There are a host of other things you can do to lower general stress in your dogs’ environment.
Exercise can be immensely helpful in minimizing overall tension. Physical activity uses up excess energy that might otherwise feed your dogs’ aggressive behaviors, (a tired dog is a well-behaved dog). Exercise also causes your dog’s body to release various chemicals, including endorphins and norepinephrine, helping to generate a feeling of well-being; an exercised dog is a happy dog! Happy dogs are simply less likely to fight.
When I learned that Planet Dog was releasing a “Special Edition 10th Anniversary Orbee,” my first thought was, “Wow, has it really been 10 years?” The ball still seems new and exciting around Whole Dog Journal’s editorial office.
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I love the Planet Dog products, especially the Orbee, Orbee-Tuff, and Orbee-Tuff RecycleBALL balls. And the company seems pretty cool, too. It donates 2 percent of each purchase to the Planet Dog Foundation, its nonprofit grant-making organization, which in turn makes grants to service dog and therapy dog organizations. (For the record, my dog Otto prefers the Orbee-tuff RecycleBALLs. Not because he’s so PC – because they are more squishy in the mouth. He’s s squisher: “Squish! Squish!”)
The Orbee was one of the first products of the modern generation of thoughtful, “specially for dogs” dog toys – in contrast to re-purposed kid toys or sports equipment. It’s hollow and globe-like, with rough depictions of earth’s continents appearing in a raised material that helps the ball bounce unpredictably – increasing the fun factor for most dogs. It floats, is durable, nontoxic, made in the USA, recyclable, and 100 percent guaranteed.
Do your dogs like Orbees? (If so, consider entering the “I Love My Orbee So Much Story Contest” on Facebook.) If not, what is his or her favorite toy? We need to review toys again soon.
I just received an email announcing the publication of a book written by one of Whole Dog Journal’s favorite veterinarians, W. Jean Dodds, founder of Hemopet canine blood bank. Dr. Dodds has long been interested in canine thyroid disorders; years ago, I heard her present a riveting seminar on the topic at one of the annual meetings of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association (AHVMA). The book, co-written by Diana Laverdure, is entitled The Canine Thyroid Epidemic: Answers You Need for Your Dog. Orders for the book are being taken by its publisher, Dogwise.com (800-776-2665); the price is $20.
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I haven’t had a chance to read the book yet. The press release from Dogwise describes it like this: “In this valuable new book, Jean and Diana explore why canine thyroid disease is so often misdiagnosed or left untreated. The answer lies in part because the symptoms of canine thyroid disease are so varied (both physical and behavioral) and many vets have not been taught the proper way to test for it. The tragedy in all this is that most thyroid problems can be treated successfully once they are properly diagnosed. This book will arm you with what you need to know about thyroid disease so that you have a much better chance of recognizing it and then how to work with your vet to get the proper treatment. You need to play the role of your dog’s health advocate in any event, but it is very important in situations where thyroid problems are suspected.”
Dr. Dodds was extensively quoted in a Whole Dog Journal article “Help for Hypothyroidism,” about problems caused by low thyroid levels in dogs, way back in the June 2005 issue. That’s a great resource to review (subscribers have free access to all back article, remember!) while you’re waiting for your copy of the new book to arrive!
So, two weeks ago I wrote about how I have two friends who are looking for dogs, and how I was worried because they are both impulsive and apt to bring home the wrong dog.
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One friend is actually being patient! Yay, friend! A week after I wrote that blog post, the other friend may have gotten the wrong dog. Or maybe not. She actually wanted a certain breed, the kind she’s had for two dogs in a row, and she found one in a shelter. And she wanted a young dog, and this guy is a year old. So far, so much better than I hoped.
But breed, age, and even sex are not everything! There is also the very important personality/compatibility match. And I’m not sure this is going to be a great match for all time. This dog is not as sweet and bonded to people as her last dogs. He seems only mildly interested in humans, and only mildly happy to have them pet him. (Granted, he might develop that trait over time. We’ve no idea of what his background is; he may not have had the opportunity to bond with a person.)
How do I know so much about this dog? Because after a week in my friend’s home, she asked whether I might take him for a week or two, both to evaluate him and to help her through two related problems common to young, untrained dogs.
Problem A: He chews anything he has access to.
Problem B: He won’t tolerate being confined in a crate or on a tether without barking, barking, barking.
Ouch.
My friend lives in a rental duplex, in close proximity to several neighbors, and while her landlord is dog-friendly, she feels vulnerable to complaints that might arise as this guy learns that barking won’t earn him an early release from the crate.
I have a nice insulated office, a bit of distance from immediate neighbors, and maybe a stiffer spine than my soft-hearted friend. I also have Otto, who can model appropriate good manners behavior around humans and at play with other dogs. And it’s not much different from fostering, which I like to do because it’s interesting and gives me new canine behavior and health problems to consider and deal with and write about. And, we’ll see; he might end up being an actual foster, if he doesn’t seem like the type of dog that my friend was looking for. The very fact that she was eager to see him go somewhere else for training and evaluation speaks volumes to me; usually, she’s way over-attached to her animals. We’ll see. We’re on day one. And so far, so good.
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.
When choosing a new dog, if possible, have the dogs meet each in a neutral location before making a decision. Pay attention to how they respond to each other. If your instincts tell you it isn’t a good match – no matter how much you adore the potential new dog – keep looking.
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.
Maybe this has happened to you: You’re reading or watching TV or at your computer, and your dog is lying on the carpet near you. You’re absorbed in what you are doing, but all of a sudden, you realize that your dog is licking or chewing himself, or scratching his ear with a hind paw. “Hey!” you say to your dog. “Stop that!” Your dog stops, looks at you, and wags his tail. You go back to doing what you were doing – and a few minutes later, you hear the tell-tale sounds of licking or chewing or scratching again.
Every dog does a certain amount of self-grooming to keep himself clean – and every dog owner should be aware of how much is normal, and how much is too much, because “too much” is often the first indication that a dog is having an allergy attack.
The most common sign of allergy in the dog is itching. When humans have an allergy attack, the most common symptoms are itchy, teary eyes; a runny nose; sneezing; and nasal congestion.
In contrast, allergic dogs itch all over. And so they scratch, chew, and lick themselves, trying to relieve that unrelenting itching sensation in their skin or paws or ears. The itch might keep them up at night (which might affect your own sleep, if their beds are in the same room as yours), make them cranky and out of sorts, and cause them to damage their skin.
In the throes of an acute allergy attack, dogs can lick, chew, or scratch a hole in themselves within just a few minutes of intense activity, allowing bacteria to gain access to several layers of skin and tissue and triggering a dandy infection. The itching in their paws may cause them to lick until sores develop between their toes or their paw pads develop ulcers. And the itching sensation in their ears can lead them to claw at their ears enough to damage and inflame the tissue, leading to infection and – if they shake their heads violently – cause blood vessels to burst in their ear flaps, leading to an excruciatingly painful, swollen ear. Untreated, ear hematomas (as they are called) can lead to tissue death and cause permanent disfigurement of the ear.
Over a lifetime, chronic allergies can leave dogs depleted and irritable, with low-level infections constantly breaking out on their skin, feet, and in their ears; worn front teeth (from chewing themselves); and smelly, sparse coats that neither protect them well from the elements nor invite much petting and affection from their owners. Chronic allergies can also deplete an owner’s time and financial resources – especially if the owner fails to take the most effective path to helping her dog.
Unfortunately, most dog owners rely solely on their veterinarians to take care of the problem with a shot or a prescription or a special food; they are unaware that they are in the best position to help their dog in a significant way. While veterinary diagnostic and treatment skills will be important in the battle, it’s the owner’s dedication to his dog, acute observation skills, and meticulous home care that will ultimately win the war against allergies.
Before discussing what can be done about allergies, let’s make sure you’re clear about what canine allergies are, and what they are not.
Canine Allergy Basics
In the simplest terms, allergy is the result of an immune system gone awry. When it’s functioning as it should, the immune system patrols the body, with various agents checking the identification (as it were) of every molecule in the body. It allows the body’s own molecules and harmless foreign substances to go about their business, but detects, recognizes, and attacks potentially harmful agents such as viruses and pathogenic bacteria.
When a dog develops an allergy, the immune system becomes hypersensitive and malfunctions. It may mistake benign agents (such as pollen or nutritious food) for harmful ones and sound the alarm, calling in all the body’s defenses in a misguided, one-sided battle that ultimately harms the body’s tissues or disrupts the body’s usual tasks. Alternately, the immune system may fail to recognize normal agents of the body itself, and start a biochemical war against those agents.
The three most common types of canine allergy are, in order of prevalence:
1. Flea bite hypersensitivity (known informally as “flea allergy”)
2.Atopy (also known as atopic disease or atopic dermatitis)
3. Food hypersensitivity (also called “food allergy”)
Let’s take a closer look at these three most common canine allergies.
Flea Bite Hypersensitivity
Have you ever been bitten by a flea? If so, you know how irritating the bites can be. The flea injects its saliva into its bite during feeding to prevent clotting of its host’s blood. The flea’s saliva is what some dogs are allergic to – but even nonallergic dogs suffer skin irritation from flea saliva.
The site of a flea bite often develops a raised, red, itchy papule in allergic and nonallergic animals alike. The difference is, in a nonallergic animal, the number of papules and the amount of itching will be roughly congruent with the number of bites the dog received. (If a nonallergic dog was bitten just once or twice, he will experience itching and a bump on the skin in just those sites.)
Contrast this with an allergic dog, who may exhibit a severe reaction to just one or two flea bites, with generalized dermatitis and oozing papules emerging over his entire body. If you can’t find any fleas on your dog, or found just one flea after 10 minutes of using a flea comb on him, and yet he’s scratching himself raw all over, he’s very likely allergic to flea bites.
Like all allergies, flea bite hypersensitivity is a heritable trait; dogs from families with lots of allergies have a predisposition to develop allergies, too. It’s been estimated that about 40 percent of all dogs are hypersensitive to flea bites. In areas with cold winter temperatures and a resulting flea-free season, dogs who are allergic to flea bites will enjoy an itch-free period; in warmer climates, where fleas are a year-round problem, the flea-allergic dog’s suffering will be year-round as well.
Flea-bite hypersensitivity usually gets worse throughout the dog’s life. Each year, the signs of the allergy will start earlier and last longer in the “flea season,” and the itching will be more severe.
Atopy
Atopic disease (AD) in dogs is roughly analogous to hayfever in humans – except that instead of a runny nose and sneezing, a dog with this allergy will itch. Dogs with AD may be allergic to pollen, mold spores, dust, dust mite droppings, and other common environmental antigens. Dogs may be exposed to these allergens through breathing them in (inhalant transmission) or through transcutaneous exposure (through the skin). Estimates vary, but it’s generally accepted that 10 to 15 percent of all dogs have AD.
Dogs of any breed can suffer from atopy, but because the predisposition to the condition is heritable, the allergy is observed very commonly in dogs of certain breeds.
All dogs (like all humans) will experience an occasional itch. But dogs with AD will stop in the middle of eating or playing in order to scratch or chew themselves; it will be difficult to interrupt them or prevent them from scratching or chewing intently. The most common sites that atopic dogs focus on are the feet (which are licked or chewed); face (which they will rub against carpet or furniture); and ventral areas (tummy and groin are licked; “armpits” are scratched).
About 80 percent of atopic dogs also display flea bite hypersensitivity.
Food Hypersensitivity
A true allergy to foods is less common than many dog owners believe. Some experts estimate the prevalence of food allergy in dogs at 1 to 5 percent; other sources suggest a figure as high as 10 percent. However, almost half (43 percent, according to one study) of dogs who suffer from food allergy also exhibit other hypersensitivities, complicating the diagnostic picture.
Clinical signs of food allergy are extremely variable. The skin, gastrointestinal tract, respiratory tract, central nervous system, and any combination of these may be affected; the skin, however, is most frequently involved. Nonseasonal, generalized itchiness (pruritus) is the most common sign, with a distribution of itchiness on the dog’s body that is indistinguishable from that of atopy. About 10 to 15 percent of food-allergic dogs with dermatologic symptoms also suffer from gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhea, vomiting, gassiness, and cramping.
Food hypersensitivity can begin at any age, even late in a dog’s life. Allergies that start before a puppy is six months old are most likely caused by food.
Remember, “food allergy” and “food hypersensitivity” are the same thing; by definition, this condition is characterized by an abnormal immunological response to food. Don’t confuse those terms with “food intolerance,” which is an abnormal but non-immunological response to some foods. Dogs with food intolerance are far more likely to suffer digestive problems, such as vomiting, diarrhea, and gas.
Flea bites, environmental allergens, and food account for the vast majority of cases of canine allergy. But dogs can be hypersensitive to all sorts of other things, including the bites of flies, mosquitoes, ticks, and mites; drugs, medications, and nutritional supplements; various fungal and yeast species; internal parasites (such as ascarids, hookworms, tapeworms, whipworms, and heartworms); and even their own sex hormones (in intact animals).
Other Conditions That Can Cause Your Dog’s Itching
Allergies are not the only reason that dogs itch. In fact, to properly diagnose hypersensitivity, one of the first things a veterinarian needs to do is to rule out other potential causes of itching. “Allergies are a diagnosis of exclusion,” says Donna Spector, DVM, DACVIM, an internal medicine specialist with a consulting practice in Deerfield, Illinois. A dog’s medical history can sometimes help his vet identify the reason for the dog’s itching, but in other cases, the history may be lacking (such as with a shelter dog).
In other cases, a good history may exist, but the picture it presents is muddled. Complicating the diagnostic task is the fact that some causes of itching may actually be a secondary effect of the dog’s allergy. For example, a dog may be itchy because he has a yeast infection (an overgrowth of an organism commonly found on even healthy dogs) – or he may have developed a yeast infection as a result of licking and chewing (due to an allergy), which created the conditions in which the yeast organism thrives. It may take some time and tests for your vet to sort it all out. Here are some of the other conditions that can cause dogs to itch.
– Bacterial infection (pyoderma)
– Contact dermatitis from exposure to a caustic agent
– Drug reaction
– Fungal infection (including yeast)
– Hyperadrenocorticism (Cushing’s disease – causes a secondary infection)
– Hypothyroidism (causes a secondary infection)
– Immune-mediated disorders – Includes conditions such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
– Liver, pancreatic, or renal disease
– Parasitic infection – Includes internal parasites, as well as external parasites such as fleas, ticks, and mites. Three main types of mites are most problematic: Cheyletiella (“walking dandruff”); Demodex canis (which causes demodicosis, also known as red mange or demodectic mange); and Sarcoptes scabiei canis (which causes scabies, also known as sarcoptic mange).
Diagnosing Dog Allergies
Ideally, hypersensitivity to any substance would be confirmed by eliminating it from the animal or the animal’s environment, observing an improvement in the animal’s condition, and reintroducing it with a resulting resumption of signs of allergy. Then, “all” an owner would have to do is prevent his dog’s contact with that substance forever!
If you and your allergic dog lived in a bubble, your task would be a bit simpler; you could control the environment with precision and alter just one environmental variable at a time. But most dogs who are hypersensitive are often allergic to more than one type of allergen. Plus, the world is a dynamic, unpredictable place. Someone can casually hand your dog a treat he’s not supposed to have, or he can dive for and gobble an unidentifiable chunk of matter, and ruin weeks of a carefully constructed food elimination trial. A friend can stop by your house with her dog – and some fleas he just picked up at the beach – and the flea bites your dog received unbeknownst to you can result in a hypersensitive response that leads you to suspect your dog’s current food by mistake.
Even in the best of circumstances, identification of the substance or substances to which a dog is hypersensitive requires absolute diligence and daily observation from the dog’s owner, and an alert, interested veterinarian. And sometimes, the process can take years.
The first step, though, is finding a motivated veterinarian, and making an appointment for your itchy dog. There are many medical conditions that can cause itching, and the veterinarian will need to examine your dog, take a good history, and perhaps run some tests to rule out some of the nonimmunological causes of itching.
The history is particularly important. An astute veterinarian will be able to formulate likely theories about a dog’s allergic triggers based on the information you provide.
“You can find almost everything you need to know by taking a good history,” says Donna Spector, DVM, DACVIM, an internal medicine specialist with a consulting practice in Deerfield, Illinois. “There are good clues to be found in such facts as the environment the dog lives in, when the allergies started, the location on the body that is most affected, whether there is a seasonal component, the dog’s breed, and any medications he’s been given and what sort of response he had to those drugs. All these things will help pinpoint the most likely causes of the dog’s itching.”
Histories are most helpful, of course, when an owner has solid information to pass along. Dates of major itching episodes are perhaps the most helpful, because the date can often correlate to the prevalence of certain environmental allergens. The dog’s age and the season at the onset of the dog’s itching are significant. A full 75 percent of dogs with atopy show signs before they are three years of age. (However, the signs during the dog’s first year are often mild, and the owner may hardly recall the incident.) Also, curiously, dogs whose families move a lot when the dog is young may not show clinical signs of their allergy until they are older.
Highly inbred dogs whose relatives have a high prevalence of allergies may experience serious allergic episodes before they are six months old. Studies have shown that more than three-quarters of the dogs who are diagnosed with atopic allergies first showed signs in the spring, with the majority of the rest showing their first signs in winter.
The vet will want to know when your dog started itching (based on his self-scratching and chewing behaviors), how long the period of itchiness lasted, whether it changed in intensity, and what locations on his body he scratches the most. As eclectic as these facts might seem, each indicates something different about the dog’s condition. For example, “flea bite hypersensitivity” often starts on the dog’s back end and gradually spreads to more and more of his body, whereas a dog whose face seems to itch the most may have an autoimmune disease.
This is yet one more reason why we strongly suggest that all dog owners keep a journal for their dog’s health, or at a minimum, make notes on a calendar or planner about his health. Memory is highly fallible, but even a short note on a calendar (“March 1; Leroy licking his feet.”) can lead to a diagnosis, especially when one reviews the notes for a couple of years and finds a seasonal pattern in the dog’s symptoms. Note things such as when his diet is changed, when flea, tick, or heartworm preventives are administered, and of course, whenever you notice a significant change in his health, habits, or attitude. Your vet’s records will help fill in information about when (and why) your dog was seen at the veterinarian’s office, vaccinated, or given medications.
The vet should also conduct a very thorough and systematic physical examination. Every inch of the dog’s body should be inspected for lesions or redness, with special attention paid to the feet (especially between the toes) and inside the dog’s ears.
As part of the examination, the vet may use a small instrument to scrape cells from your dog’s skin. She will examine the samples under a microscope to look for mites, bacteria, and yeast.
After taking your dog’s history and conducting an exam, the veterinarian may want to run some tests. The ones she orders will depend on what her observations thus far lead her to suspect, or what she’d like to rule out. See “When It Comes to Allergy Tests, Some Flunk.”
If your vet suspects food allergy, or wants to test whether a food allergy might be a component of your dog’s itching, she might suggest a food elimination trial. The results can be rewarding, either confirming the presence of a food allergy or proving that your dog’s allergies are not related at all to his diet – but only if you are able to maintain strict control over every molecule that your dog eats during the duration of the test. See “Food Elimination Trial: A Valuable Tool.”
Some Dogs Show Negative on Allergy Tests
There are a few different types of tests available that purport to identify the allergens to which a dog is hypersensitive; some of them are helpful, and some are a waste of time and money. Since all of them are commonly referred to as “allergy tests,” few people know which ones are credible, and which ones are not. The following is a brief description of the types of tests available for allergy diagnosis.
Blood (serologic) tests for antigen-induced antibodies
Two different methods (RAST and ELISA) are used for the most common commercial test products used by veterinarians, and the tests may be referred to by those names or by the name of the company whose test kit uses the methodology (such as Heska, Greer, or VARL). These tests are designed to detect antibodies that a dog has produced in response to specific environmental antigens. By identifying the antibodies, the tests were supposed to be able to deliver clues about the environmental substances that the dog’s immune system is treating as an “invader.”
Historically, the tests have been unreliable, with lots of false positive and false negative results, though the technology has improved over the years.
If the test results indicate “55 different things your dog is supposedly allergic to,” says Dr. Donna Spector, owner of SpectorDVM Consulting, in Deerfield, Illinois, it’s not particularly helpful, “and not particularly believable, when the results indicate your dog is allergic to something that he doesn’t even have significant exposure to.” However, she adds, if there is a really strong positive result, “not just one or two points above what they say is normal, but really strong results, you have something you can ask the owner about. ‘Does your pet have exposure to oak trees?’ If the owner says, ‘Oh yeah, they’re all over our property, we’re loaded with oak trees!’ then you’ve got something you can work with.” Or rather, something you can target with immunotherapy (allergy shots).
Dr. Spector has one suggestion for those considering paying for one of these tests: “It’s best to test right after the dog has gone through his worst allergy season, because his antibody levels will be the highest at that time, and you can get the best picture of what really bothers him the most. Sometimes a vet will run a blood test randomly, say, in the middle of winter, or ‘in preparation for the upcoming spring,’ and it is not as helpful.”
Skin (intradermal) tests for environmental allergens
In an intradermal test, tiny amounts of a number of suspected or likely local allergens are injected just under the dog’s skin. The location is shaved (the better to observe the reaction of the skin and underlying tissue) and marked (with a pen), so the response to each allergen can be recorded. Swelling and/or redness indicates the dog is allergic to the substance injected in that spot.
Identification of the substances to which a dog is allergic is helpful for two reasons. First, if the allergens that are problematic for a dog are known, the dog’s owner can try to prevent (as much as possible) the dog’s exposure to them. Second, testing identifies the allergens to be chosen for inclusion in customized allergy shots (also known as “immunotherapeutic injections”).
Most veterinary dermatologists feel these tests are much more reliable than blood tests for antibodies. It should be noted that the testing is more time-consuming and expensive, not to mention stressful for the dog, who must be observed very closely, several times, by a stranger!
Tests for food allergies
Both blood and skin tests for food allergies exist, but it’s difficult to find anyone (besides the companies that produce the tests) who feels the results are worth the paper they are printed on. It would be exciting and useful if it worked, but so far, the tests are a work in progress, with only an estimated 30 percent accuracy rate. Why would you bother – especially when you can conduct a food elimination trial that will deliver much more accurate information about your dog’s food allergies.
Allergy Treatments for Dogs
Once you and your veterinarian think you have a handle on what your dog is allergic to, it’s time to talk about treatment. Conventional western medicine acknowledges three major approaches for treating allergy:
1. Avoidance
2. Symptomatic therapy
3. Immunotherapy
Avoidance
Avoidance is brilliant. If your dog is allergic to something, you can just keep him away from it. No exposure = no reaction = no treatment! Simple!
Well, it’s simple when it comes to allergens that the dog might eat or a drug he might be given. But only rarely can one control a dog’s environment so assiduously as to entirely prevent exposure to airborne allergens such as pollen or dust.
My dog Rupert (long-deceased) was diagnosed as being allergic to redwood trees. At the time, we lived in a home that had a 150-foot redwood tree towering over it. Cutting down the tree was not an option. Poor Rupe! Fortunately, there were other options. I tried to reduce his exposure to the tree’s pollen and the dirt and dust under the tree (which I imagined was saturated with the tree’s pollen). I didn’t let him lie in the dirt under the tree; I bathed him (with a gentle dog shampoo) pretty much weekly; I washed his bedding weekly; I ripped out all the carpet in the house and kept the floors as clean as possible.
“Good housekeeping practices can help a lot,” agrees Dr. Spector. “I recommend washing the dog’s bedding frequently, at least once a week, in a hypoallergenic detergent. Wiping the dog with a damp cloth to remove airborne allergens, and brushing the haircoat regularly, helps distribute the natural oils and prevents mats that can irritate the skin. With some of the worst cases, I recommend using hypoallergenic pillowcases or mattress covers on the dog’s bed, so he can’t come into contact with any sort of fiber except the hypoallergenic ones. I might also suggest using a HEPA filter. And I’d think about keeping the dog inside on high-pollen days.”
Symptomatic Therapy
Symptomatic therapy means treating the dog’s symptoms. Through varying actions, anti-inflammatory drugs, antihistamines, and corticosteroids all counteract some of the inflammation summoned by the hypersensitive response. Of the three types of drugs, corticosteroids are the most effective at reducing inflammation, but they also pose higher risks to the dog if overused. See “Corticosteroids: Lifesaver or Killer?” next page.
Surprisingly, some antidepressant medications have proven to be helpful in reducing the urge of some allergic dogs to engage in self-mutilation.
Fatty acid supplements have emerged as safe and incredibly beneficial for allergic dogs. “Fatty acids have a really amazing anti-inflammatory effect on the skin,” says Dr. Spector. “Mildly allergic dogs respond best to them. In my opinion, severely allergic dogs should be on them as well; combined with an antihistamine, or some of the other treatment methods, you can get some great results. Fatty acids are incorporated right into the skin layers. They help improve the barrier of the skin, and help decrease the inflammatory cells in the skin.”
Dr. Spector uses a number of fatty acids supplements, but admits she most frequently reaches for the products made by Nordic Naturals.
Immunotherapy
Better known as “allergy shots,” immunotherapy consists of a course of injections of a saline solution; a tiny dose of the substance to which a patient is allergic is added to the solution. Generally, the shots are given once or twice a week for months, with the dose increased slightly each time until an effective dose is reached. The injections of the tiny dose helps the dog’s body become accustomed to the substance. In the best case scenario, after months of the shots, the dog no longer reacts to the substance when he encounters it in the environment.
In order to create immunotherapy customized for the patient, the veterinarian must conduct a “skin test” to determine all the substances to which the dog might be allergic. She first marks the site with a pen (containing hypoallergenic ink) and then injects a tiny bit of different allergens under the dog’s skin, with one allergen per marking. The vet must assiduously keep track of which allergens were injected in which spot and carefully observe the response of the skin to the injections. Swelling or redness in a square indicates the dog is allergic to the substance injected there. All of the allergens to which he reacted and that are likely to appear in the dog’s day to day environment are added to the immunotherapeutic injections, which are given for months or even years, depending on the patient’s response.
The majority of patients who receive immunotherapy improve; some actually completely recover from the hypersensitivity for life! However, the costs in terms of time and money are considerable. It’s worth the most to the owners of the dogs who had the most severe allergies and who responded very positively to the therapy. It may be judged as “not worth the cost” to owners who were unable to strictly comply with the required schedule of veterinary visits, whose dogs had mild allergies to begin with, and those whose dogs failed to respond strongly to the therapy.
Holistic Recommendations for Allergy Treatment
Most holistic veterinary practitioners recommend switching any itchy dog to a complete and balanced home-prepared diet containing “real foods.” This will decrease the dog’s exposure to unnecessary or complex chemicals and give his body the opportunity to utilize the higher-quality nutrients present in fresh foods. Whether the diet is cooked or raw, the increased nutrient quality and availability of fresh whole foods will improve the health of any dog who currently receives even the best dry or canned foods.
“Feeding fresh, unprocessed, organic foods provides more of the building blocks for a healthy immune system,” says Dr. Pesch. “Dogs who have allergies are more likely to be deficient in trace proteins and sugars (proteoglycans) that are used by the immune system. Deficiencies in these nutrients will increase the allergic response.” For her canine allergic patients, Dr. Pesch also recommends supplements such as colostrum, Ambrotose (a “glyconutritional dietary supplement ingredient consisting of a blend of monosaccharides, or sugar molecules”), and Standard Process supplements that contain glandular extracts.
Today, many veterinarians, holistic and conventional, recommend the use of probiotics, especially following any sort of antibiotic therapy. “I recommend a two-week course of probiotics following antibiotic use,” says Dr. Pesch. “It’s preferable to wait until after antibiotics are finished. If probiotics are given at the same time as antibiotics, they will be killed by the antibiotics and may reduce the efficacy of the antibiotics against the intended bacteria.”
Acupuncture can be used to help strengthen the immune system while reducing its overreactivity. “It’s not understood from a western perspective exactly how this is done, but acupuncture has been shown to increase white blood cell counts and circulation while at the same time stabilizing cell membranes and reducing histamine release,” says Dr. Pesch.
Dr. Pesch also recommends individually selected herbs to help reduce inflammation and irritation of the skin. “Many traditional Chinese herbal formulas can help reduce skin itching and inflammation without suppressing the immune system. They are usually not as strong as prednisone, but are in many cases sufficient. Additional herbs can be used to strengthen the immune system, reducing the intensity and frequency of subsequent allergy flare-ups.”
Homeopathy is another modality that can be extremely effective in allergy treatment. “I recommend classical homeopathy by a trained veterinarian,” says Dr. Pesch. “Classical homeopathy looks at the totality of symptoms for an individual to derive at a specific treatment for each unique case. The remedy mimics the disease in the body, stimulating the body’s defenses against the disease process.”
In my own experience, homeopathy is a hit-or-miss proposition. I’ve seen it work miracles on some dogs, and do absolutely nothing for others. Compared with many other medical interventions, homeopathy is inexpensive, poses little risk of serious side effects, and just may work. It’s worth a try, especially in cases where nothing else is working well.
Dr. Pesch expresses the holistic philosophy well. “Because of their ability to help improve immune system function without destroying the healthy balance of bacteria and fungi in the body, I regard the use of acupuncture and herbs or classical homeopathy, along with diet change and nutritional supplements, as the preferable treatment of allergies. This is true for allergies that affect the respiratory and digestive tracts as well as those that cause symptoms in the skin.”
Managing Your Dog’s Exposure
Dr. Spector is an internal medicine specialist and does not consider herself a “holistic practitioner.” But she shares the view of most holistic vets that it’s helpful to try to minimize the exposure of the allergic dog to chemical additives, toxins, and synthetic ingredients.
“I try to be cautious about overstimulating their immune systems in any way,” she says. “That goes for medication, too. Some antibiotics and sulfa drugs, for example, are more likely to stimulate the immune system. I would also choose to do titer tests before blanket vaccinating, to give only what is needed.”
It will also help to limit the dog’s exposure to common allergens – and not just the ones you know (through testing) he’s allergic to, says Dr. Spector. “People think, ‘My dog has an allergy to X, Y, and Z, and those are the things I have to watch out for.’ Unfortunately, most dogs with allergies will go on to develop new allergies throughout their lives, and anything they are exposed to will be on the list of possible allergens. It’s just the nature of the beast when you have an allergic predisposition.”
To that end, keep in mind that you are living with an allergy-susceptible companion, and keep your household exposure of dust, pollen, mites, and fleas to a minimum.
Greer, a maker of canine, feline, and human allergy tests and immunotherapy products, offers the following suggestions for the owners of allergic dogs. The recommendations are all very good:
– Dust and vacuum often, but not when the pet is present.
– Consider installing air conditioning, air filtration systems, and/or a vacuum with air filtration to avoid reintroducing allergens back into the pet’s environment.
– Use dehumidifiers to help control mold and mites.
– Limit the pet’s outdoor time during peak allergy seasons.
– Avoid going outside at dawn and dusk which can be times of high outdoor pollen.
– Rinse off your pets’ paws right after they’ve been outdoors.
Heska Corporation, another maker of allergy tests and immunotherapy products, adds these suggestions:
– Keep lawn grass cut short to reduce seed and pollen production.
– Keep pets off the lawn one to two hours after mowing or when the lawn is wet.
– Avoid letting pet put head out of car windows when traveling.
– Dry pet’s bedding in the dryer instead of outside.
– Frequently bathe pet using hypoallergenic shampoos, leave-in conditioners, and cool water rinses.
Speaking of “management,” it’s also important to manage your own expectation of your dog’s condition. Life with allergy is a marathon, not a sprint, and while new hypersensitivities can flare up at any time, resolution may also be just one more intervention away.
Nancy Kerns is Editor of WDJ. She’s owned one severely allergic dog, and still cares for an ancient allergic cat.
For months now, I’ve been planning and thinking about and making notes for “Itching to Be Well,” the article about canine allergies that I wrote for this issue. My last dog, a Border Collie named Rupert, has been on my mind as I’ve been working on the article. Rupe was itchy most of his life, and though I became aware early on that he had a severe hypersensitivity to flea bites – the bite of a single flea could turn him into an obsessively scratching, chewing, red, irritated mess within hours – it took me almost a decade to discover that he also was allergic to chicken.
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How could it take me that long? Rupert was seven or eight years old when I was asked to edit the inaugural issue of Whole Dog Journal, an incredible (to me!) 14 years ago. I came to the publication from a career editing horse magazines; I was a rather average dog owner at the time. I knew enough to understand that there was some connection between his food and his health, but not enough to diligently record what was in the foods and treats I bought for him, or what sort of response he had to them. Sometimes he was itchier than other times; I wasn’t sure why. When his chewing and scratching got severe, and he mutilated himself in an effort to stop the itching, I’d take him to the vet for some steroids. That cortisone is a real miracle drug.
Please don’t judge me! I didn’t know better – and I have to say, none of the veterinarians I brought Rupert to (for his occasional steroid shots and pills) said much to educate me about what else I could be doing to identify the substances that were torturing my dog, so that I could better manage Rupert’s exposure to them. That is, until I started editing this journal and visiting a different type of veterinarian.
Holistic vets! I wasn’t in Kansas anymore! (Metaphorically speaking, of course; there are actually some great holistic vets in Kansas.) The first holistic vet I took Rupert to was the first vet I ever met who didn’t want to vaccinate my dog for something; in fact, he suggested that Rupe not be vaccinated again at all until we improved his health. What was he talking about? Rupert was a healthy dog; he just had these weird itching fits, so much so that he’d start a “hot spot” and need antibiotics. And he did have a lot of ear infections, but that’s just life, right?
Well, this is just embarrassing. Suffice it to say that I know better now. I know enough to be really worried about my dog Otto, because in the past week, he’s suddenly started licking himself a lot, and all over. He’s been mildly itchy in the spring since I adopted him almost three years ago, but this is definitely a new behavior. I suspect atopy, an allergy to something in the environment – probably tree pollen. I’m giving him a bath tomorrow, and have an appointment to see our vet later this week (it won’t be for steroids).
Rupe, I’m dedicating this issue to your memory. Thanks for the education; sorry I was so slow.
On March 10, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) advised veterinarians about a recall of a human drug, phenobarbital, which is used extra-label for pets. On February 5, Qualitest Pharmaceuticals recalled certain lots of product that was labeled as phenobarbital – but was actually hydrocodone/acetaminophen (Vicodin).
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The recalled product is identified as Phenobarbital Tablets, USP 32.4 mg, NDC 0603-5166-32, 1,000 count, lot numbers T150G10B, T120J10E, and T023M10A. The tablets in these lots are large, pink, and capsule-shaped, marked with a “V” on one side and “3600” on the reverse. They were distributed to retail and wholesale pharmacies between September and December 2010.
Phenobarbital is prescribed to control seizures in dogs and other animals. Because of the mix-up, pets may be given Vicodin tablets instead of the intended phenobarbital. Dogs who do not get their usual dose of phenobarbital may begin seizing. Frequent or prolonged seizures require veterinary intervention to prevent hyperthermia.
In addition, CVM has received at least three reports of serious adverse events involving dogs treated with these “phenobarbital” tablets.
Administration of acetaminophen can cause liver damage, and can also damage red blood cells, eventually leading to death. It is deadly to cats. Signs of acetaminophen toxicity include vomiting, difficulty breathing, brown-colored gums, drooling, brown or bloody urine, and convulsions. Liver failure can be associated with abdominal pain, jaundice (yellowing of the gums and whites of the eyes), and mental confusion.
Hydrocodone is a potent narcotic sometimes used for cough suppression in dogs; high doses can cause respiratory suppression, extreme drowsiness, slow heart rate, and death. Combining hydrocodone with barbiturates such as phenobarbital increases the risk of serious side effects.
It is not clear to whom adverse events should be reported. Try the FDA’s Safety Reporting Portal at www.safetyreporting.hhs.gov, which is used to report problems with animal drugs, or call them at the number below. – Mary Straus
In late February, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a report about two people who live in the same home in Lake County, Oregon, who were diagnosed with bubonic plague – the only two cases of the disease in the United States in 2010. Because bubonic plague is so rare in the U.S. – and potentially deadly – the victim’s county and state health departments, as well as the CDC, all participated in investigating how the patients contracted the illness. Eventually, all fingers pointed at a third member of the household: the family dog. More specifically, fleas on the family dog.
Photo by Warren Rosenberg dreamstime.com
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The bubonic plague is caused by a bacteria, Yersinia pestis, that is carried from host to host in the gut of infected fleas. In the United States, it’s the “rat flea” (Xenopsylla cheopis) that is the most common vector of the Yersinia pestis bacteria. Despite the name, the rat flea afflicts rats, mice, chipmunks, prairie dogs, and ground squirrels – and if its host dies, the flea will hop aboard any mammal that happens by.
Without appropriate treatment, two out of three infected humans die within six days of infection with bubonic plague.
Though the plague victims in Oregon were not accurately diagnosed until weeks after their health crises, the antibiotics and other supportive care they received saved their lives. Once the diagnosis was confirmed, investigators tested the family dog, and determined that it, too, had been bitten by an infected flea and had recovered (on its own) from a Yersinia pestis infection.
A number of press reports mentioned the fact that the dog slept on the bed of one of the family members and hinted that dogs should not sleep with humans; most of the reports also recommended that dog owners run out and buy flea collars for their dogs. Flea infestations cause far more common hazards – to humans and dogs – than the plague. Flea control should be a top priority for every dog owner, but flea collars have been largely replaced with more effective treatments.
Your dog is limping and you don’t know why, so you take him to your veterinarian. The vet pushes, pulls, and palpates and announces that your dog probably has torn ligaments in his knee. She says that he needs surgery, and she can take care of that.
Photo by Christy Waehner
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While you love your dog’s vet, you’re just not sure that you agree, and you’re also unsure whether surgery is the route you want to take. You feel uncomfortable thinking the thought, but wonder what another veterinarian might recommend.
I’ve sought second opinions when I need to know more, or when I think that a specialist’s eyes, hands, and training might offer a different perspective on the initial diagnosis. When faced with serious illness in my Bouviers (who were young at the time), I didn’t hesitate to seek out a second opinion. In two cases – Axel’s immune mediated thrombocytopenia and Jolie’s back problem – I didn’t doubt the competency of the care being offered by their veterinarians; I simply wanted to be sure that the diagnosis was accurate and that I’d explored all my treatment options. I shared my decision to solicit another opinion with my veterinarians, and they gave me their full support.
After an exam by a board-certified internist, Axel’s primary care veterinarian continued to treat him, and was willing to incorporate alternative modalities into Axel’s treatment plan.
In Jolie’s case, we solicited input from her primary care veterinarian, a veterinary chiropractor, a surgeon in private practice, and finally from a board-certified neurologist at a veterinary college’s small animal teaching hospital. In both cases, we had successful outcomes and a continued good relationship with our primary veterinarians.
In my opinion, a second opinion is a good thing. We are the advocates for our dogs’ health. If I have any doubts, questions, or even just a niggling feeling that I can’t put my finger on, I will opt for a second opinion. I’ve done it enough times now to feel comfortable doing so, and there’s no reason that all dog guardians shouldn’t be, too.
Always okay A strong proponent of second opinions, Nancy Kay, DVM, DACVIM, devoted an entire chapter of her book, Speaking for Spot: Be the Advocate Your Dog Needs to Live a Happy, Healthy, Longer Life, to reassuring pet owners about looking past their primary veterinarians when they want more information about the animal’s condition. (The chapter is titled “A Second Opinion Is Always Okay.”)
Photo by Cindy Noland
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According to Dr. Kay, “Second opinions serve two valuable purposes. The clearest benefit is for your pup . . . The other beneficiary is you – second opinions tend to be reassuring, and allow you to feel you are doing the best job possible for the dog you love so dearly.”
Dr. Kay’s book is a great resource for anyone considering seeking a second opinion. Many of the concerns I had are ones she’s heard many time before, including:
– What will my dog’s veterinarian think? Despite the fact that you might feel uncomfortable doing so, it’s in everyone’s best interest that you share with your dog’s vet your plan to seek a second opinion. She should support your decision.
If my dogs’ veterinarians had reacted negatively to my decisions to seek second opinions, I’d be thinking long and hard about what kind of relationship we had, and whether it should continue. A veterinarian who is confident in her skills and relationship with you will not take offense with your seeking a second opinion.
Board-certified veterinary surgeon Alan Cross, DVM, DACVS, is an orthopedist at Georgia Veterinary Specialists in Atlanta. If a client brings a dog to him for an exam, and subsequently informs him that she’ll be seeking another opinion for a diagnosis/treatment plan, he’s agreeable. “It’s important that the owner believes in treatment they decide to pursue. If they have doubts, I don’t want to operate on that patient.” His only request is that the client takes her dog to another board-certified surgeon (if dealing with a surgical decision).
– To whom will I go? Dr. Cross’ request makes sense to me, as my preference when seeking a second opinion is to go to a board-certified specialist, or a veterinarian who specializes in the type of condition the dog has. Dr. Kay points out that it might be possible – and easy – to see another veterinarian within your dog’s clinic if you frequent a multi-vet hospital, but cautions that you might encounter a situation where the veterinarians have practiced together for so long that their thinking is similar.
For me, finding a resource outside the clinic is the way to go (unless it is a multi-specialty practice). Look first to your dog’s veterinarian for a recommendation; otherwise, search for a board-certified specialist on the certifying organization’s website, and at veterinary colleges.
Often, condition-specific discussion lists (i.e., tick borne disease, irritable bowel disease, etc.) on the internet are available, and list members might be able to provide you the name of an expert in your area. Sometimes it is necessary to drive a little further for a good second opinion. For me, the trip is worth the time.
– Won’t they run all the same tests? Not necessarily, and this is another reason to tell your dog’s veterinarian that you’ll be seeking a second opinion and with whom: she’ll be able to forward all copies of test results to the specialist.
In many cases, a second opinion visit will consist of only an exam and a discussion; you won’t necessarily need to sign up for a barrage of tests, and it won’t drain your wallet. But, if the specialist comes up with a completely different diagnosis, then be prepared to run tests to confirm the diagnosis. And, yes, it is possible that a third opinion might be in order.
– Are there alternatives? Christy Waehner of Atlanta does her best to seek a second opinion if the initial treatment plan doesn’t offer alternatives – preferably, an alternative to western medicine. When her Doberman, Sylvia, was diagnosed with wobbler syndrome (compression of the spinal cord in the neck caused by vertebral instability) the vet recommended surgery.
Although she loved her veterinarian, Waehner asked him whether there might be another option, given that Sylvia’s temperament would not lend itself well to the type of recovery required post-surgery. On her behalf, he reached out and found another veterinarian willing to implant gold beads (the procedure is an alternative therapy related to acupuncture). After a successful procedure, Sylvia returned to competing in agility.
The one situation in which there isn’t time for another opinion is when your dog is in the throes of a medical emergency. Dr. Kay recommends planning for that scenario by doing your homework ahead of time and knowing which emergency clinics in your area offer the kind of care you expect.
Second opinions are typically good things when approached with the support of your veterinarian, the right attitude, and realistic expectations given your dog’s condition. Ask questions, including “What is the typical outcome in cases like this? Best case? Worst case?” We rarely get miracles, but we can get some peace of mind knowing that we’ve gone the extra mile to help our dogs.
Lisa Rodier shares her home with her husband and senior Bouvier, Jolie.
Behavior issues, from simple good manners infractions to the more concerning problems of phobias and aggression, appear in dogs both large and small. But while training to modify behavior issues might look the same regardless of size, in other respects, the bigger the dog, the bigger the problem. When a Dachshund has a lapse in housetraining, the cleanup process is significantly easier than if an Irish Wolfhound has an accident. If a Havanese frantically jumps up on your elderly Aunt Tilly, the collateral damage is less than if a Great Dane does the same. And if a Yorkie is terrified of riding in the car and refuses to get in for an emergency trip to the vet, he can be picked up and placed inside – not so when a Newfoundland steadfastly refuses.
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What do you do with a giant breed dog who, at the slightest hint that a car ride is imminent, runs to the farthest room in the house, lies down, and won’t budge? Such was the case of Igor, a six-year-old, 165-pound Newfoundland.
Igor’s fear of the car had gotten progressively worse over his lifetime. Elizabeth, Igor’s owner, received advice and a prescription for an anti-anxiety medication from her veterinarian. But an incident that could have been a matter of life or death prompted her to seek a referral from her vet for a behavior professional.
There were three other dogs living at the house when Elizabeth woke to a puppy playing with an empty prescription bottle. Was the puppy the one who ate the pills, or did one of the other dogs empty the bottle and leave it behind for the puppy to play with? It was clear that all four dogs needed to be taken to the veterinary clinic to be examined and the contents of their stomachs emptied. Three dogs were quickly loaded into the car, but Igor refused. All of the luring, cajoling, dragging, and shoving in the world would not convince Igor to enter what he perceived as a torture chamber. Fortunately, one of the other dogs was the culprit in this pill-eating incident, but it was enough to convince Elizabeth that something had to be done before she was possibly faced with another life-threatening emergency.
The origins of fear A dog’s fear of the car may be rooted in one or several different unpleasant associations developed when riding in a vehicle. The sound and vibration of the engine alone can be frightening to a puppy. The situation may be exacerbated by confinement in a small space with no way to escape. Many dogs experience car sickness as puppies, and even though they may outgrow it, the unpleasant association with physical illness remains. A dog may associate car travel with going to unpleasant destinations, such as the veterinary clinic or groomer, where he is poked, prodded, stuck with needles, or gets his nails trimmed. A car accident can be a traumatic experience for a dog and may lead to an intense fear. Or a dog may experience discomfort jumping into or out of the vehicle as a result of a medical condition such as arthritis or hip dysplasia.
Pinpointing the origins of Igor’s fear could help in working up a comprehensive training plan. It wasn’t likely that unpleasant destinations caused the problem; he actually seemed to enjoy his vet visits once he was at the clinic.
Physical discomfort entering and exiting the car was probably not the issue, either; Igor hoisted his large body onto the couch daily. He had never experienced a car accident. Perhaps the sound and vibration of the engine had frightened him as a puppy, or maybe motion sickness had caused his negative association. Whenever Igor was riding in the car, he hung his head between the back seat headrests and stared out the rear hatchback window. It appeared to be his attempt to visually limit motion.
Igor had shown signs of being uncomfortable in a car since he was a puppy, but his fear escalated after a round trip drive from Maryland to Tennessee when he was two years old, and over time he became more reluctant to enter the car. At first, Elizabeth was able to lure him into the car with a pig ear as a reward. Eventually, Igor figured out this trick, and would bolt across the yard when he realized he was being guided to the car. Elizabeth then started taking him to the car on-leash and forcing him into the car. Soon the leash became useless; Igor would use his massive weight to pull Elizabeth in the opposite direction. Living in an old farmhouse on several acres and rarely walking on-leash, Igor quickly associated the appearance of the leash to being taken to the car. Elizabeth approaching him with the leash became a cue for him to run to another room and lie down. When a 165-pound dog decides not to budge, there isn’t much you can do about it!
Getting help Elizabeth consulted her veterinarian, who prescribed the tranquilizer Acepromazine (“Ace”) to help with Igor’s problem. Commonly prescribed by veterinarians for pets who experience anxiety during car travel, Ace produces sedation and suppresses behavior (normal and abnormal), and decreases locomotive coordination. The medication also reduces nausea and vomiting in animals who experience motion sickness.
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Research has also shown that while Ace functions as a chemical restraint, it does not affect the animal’s emotional behavior. While under the effect of the drug, the animal may be unable to physically react to what triggers the fear, even appearing calm and relaxed, but may still be having an intense emotional reaction.
Veterinarian, behaviorist, and psychopharmacology expert Dr. Karen Overall states that Ace “works by disassociative effects, meaning that you could still perceive the stimulus, but you can’t cognitively put it together . . . you’re aware of what’s happening to you, but it doesn’t make any sense to you . . .” (This quote is from Leashes to Neurons & Psychopharmacology, a DVD of a lecture given by Dr. Overall in 2007 and a terrific resource for owners and trainers who want to know more about medications that can be used to treat abnormal canine behavior.)
If the animal is still terrified and confused, but is physically unable to react, negative associations and fears may be amplified, potentially making the problem even worse. If the fear level intensifies, the animal may even break through the chemical restraint, overriding the physiological effects of the drug. In addition, according to Dr. Overall, Ace heightens sensitivity to noises – not a desirable effect when working with a dog who already has a negative association with the sound of a car engine.
Elizabeth began to administer Ace to Igor one to two hours prior to car travel as prescribed. In his sedated state, she was now able to lead Igor to the car without much resistance. When they arrived at the car door, Elizabeth would throw treats on the back seat, place Igor’s paws in the car, and shove him in from behind. Igor was still fearful, just unable to physically resist with as much strength. After the pill-eating incident, it became evident that using Ace was not a solution. There is no time to wait for one to two hours for Ace to take effect in a medical emergency so she could shove him into the car. In January 2010, Elizabeth’s veterinarian referred her to me to help with Igor’s fear of the car.
Meeting the gentle giant The Igor I met was a sweet, affectionate, gentle soul, and with the exception of his fear of the car, had no other behavior issues of concern. Elizabeth clearly loved him, but had no clue as to what it would take to improve the situation. As many owners mistakenly assume, she believed that Igor was simply stubborn. It never occurred to her that he was actually terrified and miserable. This revelation during the consultation saddened Elizabeth; how could she have forced the dog she adored into a terrifying situation for so many years? She was eager to help Igor overcome his fear.
Igor’s fear of the car had a long history. We discussed what it would take to change his emotional response to riding in the car from one of terror to one of enjoyment, or, at the very least, calm acceptance. It was important to prevent Igor from having to ride in the car during the training, so I recommended veterinary home visits and a mobile groomer.
We reviewed the general training protocol needed to help Igor and talked about the amount of time it could take to see improvement, as well as the long term commitment that would be required of Elizabeth. She later admitted feeling overwhelmed and discouraged after our initial meeting. To her credit, she made the commitment to do the work necessary to help her beloved Igor conquer his fear – no matter what, or how long, it took.
Beginning at the beginning Counter-conditioning and desensitization (CC&D) is considered the most effective method in working with fears, anxieties, and phobias. Our goal was to change Igor’s emotional response to riding in the car from negative to positive. To use counter-conditioning, we needed to pair something Igor perceived as wonderful (in his case, garlic hot dogs and cheese) with the scary things that triggered his fear response. We also needed to work below Igor’s fear threshold, at a level of intensity low enough to avoid a fearful response, gradually increasing the intensity in small increments as long as Igor stayed relaxed (desensitization).
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Before we actually could work with Igor in or around the car, we had to get him to the car. We began training at the point where he first became anxious about the prospect of having to go for a car ride. The leash draped over the kitchen chair, or even hanging around Elizabeth’s neck as she behaved normally in the house, elicited no signs of stress from Igor. If Elizabeth approached him with the leash he retreated. If I held the leash, Igor wasn’t particularly interested, so we began with me presenting the leash to him a couple of feet away. When the leash appeared, Igor got to graze on a handful of garlic hot dog bits. When the leash disappeared behind my back, the yummy treats disappeared as well. Soon Igor was looking to me when the leash appeared, as if to say “Yay! Hot dogs, please?” This was the conditioned emotional response (CER) that we look for in counter-conditioning; he was beginning to associate the leash with good things instead of bad.
Gradually I moved the leash closer with each trial. The process went very quickly; Igor never showed any signs of stress, even when we switched places and Elizabeth began presenting the leash. By the end of our first session we were both able to clasp the leash onto Igor’s collar as he remained calm and relaxed. To further desensitize Igor to the leash, Elizabeth left the leash on him periodically while he slept, ate, and walked around the house. He didn’t seem to mind one bit.
In subsequent sessions we continued using both CC&D and rewarding behaviors leading toward our goal of getting Igor to the car. We started by walking Igor inside the house on-leash. We played games, practiced “sit” and “come” with a clicker and treats, and gradually began training near the door that led to the driveway. By the end of one session of leash practice, the leash had become a cue for fun!
Elizabeth continued the training between our sessions, and very soon Igor willingly went outside on-leash. Since the car was parked straight ahead in the driveway, we quickly veered left into the yard and walked, clicking and giving him treats and praise on our way around the entire house, past the car, and back inside. Eventually, instead of passing by the car, we stopped next to it, briefly practiced some sits, gave treats and praise, and continued back to the house. Throughout the process we were careful to observe Igor for any visible signs of stress and moved forward only when Igor was relaxed.
Making contact Once Igor was comfortable working in close proximity to the car, we tried a couple of different techniques to get him to actually make contact with the vehicle. Igor carried a lot of weight on his frame, was considered a senior dog for his breed, and more of a couch potato then a canine athlete. We needed to conserve his movement so that we could maximize his progress in training sessions and prevent any negative association by being overworked, tired, or sore. So we continued to use CC&D to gradually open the door to the back seat with Igor sitting near the door.
At that point, it was time to try to reward Igor for his calm behavior with the door open by placing his hot dog bits on the threshold of the car door. Lo and behold, we had contact! Soon Igor calmly approached the car when lured with treats, and soon after that he approached the car just in anticipation of being given treats.
Once Igor would happily eat treats from the car doorway, Elizabeth began to feed Igor all of his meals in that location. He readily followed her to the car for his food bowl and calmly ate his meals. But when we tried to gradually move the food bowl farther inside the car, he became hesitant. His meals consisted of dry kibble only, so we tried adding a little canned food with warm water mixed in. The results of “Igor’s special sauce” were amazing. It wasn’t long before Igor was willing to get his entire body into the car to eat his meals, and would even run to the car in anticipation of his gourmet meal and leap in the back seat – well, as close to leaping as a 165-pound dog is able!
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Gradually, we were able to close the car door while he ate and open it only when he finished. Elizabeth began to sit in the driver’s seat with the door closed while Igor ate. She had faithfully worked with Igor for about three months at this point, and she could finally see a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel.
Rev your engines! The next step of turning the ignition key was a big one. Elizabeth started giving Igor melatonin an hour prior to training sessions to help him remain relaxed. A naturally produced hormone, melatonin can reduce stress levels without causing drowsiness if given at the proper dosage.
With Igor finally entering the car willingly for treat rewards, we once again used CC&D to help him accept the sound of the ignition, the vibration, and the hum of the engine for longer and longer periods. Since Elizabeth would be doing most of the training with Igor unassisted, we needed to figure out a way she could logistically and safely feed Igor while starting the engine and moving the car.
Enter the cheesy spoon! Elizabeth used a long handled wooden spoon smeared with yummy canned squirt cheese. She offered the spoon to Igor between the front seats with one hand as she turned the key in the ignition with the other. The first time he heard the engine, Igor was startled, but the cheesy spoon quickly had his full attention. Over time, Igor remained calm in the car with the motor on with only occasional treats and lots of proud praise from his mom.
We were finally ready to start moving! Although Igor never threw up in a moving car, we decided to err on the side of caution in case he did experience motion sickness. He was given powdered ginger root in capsules prior to training to help keep his tummy calm, and we never trained him when his stomach was full.
Get the show on the road The cheesy spoon is not necessarily the method of food presentation I would recommend for a driver doing counter-conditioning on busy roads. But fortunately, Elizabeth and Igor live on a rural country lane with few houses. When Igor was comfortable with the engine running, it was time to move the car. Elizabeth began to back up the car a few feet while presenting the cheesy spoon. Then she would stop the car, remove the spoon for a few moments, then move the car forward and present the spoon again.
Practicing two to three times a week, Elizabeth used this procedure to progress to the end of the driveway, then drove a very short distance down the lane, and finally drove to the end of the lane (a tenth of a mile). Igor was rewarded with dinner at the end of these brief excursions, as well as lots of hugs, kisses, and praise. Elizabeth said he always looked very proud of himself!
Training stalled in late spring. The combination of a big black dog, rising temperatures, and a black leather car interior made it unsafe to continue, so Igor had a summer vacation from the car. Once fall arrived and the temperatures were more reasonable, Elizabeth began feeding Igor his meals in the car again, and resumed their brief trips down the country lane. In time, these trips went as far as the mailbox (a quarter-mile from the house), and eventually to the stop sign at the end of the road – about a mile and a half each way. The cheesy spoon was gone, and periodic treats were enough to keep Igor calm.
Leap of faith One rule of CC&D is to never exceed the comfort level or fear threshold of the dog during training. Moving too far too fast is a common mistake of those new to the process. It can be painstakingly slow at times, and owners often become impatient hoping for quicker results.
Elizabeth was extremely patient and worked hard to help Igor to the point where he was calm in the car riding for short distances. But one day last fall, she decided to throw caution to the wind. She loaded Igor and her other dog Abby into the car, and drove to a McDonalds, a full seven miles away! My heart dropped when she told me about the trip – until I heard the details.
Elizabeth drove slowly, feeding treats to Igor and Abby at every stop sign and red light. She ordered an Egg McMuffin at the drive-thru window, parked the car, and fed half of the sandwich to a happy Igor and Abby. They continued home and were rewarded with the other half of the McMuffin when they arrived. Would I have suggested this significantly longer trip at this stage of the training? No, but it worked out fine. And as long as Igor doesn’t become a fast food junkie, an occasional Egg McMuffin excursion is really not a bad idea.
Achieving the goal It’s been over a year since I first met Igor, the Newfie who ran at the sight of a leash for fear of riding in the car. And it’s been about six months since his successful 14-mile round trip for an Egg McMuffin. Does Igor now love car rides? No, but he usually tolerates them calmly. He’s had occasional relapses when pushed too far or too long, acting more reluctant when asked to get in the car for the next trip. But Elizabeth is now aware when she has pushed his limits, and knows to step back in training. Her commitment to helping Igor is the single biggest reason for his success.
There are only winners in this story. As long as he can walk to the car, Elizabeth never has to worry about not being able to get Igor to a vet in case of emergency. Igor no longer is terrified of anything. And I got to help the world’s sweetest Newfie and his wonderfully committed mom make a big problem go away.
Susan Sarubin, CPDT-KA, lives in Easton, Maryland, with her husband and three Rhodesian Ridgebacks. She owns Pawsitive Fit, LLC, Puppy and Dog Training, and is the Maryland State Coordinator for Rhodesian Ridgeback Rescue, Inc.
