The October and November 2011 issues of Whole Dog Journal provided in-depth discussion of canine Addison’s and Cushing’s diseases. The following information should help clarify other questions that may arise about the diagnosis of canine adrenal disorders.
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The relationships between adrenal cortisol and sex steroid production is complicated. In chronic illnesses, the body’s adrenal glands can become exhausted or fatigued. The adrenal glands may then respond by increasing the output of cortisol, and the intermediate and sex steroids. However, while the role of increased adrenal sex hormones, such as 17-hydroxyprogesterone and androstenedione, in promoting atypical Cushing’s disease is established, the role of increased estrogens, such as estradiol, in promoting SARDS (sudden acquired retinal degeneration syndrome) is scientifically unproven.
Part of this problem arises because of the documented differences between these sex steroid pathways in people and dogs. For example, in people, DHEA (dehydroxyepiandrosterone) activity is an important adrenal component in assessing body function and plays a role in obesity; it is frequently used as a supplement. By contrast, the normal levels of DHEA in dogs have not been established, and the potential benefit of DHEA supplements is unclear and may even be harmful.
Similarly, in people, estrogen assays include total estrogen as well as estrogen components, like beta-estradiol and estrone. In dogs, by contrast, the biologically important and regulatory estrogen is beta-estradiol. When the total estrogen concentration is measured in dog serum, it not only measures beta-estradiol but also detects all the metabolic breakdown products of this hormone, thereby leading to an apparent elevation in the total estrogen concentration, when it may not be truly functionally elevated. Thus, measuring total estrogen activity in dogs will likely give misleading results and lead to erroneous conclusions.
Likewise, measuring basal or resting cortisol activity in animals is misleading, because the cortisol is released from the adrenal gland continuously in pulsatile fashion over a 24-hour period. A single cortisol measurement is meaningless, regardless if it’s low, normal, or high, and is the reason that only dynamic tests of adrenal function (ACTH stimulation, LDDS suppression, and tests for the adrenal steroid intermediate hormones) accurately determine adrenal function.
-Adrenal exhaustion (also called adrenal fatigue) occurs when the adrenal gland (which produces cortisol in response to stress) has been over-stimulated and cannot function properly. Adrenal exhaustion is typically a transient condition and can result in impaired activity of the master glands such as the thyroid gland. Once the reason for the adrenal exhaustion is resolved, thyroid function should return to normal. In the meantime, however, nutritional supplements that offer thyroid support may be indicated and can be beneficial.
-Many physicians and veterinarians resist prescribing thyroid treatment in cases of adrenal exhaustion, because they are not technically treating a thyroid disorder, they are treating a temporary adrenal malfunction syndrome. To that, we say that if the patient shows marked improvement with thyroid hormone replacement and/or nutritional thyroid support, then why withhold appropriate and beneficial therapy? The fact remains that you are treating a thyroid responsive disease – and the patient is getting better !
Reliable Diagnostic Tests of Adrenal Function Because of the complexity of the adrenal axis and its regulation by the body’s master glands, the importance of relying on assays performed only by an established commercial or university-based veterinary diagnostic reference laboratory is paramount. These diagnostic laboratories all participate in the national VLA Quality Assurance Program or the similar CAP Quality Assurance testing to document the accuracy of their laboratory procedures.
For comprehensive adrenal function testing, one of the most respected panels is obtained from the Clinical Endocrinology Service at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (the late Dr. Jack Oliver’s program): vet.utk.edu/diagnostic/endocrinology.
W. Jean Dodds, DVM Garden Grove, CA
I would like to bring readers’ attention to an excellent new book that dovetails nicely with my recent article (“Alpha, Schmalpha,” December 2011) about canine “dominance.”
Part Wild: One Woman’s Journey with a Creature Caught Between the Worlds of Dogs and Wolves is a compelling and scientifically accurate recounting of author Ceiridwen Terrill’s challenging experiences as the naïve owner of a wolf-hybrid.
An engaging and articulate writer, Terrill sends two strong messages: if you are thinking of getting a wolf-hybrid as a pet, or worse, breeding them – don’t. Just don’t. And, if you believe the dominance/alpha nonsense spouted by many breeders (of hybrids and otherwise), some dog trainers, and an occasional television celebrity, please open your mind and learn more about the real science of behavior.
Terrill, an associate professor of environmental journalism and science writing at Concordia University in Portland, Oregon, weaves her science skillfully and painlessly throughout the book. I couldn’t put it down; I’ve recommended it on my Facebook page and all my training lists. If I had read it before writing “Alpha, Schmalpha” for WDJ, Terrill and Part Wild would have rated a very prominent mention in the article. Read it yourself. Then share it with any and all of your dog-owning friends who still buy into the flawed, archaic and obsolete dominance theory garbage and see if they don’t become converts.
From a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective, any medical condition is a symptom of an underlying disharmony within the body. This imbalance can be viewed through the yin and yang model, the base of TCM theory. Both exist within the body at all times. Yin represents the concepts of cooling, fluids, quietness, and passive behavior. Yang represents the concepts of heat, inflammation, outward energy, and aggressive behavior. Healthy animals have a balance between the two; any imbalance is regarded as a disease.
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Panting can thus be regarded as an imbalance between the yin (the cooling aspect of the body) and the yang (the warming part). TCM attempts to balance the entire system and tailor treatments to individual patients based on constitution, physical findings, and tongue and pulse diagnosis.
Excessive panting might have a dozen or more different treatment plans depending on the primary cause encompassing a medical condition. For example, a dog with a very bright pink tongue but weak pulses is likely yin deficient. If the tongue is red and pulse surging, the dog is likely to be considered as having excess heat. Both conditions will likely be accompanied by excess panting, but would be treated differently with herbs, stimulation of certain acupuncture points, and food therapy.
I’m awakened by the exhalation of my Border Collie’s warm breath on my face: heh-heh-heh. I slowly open one eye and focus on the nose just inches from my own. I may be anthropomorphizing, but I suspect he’s grinning. There it is again – a breathy heh-heh-heh. Wait a minute! Is he just panting or is he laughing at me?
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Given the way dogs are designed, panting is a very normal bodily function. Dogs don’t have sweat glands throughout their body to expel heat like humans do. The only sweat glands they have are located on the pads of their paws. So what else can this canine body do to cool itself down? Pant.
Panting is the action of opening the mouth, sticking out the tongue, and rapidly, rhythmically breathing through the mouth. It’s a dog’s personal cooling system. This mode of quick breathing increases the air intake to the mucous membranes of the mouth and upper respiratory tract, causing evaporation, which in turn helps to reduce body temperature and cool the dog.
When resting, dogs take between 10 and 34 breaths a minute, depending on their size. Panting increases when the environment is warm and during and after exercise. Familiarize yourself with your dog’s everyday breathing and panting style so you’ll be aware of any changes in the pattern. There are times when this change can be cause for concern or require emergency care. Some of the reasons or situations when a dog’s panting may indicate he’s in trouble include:
It’s Too Hot! Heatstroke can occur in any environment, but is more likely to happen during warm or hot weather, when your dog is becoming over extended during exercise, or if left in a closed car where temperatures can quickly become deadly. Heatstroke (hyperthermia) symptoms include excessive panting, deep red tongue and gums, glassy eyes, weakness, fast heart rate, drooling, seizures, nausea and/or vomiting, diarrhea, and a body temperature over 104˚ F. This is a medical emergency; a quick response can save his life.
Pugs and Bulldogs and Pekingese, oh my! Brachycephalic breeds in particular are more prone to heatstroke and excessive panting due to their facial structure (and they may snore loudly!). This facial structure, comprised of a compressed upper jaw and a short muzzle with abnormally small nasal passages, a distorted larynx and narrow windpipe, makes it difficult for a brachycephalic dog to inhale sufficient amounts of air through his nose; he must often resort to open-mouth breathing.
Dogs with this type anatomy may tend to avoid strenuous exercise and can become short of breath following any mild exertion, excitement, or stress. They tend to be less tolerant of heat as they often can’t pant enough to regulate their body temperature and thus can require extra careful monitoring when exercising or in warm/hot environments.
Hide Pain I Will As we know, dogs are Jedi masters at hiding pain. But panting can give them away. Be aware that panting is usually only one of a number of symptoms of pain; look for other signs such as restlessness, enlarged pupils, anxiety, reluctance to lie down, and licking or biting at a particular site.
Panting can also be a symptom of many diseases and chronic illnesses. The key is to note whether there is a change in your dog’s panting behavior and, if needed, take your dog to your veterinarian for diagnosis. Panting as a symptom is pervasive throughout a number of conditions; listed below are some of the more frequently seen ailments that could have associated panting.
Heart of the Matter Cardiovascular problems such as cardiomyopathy, congestive heart failure, heart murmurs, heartworms, hypertension (high blood pressure, often a secondary issue caused by another disease), pulmonary thromboembolism (blockage of a vessel by material carried through the blood stream), and congenital heart abnormalities all list aberrant panting as a symptom. With these diseases, dogs can show some of the same symptoms that people do; so watch for these other symptoms, which include breathing difficulties, reduced exercise tolerance, lethargy, and coughing spells (sometimes worse at night).
As the Blood Flows Atypical panting can also be an indictor of hematological problems that reduce the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood. This includes such ailments as hypercapnia, a condition caused by excess carbon dioxide in the blood (which is often secondary to kidney disease, diarrhea, shock, or diabetes mellitus), as well as with anemia and carbon monoxide poisoning.
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It’s Hormonal Diseases of the endocrine system often result in heavy unnatural panting. For example, hyperadrenocorticism (Cushing’s Disease) occurs when the dog’s adrenal glands produce too much cortisol. Other symptoms of this disease can include excessive hunger and thirst, hair loss, and a pot-bellied appearance. The associated panting can occur for a number of reasons: an enlarged liver can put pressure on the diaphragm and thereby limit the ability of the lungs to fully expand; the excessive cortisol stimulates panting; pulmonary thromboembolism is a complication not infrequently seen with Cushing’s and it can cause breathing irregularities. Other endocrine abnormalities resulting in panting include pheochromocytoma, a tumor of the adrenal gland that causes too much adrenalin to be produced, and hypothyroidism (deficiency of thyroid hormone). Conversely, the treatment of hypothyroidism – thyroxine supplementation – can also cause panting if excessively medicated.
Respiratory Problems Panting is part of the respiratory system so it comes as no surprise that disorders in this system can lead to heavy breathing or panting. Your veterinarian may want to check for upper respiratory problems such as laryngeal paralysis or dysfunction, collapsing/collapsed trachea, nasal or throat growths, pneumonia, lung tumors, infections, or complications that can lead to blockage of the nasal passages.
Lower respiratory tract disorders may not allow for sufficient gas exchange at the level of the lung and result in panting in an attempt to increase the oxygen flow. There are many diseases of the chest cavity that may not allow the lungs to expand properly: pneumothorax (air in the chest), pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs), pleural effusion (fluid in the chest cavity), mediastinal masses (growths in the chest), and diaphragmatric hernias (displacement of the abdominal contents of the chest cavity), cancer, lung lobe torsion, emphysema, and asthma.
It’s In the Nerves The brain and neurological system are responsible for transmitting the necessary signals for bodily function, so any brain tumors or head trauma may affect the respiratory center.
Any conditions that cause dysfunction of the muscles of respiration may contribute to panting. These include myasthenia gravis (a neuromuscular disease caused by an inability of certain nerve receptors to function properly); nerve disorders associated with diabetes mellitus (in which the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin which is required for the body to efficiently process sugars, fats, and proteins); and laryngeal paralysis associated with hypothyroidism. Seizures and high body temperatures can stimulate the respiratory system and result in abnormal panting.
Dogs Have Feelings Too Many behavioral and emotional issues have physical manifestations. Take fear, for example: dogs afraid of thunderstorms usually pant heavily, often walking with a crouch seeking places to hide. Dogs can also have panic attacks; these acute episodes of intense anxiety are frequently accompanied by severe panting, shaking, and trembling with a rapid heart and respiratory rate and dilated pupils.
Panting is often associated with cognitive dysfunction, the mental deterioration that sometimes occurs as dogs age. You may find that in addition to panting, other symptoms may include problems with recognizing familiar places or people; spatial disorientation; confusion; issues with the sleep/wake cycle; inappropriate or excessive vocalization; non-productive repetitive behaviors such as circling, pacing, and licking; signs of apathy; irritability; and a reduction in social interaction. Panting is also found to accompany dysphoria (general mood of depression, restlessness, and anxiety).
Female Trouble Anecdotal accounts suggest that female dogs pant more than males, but with the following exceptions, there isn’t good evidence for this. Of course, during pregnancy, female dogs may pant more than usual as the uterus enlarges, and her blood volume and metabolic demands increase. Females will also pant while giving birth and may continue to do so for a few weeks after due to the contractions of the uterus that stimulate lactation (milk production). Panting can be associated with eclampsia, commonly known as milk fever, a low blood calcium level that can develop in the weeks after giving birth (usually due to an underactive thyroid gland).
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It’s the Drugs, Man Certain medications can produce panting as a side effect, including steroids such as prednisone, benzodiazepines (Diazepam/valium), opiods for pain management such as Fentanyl and Tramadol, and excess thyroxine supplementation (thyroid medication).
Miscellaneous Causes At risk of sounding like even the kitchen sink can cause panting, we’ll lump the rest of the causes together. Obesity can lend itself to panting, as overweight dogs may have a tendency to overheat or the extra weight may put pressure on internal organs. Dogs may pant in order to get sufficient oxygen into their systems at high altitude. Allergies, irritation, and infection can all lead to increased panting and related wheezy noisy breathing. A body temperature of over 102.5˚ F. in dogs is usually considered to be a fever (normal being 100.5 to 102.5˚ F.); fever is an indication of infection and the raised internal body temperature can cause panting.
Cause for immediate concern is the consumption of toxic substances which can trigger heavy panting; be aware of what your dog may have ingested so that veterinary treatment can be sought if necessary. Advanced age is a factor; older dogs seem to pant more than younger dogs.
Bringing it all Back Home Why does your dog pant? Be aware of the transient emotional triggers such as fear, stress, excitement, and anxiety. But if you are familiar with your dog’s exhalation style, and you notice a sudden or extreme change in the intensity and frequency of his panting, the panting is constant and intense, the tongue or/or gums appear blue or white, or you think your dog is in pain, see your veterinarian immediately.
Heh-Heh-Heh . . . No, It Isn’t All Anthropomorphism Sometimes dogs just pant. It could be idiopathic. Or maybe they are laughing.
Research done by Patricia Simonet at Sierra Nevada College looked at the vocalizations that dogs produce interacting socially. These breathy exhalation bursts, described as huh-huh-huh sounds, were recorded and examined using spectrograph analysis.
Simonet found that these specific panting sounds have a broader range of frequencies than the regular pant. Her playback experiments in 2005 found that recordings of these vocalizations, deemed dog laughter, would reduce stress related behavior in shelter dogs, such as barking, lunging, cage-biting, tail chasing, and cowering; it also appeared to have a calming effect with an increase in pro-social behaviors.
Like many of us who want to communicate better with our dogs, Simonet tried imitating the sound herself and found it to have a positive effect on dogs hearing it. If you want to try to imitate the sound, try a breathy exhalation with no actual voicing. Try different approaches to see if your dog will respond.
I’m pretty sure my Border Collie was laughing at me while I slept. It was a breathy exhalation, a quick burst of panting. While your dogs may not laugh with you, they may laugh at you. Either way, laughter can induce and is a sign of joy. So go laugh with your dog.
Author Barbara Dobbins is a dog trainer on hiatus. Her previous article in WDJ was “Chemo Can Be Kind,” in the October issue.
People have been using vinegar for thousands of years, and while most of it goes into salads and condiments, vinegar can be used as a household cleanser, cosmetic aid, and health treatment. Many dog lovers add vinegar to their pets’ food or apply it topically to their best friend’s skin. Advocates call vinegar, especially unpasteurized organic apple cider vinegar, a wonder food. Is apple cider vinegar for dogs really a health-improving supplement, a natural preservative, a nontoxic cleaning product, a disinfectant, a source of important nutrients, and an effective topical treatment for canine ailments?
Stephen Nagy
Some of the claims made by vinegar proponents are supported by research while others are not. Here are some facts about apple cider vinegar (ACV) and other vinegars to help you decide whether and when to use it for yourself and your dog.
How is Apple Cider Vinegar Different From Other Vinegars?
Its name comes from the Latin words vinum (which means wine) and acer (which means sour). Vinegar can be made from any liquid that contains sugar, which includes everything from fruit juice to plain sugar water. Within a few days of being exposed to air, naturally occurring or added yeasts cause the sugar to ferment, turning it into alcohol. If not interrupted, fermentation continues in response to naturally occurring or added acetic acid bacteria until all of the alcohol becomes acetic acid. This is how wine, beer, and ale are used to create wine and malt vinegars. Some vinegar factories shorten the fermentation process to just two or three days by using modern bacterial cultures and special pumps, but traditional vinegars valued for their culinary use are still made the old-fashioned way.
However it’s made, vinegar has a distinctive fragrance and a low pH. On the pH scale, water is neutral at 7.0, tomato juice is acid at 4.1, distilled white vinegar is more acid at 2.4, and the pH of lemon juice is 2.2. Apple cider vinegar tends to be less acidic, with a pH between 4.25 and 5.
One of the earliest known vinegars was made 5,000 years ago in Babylon from fermented dates. In ancient Rome, fermented rye, figs, grapes, and dates were popular ingredients. Today’s vinegars are made from corn, barley, and other grains; grapes; apples; and other fruits.
According to the Vinegar Institute, an international trade association representing vinegar manufacturers and bottlers, worldwide vinegar sales are now approaching $225 million annually, with the fastest growth in organic vinegars. Nearly half of the vinegar sold in North America is balsamic, with red wine vinegar the next most popular at 13 percent and cider vinegar tied with rice wine vinegar at 8 percent each.
Only 1 percent of sales go to distilled white vinegar. However, distilled white (usually made from corn) and distilled apple cider are the most familiar supermarket vinegars. These inexpensive vinegars are filtered and pasteurized to make them sparkling clear. Better-quality wine, cider, or malt vinegars are often aged for years in wooden barrels to improve their flavor and left unfiltered and unpasteurized.
To vinegar connoisseurs, there’s a world of difference between distilled or rapidly produced vinegar and traditionally made vinegars that are brewed slowly in small batches and aged to perfection. Some gourmet vinegars cost over $200 per 100 milliliters (about 7 tablespoons).
Traditionally made organic apple cider vinegar is widely sold and far less expensive than gourmet balsamics, but it too is valued for its culinary uses. Some popular brands, such as Bragg, Spectrum, Eden Organics, Solana Gold Organics, and Dynamic Health, are made from organic apples that are crushed to make cider, then aged in wooden barrels.
Because it is raw and unfiltered, this vinegar is not clear like distilled vinegars. Instead, it contains a dark, cloudy substance that resembles dusty cobwebs. This substance, called the “mother” or “mother veil,” consists of naturally occurring pectin and apple residues whose protein molecules are connected in strand-like chains. As the Bragg website explains, “The presence of the mother shows that the best part of the apple has not been destroyed. Vinegars containing the mother contain enzymes that other vinegars may not contain due to over-processing, filtration, and overheating.”
Apple cider vinegar is usually light golden brown or orange in color. While the acidity of homemade cider vinegar varies, most manufacturers maintain a 5-percent acetic acid level, which is recommended for the safe pickling and preserving of low-acid foods.
Apple Cider Vinegar Helps Digestion and Blood Sugar
Vinegar has been used medicinally since ancient times. Roman soldiers valued vinegar and water as an antiseptic health drink. Hippocrates, the famous Greek physician, prescribed vinegar as medicine.
Advocates credit apple cider vinegar as a nutritional powerhouse, containing an array of vitamins, minerals, and bioflavonoids, but this is inaccurate. The USDA considers all of those nutrients as absent from ACV, with one exception: potassium. Raw cider vinegar contains about 11 mg potassium per tablespoon (the Daily Reference Value for potassium is 4,600 mg).
Stephen Nagy
One way in which vinegar promotes health is through its effect on digestion. By itself vinegar may not contain significant vitamins and minerals, but when combined with foods that do, it helps the body assimilate those nutrients. Acetic acid, like other acids, can increase the body’s absorption of calcium and other minerals. Some nutrition experts, including Donna Gates, author of the Body Ecology Diet, recommend sipping 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar in a glass of warm water while eating protein in order to stimulate the body’s production of hydrochloric acid for enhanced digestion.
Vinegar has important antiseptic properties that help prevent the growth of harmful bacteria and viruses in the digestive tract. As a bonus, it does not interfere with the body’s beneficial bacteria, which are the immune system’s first line of defense against harmful microbes.
In 2010, the Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism published a study showing that vinegar’s antiglycemic properties reduce blood sugar levels that rise after meals in healthy adults. These results agree with a 2006 Japanese study that showed that the consumption of vinegar with food prevented blood sugar level increases.
A 2005 study at Arizona State University tested patients with type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, or no symptoms of diabetes, as they consumed a breakfast containing 87 grams of carbohydrates just after drinking a glass of water containing either 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or a placebo. Apple cider vinegar water consumption slowed the rise of blood sugar in all three groups, up to 34 percent. Based on studies done with rats or in test tubes, the researchers speculate that vinegar interferes with the absorption of high-carbohydrate foods.
No one is suggesting that vinegar cures diabetes, but the studies mentioned above encourage researchers to further examine the effect of vinegar on blood sugar levels.
Fighting Germs with Apple Cider Vinegar
In 2007 the well-known food magazine Cook’s Illustrated compared four ways of cleaning produce to determine which is most effective for removing bacteria: washing with antibacterial soap; washing with a solution of 1 part vinegar and 3 parts water; scrubbing produce with a brush; and simply rinsing produce in clean water. The “dilute vinegar solution” worked best, removing 98 percent of bacteria.
In 2003 researchers at the University of Florida tested several disinfectants on strawberries contaminated with Salmonella, E. coli, and other germs. They found that gently swishing the strawberries for 2 minutes in a 10-percent vinegar solution (about 1/2 cup vinegar per quart of water) reduced bacteria by 90 percent and viruses by 95 percent.
Researchers at the University of Arkansas Food Safety Consortium studying methods for manufacturing natural or organic cured pork products found that mixtures of vinegar with lactate and vinegar with lemon powder inhibited bacterial pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes.
In a 2010 Danish experiment, chicken broiler meat was inoculated with Campylobacter jejuni and marinated with different food ingredients, including wine vinegar. Only the vinegar maintained its antibacterial activity during three days of storage, reducing the C. jejuni population.
Stephen Nagy
A Spanish study published in 2007 examined the antimicrobial activity of several products, including vinegar, against Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella enteritidis, E. coli 0157:h7, Shigella sonnei, and Yersinia spp. Vinegar showed the strongest antibacterial activity.
Vinegar isn’t the only inexpensive household product with disinfecting properties. Hydrogen peroxide (the 3 percent solution sold in supermarkets and pharmacies for wound healing) is another. In the 1990s, when the 0157:H7 strain of E. coli first sickened thousands around the world, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University food scientist Susan Sumner, PhD, discovered that spraying vinegar and hydrogen peroxide on raw meat, vegetables, cutting boards, and other kitchen surfaces disinfected them more effectively than chlorine bleach or any commercial kitchen cleaner. Applying one after the other (in either order) with a mist sprayer killed virtually all Salmonella, Shigella, and E. coli bacteria on heavily contaminated food and surfaces. The one-two punch was 10 times more effective than using either vinegar or hydrogen peroxide alone, and more effective than mixing the two substances together in one sprayer, which is not recommended.
On most foods and kitchen surfaces, no rinsing is necessary. Spraying the vinegar first, then the hydrogen peroxide, is an easy way to reduce or remove vinegar’s fragrance if necessary. (Note that vinegar’s acid can etch marble and natural stone, so it is not appropriate for all surfaces.)
How Apple Cider Vinegar Helps Dogs
Vinegar has long been used as a first-aid treatment. Many natural health experts prefer raw organic apple cider vinegar for topical applications, including muscle aches and bruises; sunburn, windburn, abrasions, insect bites, and stings; and hair care (controlling dandruff and improving condition and static control).
Nearly all of vinegar’s human uses can be applied to pets. Because puppies and some dogs have sensitive skin, test a small area by applying vinegar or a vinegar-based herbal tincture (liquid concentrate) recommended for topical use. Check the area every few hours for up to 24 hours. If redness or irritation develops, dilute the vinegar and try again or discontinue use. This type of patch test is not necessary when applying vinegar that will be washed or rinsed off within a few minutes.
Make Your Own Apple Cider Vinegar Insect Repellent
– Does vinegar kill fleas? No, but they sure don’t like it.Plain vinegar and herbal tinctures containing cider vinegar repel insects, including fleas and mosquitoes. Spray the neck, torso, tail, underbelly, and overall coat (avoid the eyes, nose, and mouth) and let dry.
-For a nontoxic flea dip, cover your dog or puppy with ACV (spray, sponge, or simply pour it on), working it into the skin and coat. Avoid the eyes, nose, and mouth. Let stand for several minutes before washing with gentle shampoo.
-Dab full-strength cider vinegar or a cider vinegar herbal tincture behind the ears, near the tail, and on the dog’s coat. Because herbal tinctures and cider vinegar can stain light or white coats, substitute distilled white vinegar for light-coated dogs.
Cleaning Pet Stains and Odors with ACV
-Mix 1 part distilled white vinegar with 3 parts water. Pour onto carpet or other stained areas and blot with fabric or paper towels. Do not rub.
-Refresh and deodorize pet bedding by spraying it with vinegar or by adding vinegar to laundry when washing bedding.
-Clean and disinfect pet toys by spraying lightly, then brushing or wiping clean.
-Vinegar is often recommended as a pet deodorizer. Apply diluted or full-strength vinegar to any stinky coat and let the dog air-dry.
If your dog rolled on well-rotted mammal parts or got sprayed by a skunk, mix 1 freshly opened quart of 3-percent hydrogen peroxide in a plastic container with 1/4 cup baking soda and 1 teaspoon liquid soap. Wearing protective gloves, cover the dog while avoiding the nose, eyes, and mouth, then rinse with plain water. If any fragrance lingers (as it did when my Labrador recently rolled on a decomposing carp), apply vinegar to complete the process.
Apple Cider Vinegar Skin and Coat Treatments
–After shampooing your dog, give him a final rinse with 1 cup vinegar diluted in 2 to 4 cups water. Experiment with different dilutions for best results.
-Reduce your dog’s dander by massaging full-strength cider vinegar into the coat before shampooing.
-Apply full-strength or diluted ACV to calluses, rough skin, sunburn, or skin irritations.
-Combine skin-friendly herbs like calendula blossoms, St. John’s wort blossoms, and/or comfrey leaves with ACV to improve its healing effects on cuts, wounds, abrasions, etc.
-Wendy Volhard, author of Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog, recommends spraying itchy skin and developing hot spots with apple cider vinegar. “Any skin eruption will dry up in 24 hours,” she says, “and will save you having to shave the dog. If the skin is already broken, dilute ACV with an equal amount of water and spray on.”
Apple Cider Vinegar for Itchy Feet or Ears
-Dogs with seasonal allergies can develop itchy feet in response to pollen exposure. Soaking the paws in full-strength or diluted ACV can help reduce the itching.
-Plain apple cider vinegar or a vinegar-based herbal tincture can help keep a dog’s ears clean and healthy. Place a few drops in each ear and gently massage, or apply with a cotton swab. For a more medicinal ear drop, make or buy a cider vinegar tincture containing ear-friendly herbs like garlic and mullein blossoms.
ACV for Muscle Sprains in Dogs
-Apply cider vinegar to sore muscles with a sponge or cotton. Do the same for bruises, abrasions, sore paw pads, and other discomforts. Reapply as needed.
Apple Cider Vinegar for Cleaning Raw Dog Food
If you feed a raw home-prepared diet and are concerned about harmful bacteria in your dog’s food or on kitchen surfaces, use the alternating vinegar-peroxide spray treatment described above.
“I always add raw apple cider vinegar to vegetables when I puree them for my dogs,” says veterinary technician Adele Delp of Helena, Montana. “Vinegar is a natural preservative and the vegetables last several days longer in the refrigerator, which is convenient.”
There are pros and cons to adding cider vinegar to a dog’s drinking water, with the recommended dose usually 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon per 50 pounds of body weight. “People often talk about adding ACV to water bowls,” says canine health researcher Mary Straus. “My feeling is that if so, you should also offer plain water, just in case your dogs don’t want to drink the apple cider vinegar water. You wouldn’t want to risk their drinking less water and possibly becoming dehydrated.”
Is a daily dose of apple cider vinegar good for your dog? Unless your dog is allergic to apples, he or she isn’t likely to suffer a serious reaction, and within a month you should be able to tell whether the addition is helping. Commonly reported benefits include improvements in skin and coat condition, a reduction of itching and scratching, the elimination of tear stains on the face, fewer brown or yellow urine spots in lawns, increased mobility in older dogs, reduced flea populations, and an improvement in overall health. A simple tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and honey a day could be enough to show marked improvements in the quality of your dog’s skin and fur.
Apple Cider Vinegar Tincture Recipes for Dogs
Rosemary Gladstar, a well-known herbalist, educator, author, and dog lover in East Barre, Vermont, values raw organic apple cider vinegar for its use in herbal tinctures. “These highly concentrated liquid extracts of herbs are easy to make, simple to administer, and convenient,” she explains. “Their prolonged shelf life makes them easy to keep on hand.”
Alcohol is the most widely used tincture solvent because it extracts fats, resins, waxes, most alkaloids, some volatile oils, and other plant components, which it preserves indefinitely. Vegetable glycerin, a sweet, syrupy liquid, dissolves mucilage, vitamins, and minerals but does not dissolve resinous or oily plant constituents. Apple cider vinegar extracts sugars, tannins, glycosides, bitter compounds, alkaloids, vitamins, and minerals.
“Cider vinegar is not as strong as alcohol and does not break down all of the plant components,” says Gladstar, “but there are advantages to using it. Vinegar is a food, 100 percent nontoxic, and tolerated by almost everyone. It helps regulate the acid/alkaline balance in our bodies and is an excellent tonic for the digestive tract. Vinegar tinctures are a fine alternative for those who are sensitive to alcohol and they can safely be used for children and pets. Add a little honey to your vinegar tonic for a nice flavor. Though vinegar tinctures may not be as concentrated as alcohol tinctures, I trust in the body’s ability to discern what it needs and to use it effectively.”
Although most herbal literature warns that vinegar tinctures have a shelf life of only six months before deteriorating, Gladstar disagrees. “My personal experience,” she says, “and that of many of my peers has been that vinegar tinctures will last, if stored in a cool, dark place, for several years. I have vinegar tinctures that are up to four years old and they are still in excellent condition.”
In her book, Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health, Gladstar describes the traditional or simpler’s method of tincture making, which she prefers. All you need are herbs, the appropriate menstruum (alcohol, vinegar, or glycerin base), and a jar with a tight-fitting lid. “This extremely simple system produces a beautiful tincture every time,” she says.
1. Chop herbs finely. Fresh herbs work best but high-quality dried herbs are next best. Place them in a clean, dry jar. If using dried herbs, fill the jar only half way to allow for expansion.
2. Heat raw organic ACV to a warm (not hot) temperature. Pour in enough to completely cover the herbs with a margin of 2 or 3 inches. Seal the lid.
3. Leave the jar in a warm spot and let the herbs soak for 4 to 6 weeks – the longer, the better. Shake the bottle daily.
4. Strain the liquid through a stainless steel strainer lined with cheesecloth or muslin. Place in dark cobalt or amber glass bottles, label, and store away from heat and light.
Herbs such as burdock, chamomile, dandelion, echinacea, ginger, mullein, nettle, sage, slippery elm bark, valerian, and yellow dock added to food can help dogs improve their overall health, enhance digestion, and deal more comfortably with stress.
Gladstar recommends a garlic/dandelion vinegar tincture as a general tonic and to help dogs repel parasites. Use fresh or dried dandelion leaves, roots, and blossoms with an approximately equal amount of garlic. (If using dried dandelion, leave ample room for expansion.)
Add this tincture in small amounts to your dog’s food, gradually increasing to approximately 1/4 teaspoon per 20 pounds of body weight per day. The dandelion is a tonic for the entire body (it helps improve digestion, cleanses the blood, and supports kidney function), while garlic repels internal and external parasites and acts as a digestive and circulatory tonic. If desired, make a double-strength tincture by straining the completed tincture into a new jar of freshly chopped garlic and dandelion, repeating the process. Reduce the dosage accordingly.
An effective liniment warms and relaxes joints and muscles, increases circulation to the area, relieves inflammation, improves flexibility, and speeds healing. Traditional recipes combine skin-warming ingredients and therapeutic herbs with cider vinegar. For example, combine 1 pint (2 cups) apple cider vinegar with 1 teaspoon powdered cayenne pepper, 4 tablespoons dried (or 1/4 cup fresh) rosemary, and 2 tablespoons dried (or 1/8 cup fresh) comfrey leaf or root that has been cut or broken into small pieces. Massage into tight muscles, bruises, or sore joints, or simply soak a cloth or bandage in the liniment and hold it on the affected area for as long as possible. Keep this liniment away from the eyes and mucous membranes.
Gladstar’s favorite cider vinegar tincture is an herbal cosmetic, Queen of Hungary’s Water. “Legend has it that the early Roma people of eastern Europe formulated it and claimed it to be a cure-all,” she says. “It is an excellent astringent for the face and a great rinse for dark hair. It combines gentle, common herbs in a masterful way, it’s easy and inexpensive to make, and it’s very versatile. The Roma claimed it was good as a hair rinse, mouthwash, headache remedy, aftershave, foot bath, and who knows what else!”
To make it, combine 6 parts lemon balm, 4 parts chamomile, 1 part rosemary, 3 parts calendula, 4 parts roses, 1 part lemon peel, 1 part sage, and 3 parts comfrey leaf. After aging and straining, add 1/2 to 1 cup rose water or witch hazel to each cup of herbal vinegar. Store in dropper or spray bottles. This product does not need refrigeration and will stay fresh indefinitely. (Because it stains, this blend is not recommended for light or white hair.)
Using Vinegar for Cleaning
As Patricia Bragg says, “We don’t endorse white vinegar or dead vinegars for human or pet use, internally or externally! But it’s great for a variety of household, workshop, and pet cleanup chores. White vinegar is a safe, effective, and inexpensive household cleaner, deodorizer, and disinfectant, which replaces commercial household cleaners that are full of chemicals and additives that are harmful to Mother Nature and you. Remember: use only the healthiest vinegar, like Bragg raw organic ACV (with ‘mother enzyme’) for all human consumption and for use on skin, hair, and your pets.”
Because dogs contact household surfaces directly and indirectly, chemical exposure is always a consideration. Distilled white vinegar is so versatile that some reports list more than 400 household applications. Get just a few of them here!
Freelance writer CJ Puotinen lives in Montana. She is the author of The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care and other books.
The scientific principles of operant conditioning, developed by behavioral scientist B.F. Skinner in the 1950s, apply to all creatures with a central nervous system. While the terminology initially can be confusing, if you remember the following definitions it’s really quite simple: Positive: Means something is added. Negative: Means something is taken away. Reinforcement: Behavior is likely to increase or strengthen. Punishment: Behavior is likely to decrease or extinguish.
POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT
The dog’s behavior makes something good happen. “Positive,” in behavioral terms, means something is added. “Reinforcement” means the behavior increases. When your dog sits, you feed him a treat. His behavior (sitting) made something good happen, something was added (the treat). As a result, your dog is more likely to offer to sit again, so the behavior increases. Positive trainers use positive reinforcement a lot. Example: The dog sits, he gets a treat; dog is more likely to sit again, perhaps faster.
POSITIVE PUNISHMENT
The dog’s behavior makes something bad happen. (Positive means something is added, punishment means the behavior decreases.) Example: When your dog jumps on you you knee him hard in the chest. He gets off. His behavior (jumping up) made something bad happen; something was added (your knee in his chest). As a result, your dog is more likely to think twice before jumping on you again. “Positive trainers” do not use positive punishment very much, if at all.
NEGATIVE PUNISHMENT
The dog’s behavior makes something good go away. (Negative = something is taken away; punishment = the behavior decreases.) When your dog jumps up, you turn your back and step away. His behavior (jumping) made something good (your attention) go away. Positive trainers use negative punishment as a mild negative consequence for unwanted behavior.
NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT
The dog’s behavior makes something bad go away. (Negative means something is taken away; reinforcement increases the behavior.) Example: A trainer wants a dog who is lying down to sit. He pulls the dog’s leash upward, tightening the collar. When the dog sits up, the trainer slacks the leash. The dog’s behavior (sitting) makes the bad thing (the tightened collar) go away. Positive trainers may use a limited amount of negative reinforcement in the form of mild physical pressure, or sub-threshold presentation of an aversive stimulus (CAT).
There is a growing body of information available to anyone who wants to learn more about why dominance theory is so outdated and incorrect. Here are 10 resources to get you started:
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1)The American Society of Veterinary Animal Behaviorists Position Statement on Dominance: “The AVSAB recommends that veterinarians not refer clients to trainers or behavior consultants who coach and advocate dominance hierarchy theory, and the subsequent confrontational training that follows from it. (tinyurl.com/avsabdominance )
2)The Association of Pet Dog Trainers Position Statement on Dominance: “The APDT’s position is that physical or psychological intimidation hinders effective training and damages the relationship between humans and dogs. Dogs thrive in an environment that provides them with clear structure and communication regarding appropriate behaviors, and one in which their need for mental and physical stimulation is addressed. The APDT advocates training dogs with an emphasis on rewarding desired behaviors and discouraging undesirable behaviors using clear and consistent instructions and avoiding psychological and physical intimidation. Techniques that create a confrontational relationship between dogs and humans are outdated.” (apdt.com/about/ps/dominance.aspx)
3)Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist Kathy Sdao: “. . . Even if dogs did form linear packs, there’s no evidence to suggest that they perceive humans as part of their species-specific ranking. In general, humans lack the capability to even recognize, let alone replicate, the elegant subtleties of canine body language. So it’s hard to imagine that dogs could perceive us as pack members at all.” (tinyurl.com/kathysdaodominance)
4) Dr. Patricia McConnell, PhD, ethologist: “People who argue that ethology supports ‘getting dominance over your dog’ are not only focused on an issue more relevant 50 years ago than today, they are misrepresenting the findings of early researchers on social hierarchy. Social hierarchies are complicated things that allow animals to live together and resolve conflicts without having to use force every time a conflict comes up.” (4pawsu.com/pmdominance.htm)
5) Dr. Meghan Herron, DVM: “Our study demonstrated that many confrontational training methods, whether staring down dogs, striking them, or intimidating them with physical manipulation such as alpha rolls [holding dogs on their back], do little to correct improper behavior and can elicit aggressive responses.” (tinyurl.com/meghanherrondominance)
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6) Low Stress Handling, Restraint, and Behavior Modification of Dogs and Cats, by Dr. Sophia Yin, DVM: “. . . dogs jumping on people are not vying for higher rank; they are simply jumping because they want attention and they often get it by doing so. When dogs jump on counters to steal food . . . despite having been punished previously when you are present, they are using an alternate strategy for obtaining food and getting the chance to investigate . . . These unruly behaviors occur not because the animals are vying for rank but because the behaviors have been rewarded in the past.”
7) Study – University of Bristol: “Far from being helpful, the academics say, training approaches aimed at ‘dominance reduction’ vary from being worthless in treatment to being actually dangerous and likely to make behaviours worse.” (tinyurl.com/univbristoldominance)
8) The Culture Clash, by Jean Donaldson (1996, 2005, James and Kenneth Publishing): “The dominance panacea is so out of proportion that entire schools of training are based on the premise that if you can just exert adequate dominance over the dog, everything else will fall into place. Not only does it mean that incredible amounts of abuse are going to be perpetrated against any given dog, probably exacerbating problems like unreliable recalls and biting, but the real issues, like well-executed conditioning and the provision of an adequate environment, are going to go unaddressed, resulting in a still-untrained dog, perpetuating the pointless dominance program.”
9) Dominance in Dogs: Fact or Fiction, by Barry Eaton (2011, Dogwise Publishing): “…The alpha wolf is not the dictator of a pack, but a benevolent leader, and domestic dogs are not dictatorial and are unlikely to try to raise their status to rule over other dogs in a pack environment.”
“I believe it’s time to open our minds and consider the concept of pack rules as a thing of the past and recognize that dogs are not constantly trying to dominate their owners.”
10)Dominance Theory and Dogs, by James O’Heare (2008, 2nd edition, Dogwise Publishing): “…while the notion of social dominance holds potential for value in a social psychology and ethology context, it is an insidious idea with regards to explaining and changing behavior between companion dogs or dogs and people… it should be abandoned completely in that context in favor of a more efficient, effective and scientifically defensible behavioral approach.”
From an interview: “The most significant problem with viewing dog-human relationships in the context of social dominance is that it implies and promotes an adversarial relationship between the two. It sets up a win-lose scenario, that actually ends up in a lose-lose scenario (as most win-lose scenarios do). It is incompatible with cooperation by its very nature, cooperation being something you need to promote an effective bond and training environment.”
The alpha myth is everywhere. Google “alpha dog” on the Internet and you get more than 85 million hits. Really. While not all the sites are about dominating your dog, there are literally millions of resources out there – websites, books, blogs, television shows, veterinarians, trainers and behavior professionals – instructing you to use force and intimidation to overpower your dog into submission. They say that you, the human, must be the alpha. They’re all wrong. Every single one of them.
The erroneous approach to canine social behavior known as dominance theory (two million-plus Google hits) is based on a study of captive zoo wolves conducted in the 1930s and 1940s by Swiss animal behaviorist Rudolph Schenkel, in which the scientist concluded that wolves in a pack fight to gain dominance, and the winner is the alpha wolf.
The Origin’s of the “Alpha” Dog Theory
Schenkel’s observations of captive wolf behavior were erroneously extrapolated to wild wolf behavior, and then to domestic dogs. It was postulated that wolves were in constant competition for higher rank in the hierarchy, and only the aggressive actions of the alpha male and female held the contenders in check. Other behaviorists following Schenkel’s lead also studied captive wolves and confirmed his findings: groups of unrelated wolves brought together in artificial captive environments do, indeed, engage in often-violent and bloody social struggles.
The problem is, that’s not normal wolf behavior. As David Mech stated in the introduction to his study of wild wolves (Mech, 2000), “Attempting to apply information about the behavior of assemblages of unrelated captive wolves to the familial structure of natural packs has resulted in considerable confusion. Such an approach is analogous to trying to draw inferences about human family dynamics by studying humans in refugee camps. The concept of the alpha wolf as a ‘top dog’ ruling a group of similar-aged compatriots (Schenkel 1947; Rabb et al. 1967; Fox 1971a; Zimen 1975, 1982; Lockwood 1979; van Hooff et al. 1987) is particularly misleading.”
What we know now, thanks to Mech and others, is that in the wild, a wolf pack is a family, consisting of a mated pair and their offspring of the past one to three years. Occasionally two or three families may group together. As the offspring mature they disperse from the pack; the only long-term members of the group are the breeding pair. By contrast, in captivity unrelated wolves are forced to live together for many years, creating tension between mature adults that doesn’t happen in a natural, wild pack.
Dominance-Based Training is Disrespectful to Your Dog
But that’s all about wolves anyway, not dogs. How did it happen that dog owners and trainers started thinking all that information (and misinformation) about wolf behavior had anything to do with dogs and dog behavior? The logic went something like, “Dogs are descended from wolves. Wolves live in hierarchical packs in which the aggressive alpha male rules over everyone else. Therefore, humans need to dominate their pet dogs to get them to behave.”
Perhaps the most popular advocate of the alpha dog theory, Cesar Millan, is only the latest in a long line of dominance-based trainers who advocate forceful techniques such as the alpha roll. Much of this style of training has roots in the military – which explains the emphasis on punishment.
As far back as 1906, Colonel Konrad Most was using heavy-handed techniques to train dogs in the German army, then police and service dogs. He was joined by William Koehler after the end of World War II.
Koehler also initially trained dogs for the military prior to his civilian dog-training career, and his writings advocated techniques that included hanging and helicoptering a dog into submission (into unconsciousness, if necessary). For example, to stop a dog from digging, Koehler suggested filling the hole with water and submerging the dog’s head in the water-filed hole until he was nearly drowned.
Fast-forward several years to 1978 and the emergence of the Monks of New Skete as the new model for dog training, asserting a philosophy that “understanding is the key to communication, compassion, and communion” with your dog. Sounds great, yes? The Monks were considered cutting edge at the time – but contrary to their benevolent image, they were in fact responsible for the widespread popularization of the “Alpha-Wolf Roll-Over” (now shortened to the alpha roll). Reviewing the early observations of captive wolves, the Monks concluded that the alpha roll is a useful tool for demonstrating one’s authority over a dog. Unfortunately, this is a complete and utter misinterpretation of the submissive roll-over that is voluntarily offered by less assertive dogs, not forcibly commanded by stronger ones.
The Monks also advocated the frequent use of other physical punishments such as the scruff shake (grab both sides of the dog’s face and shake, lifting the dog off the ground) and cuffing under the dog’s chin with an open hand several times, hard enough to cause the dog to yelp.
While professing that “training dogs is about building a relationship that is based on respect and love and understanding,” even their most recent book, Divine Canine: The Monks’ Way to a Happy, Obedient Dog (2007), is still heavy on outdated, erroneous dominance theory. Immediately following their suggestion that “a kindly, gentle look tells the dog she is loved and accepted,” they say “But it is just as vital to communicate a stern reaction to bad behavior. A piercing, sustained stare into a dog’s eyes tells her who’s in charge; it establishes the proper hierarchy of dominance between person and pet.” (It’s also a great way to unwittingly elicit a strong aggressive response if you choose the wrong dog as the subject for your piercing, sustained stare.)
Despite the strong emergence of positive reinforcement-based training in the last 20 years, the Monks don’t seem to have grasped that the “respect” part needs to go both ways for a truly compassionate communion with your dog. Perhaps one of these days . . .
The Birth of Positive-Reinforcement Training
Just when it seemed that dog training had completely stagnated in turn-of-the-century military-style dominance-theory training, marine mammal trainer Karen Pryor wrote her seminal book, Don’t Shoot the Dog. Published in 1985, this small, unassuming volume was intended as a self-help book for human behavior. The author never dreamed that her modest book, paired with a small plastic box that made a clicking sound, would launch a massive paradigm shift in the world of dog training and behavior. But it did.
Forward progress was slow until 1993, when veterinary behaviorist Dr. Ian Dunbar founded the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. Dunbar’s vision of a forum for trainer education and networking has developed into an organization that now boasts nearly 6,000 members worldwide. While membership in the APDT is not restricted to positive reinforcement-based trainers, included in its guiding principles is this statement:
“We promote the use of reward-based training methods, thereby minimizing the use of aversive techniques.”
The establishment of this forum facilitated the rapid spread of information in the dog training world, enhanced by the creation of an online discussion list where members could compare notes and offer support for a scientific and dog-friendly approach to training.
Things were starting to look quite rosy for our dogs. The positive market literally mushroomed with books and videos from dozens of quality training and behavior professionals, including Jean Donaldson, Dr. Patricia McConnell, Dr. Karen Overall, Suzanne Hetts, and others. With advances in positive training and an increasingly educated dog training profession embracing the science of behavior and learning and passing good information on to their clients, pain-causing, abusive methods such as the alpha roll, scruff shake, hanging, drowning, and cuffing appeared to be headed the way of the passenger pigeon.
A Step-Backward for Positive-Reinforcement Training Techniques
Then, in the fall of 2004, the National Geographic Channel launched its soon-to-be wildly popular show, “The Dog Whisperer”. Alpha dog theory was back in vogue, with a vengeance. Today, everything from housetraining mistakes to jumping up to counter surfing to all forms of aggression is likely to be attributed to alpha dog theory by followers of the alpha-resurgence.
“But,” some will argue, “look at all the dogs who have been successfully trained throughout the past century using the dominance model. Those trainers can’t be all wrong.”
In fact, harsh force-based methods (in technical parlance, “positive punishment”) are a piece of operant conditioning, and as the decades have proven, those methods can work. They are especially good at shutting down behaviors – convincing a dog that it’s not safe to do anything unless instructed to do something. And yes, that works with some dogs. With others, not so much.
My own personal, unscientific theory is that dog personalities lie on a continuum from very soft to very tough. Harsh, old-fashioned dominance-theory methods can effectively suppress behaviors without obvious fallout (although there is always behavioral fallout) with dogs nearest the center of the personality continuum – those who are resilient enough to withstand the punishment, but not so tough and assertive that they fight back. Under dominance theory, when a dog fights back, you must fight back harder until he submits, in order to assert yourself as the pack leader, or alpha.
Problem is, sometimes they don’t submit, and the level of violence escalates. Or they submit for the moment, but may erupt aggressively again the next time a human does something violent and inappropriate to them. Under dominance-theory training, those dogs are often deemed incorrigible, not suitable for the work they’re being trained for nor safe as a family companion, and sentenced to death. Had they never been treated inappropriately, many might have been perfectly fine.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, a very “soft” dog can be easily psychologically damaged by one enthusiastic inappropriate assertion of rank by a heavy-handed dominance trainer. This dog quickly shuts down – fearful and mistrusting of the humans in his world who are unpredictably and unfairly violent.
Most crossover trainers (those who used to train with old-fashioned methods and now are proud to promote positive reinforcement-based training) will tell you they successfully trained lots of dogs the old way. They loved their dogs and their dogs loved them.
I’m a crossover trainer and I know that’s true. I also would dearly love to be able to go back and redo all of that training, to be able to have an even better relationship with those dogs, to give them a less stressful life – one filled with even more joy than the one we shared together.
We Aren’t Dogs, and Our Dogs Know It
Finally, the very presumption that our dogs would even consider we humans to be members of their canine pack is simply ludicrous. They know how impossibly inept we are, for the most part, at reading and understanding the subtleties of canine body language. We are equally inept, if not even more so, at trying to mimic those subtleties. Any attempts on our part to somehow insert ourselves into their social structure and communicate meaningfully with them in this manner are simply doomed to failure. It’s about time we gave up trying to be dogs in a dog pack and accepted that we are humans co-existing with another species – and that we’re most successful doing so when we co-exist peacefully.
The fact is, successful social groups work because of voluntary deference, not because of aggressively enforced dominance. The whole point of social body language rituals is to avoid conflict and confrontation, not to cause it. Watch any group of dogs interacting. Time and time again you’ll see dogs deferring to each other. It’s not even always the same dog deferring:
Dog B: Hey, I’d really like to go first. Dog A: “By all means, be my guest.” Dog B passes down the narrow hallway.
Dog A: “I’d really like to have that bone.” Dog B: “Oh sure – I didn’t feel like chewing right now anyway.” Dog A gets the bone.
Social hierarchies do exist in groups of domesticated dogs and in many other species, including humans, and hierarchy can be fluid. As described above, one dog may be more assertive in one encounter, and more deferent in the next, depending on what’s at stake, and how strongly each dog feels about the outcome. There are a myriad of subtleties about how those hierarchies work, and how the members of a social group communicate – in any species.
Today, educated trainers are aware that canine-human interactions are not driven by social rank, but rather by reinforcement. Behaviors that are reinforced repeat and strengthen. If your dog repeats an inappropriate behavior such as counter surfing or getting on the sofa, it’s not because he’s trying to take over the world; it’s just because he’s been reinforced by finding food on the counter, or by being comfortable on the sofa. He’s a scavenger and an opportunist, and the goods are there for the taking. Figure out how to prevent him from being reinforced for the behaviors you don’t want, and reinforce him liberally for the ones you do, and you’re well on your way to having the relationship of mutual love, respect, communication, and communion that we all want to have with our dogs.
Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, is WDJ’s Training Editor. Author of numerous books on positive dog training, she lives in Fairplay, Maryland, site of her Peaceable Paws training center, where she offers dog training classes and courses for trainers.
Thank you so much for the recent article published about Addison’s disease in dogs (“The Great Pretender,” October 2011). The day I read it my dog Hayleigh was showing almost every symptom, some she’s had on and off for years. The final clue was the frequent urination, which had started the day before.
Because I read the article prior to taking her to the vet I knew to ask for the ACTH test in addition to the urine sample, which came back positive for primary Addison’s. It would have otherwise taken weeks for us to figure out she didn’t have a simple UTI and she would have been feeling so sick and possibly suffered through an Addisonian crisis while we tried to fix the wrong thing.
I am a better-informed pet owner and I can’t thank you enough for teaching me about this hard-to-diagnose condition. Hayleigh has started her new medications and the results have been great. -Sarah McCorkle, via email
We love hearing this. Thanks for writing.
Thanks for the article about adding “real” foods to a dog’s commercial diet (“Diet Upgrade,” May 2011.) My dog had struvite bladder stones due to a bad bladder infection, and rather than feeding those prescription foods which are awful (she wouldn’t even eat them), I started out with all home cooked foods.
Now I am feeding a small amount of grain-free kibble with the homemade foods: cooked meats (chicken, lean ground beef, or ground turkey), sweet potatoes, pumpkin, or regular potato, and high quality canned dog food, chicken broth and water. I added the kibble because the stools were so mushy. In the beginning I started out with rice and found that was causing problems with near diarrhea. The sweet potato or canned pumpkin took care of it. I also add digestive enzymes and fish oil from Only Natural Pet. All my other dogs get canned food and warm water mixed in with their kibble. I also add some vegetables sometimes. -Mary Fuller, via email
We’re glad that you have made the connection between your dog’s diet and her health! It’s gratifying to feed real food ingredients and observe the improvements in the dog’s condition. It’s even helpful when you discover things that your dog is intolerant of; when you feed a commercial food with dozens of ingredients, it’s hard to know part of the food (ingredient? manufacturing? storage?) is causing the problem.
However, when the “additives” to a commercial food exceed about 25 percent of the dog’s total diet over a long period of time, it’s very possible to unwittingly deprive the dog of some minor but essential nutrient that she’d otherwise get enough of from the commercial food. (Problems rarely result from feeding an incomplete or unbalanced diet for a few weeks or even months, but years of this type of feeding can result in deficiencies that lead to illness.) The most common – and most potentially harmful – diet formulation error that people make when they start tinkering with their dogs’ diets is failing to provide adequate calcium.
Now that you’ve gained the courage to depart a bit from the conventional commercial dog food path, we strongly recommend arming yourself with information about making your dog’s diet complete. Mary Straus, the author of the “Diet Upgrade” article that you referenced, reviewed a number of great books about home-prepared diets; any of the books recommended in “Read All About it,” in the March 2011 issue, would be a great place to start.
Glad to see a truly honest company (Lotus Pet Foods), but as you mentioned, (Lotus) “does not yet produce pet food for other domestic pet food companies” – similar to those companies (Wellness, California Natural, Innova, etc., etc.) that are packaged by Diamond Pets yet you continue to recommend.
Whoa up a sec. First, neither Wellness nor California Natural nor Innova are manufactured at any Diamond Pet Foods site. The actual sites where they are manufactured are listed in our wet food review(“You Can. You Should!” November 2011). In fact, none of the foods that are on our “approved” wet food list are manufactured by Diamond – because Diamond doesn’t have any wet food manufacturing facilities. Diamond’s wet foods, like the vast majority of the foods on our “approved” list, are manufactured by a “co-packer” (independent manufacturing facility).
In past years, Diamond Pet Foods has had some of its dry pet foods recalled – pet foods that were manufactured at its own dry pet food manufacturing facilities. Diamond also manufactures some dry pet food products for other companies at these facilities. But no educated consumer should blithely conclude that any food, wet or dry, that has any connection with Diamond is not to be trusted. That’s nuts. It’s also why pet food manufacturers have been reluctant (or have refused) to disclose their manufacturers – so they don’t get brushed with the same tar that gets casually splashed around online.
As a long time lover of your magazine, I’m hoping you could answer a question for me about the latest canned food review. I base my dog food selections on your magazine alone and I am disheartened to find that my favorite food, Halo’s Spot’s Stew, did not make the list. Why? -Carlisle Stockton, via email
We’ve discussed the case of Spot’s Stew in the past. The food meets all of our selection criteria save one: Halo doesn’t disclose its manufacturing sites. Given the industry’s experience with consumers like the previous letter writer, I understand why some companies (Newman’s Own is another) make this choice – but I also know how important this information can be to consumers who want to know as much as they can about a product they feed to their beloved companions.
Lately, it seems like new flea and tick control products have been popping up left and right. I suspect this is due to some of the original patents running out. When a patent expires, other companies can create generic versions of the same product, usually for less money. This inspires the original companies to create new products that they can patent anew. In some cases, new products are introduced because fleas and ticks may be developing resistance to the older products, lowering their efficacy. Most new products, including all those introduced this year, are just new combinations of older ingredients. Here’s a rundown on these new options.
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Bayer introduced Advantage II and K9 Advantix II in January 2011. The added ingredient in these new topical products is pyriproxyfen (Nylar), an insect growth regulator that inhibits the development of eggs and larvae, helping to break the flea life cycle. Other insect growth regulators used in flea control products include lufenuron (Program and Sentinel) and S-methoprene (see Certifect below). Pyriproxyfen was used in Bio Spot flea control products in the past, but was replaced with S-methoprene around 2007. These new products are also marketed under the name Advantage Plus and K9 Advantix Plus. Pyriproxyfen is also used on cats.
Other ingredients in Advantage products include imidacloprid, used to control fleas, and permethrin (K9 Advantix only), used to kill ticks. Permethrin is highly toxic to cats, and products containing permethrin are unsafe to use on dogs in households that include cats, particularly if the dog and cat share sleeping areas or the cat grooms the dog.
As with many flea and tick control ingredients, permethrin may also be more likely to cause problems for small dogs, according to the EPA’s Review of 2008 Incident Reports for Pet Spot-on Pesticides. Shih Tzu, Bichon Frise, Chihuahua, Yorkshire Terrier, Maltese, and Pomeranian are breeds that appear to be overrepresented in adverse incidents. Bayer also makes Advantage Multi, which combines imidacloprid with moxidectin for heartworm prevention.
Also in January, Elanco (a division of Eli Lilly) introduced Trifexis, a new oral product that combines spinosad (Comfortis), used to kill fleas, with milbemycin oxime (found in Interceptor and Sentinel), used to prevent heartworm infection and intestinal parasites. Comfortis is a newer flea-control product introduced in November 2007 that appears to be more effective than either Advantage or Frontline (likely due to fleas developing resistance to these older products), but it may also have more side effects, such as vomiting, particularly when the medication is first used. Spinosad should not be combined with the very high doses of ivermectin (Heartgard) or milbemycin oxime (Interceptor) used to treat demodectic mange, as it increases their neurological effects, but should be safe when used along with the normal heartworm preventive dosage found in this new product. Spinosad is not recommended for dogs with seizure disorders.
Unlike most flea and tick control products, Comfortis and Trifexis are administered orally rather than topically, via a pill that is given once a month. Neither product is recommended for dogs weighing less than 5 pounds. Comfortis is not recommended for puppies under the age of 14 weeks, and Trifexis warns that younger puppies may experience a higher rate of vomiting. These products are not approved for cats, but a similar product to Comfortis called Assurity, marketed for cats. Comfortis is also marketed under the name AcuGuard.
In July, Merial introduced Certifect, likely as a result of the patent on their Frontline products expiring. Certifect contains fipronil (the active ingredient in Frontline, used to kill fleas and ticks, and to help control sarcoptic mange) and S-methoprene (Precor, an insect growth regulator also found in Frontline Plus). Certifect adds amitraz, one of the most effective, but also more toxic, methods of tick control. Amitraz is also used in the Preventic tick collar, and in Mitaban, used to treat demodectic mange.
Amitraz should not be used on dogs with diabetes or heart problems, and older amitraz products warn against using them on puppies less than four months of age and very small dogs. Amitraz, a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI), can also be dangerous when combined with certain other drugs, including antidepressants (such as those used to treat separation anxiety), Anipryl (used for canine cognitive dysfunction and Cushing’s disease), and DL-Phenylalanine (DL PA), used to treat chronic pain in dogs. While Frontline and Frontline Plus are safe to use on cats, Certifect is not, as amitraz is toxic to cats.
The only product using a new ingredient (rather than a new combination of older ingredients) is Vectra, introduced in 2007 and sold only through veterinarians. Vectra products (there are several) all include dinotefuran, a newer insecticide that kills fleas on contact. Vectra also contains the insect growth regulator pyriproxyfen (see Advantage II above), and Vectra 3D adds permethrin to kill ticks (similar to K9 Advantix). Vectra is also sold as FirstShield and SimpleGuard. Vectra products are made by Summit VetPharm, originally a subsidiary of the Hartz Mountain Corp. (Summit was sold to CEVA Animal Health in 2010).
We’d advise caution in using any of these new products. Adding more chemicals and using more toxic ingredients may make these products more effective, but it also increases their potential for adverse effects. In some cases, such as when nothing else is effective for dogs with flea allergies or regular tick exposure, the benefit may be worth the risk, but we wouldn’t recommend switching if what you’re using now is working.
For those who want to try the new generic versions of older products, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, these products may not be identical to the original product. While the active ingredient is the same, other inert ingredients, such as those used to spread topical applications across the body, may differ. The generic product might not be as effective, or might cause problems for your dog that didn’t occur with the original product. Watch for any signs of adverse effects, or of products not working as well, whenever you try anything new.
Be careful where you buy your flea and tick products, particularly online, where many counterfeits are found. Be sure that the seller is trustworthy. One solution is to look for the Veterinary-Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (Vet-VIPPS) seal of approval (see “When Buying Veterinary Drugs Online, Look for Accredited Sites,” June 2011). – Mary Straus
Chloe, my eight-year-old Labrador Retriever, loves to swim. When we lived in New York, she spent almost every morning in streams and lakes, diving from high granite boulders in summer and breaking through ice in early winter. But when we moved to Montana, finding clear, open water for swimming was a challenge. Then we discovered the therapeutic pool at Apex Animal Hospital and signed up for recreational swims. Now every Tuesday Chloe swims laps while retrieving a tennis ball.
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But her wet ears bothered Chloe and she spent part of every swim and much of the day after shaking her head. Her ears weren’t infected; they just did a lot of flapping.
I went online to see whether anyone makes ear plugs for dogs and discovered something even better, swimming headbands. I bought both types: the AquaBandit from AquaBandit International and the Swim Snood from DogLeggs Therapeutic & Rehabilitative Products – and left them at the pool for other dogs to try. Rehabilitation practitioner Jennifer Hill and veterinary technician Adele Delp tested them on several swimmers.
“I think dogs are more comfortable when wearing a headband,” says Delp. “Instead of shaking their heads, they relax and focus on swimming.”
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When Casey, a six-year-old Border Collie, started swimming, he was intent on getting the ball, hypervigilant, and wild in the pool. “We tried a swim band on him,” says Delp, “and we were amazed at how focused and calm he became. Whenever we took it off, he became a wild man again. This led us to speculate about the band’s applications in thunderstorms and other stressful situations.”
The AquaBandit comes in five sizes and two colors at prices under $25. It works well for Chloe and other dogs as long as we readjust it frequently, for with activity it slips toward the back of the head and exposes the ears. Hill and Delp give the AquaBandit 3 stars.
Swim Snoods are custom made for the dog’s head measurements. Longer, wider, and with a larger Velcro area than the AquaBandit, the Swim Snood stays on more securely. Its price is $43.50. Hill and Delp give the Swim Snood 5 stars.
Like Chloe, most swimming dogs adjust quickly to head bands. And they work. Chloe seldom flaps her ears any more.
In addition to protecting the ears of swimming dogs, swim bands can be used during dental procedures to protect the ears from fluids. Dogs with long ears can wear them at meal time to keep their ears from being soiled by food. Dogs sensitive to the sound of a dryer during grooming or after swimming can relax without being stressed, and the compression these bands provide has a calming effect on most dogs.
Two schools in the United States (the University of Tennessee and the Canine Rehabilitation Institute) offer certification to veterinarians, physical therapists, veterinary technicians, and physical therapy assistants in canine rehabilitation. Courses include canine anatomy and physiology; conditions and injuries commonly referred for rehabilitation; physical modalities and their application, contraindications, and equipment maintenance; therapeutic exercise; client education; sports medicine; and hydrotherapy.
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Every state in the United States has its own licensing requirements, but Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioners usually work in coordination with veterinarians who refer patients for specific treatments. CCRPs work together with the veterinarians’ instructions, consult with them as needed during treatment, and provide detailed reports of their patients’ therapy.
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