I’ve mentioned before that my husband and I are hosting (indefinitely) a Chihuahua who belongs to his post-graduate niece; she’s looking for a job that will pay for a dog-friendly apartment in San Francisco. I was in her shoes 24 years ago; I ended up sending my dog back to my parents’ home. The landlords who do accept dogs in San Francisco are so few that they can charge outrageous rents for sub-par homes – and they have long waiting lists of potential renters. Anyway, so Peanut – or “Tito” as my husband calls the dog – will probably be with us for a while.
Peanut/Tito (I often end up calling him “Potato”) is only four years old, but he has some obvious (to me) structural/mechanical problems. The action – or should I say, the inaction – of his knees suggest he’s got the knee issues that are so common in Chihuahuas. He sometimes winces or screams if you pick him up – or if he even thinks you are going to pick him up. He’s very tense and guarded about being petted -– especially on his right shoulder, but pretty much everywhere except for the itchy patch on his back in front of his tail and his tummy. I haven’t yet had time, but I really want to get him seen and treated by a qualified veterinary chiropractor. The thing is, the closest one I know is a three-hour drive away.
So I’m putting out the word to all the dog people I know: Does anyone know a good veterinary chiropractor up here in the north Sacramento Valley?
I was scanning a list of my email contacts for people to send my query to, when I came up with an idea. What if all of my dog-loving friends and relatives sent each other a “gift” of a list of beloved and trusted dog professionals with whom they’ve had personal experience? If someone sent me such a list, you can bet I’d post it on the wall near my computer, just in case I needed a referral for a good emergency clinic, rehabilitation practitioner, acupuncturist, nutrition expert, cardiologist – whatever! My friends contain a wealth of information; why not mine them for that information before I even need it (like now)?
I’m going to give it a try. To all the people I know who have or love dogs and cats in my area, I’m going to send them a list of all the dog-related professionals or services that I recommend in this area, and I’m going to ask that they do the same for me. My list will contain the best (in my personal experience) local business or provider of each of the following:
-Pet supply stores for good foods and training tools
-Emergency veterinary practice
-Progressive/educated veterinarian
-Trainer
-Boarding facility
-Daycare facility
-Groomer
Health food store with wide variety of superior-quality herbs and supplements
And while I’m at it, I’ll ask for specific recommendations for a few providers that I still need, such as a good local dog-walker, pet sitter, veterinary acupuncturist, and, of course, a veterinary chiropractor.
And if I’m looking for actual gift ideas, what about gift certificates to one of these local businesses that I know my friends could use?
What do you think? Would you send your friends a list of every professional who has competently helped you care for your dog?
On Saturday afternoon, I was driving to meet a friend for a hike with our dogs. (She has two and so do I). I was running a few minutes late. I was on the busiest thoroughfare in town when I saw a truck parked on a wide pullout on the other side of the street with a large hand-painted sign on the side: “Golden Retriever puppies for sale, with a phone number.” There were several large dog crates in the back of the truck and I could see (as I slowed as much as I could without getting rear-ended) that there were at least a half a dozen pups in the crates.
My blood just boiled. Nothing can get me madder than irresponsible breeding. Especially when I think about the homes and futures these (probably unvaccinated, surely unneutered) puppies will have with the people who spontaneously decide to buy one, just because they saw the sign. See you in six months at the shelter, puppies!
Remember, I was later to meet a friend, and I had two hyped up dogs in the car who were looking forward to their hike. So I called the police as I drove. The police dispatcher confirmed that such roadside selling is illegal in our town – but said that on weekends, she could call animal control officers out only if it was an emergency. And she said that she could put it out on the radio, and if an officer had absolutely nothing else to do he might go by and cite (or “run off” the seller, she said), but that “honestly, hon, it was unlikely that anyone would.” Argh!
As a member of the Board of Directors of my local shelter, which has a contract to provide animal control services to our town, I was privy to our recent contract negotiations with the city. I know how long (days) we spent arguing about the amount in the contract provided for animal control services that are provided on an emergency basis (before 8 am and after 6 pm on weekdays and on weekends). I understand that if the dispatcher sends our officers out too often, we will be the ones trying to figure out how to pay the officers’ overtime – and it could come out of the funds that we use to keep animals in the shelter as long as possible, trying to find homes for them.
By the time I got to the trailhead and met my friend, I was full of anger and regret. I wished that I had called my friend and cancelled our walk, so that I could have stayed and confronted the person selling the puppies. Actually, I wished I was the kind of person who didn’t think twice about confronting idiots like roadside puppy sellers. I HATE confrontation. I would have been shaky and probably ineffective. And really, is there anything I could have said to change the circumstances or to change the mind of the person who was selling all these pups? Is it likely that someone who had a litter of (purportedly) purebred, eight-week-old puppies would be convinced by some shaky middle-aged lady that producing said puppies for profit was wrong, bad for the puppies and bad for the community and bad for the puppies already awaiting homes at the shelter?
I spent the first half of the walk hashing all of this out with my friend, who listened patiently. Then, I realized how beautiful the almost-setting sun was, lighting up the dry grasses in the meadows we were walking through, and how happy all of our dogs were, galloping along off-leash. I had to let it go for a bit. But I haven’t stopped thinking about it.
It is useful to have a number of behavior management tools on hand in addition to your basic training equipment. The better you are managing your dog’s behavior to prevent him from being reinforced for unwelcome behaviors, the easier it will be to teach him that only desirable behaviors make good things happen. If you do a good job managing your dog, you won’t feel the need to yell at or otherwise punish him for being naughty.
A crate is an invaluable management tool. It is an artificial den for your dog that makes housetraining a breeze and givers your dog a safe place where he can stay.
Here are some tips for crate training:
It should never be a place of punishment.
Your dog may adjust more easily to stays at the vet hospital when he can take his portable bedroom with him.
Puppies can be crate trained with relative ease.
Crates should be just large enough for your dog to stand up, turn around, and lie down comfortably.
Start with the door open and just toss the treats inside.
Gradually toss the treats further and further until he is stepping in to get them.
At this point you can use verbal cues, such as “go to bed”.
When your dog is staying in the crate with the door closed for at least 10 seconds without any signs of anxiety, close the door and latch it. Then step away from the crate.
When you are not actively training, leave the crate door open.
Whether you’ve never trained a dog or are just switching over to positive training, Pat Miller’s book, The Power of Positive Dog Training will show that training your four-legged friend with positive training tools is easy, fun and effective. Available now at Whole Dog Journal.
As your dog ages and his metabolism slows, he may require fewer calories to maintain his weight. If you notice weight gain, adjust his food accordingly, and if you’re concerned about him not getting adequate nutritional support, see your veterinarian. On the flip side, if he’s losing weight, that could signal an underlying illness. Consult your veterinarian before you increase his rations.
And don’t forget daily walks and games of fetch as part of his weight-management routine. Your aging dog may not appear as interested in exercise – but don’t let that keep you from giving it to him.
For more details and advice on ways to manage your dog’s weight, purchase Whole Dog Journal’s ebook, Managing Your Dog’s Weight.
Have you ever had the misfortune of walking into your house to find overturned furniture, inches-deep claw gouges on door frames, blood-stained tooth marks on window sills, and countless messages on your answering machine from neighbors complaining about your dog barking and howling for hours on end in your absence? If so, you’re probably familiar with the term “separation anxiety” – a mild label for a devastating and destructive behavior.
Dogs are naturally inclined to become anxious when left alone. Here are some avenues to explore, to complement your modification work:
Exercise your dog well before you leave. A tired dog has less energy with which to be anxious and destructive. End exercise sessions 20 to 30 minutes before you go, so he has time to settle down.
Five minutes before you leave, give him a well-stuffed Kong to take his mind off your imminent departure.
Make your departures and returns completely calm and emotionless. No huggy/kissy “Mummy loves you” scenes. If he gets excited and jumps all over you when you return, ignore him. Turn your back and walk away. When he finally settles down, say hello and greet him very calmly.
For more details and advice on ways to prevent and cure canine separation anxiety, purchase Whole Dog Journal’s ebook, Separation Anxiety.
Living with multiple dogs brings a whole new set of challenges. Adding a second (or third, or fourth) dog means more fun, more love, more joy and more wonderful doggy companionship. But it also means much more from you: more time, more money, more energy, and more working through problems.
Expect your dogs to get along, but avoid taking sides if they don’t. Consoling a dog who seems to be getting picked on, or scolding a dog for initiating a conflict could easily backfire. For dogs with inherently good social skills, let them negotiate minor, nonviolent differences without interfering. If the dogs are headed toward a major confrontation, however, you can step in and redirect the dog’s behavior before the conflict escalates.
For more details and advice on ways to add a new dog to a multi-dog household, purchase Whole Dog Journal’s ebook, Managing a Multi-Dog Household.
I woke up with a headache on Sunday morning – a migraine. I get a couple per month; they are not completely unpredictable. But I had planned one getting a lot of things done, so I was a bit stubborn. I got dressed, took some medication, and tried to start the day anyway. I fed the dogs, cats, and chickens, had a little breakfast . . . and then had to go back to bed.
After a couple of hours, I tried again. Ugh. Head still hurt. I took another prescription medication, drank some water, put my sunglasses on, and wandered around the house. I made some calls; I’m a great listener when I have a headache, very sympathetic!
In the early afternoon, I gave up. I found my way to the couch with a nice down blanket – and that’s when the “pet therapy” started. First Otto found his way to my side (he was outdoors, but he knows how to open the sliding glass door in the kitchen). He put his chin on my shoulder, stared into my face with his big, bright, mischievous eyes, wagging his tail – but when he got little response, he sighed deeply and just curled up on the rug next to the couch. Then my niece’s Chihuahua found the open door and a blanketed person (me) on the couch. Score! He hopped up and found a cozy spot on my tummy. At some point, my two young cats joined us, one on my chest right under my chin, and the other down between my knees, and they added purring to the mix.
It had been raining in the morning, but by late afternoon, the sky had cleared; I could tell it was bright and sunny (though chilly) outside – but all the animals stayed put. I did breathing exercises and kept visualizing the dispersal of the pain in my head; I focused on the furry forms all around me and silently thanked them for their company and warmth. My husband came into the room a couple of times, but saw that I was being taken care of and silently withdrew.
The headache never quite went completely away, though its intensity faded as the evening wore on. It was so much easier to bear with my companions arrayed on every side of me, and I’m extra grateful to them today.
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At this time of year, we are all besieged with pleas for charitable contributions of every kind. Chances are, if you have ever given money to even one animal-related charity, the following year, you found yourself receiving solicitations from dozens of them. Then you have to choose which organizations deserve – or can do the most – with your donations.
There are so many to choose from. There are national organizations that focus on legal issues affecting pets and pet owners, groups that work for improving conditions for animals that are used for food production, and of course an endless array of shelters and “rescue” groups. All of them accomplish something; all of them have animal lovers at the helm. And I’ll bet most of us do donate some amount of money to at least one of them.
How do you decide which organization to donate money (or time or goods) to? I invite you to either share your method or reason for your choice, or to make a “pitch” to WDJ readers for the animal-related charity of your choice.
I’ll go first:
For the past few years, all of my charitable donations have gone to the Northwest SPCA, the animal shelter that is closest to my home, and that serves the town where I live as well as all of the unincorporated areas in this county. I do this so that my donations can directly affect the quality of life and services available to the animals in my community. I know, trust, and admire the shelter director, and can directly observe that the animals in the shelter are well taken care of. Oh! And they don’t share their mailing list with any other animal-related charities 😉
Living with multiple dogs brings a whole new set of challenges. Adding a second (or third, or fourth) dog means more fun, more love, more joy and more wonderful doggy companionship. But it also means much more from you: more time, more money, more energy, and more working through problems.
Adopting two dogs (or worse, two puppies) at the same time is simply asking for several years of chaos. It may be fun. It may even be worth it. But it will for sure be chaotic. The dogs will likely develop a stronger bond with each other than with you, making for a longer, more difficult road when it comes to training and socializing. You can, of course, counter that tendency by keeping the dogs separate, working with each individually, and establishing your relationship first – though this may not be a realistic option in an average home. The amount of work, energy, and effort is much more than simply having two dogs.
For more details and advice on ways to add a new dog to a multi-dog household, purchase Whole Dog Journal’s ebook, Managing A Multi-Dog Household.
Feeding fresh food to your dogs can help make them healthy and happy, but it can also be expensive, particularly for those with large dogs. Whether you feed a completely homemade diet or just want to improve your dog’s diet by adding fresh foods, there are many ways to reduce costs. Here are some ideas to consider:
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1)BUY A FREEZER. Buying in bulk, or stocking up when you find good sales, is one of the best ways to save money on meat, but it requires having a place to store the food. A separate freezer gives you options that you won’t have if you’re trying to fit your dog’s food into your refrigerator’s small freezer along with your own food.
Buy the biggest freezer you think you might need; they fill up quickly. Chest freezers hold more, but it’s easier to find what you’re looking for in an upright model. Be sure to label food clearly, including the date it was frozen, so you don’t lose track of what’s in there. If a new freezer is out of your price range, look for a used freezer on craigslist.org or other local listings. Keep in mind that older models are less energy efficient, so what you save in upfront costs may be quickly lost in your monthly electric bill.
2)FEED GRAINS. Many people who feed homemade diets, particularly raw diets, do not include grains. Sometimes this is necessary, as grains can contribute to inflammation, weight gain, and even seizures in some dogs. Not all dogs have problems with grains, however, and they provide inexpensive calories. If your dog is healthy and does not react to grains, there’s no reason to leave them out of the diet. Healthy grains to feed include rice (brown rice is more nutritious than white rice), oatmeal, barley, quinoa, and millet.
Other starchy foods that can be used in place of or in addition to grains include sweet potatoes, winter squashes, pasta, and regular potatoes. Colored vegetables provide the most nutrition.
Grains and starchy vegetables should not make up more than 50 percent of the total diet. All starchy foods need to be well cooked in order to be digestible by dogs.
3)JOIN A GROUP. If possible, join a co-op or raw feeding group in your area. Some groups buy directly from suppliers in order to get wholesale prices and take advantage of bulk discounts. Others may just exchange information about where to find unusual items and get the best prices.
If there is no group in your area, consider starting one if you know of other dog owners who might be interested. Groups that are far away can still provide ideas and information about how they are run and their product sources.
4)LOOK FOR BARGAINS. In addition to keeping an eye out for sales, talk to the meat managers at local stores to find out what they do with meat that is about to pass its “sell by” date. They might be willing to save them for you, especially if you buy regularly. Similarly, talk to the produce manager about how you might be able to pick up vegetables and fruits that might otherwise just be thrown out. Ask about egg cartons with broken eggs as well.
Meat managers may also be able to purchase cases of items for you that they don’t usually carry, such as beef heart or chicken necks. These parts are often less expensive than those more commonly sold for human consumption. You will likely have to buy the whole case, but you should get a bulk discount.
Ethnic markets are a good source for unusual and inexpensive parts. And don’t forget farmer’s markets for fresh, locally grown produce. Talk to the vendors about purchasing products that might otherwise be discarded at the end of the day.
Hunters can also be a source for cheap (or even free) meat. While the hunters want the meat, other less desirable parts, such as the heart, liver, kidney, and tongue, may just be thrown away. As long as the organs are healthy, they’re fine to feed to your dog. Contact your state wildlife department to find butchers who process wild game in your area if you don’t have friends who hunt.
5)DON’T TRY TO BE PERFECT. Some dog owners won’t feed fresh foods because they insist on feeding only organic food, and it’s too expensive. While organic foods are great, even ordinary supermarket foods are healthier for your dog than processed dog food.
If you don’t have time or can’t afford to feed a complete homemade diet, you can improve your dog’s overall nutrition by adding fresh foods to a commercial diet, or by feeding homemade meals once or twice a week. Healthy leftovers (not fatty trim) are also good for your dog and cost nothing to feed.
Mary Straus is the owner of DogAware.com; see “Raw Food Resources” on that site to find local co-ops and buying groups. Straus and her Norwich Terrier, Ella, live in the San Francisco Bay Area.
This is the debut of what we intend to be a regular feature in Whole Dog Journal: a detailed critique of a home-prepared diet. I will analyze diets that people feed their dogs and offer feedback and suggestions that might improve the nutritional value of the diet.
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Raw, Boneless Diet for an Active 37-lb dog Fiona McNair lives in Glasgow, Scotland. McNair feeds a raw, boneless diet to her two dogs: Tara, a lean and very active six-year-old Staffordshire Terrier-cross who weighs 16.9 kg (37 lbs), and Pepi, a moderately active and slightly overweight four-year-old Podenco-cross who weighs 15.5 kg (34 lbs).
Both dogs are healthy, but McNair has noticed a few problems, including clicking in the joints, that started after she began feeding a homemade diet a year ago. I took a particularly close look at McNair’s diet to try to determine what nutrients might be missing or excessive in hopes of resolving this issue.
Here is the diet McNair currently feeds her larger dog (the smaller dog gets the same foods in slightly reduced quantities). These amounts are daily totals, split between two meals:
-250 grams (8.8 ounces) raw meat, including 1 day of lamb and 2 days each of beef, chicken, and turkey per week. Both lamb and beef are 20 percent fat; chicken is skinless breast and turkey is skinless dark meat.
-125 grams (4.4 ounces) vegetables, including raw grated carrot, courgette (zucchini), and celery, and steamed broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and turnips.
-85 grams (3 ounces) plain low-fat yogurt.
-20 grams (1.4 ounces) each raw lamb liver and kidney.
-Daily supplements: 1,000 mg Animal Essentials Seaweed Calcium, 500 mg vitamin C, 100 IUs vitamin E, vitamin B-50 complex, and 1,000 mg fish oil.
-Both dogs also get a few small treats plus a small rawhide daily.
At first glance, this diet looked pretty good, with appropriate proportions of meat, organs, and vegetables, and good variety. It is a little high in fat, but that’s okay for a very active dog (feeding less of the beef and lamb might help the smaller dog to lose weight).
Some other initial thoughts: Eggs and fish are missing. Adding starchy foods would help to reduce the fat content. Vegetables would be better digested if pureed in a food processor, blender, or juicer rather than just grated, and the Brussels sprouts and turnips may need more cooking to be digestible (raw vegetables aren’t harmful but don’t provide as much nutritional value as cooked vegetables).
Surprise! When I entered the diet into a recipe at NutritionData.com and compared it to National Research Council (NRC) recommendations, I was a little surprised to find that it did not provide their recommended daily amounts (RDA) of several nutrients:
-Zinc (diet provides 9.2 mg; the RDA is 17 mg)
-Manganese (0.3 mg; RDA 1.3 mg)
-Choline (137 mg; RDA 465 mg)
-Vitamin D (7 IU; RDA 149 IU)
If McNair failed to add the supplement, the diet would also be very low in vitamin E (1 mg; RDA 8 mg). It would also be low in magnesium if she were using plain calcium or ground eggshell instead of the seaweed calcium (the diet supplies 96 mg, RDA is 164 mg; the Animal Essentials calcium supplement adds 90 mg).
The dietary iron (7.1 mg; RDA 8 mg) and phosphorus (732 mg; RDA 830 mg) are also below recommended amounts. It’s possible that this diet is low in iodine (264 mcg RDA), but I could not confirm this, as iodine is not tracked by the USDA’s nutrient database (which is where NutritionData.com gets its information). There is iodine in yogurt and in the Animal Essentials calcium supplement (60 mcg), and this may be adequate.
Vitamin K is also short, but since this vitamin can be synthesized in the intestines, it may not need to be supplied through diet.
Calcium is a little high (1,230 mg; RDA 1,080 mg), due to the amount provided by yogurt.
Also, the number of calories provided by this diet is inadequate for a dog of Tara’s size. When I mentioned this to McNair and inquired about Tara’s weight, McNair acknowledged that Tara has been losing weight. McNair had calculated the amount to feed based on a percentage of Tara’s ideal body weight, but had included the vegetables in the calculations.
Greens and other non-starchy vegetables are low in calories and should not be included when calculating how much to feed your dog. They can be added in whatever quantities are preferred.
Both omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids (EFAs) were high enough to meet NRC recommendations. The diet is a little short in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a plant-based form of omega-3, but since dogs don’t utilize this fatty acid very well, I don’t consider that a problem. EPA and DHA, omega-3 EFAs that are found in fish, fish oil, and certain forms of algae, such as spirulina and chorella, are better sources for dogs.
Recommended Changes Here’s my recommended modified diet for Tara (changes are in bold). Pepi would get 90 percent of these amounts:
–200 grams (7 ounces) meat, including 1 day each of lamb, turkey, and pink salmon (or other fish) and 2 days each of beef and chicken per week. Switch to dark meat chicken.
–1 large egg.
–100 grams(3.5 ounces) sweet potato (or other starchy foods).
-20 grams (1.4 ounces) each beef liver (lamb liver may also be acceptable) and lamb kidney.
-125 grams (4.4 ounces) vegetables.
-85 grams (3 ounces) plain low-fat yogurt.
–600 mg Animal Essentials Seaweed Calcium (reduced 200 mg from yogurt, 200 mg from multivitamin).
-1 Centrum or comparable multivitamin and mineral (replaces separate vitamin B, C, and E supplements).
-1,000 mg fish oil, once daily.
-Do not give calcium or fish oil on days when canned fish with bones are fed.
–Add a glucosamine-type supplement for joint support. (It’s unclear what might cause joint clicking in both dogs. Adding a glucosamine-type supplement may help protect the joints.)
-Eliminate the daily rawhide if needed to account for added calories in diet (rawhides may provide as many as 80 calories per ounce).
The new diet has about 100 more calories than the original diet, which should be more appropriate for a dog of Tara’s size. It meets all NRC nutritional recommendations except choline (158 mg short) and vitamin K (0.3 mg short, 0.4 mg RDA). Choline is considered a member of the vitamin B family and is found in most B-complex supplements, but even those don’t provide enough to meet NRC recommendations. Eggs, liver, beef, salmon, and cauliflower are all considered good sources of choline (choline values in lamb liver are unknown; beef liver has almost twice the choline of chicken liver). The nutritional supplement Nupro could be used to provide choline, but it is low in zinc and contains almost no vitamin E. These should be added separately if you replace the multi-vitamin and mineral supplement with Nupro.
With the multivitamin and mineral supplement, the addition of eggs, sweet potato, and fish are not necessary, but I believe they provide a more well-rounded diet. Eggs add iron, phosphorus, zinc, and choline, though not enough to meet the RDAs. Feeding fish one day per week provides enough vitamin D to meet NRC recommendations, and also increases choline. Sweet potato and other starchy foods help to reduce fat levels, and increase magnesium and manganese. Fruits, such as bananas, apples, and blueberries, would provide similar benefits with fewer calories.
If the multivitamin is omitted, the revised diet would still be significantly short on magnesium (46 mg, supplied by Animal Essentials calcium), manganese (0.4 mg), zinc (8 mg), vitamin E (5.4 mg), and possibly iodine. If fish is not added to the diet, cod liver oil could be used instead to provide vitamin D.
Mary Straus is the owner of DogAware.com. Contact her via her website if you would like to submit a diet to be critiqued.
