test at the time of adoption, to confirm his immunization status.
In May 2009, Otto was due for and received a (legally required) rabies vaccination. Standard practice calls for the use of a one-year vaccine when the dog is first vaccinated for rabies, and then vaccines that are approved for longer periods after that. In California, the longest period that a dog can legally go between rabies vaccinations is three years, so I asked for a three-year rabies vaccination at that time.
The veterinarian who saw Otto for that visit gently recommended another combination vaccine, but I demurred and this sufficed. However, the invoice I received for the visit indicated that Otto was “due” for a “DHLPP-C annual vaccine” and a “Bordetella annual vaccine” the following month – a year after his last combination vaccine. No one seemed very concerned about the vaccinations at this time, least of all me.
In April 2010, I made an appointment with the veterinarian who had seen Otto the previous spring; I needed to get a new prescription for heartworm preventatives for Otto. At this appointment, the vet (a gentleman who is probably in his late 60s or early 70s) pressed hard for Otto to receive another combination vaccine. We bantered a bit about vaccination schedules and overvaccination. I finally asked if he’d feel better if we had a titer test result that showed Otto still had circulating antibodies to parvovirus and distemper. He said he would, so I had him take a blood sample and send it off to IDEXX Laboratories. (Despite his age, this was probably a first for his clinic. The office manager first quoted me $500 for the titer test. When I insisted that was too much, she admitted that she was looking at a price book for the lab and wasn’t certain which of the tests she was supposed to order. I helped her locate the code for the correct test, which IDEXX called the “Vaccination Profile Canine (ELISA),” and paid $100 for the test.
I have ordered annual vaccine titer tests for Otto ever since, and every one has come back with strong positive results. He was vaccinated with another three-year rabies vaccine in 2012, and is next required by law in early 2015. I have no plans to vaccinate him for anything else unless one of his titers comes back negative.
In January of this year, my son adopted a puppy from the same shelter. Cole’s estimated age was 12 weeks. He had been vaccinated with a combination vaccine four times since he arrived at the shelter.
I brought him to see my veterinarian at the estimated age of 18 weeks for a titer test. The result came back positive for parvo, but negative for distemper! Oh no! Did we inadvertently adopt a non-responder, who would be at risk for distemper throughout his lifetime?
I had ordered the test from Dr. Shultz’s lab, and the results take a little longer than from the big commercial outfits, so it was two weeks before I took Cole back to the vet to discuss the results. We agreed we should revaccinate with a different product, and then run another titer test. During this consultation, the vet examined Cole thoroughly, and suddenly was struck by Cole’s teeth. “I don’t think he’s 20 weeks old,” she said. “I bet he’s more like 16 weeks today.” We surmised that “maternal interference” was to blame for his negative titer for distemper antibodies.
We revaccinated Cole and ran another titer two weeks later. This time, the results were a nice high positive. Whew! I can rest now, knowing he’s protected.
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